Good evening! Muggy, cloudy and 72 degrees in Delmar. ☁ There is a south breeze at 9 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 67 degrees. Probably the last real muggy evening of the year. The skies will clear Friday around 2 pm. Sitting out back for a while, went to the library earlier and played on the internet for a while.

It was a busy day at work. 💼 It just seemed like things were non stop for all day. I’d reply to one email and two more would come in. 📧 I have an assistant who could help but sometimes it’s difficult to delegate, especially when I have the relationship with the client and know what the client wants. Next week though, especially in the National Quiet Zone I’ll be entirely off the grid. ⛔

There was a big bus 🚍 and some kind of event at the park and ride for the town Republicans. 🐘 They really don’t like the street calming measures on Delaware Avenue. I honestly think it will make the street a lot safer and less crazy. 🚧 Potential traffic delays are much overstated. One of the Republicans helped me back out and said I had a nice truck. I don’t know but I’m not particularly inclined to vote ❎ republican on the local level, I’m mostly satisfied with the incumbents. I’m a Democrat after all and do a lot of walking 🚶 and using public transportation around town. I don’t really get involved in politics or have strong 💪 views, I’m mostly focused on s and investing for a better tomorrow when I can own my own land.🐖🐄 I honestly hadn’t followed the latest controversy in the Adirondacks lately – if they lock 🔒 down the entire park ⛲ I’ll recreate elsewhere.

I am glad that the truck issues are worked out. 🚙 Now I just got to find a way to put those heavy junk rotators to use. Not bringing them to West Virginia but I could see using them some point in future as weights for tying things down at camp. So heavy. Put them away in the attic for now. Tomorrow after work if it’s not pouring rain ☔ I want to get my propane tank filled and maybe buy some food and a few supplies for use at camp. Then Thursday pack, pack pack 📦. Friday night laundromat, final review of the trip plan. And early to bed as I want to leave before dawn and get down to Pennsylvania early enough to have scrapple before lunch time.

Tonight will have a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 11pm. Mostly cloudy 🌧, with a low of 65 degrees at 6am. 20 degrees above normal. Definitely mild. Maximum dew point of 67 at 9pm. South wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. In 2018, we had light drizzle in the evening, which became light rain by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 52 degrees. The record low of 30 occurred back in 1972.

Tonight will have a Waxing Crescent Moon 🌒 with 24% illuminated. The moon will rise at 11:21 am. The First Quarter Moon is on Friday night with a slight chance of rain. The Hunter Moon 🌝 is on Saturday, October 12th. The sun will rise at 6:52 am with the first light at 6:24 am, which is one minute and 6 seconds later than yesterday. 🌄 Tonight will have 12 hours and 15 minutes of darkness, an increase of 2 minutes and 53 seconds over last night.

Tomorrow will have showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm, then a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy 🌦, with a high of 65 degrees at 6am. Typical for tomorrow. Maximum dew point of 66 at 6am. West wind 7 to 9 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, which became light drizzle by afternoon. The high last year was 66 degrees. The record high of 85 was set in 1927. There was a dusting of snow in 1899.❄

I think this is my best planned trip to West Virginia ever. ⛺ So much detail and plans this year, I really know where I’m going and what’s worthwhile and whats not. 2017 was kind of a mess with my mom being in the hospital, 🏥 and really involved minimal planning. I just kind of coasted on my knowledge from 2015. That year was my first trip to West Virginia – it was fun but I didn’t really know my way around. Late 2020 or maybe autumn 2021 I’m thinking about a trip to Warren National Forest in Ohio which will be a totally new place to explore. Eventually I want to go spend a week in Missouri but that’s in the out year.

Definitely now would like to hit both the high peak of Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia on my trip. 🗻 They’re all within 50 miles of each other in the Appalachian high country so very doable and the only real hike, which isn’t long but is steep is the Maryland Peak. I probably would want to visit the Pennsylvania peak either on the way down there or up because tats a bit out of the way.

The first half of the week could be dreary and cold but if necessary I’ll camp up in the Mountain Laurel of Cannan Heights and pitch a tent, ⛺ and use the heater to get warm with a good book. Then if necessary, hang up a tarp and have a nice fire and head to bed early. I got to make sure I have mantles for my lantern, 🏮 especially eoyj long nights now coming up.

In four weeks on October 29 the sun will be setting at 5:52 pm,🌄 which is 44 minutes and 46 seconds earlier then tonight. In 2018 on that day, we had rain showers, partly sunny skies and temperatures between 52 and 42 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 55 and 36 degrees. The record high of 77 degrees was set back in 1946.

Despite the hick ups in my budget lately, I think it will prove to be a good year for my retirement and mid term savings goals. 💸 I’m really hopeful for a better tomorrow, especially as I save for retirement. It’s going to take many more years but the off grid property will eventually become a reality, 🏡 where I can farm, burn, and hopefully protect myself from the worst consequence of climate change. Cows and goats are a lot of fun to watch, solar power is fun to watch on the meter, and it’s fun to watch the discarded bottle shrivel up in the fire. 🔥 Fortunately in Pennsylvania and West Virginia I’ll get a good respite from the city and get to enjoy country living. 🚜 For at least a week. Western Maryland has some pretty redneck country too.

Looking ahead, November 🥧 is a month away, Election Day 2019 🗳️ is in 5 weeks, December 🎄 is in 2 months, 7:15 AM Sunrise ⌛️ is in 10 weeks, Christmas Eve 🎅 is in 12 weeks, New Years Eve 🎆 is in 13 weeks, New Years Day 2019 🎉 is in 3 months, Coldest Week of the Year 🌬 is in 15 weeks and Martin Luther King Day 🖤 is in 16 weeks.

It’s raining again. I’m heading inside.