Good morning! What day is it?Final Hump Day of March, of course. Five weeks to May 🕊. At least there is a few weeks in early May when there is no black flies. Sunny and 25 degrees in Delmar, NY. 🌞 Calm wind.Things will start to thaw out at around 10 am. 🌡️

Another cold but at least sunny morning. ❄ At least I think we are most likely done with snow for the year in the Albany area. I heard the heat click on for a while then shut off. I think tomorrow I’ll turn it off hopefully until late October or early November. It’s good that it’s going to warm up to the fifties by afternoon. 🌷Big Red accessory battery should be floating in a few hours. 🔋

Was a bit stiff and sore this morning but that’s part of growing old. 👴 I did get a fairly early start despite being relatively cold in my bedroom because the heat is turned down. Listening again to John Denver🎶 as the bus gently rocks on its journey downtown. 🚍Should be a nice days with lots of sun streaming into the office, good for taking a break and studying the mountains.

Today will be sunny 🌞, with a high of 50 degrees at 4pm. One degree above normal, which is similiar to a typical day around March 28th. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon. A year ago, we had cloudy in the morning, which became mostly sunny by afternoon. The high last year was 48 degrees. The record high of 78 was set in 1998. 6.7 inches of snow fell back in 1959.❄

The sun will set at 7:16 pm with dusk around 7:44 pm, which is one minute and 9 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At sunset, look for clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 42 degrees. There will be a south breeze at 6 mph. Today will have 12 hours and 30 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 54 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will be mostly clear 🌃, with a low of 30 degrees at 4am. Typical for tonight. South wind around 7 mph. In 2018, we had partly cloudy in the evening, which became mostly sunny by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 36 degrees. The record low of 3 occurred back in 1923.

Tomorrow will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 60 degrees at 3pm. 10 degrees above normal, which is similiar to a typical day around April 18th. That’s going to be super nice. South wind 9 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. A year ago, we had cloudy in the morning, which became mostly sunny by afternoon. The high last year was 49 degrees. The record high of 85 was set in 1945. 14.2 inches of snow fell back in 1932.❄

Tuesday came and went. It was a good day, maybe fairly busy at work but it made the time go by quickly.💼 Took the 6:45 bus home, a virtually brand new bus, and then rode the exercise bike 🚲 for a half hour or so then went out for my evening walk. Hot dogs and baked beans for dinner with some frozen pineapple 🍍 and banana 🍌 slices for dessert. I’m not that much into health food but I’m on a budget and frozen fruit is often more tasty and affordable than junk food. It’s less packaging too.

Evening walk 🚶 was pleasant with lots of stars. 🌃 Chilly though. Looking forward to nicer weather when I can sit out back again. I think after tomorrow night the heat will be done for the year although I don’t see any balmy nights in the near future on tap but the hard freezing weather is nearly done for the year. I’d love 😍 nights when I can leave the windows open but not so hot I run the fan all night. The big box fan I have is remarkably energy hungry, using upwards of 60 watts each hour it’s run on high. I know fossil energy ⚡ is cheap but that seems awful wasteful. Sitting out back on a summers night listening to the spring peepers is really nice I must say. 🐸 Still too cold for that yet. For a while we had a Great Horned Owl in the neighborhood 🐭 who really gave a hoot.

Yesterday in the evening I went up to the old observation deck on the 31st floor of the Alfred E Smith Building 🏢 which is primarily used as a state conference room nowadays with the doors to the deck are closed off most of the year. Interesting to see up there, it’s too bad it’s closed to the general public nowadays. Neat to see it.📷 The anti jumping fence around the deck does kind of block the view though.

Finally set up my account with the state tax department to pay taxes quarterly to ensure I don’t risk an underpayment fine in 2020.😢 I keep cutting it closer each year and I really don’t want to pay a fine next year. Unfortunately there is no way to make automatic payments on and ongoing basis with the state tax department, although you can schedule four quarters of tax payments or out a full year on the website.💸 I’m going to just do enough so I have a margin of safety but hopefully only owe a small amount to the state next year. I mean I wouldn’t want the governor or the gestapo that he operates to profit on my interest.

Bought more milk at Stewart’s. 🐮Missplaced my milk card 💳 then found it later on. I have so many milk cards to redeem at some point in the future. I’m drinking less milk now though after discovering the wonders of cider vinegar and water though. 🍏 Saves money.

Each day I briefly log onto Facebook to see what my clients and some of my friends are up to but I find it’s hard to leave it on for more than a few minutes. 💻 I try to be very strategic with my use of social media – especially Facebook – updating the Save the Pine Bush page and my personal page, checking a few other things before shutting it down. It just brings much more joy to my life not getting swamped down by all of it. I think I would like Facebook better if it just was pictures of cattle, turkeys and deer.

Not a particularly nice weekend on tap. 😞 Saturday, a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Maximum dew point of 50 at 1pm. Sunday, showers likely, mainly before 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Typical average high for the weekend is 51 degrees.

Again I have no idea what the weekend will look like for me 🌲but I have no real plans. My best guess is that I will be working Sunday. Maybe Saturday I can do the Save the Pine Bush Hike but I’m not holding my breath on that. The weekend will certainly be fairly mild. I guess March is leaving like a mud crusted lamb that smells like manure and wet wool.

The following week I’ll probably stay in town, take my bottles and cans to the recycling center ♻. Like usually happens this time of year, I’m running out of room in the outside trash cans so I’m starting to stack the bottles and cans in my truck. Then maybe start packing my truck for camping. ⛺Still thinking 💭 about heading out a few days before Good Friday. ➕ Probably still head out to the East Branch of the Sacandaga River and then maybe drive up through the Adirondacks to the North Country.

I do like my neighbors big jacked up truck. It makes mine look so small. 🚛 I just hate how all the kids in the neighborhood have nicer toys than me. So be it. Big Red is quite sweet on his own behalf and he’s paid for and seems to run better than my neighbors big diesel. But ultimately I think I primarily care more about eventually owning land and having fires to burn things whenever I want. 🔥

In four weeks on April 24 the sun will be setting at 7:47 pm,🌄 which is 31 minutes and 53 seconds later then today. In 2018 on that day, we had partly sunny skies with rain showers and temperatures between 70 and 45 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 62 and 40 degrees. The record high of 81 degrees was set back in 2001.

I do look forward to the weekends up in the wilderness, getting away from all of it for a few days. 🌿🌲🌳Then spending time down in the swimming 🏊 holes, kayaking and hiking in woods. The fires 🔥, the cold beer 🍻, the music 🎶 and the lights. 🎄

99 days until Independence Day this year. I know because it was hundred days when I wrote this blog post last night. 📝 It’s a Thursday this year and I assume they’ll give us off that Friday. 🎇I’m thinking about a long weekend that weekend at the Moose River Plains although I might change my mind. Maybe drive up to Speculator Tree Farm on Wednesday night then to the Plains first thing on Independence Day. 🎈I could change my mind, and certainly Memorial Day Weekend is long before then.

Looking ahead, Arbor Day 🌳 is a month away, May 🕊 is in 5 weeks, Memorial Day 🇺🇸 is in 2 months, 8:30 PM Sunset ️⛱️ is in 10 weeks, Primary Day 🗳️ is in 13 weeks, Altamont Fair Opens 🎡 is in 20 weeks, State Fair Opens 🎡 is in 21 weeks, September 11th 🇸 is in 24 weeks, More Night then Day 🌌 is in 26 weeks and Inauguration Day 2021 👴🏻 is in 95 weeks.

Good morning! Happy Spring 🌷! Well in about nine more hours, although today will feel very spring like for sure. Six weeks to May 🕊. Black flies would approve of this message. Partly sunny and 34 degrees in Delmar, NY. ⛅ Calm wind.Temperatures will drop below freezing at Friday around 10 pm. ☃️

Definitely enjoying the sun this morning. ☀ Going to be a modestly mild and sunny last day of winter into spring. 🌷 Colder Friday into Saturday though, I heard lake effect snow ❄ squalls in Central New York then. But even if we get some here I’m not expecting any real accumulation, and even the relative cold isn’t stressing the heating system much or jacking up the bills.

Winter officially bites the dust according to the calendar 📅 two minutes before the Save the Pine Bush Dinner starts at six o’clock in the evening. 🍲 Should be an interesting dinner on the bomb trains 💣 with a leading author coming to speak 🔊 about the horrific train 🚉 explosion in Quebec. 🔥 For once in March I think I will be able to make it to the dinner. Doesn’t happen often. I broke out some of the Pine Bush February dinner lasagna left overs for lunch on Monday and it was so delicious. The whole office was talking about the wonderful smell. 👃

Today will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 53 degrees at 4pm. Seven degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around April 3rd. Awesome way to kick off spring. Light south wind increasing to 8 to 13 mph in the morning. A year ago, we had cloudy in the morning, which became mostly sunny by afternoon. The high last year was 37 degrees. The record high of 78 was set in 2012. 7.0 inches of snow fell back in 1944.❄

The sun will set at 7:07 pm with dusk around 7:36 pm, which is one minute and 9 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At sunset, look for mostly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 48 degrees. Talk about a nice spring evening. There will be a south breeze at 10 mph. Today will have 12 hours and 10 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 54 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will have increasing clouds ☁, with a low of 34 degrees at 4am. Seven degrees above normal, which is similiar to a typical night around April 6th. South wind 8 to 11 mph. In 2018, we had partly cloudy in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 25 degrees. The record low of negative one occurred back in 1956.

Tomorrow will rain likely, mainly after 2pm. Cloudy 🌧, with a high of 47 degrees at 4pm. March showers 🚿 bring mud. One degree above normal, which is similiar to a typical day around March 22nd. South wind 10 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. A year ago, we had cloudy in the morning, which became mostly sunny by afternoon. The high last year was 37 degrees. The record high of 78 was set in 1921. 6.0 inches of snow fell back in 1905.❄

Last night 🌃 was pretty with the full moon 🌕 but too cool ❄ to sit out back and enjoy the moonlight. Definitely very bright 🔆 out with the moonlight 🎑 last night. I went for a nice walk around the super block past the high school 🚸 which was nice. Almost never see anybody out walking 🚶around the nine o’clock hour. I did see a bunch of deer. I do think that the winter weather has finally moderated a bit – and certainly tonight will be really nice – although I’ll be done with Pine Bush Dinner too late for my evening walk 🚶.

Queens 👑 night was good but I thought the Fooe 🍲 and drink 🍻 at Brooklyn Night was better. A lot more people there tonight but I was careful to moderate my drinking and drank lots of water 💦 when I home 🏡. It wasn’t too bad of a day at work.

I am enjoying my respite from Facebook. 💻 I think I might use 👤 the site again in the future 🔮 but I think my use will be greatly reduced. 📴 I want to give it a bit of time. I could see using my Facebook page going forward to supplement and promote my blog rather than syndicating everything there. Fewer really good posts might drive more traffic. 🚥

Maybe post occasional articles on social media about my blog, kind of the best of type thing. 📝 I still think though I’m moving away from the proprietary social media platforms to focus more on the blog where I have full control 🎮 over content, layout and formatting. I can even use the blink tag if I want. I’m also experimenting with doing more embedding of social media I like into the blog, as that might avoid the nasty comments that I get from my liberal friends every time I post something in support of the second amendment. 🔫

Finally finished and submitted my taxes. I did okay, I should be able to cover my state taxes with the federal refund in getting 💲 and it looks like when it’s all said and done I won’t have to pay a state fine for underwitholding. I’m considering doing maybe $50 quarterly payments to state tax and finance to avoid problems in 2020 tax filing, although honestly I may be okay 👌 next year as I’m doing an increased deferred comp. I might even have enough money left over this years tax return from the federal refund to pay for a small part of the car insurance 🚙 bill. The Trump tax cuts did save me some money which was nice. Of course I’m not in debt, have a mortgage or pay property tax so I don’t get those big deductions the SALT folks complain about.

Ultimately I think a lot about money and investing these days because I really want to own my own land and live off grid,🏡 hobby farm, get out of the city and to a state where there is a lot more freedom. 🐮 The problem is all those things cost a lot of money and opportunities for good work 👷 in outlying areas is pretty limited. Cheaper land prices and cheaper living though are the upsides. I want to enjoy my life today but minimize waste and excess to the greatest extent possible and devote as much of my effort towards a better tomorrow. While I’m still young and making decent money at work 💰 I should be doing everything I can to make it work for a better tomorrow for me.

I do really like the big jacked up truck my neighbor has. I don’t know if it’s his or a friend but I keep seeing it parked outside. It’s an F-250 on 40 inch wheels and a high lifter kit I believe. 🚚 Gorgeous truck I must say, but not a pretty boy mall toy.😍 Makes Big Red look tiny. I doubt I would lift my truck again because I’m so future oriented again but I could see eventually going for a 3/4 ton truck like that for hauling materials and getting too and from my off grid cabin. 🏡

Lots of sun but cold on Saturday. 😎 Saturday, partly sunny, with a high near 38. Breezy. Much better on Sunday. Sunday, sunny, with a high near 56. Typical average high for the weekend is 47 degrees. Saturday doesn’t look all that great, but Sunday looks much more spring like. I am thinking I want to spend most of the day on Sunday in the woods hiking and exploring, maybe after unpacking my camping gear from my truck, and starting to go through that. If not, I guess I could do that later in the week.

Looking ahead, there are 6 weeks until May 🕊 when the sun will be setting at 7:55 pm with dusk at 8:26 pm. On that day in 2018, we had partly cloudy, rain showers and temperatures between 74 and 43 degrees. By May, I definitely plan to be getting out a lot of weekends on road trips and camping more.🏕 Black flies aren’t an issue in the Adirondacks until late May. Usually around then the stock the Sacanadaga River,🎣 which could make some good fishing, especially if I decide to camp up off of that Pumpkin Hollow Road.🎃 Typically, the high temperature is 65 degrees (at least in Albany). We hit a record high of 86 back in 2001.

Looking ahead, May 🕊 is in 6 weeks, 8:30 PM Sunset ️⛱️ is in 11 weeks, Primary Day 🗳️ is in 14 weeks, Altamont Fair Opens 🎡 is in 21 weeks, State Fair Opens 🎡 is in 22 weeks, September 11th 🇸 is in 25 weeks, More Night then Day 🌌 is in 27 weeks and Inauguration Day 2021 👴🏻 is in 22 months.