Erie Canal Images – Mohawk River Aqueducts

|

Erie Canal Images – Mohawk River Aqueducts

East of Schenectady were two aqueducts which crossed and re-crossed the Mohawk River: The Rexford Aqueduct (or Upper Mohawk River Aqueduct) at Rexford, and The Crescent Aqueduct (or Lower Mohawk River Aqueduct) twelve miles downstream at Crescent.

In order to avoid steep, rocky terrain, Canvass White, C.E. devised the plan, approved in 1821, for the canal route to cross and re-cross the Mohawk River at Alexander's Mills (adjacent to Rexford) and at Fonda's Ferry (near Crescent). Continuing in operation until the new State Barge Canal System opened in 1916, a major portion of the Rexford Aqueduct was removed in 1918. The entire Crescent Aqueduct was removed in 1915, and nothing remains but a few stones at each end.

Fur use – Perspective from a retired forester and wildlife manager — Furbearer Conservation

|

Fur use – Perspective from a retired forester and wildlife manager — Furbearer Conservation

The Furbearer Conservation project, which originated in 2014 merely as a web-based, pro-hunting/trapping postboard for greater New England, has evolved into a full fledged resource and commentary on both wildlife management policy, and the ever-changing future thereof. Its truly fascinating once one puts down the proverbial pitchfork and torch, and resides as a casual observer on the sideline rather than the no-nonsense pro-hunting warrior who once typed before you.

Translation: I do strongly support regulated aspects of hunting and trapping of abundant mammalian species - more-so on the grounds of beneficial (and sustainable) use and management; but my attention and interests have definitely shifted to more of a spectator sport. I’ve become accustomed to drudging up some good talking points and science-based references for why regulated hunting and trapping are beneficial on the modern landscape, and let you, the reader, take the content for what its worth. After all, society as a whole ultimately must decide the fate of the hunter (and trapper) and the wildlife in which he/she pursues. I’ve found people really don’t like being talked at as much as being spoken to - interpret that how you will.

In other words, my constituents and I compile research and talking points that support the idea of managing wildlife, discuss the conflict that surrounds the challenging aspects of living with wildlife, and hurl it against this proverbial web-based cork-board for your viewing and thought-provoking pleasure. You’re welcome.

May 29, 2020 Afternoon

|

Good afternoon! Did you notice it was a Friday already? I didn’t because I spent the first half of the week working from the Adirondacks. But running low on food and supplies I decided I had to go home 🏡. Hit and humid and 85 degrees in Delmar, NY. ⛅ There is a south breeze at 13 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 70 degrees. The heat index is 90. Definitely kind of a sultry afternoon, I had the fan blowing on my while I was working from home this morning. The skies will clear tomorrow around 9 am.

Hot and muggy enough this morning that I decided to work from my desk in the bedroom 💻 because I figured it would be super hot working down at the library. I got the windshield reflector I got ordered last week in part to make it cooler working in the truck during the pandemic but also for camping as I often store the coolers up front and lately I park in the sun intentionally for the solar charging ☀ of the batteries. 🔋

It’s been a busy to start out work. 📝 Memos needed to be written emails 📧 sent, phone calls fielded and triaged. Before work I also worked on some research for Save the Pine Bush. 🌲I am getting really good at working with tax maps, records and deeds. I can geo reference tax maps quickly and vectorize them fairly quickly.

This afternoon will have a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny ☀, with a high of 87 degrees at 2pm. 14 degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 70 at 1pm. South wind around 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 64 degrees. The record high of 93 was set in 1931.

This afternoon I’ll head to the laundromat and then to the grocery store. 👚 I have a lot of dirty clothes from camping although now that I’m wearing shorts, not quite as much as I might otherwise have. 🍏 I’m really digging in the pantry so I probably should go shopping. I also want to get to the car wash. 🚿

With the choppy weather possible today I’m glad I’m not camping. ⛺ I always worry a bit about a storm washing out a road or a tree coming down and blocking my route home. ⚡ I’m not sure anything that severe will hit this afternoon but you never know with these springtime thunderstorms.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:54 pm with sun having an altitude of 69.1° from the due south horizon (-1.7° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 2.3 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:43 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (294°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (301°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:25 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 22 seconds with dusk around 8:58 pm, which is 50 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the First Quarter 🌓 Moon in the southwest (225°) at an altitude of 53° from the horizon, 228,203 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:42 pm. At sunset, look for rain 🌧 and thunderstorms 🌩 and temperatures around 77 degrees. The dew point will be 67 degrees. There will be a south breeze at 11 mph. Today will have 15 hours and 3 minutes of daytime, an increase of one minute and 24 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will have showers and thunderstorms likely. Some storms could be severe, with damaging winds. ⚡ Mostly cloudy 🌩, with a low of 65 degrees at 6am. 13 degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 68 at 6pm. South wind 7 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. In 2019, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 59 degrees. The record low of 33 occurred back in 1967.

Tomorrow will have a chance of showers, mainly before 7am. Partly sunny 🌞, with a high of 77 degrees at 4pm. Four degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around June 10th. Maximum dew point of 60 at 6am. West wind 9 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 72 degrees. The record high of 92 was set in 1987.

I might stay home tomorrow or maybe go hiking. 🚶 I am undecided on that point. Tomorrow will certainly be the warmest day of the weekend. I’m glad I went out of town last weekend as this weekend will be a bit mixed and downright cool come Sunday.

Looking ahead to Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 66. ☀ Northwest wind 9 to 14 mph. Maximum dew point of 42 at 6am. A much needed and refreshing change that will feel more like autumn. Typical average high for the weekend is 73 degrees.

While I wish I had done it before the market ticketed up 📈 I took my Coronavirus stimulus payment and put about two thirds in a handful of index 📇 funds and the rest in my savings account. I was hoping to do it last week but I wanted to make sure the transfer 💰would clear as it’s rare to have much in my checking account.

As previously noted, next Friday is 8:30 PM Sunset ️⛱️ with dusk at 9:04 pm. On that day in 2019, we had rain and temperatures between 83 and 55 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 75 degrees. We hit a record high of 97 back in 1925.

Moxham Valley

One of the big loses from the second wave… Post World War II history. 👴👵

|

One of the big loses from the second wave… Post World War II history and knowledge. 👴👵

With the second wave of Coronavirus deaths expected to hit this fall, one of my concerns is with the enormous amount of history, wisdom and collective knowledge that will be forever lost as Coronavirus raveges through our communities. Demographics suggest that the autumn wave of death will be particularly felt in many rural communities and that many of the old woodsman and farmers will be lost in that wave of illness.

The history of the 1950s and 1960s in many ways is an important one – it saw dramatic changes to communities under urban renewal and sprawl. Motoring really grew at fevered peak in the years leading up to the 1973 oil crisis. Big changes and grow happened in that era, later decades seem much more insignificant.

This era was the peak of clever electro-mechanical engineering, automation by relay and cam rather than computer. Innovative ideas and automation were done with clever mechanics rather than computer power. Old ways of doing things largely forgotten except by the older generation.

It’s important to record and document as many of these old ways of doing things as possible. We should capture the wisdom of older generation, and the last remaining mountain men and farmers who remember the old way of doing things before its too late. Maybe this period doesn’t get the respect of the Civil War but it’s still important to preserve it before it buried and forever gone.