February 4, 2017 Night

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“With apologizes to Donovan, when the sunshine stated pouring through my window today, I decided to get off my velvet throne and go out to Partridge Run WMA and go cross country skiing for about two hours and then drove down through Huntersland.” 

“And no, I don’t really own a velvet throne. My desk chair is my an old paint bench I use camping with a chair top that I broke the legs off. But hell it’s durable. I like it. ” 

On that note, Good evening! Partly clear and 23 degrees in Delmar, NY. There is a south-southwest breeze at 5 mph. Kind of a chilly evening but it’s still early February. No, I’m not camping. Maybe soon if we get some decent weather. I’d love to have a good fire under the stars. 

Tonight will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 19 degrees at 6am. Three degrees above normal. Not that cold for early February. South wind 5 to 7 mph. In 2016, it got down to 24 degrees under mostly cloudy skies. The record low of -15 occurred back in 1918.

Waxing Gibbous Moon tonight with 58% illuminated. Look up, it’s easy to see tonight if you’re out in the cold. The moon will set around 3:00 am. The Full “Snow” Moon is next Saturday. The sun will rise at 7:04 am with the first light at 6:35 am, which is 1 minutes and 9 seconds earlier then yesterday. Tonight will have 13 hours and 49 minutes of darkness, a decrease of 2 minutes and 30 seconds over last night.

Tomorrow will have a slight chance of snow between 11am and 1pm, then a chance of rain and snow. Cloudy, with a high of 36 degrees at 3pm. Four degrees above normal. South wind 10 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected. A year ago, we had mostly cloudy skies and a high of 41 degrees. The record high of 59 was set in 1890. 10.4 inches of snow fell back in 2014.

In four weeks on March 4 the sun will be setting at 5:49 pm, which is 35 minutes later then tonight. In 2016 on that day, we had snow and temperatures between 38 and 18 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 40 and 22 degrees. That’s getting closer to camping weather. The record high of 59 degrees was set back in 1919.

Looking ahead, Average High of 40 is a month away, April Fools Day is in 8 weeks and Independence Day is in 5 months.

I have many new maps, photos and stories for next week. Things were a bit quiet on the blog today but I did enjoy my time out in the wilderness. 

Those I Love NY Signs

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I agree with the US DOT that NY’s series of Burma style signs are inappropriate for federally funded interstates. For generations the US Interstates have been free of commercial advertising – be it private or public – except for narrowly tailored designation signs near exits which show commercial businesses.

For at least 50 years now, any new sign for a commercial business has been prohibited within 500 feet along interstates. There are some signs that pre-date the ban on interstate advertising, but large stretches of our interstates are free of excessive advertising and distraction for motorists. Interstates don’t contain any businesses; rest stops are very basic without commercial strips except for toll roads that predate the interstate system. You want a meal or a place to stay, you must leave the interstate for a blue highway.

While our state’s goal of promoting tourism is laudable, it should not come at the cost of visual pollution along our interstates. If private businesses are prohibited from erecting new signs along interstates, nor should state government be given permissions beyond what other businesses can do.

I am all for people getting off the interstates and seeing what is out there. There are many non-interstate scenic routes and we should encourage people to get off the interstate and see local communities and businesses. But the way you do it is by the standardized attraction signs, and by publicizing what’s out there in ways that aren’t cluttering our otherwise commercial free interstates with signs.

February 4, 2017 Morning

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“I’m not complaining about the weather. It’s not nuclear winter yet, there is still only a reasonable amount of Cesium 137 and Stronium 90 in our food and air. That said, our president is doing everything in his power to change that. Otherwise after a few minutes of sun, it’s cloudy and cold out. If the weatherman is to believed with his legendary accuracy somewhat less than the fuzzy hog of earlier in week, we might see some later. 

So it is finally the weekend! Four weeks to Average High is 40. Overcast and 20 degrees in Delmar, NY. There is a west-northwest breeze at 11 mph. The current wind chill is 8. That represents my feelings about today so far as it was bucking cold going to Stewarts to buy milk today with hopefully limited amounts of Stronium 90 and Cesium 137. 

Right now I’m hardly enthusiastic about going out anywhere today with the cold gray skies  but I may go hiking somewhere locally like maybe Wolf Hill later. Made breakfast up and doing some cleaning. 

Today will be partly sunny, with a high of 30 degrees at 3pm. Two degrees below normal. West wind 11 to 14 mph. A year ago, we had rain and a high of 57 degrees. Not today though. The record high of 61 was set in 1991. 15.5 inches of snow fell back in 1926.

The sun will set at 5:14 pm with dusk around 5:43 pm, which is 1 minutes and 19 seconds later than yesterday. Today will have 10 hours and 9 minutes of daylight, an increase of 2 minutes and 28 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 15 degrees at 5am. Typical for tonight. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming south after midnight. In 2016, it got down to 24 degrees under mostly cloudy skies. The record low of -15 occurred back in 1918.

In one month the average high will hopefully be at least 40 degreeswhen the sun will be setting at 5:49 pm with dusk at 6:17 pm. 

What’s Driving Population Declines in More States?

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What’s Driving Population Declines in More States?

"Eight states lost population between 2015 and 2016, and 12 others recorded their lowest population increase of the decade, as economic woes and lower birth rates hit some states harder than others."

"Connecticut, Illinois, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming lost population. The last time so many states registered a drop in population was from 1986 to 1987, when oil prices collapsed. Twelve Western and Southern states, along with the District of Columbia, lost population then."

"Meanwhile, Alabama, California, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Virginia saw anemic growth of between 0.02 and 0.66 percent in the number of people living inside their borders. That’s less than the nation’s increase in population of 0.7 percent and the lowest growth those states had experienced since 2010."