Good evening! Mostly clear and 49 degrees at the Elm Avenue Park. There is a west-northwest breeze at 11 mph. That breeze combined with the dampness does make it a bit cold down here at the park, but so be it. I expect to only get nicer as summer progresses.

I wanted to post some things to the blog and download some data to share on Monday, so I’m braving the cold as I ain’t got WiFi at home and the library is closed for the evening. It’s Sunday, not that I would notice being that I spent my very boring Saturday in the office. Kind of a drag. 

The sun will set at 7:23 pm with dusk around 7:51 pm, which is one minute and 9 seconds later than yesterday. At sunset, look for mostly clear conditions and 47 degrees. There will be a west-northwest breeze at 10 mph. Kind of chilly, but remember it is only the second of April. It was certainly nicer earlier in the sun, although part of the reason I’m feeling cold now, is I switched to a t-shirt.
While unlike yesterday, I wasn’t stuck in the office, I was on call, and was sure that I was going to get called into the office any minute now. Didn’t happen, but I’ve been watching the budget negotiations on Twitter on my phone, so that’s kept me in the town for the most part ready to hop in the shower, and quickly throw on my suit. I washed all my dress clothes yesterday, so I have plenty of clean clothes, should I have to go in tomorrow. As been in a suit all week long, I’m still wearing the same jeans today that I wore last Sunday — because I figure for the five minutes in the evening when I get home and eat dinner, they aren’t getting really dirty for the crap I spill on them. After being down in the park, sitting the muddy grass, though, I think I will put them in washing when I got home.

I spent about two hours this morning walking around Five Rivers Environmental Education Center. It was nice and sunny and fairly warm, and I was glad to be out in the wilderness, or as close as I can get to it while still being on call. Saw quite a bit of wildlife, and it sounds like spring out there. I swear next weekend I will get out of town and do some fishing, although I think all of the trout streams locally will be totally flooded with all of the rain we have gotten recently. I promise myself that I will go down to the DEC HQ this week and renew my license, once the budget is passed, and I don’t have to walk back up the hill like a sweaty pig with my suit on.

Finally hooked up the low-voltage disconnect. I bought some wire and cables, but they didn’t fit — the four gauge battery cable was too thick and long to fit well under the seat, so I will have to buy some eight gauge cable and ring connectors, and relocate the inverter. Fortunately, I bought the cable at Autozone, and one they are good at is taking returns. They’re products may be shit, but they take them back. Right now I have the low voltage disconnect connected just to the CB radio and dashboard camera for testing purposes — I still need to connect up the control button for it, but I need to either remove a bolt from the seat to get an additional ground for it somehow relocate it. I can’t keep adding terminals to the back of the inverter to provide ground access to things. Next weekend! I want to move all the accessory load on the truck and replace the accessory battery before camping season, so I don’t keep destroying batteries by over-discharging them. I also got to haul the latest load of trash and recycables to the transfer station next weekend too. My goal is to have everything up and running, and fully tested before I leave for my North Country Road Trip on April 19th.

Tonight will be partly cloudy, with a low of 32 degrees at 6am. One degrees below normal. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight. In 2016, it got down to 24 degrees with periods of snow. The record low of 16 occurred back in 1954.

First Quarter Moon tonight with 46% illuminated. The moon will set around 2:04 am. The First Quarter Moon is on Monday night with rain expected. The Full “Pink” Moon is on Tuesday, April 11th. The sun will rise at 6:33 am with the first light at 6:05 am, which is one minute and 44 seconds earlier than yesterday. Tonight will have 11 hours and 8 minutes of darkness, a decrease of 2 minutes and 52 seconds over last night.

Tomorrow will be partly sunny, with a high of 58 degrees at 4pm. Five degrees above normal. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon. A year ago, we had snow and a high of 38 degrees. The record high of 79 was set in 1981. 11 inches of snow fell back in 1891.

Right now, a split verdict on next weekend. Saturday, a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 49. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 54. Typical average high for the weekend is 55 degrees.

In four weeks on April 30 the sun will be setting at 7:55 pm, which is 31 minutes and 48 seconds later then today. In 2016 on that day, we had mostly cloudy skies and temperatures between 66 and 44 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 64 and 42 degrees. The record high of 86 degrees was set back in 1903. I can’t believe we are already just a little over four weeks away from February.

Looking ahead, Palm Sunday is Next Sunday, Easter is in 2 weeks, Mother’s Day is in 6 weeks and Father’s Day is in 11 weeks.