Happy Weekend! Tired but there is more to do so I’m ready to leave first this coming morning. Mostly clear and 28 degrees in Delmar. There is a west-northwest breeze at 11 mph. 🍃 with gusts up to 22 mph 💨💨💨. That wind is kind of cutting. Things will start to thaw out at Sunday around noontime. 🌡️

When I get home, I’m going to have a quick dinner then run to the laundromat and grocery store to pick up a few more items. Mostly just dish soap, I overlooked it yesterday. I’m going to see if the dollar store has a few ribbons and bows, that might make the campsite look really festive. 🎄 Tomorrow I’ll pick up some rock salt in case the campsite is ice – I don’t want to slip and fall on the ice, milk and a bag of firewood to get me started for the first night. I’ll need more that a bag but I’ll be able to cut and chop more, assuming I get there at a reasonable hour. Thinking about also getting a second lantern globe in Oneonta Walmart in case I accidentally break the one that’s on it.

Tonight will be partly cloudy 🌤, with a low of 13 degrees at 6am. 11 degrees below normal. Maximum wind chill around 11 at 7pm; Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight. In 2017, we had cloudy skies, clearing in the early hours of the next day. It got down to 20 degrees. The record low of -3 occurred back in 1902.

Tonight will have a Waxing Crescent Moon 🌒 with 1% illuminated. The moon will rise at 8:13 am. The First Quarter Moon is next Friday with partly cloudy skies. The Cold Moon 🌝 is in 2 weeks. The sun will rise at 7:12 am with the first light at 6:40 am, which is 56 seconds later than yesterday. 🌄 Tonight will have 14 hours and 51 minutes of darkness, an increase of 59 seconds over last night.

Tomorrow will be partly sunny 🌞, with a high of 29 degrees at 2pm. Nine degrees below normal. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. A year ago, we had light snow in the morning, remaining cloudy in the afternoon. The high last year was 38 degrees. The record high of 58 was set in 1927. 4.3 inches of snow fell back in 2001.❄

Looking ahead to Sunday, sunny, with a high near 34. 😎 Calm wind becoming southwest around 6 mph in the morning. Typical average high for the weekend is 38 degrees.

Got the big end of the year report in today and I have next week off for my trip. Probably will miss the office Christmas party but that’s fine. At lunch time I visited the ATM so I’ll have enough money should I need some. Also went to the Albany Public Library and got a few additional books so I’ll have lots to read. 📚

I’m a little worried about the darkness and the cold but I’ve certainly done these trips before and I’ve covered my bases and carefully planned everything out. Assuming there is a decent amount of sunshine for solar and my sanity I think it will be a good trip. If I get tired, or don’t want anymore darkness I can always drive home a bit early. One day at a time. Been a little sore and tired lately but hopefully some nice nights in the woods will help that. The stews I make should be good. 🍛 I am looking forward to long winter naps that are 12 hours long.

In four weeks on January 4 the sun will be setting at 4:35 pm,🌄 which is 13 minutes and 55 seconds later then tonight. In 2018 on that day, we had rain, drizzle, snow, sleet, fog, patches of fog, mist, cloudy skies and temperatures between 44 and 22 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 31 and 15 degrees. The record high of 64 degrees was set back in 1950.

Looking ahead, First Day of Winter ☃️ is in 2 weeks, 4:30 PM Sunset 🌆 is in 3 weeks, Winnie the Pooh Day 🍯 is in 6 weeks, 5 PM Sunset 🌆 is in 7 weeks, March 🌨 is in 12 weeks, Ides of March ✝ is in 14 weeks, 7:30 PM Sunset 🌇 is in 4 months, Memorial Day Weekend Starts 🏕️ is in 24 weeks and Dog Days of Summer 🌻 is in 30 weeks.