Good evening! Clear and 48 degrees in Delmar, NY. Calm wind. Nice day but once the sun started to set the air started to feel a bit chilly. It was nice having Good Friday off but it seemed like every place was busy with so many people having it off. Worked on my truck, getting it ready for camping and spent a lot of time running around. 

Tonight will be mostly clear, with a low of 36 degrees at 5am. One degree below normal. Calm wind. In 2016, it got down to 32 degrees under clear skies. The record low of 21 occurred back in 1940.

Waning Gibbous Moon tonight with 76% illuminated. The moon will rise around 9:26 pm. The Last Quarter Moon is on Wednesday night with chance of rain expected. The Full “Flower” Moon is on Wednesday, May 10th. The sun will rise at 6:13 am with the first light at 5:44 am, which is one minute and 38 seconds earlier than yesterday. Tonight will have 10 hours and 35 minutes of darkness, a decrease of 2 minutes and 45 seconds over last night.

Tomorrow will have a slight chance of showers after 3pm. Increasing clouds, with a high of 66 degrees at 3pm. Eight degrees above normal. South wind 7 to 12 mph increasing to 13 to 18 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had sunny skies and a high of 64 degrees. The record high of 86 was set in 2003. 2.4 inches of snow fell back in 2014.

Easter Sunday, scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 5pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Breezy, with a southwest wind 13 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Maximum dew point of 55 at 8am. Typical average high for the weekend is 58 degrees.

In four weeks on May 12 the sun will be setting at 8:08 pm, which is 31 minutes and 22 seconds later then tonight. In 2016 on that day, we had partly sunny skies and temperatures between 80 and 43 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 68 and 46 degrees. The record high of 91 degrees was set back in 1881.

I finished wiring up the low voltage disconnect and the power back to the truck cap. I made up some of the wires for the switches but there is more to do. I removed the old wire and conduit and are reusing it for wiring. I looked at getting a new deep cycle battery at Walmart but the one they had there was six months old and leaking electrolyte. Nope. I put it back on the shelf. I had good luck with the first Walmart Group 24 deep cycle (made by Johnson Controls) I had on my truck for three years and if I get another one it certainly won’t take nearly as much abuse thanks to the automatic disconnect. I might go up to Latham Walmart tomorrow to see if they have a similar battery. I’ll also check out West Marine to see what they have for deep cycle batteries. 

I spent a lot of time running around when I noticed that the battery retainer was missing from my truck, and nothing was holding the accessory battery in place besides gravity and maybe the cables. It apparently vibrated lose on the rough roads. I ran up to DePaula Chevrolet to get another battery retainer block but they didn’t have the bolt in stock – which GM calls the standard body bolt, a 1.25 inch M8 bolt. I was ended up getting one at the hardware store and a lock washer. But it turns out that bolt was too short so I ended up going to Delmar Hardware and getting a 1.5 inch version. The longer bolt fit fine and maybe with the lock washer it will stay in place. I probably could have gotten the factory bolt at Autozone. 

Went to the park for a while but it stated to get a bit cold out. Pretty sunset. I still need to get down to the library and get some books out to read. Much better than watching stupid YouTube videos. 

I decided against mounting the solar panel on the truck cap but I will build a more permanent wooden box to transport the panel in and store the cable. I swear this will be the summer when I have a permanent enclosure that makes it easier to take to camp. I’m going to run the wire in conduit so it’s less messy and easier to run. I kept my solar controller in the truck ready to plug in whenever I use the panel. It’s on the battery side of low voltage disconnect so it will charge the battery even after the load has been dropped. 

The forecast for the second half of next week looks increasingly bad but I hope to push forward with my trip or at least a shorter version of it. If the weather really sucks maybe it will just be an extended weekend to the Southern Adirondacks. But still I look forward to getting away. And there still is plenty of summer left. 

I got to get some sleep as tomorrow my parents are having an Easter Breakfast and I plan to stop at the transfer station on the way out there. Its not really early but still I have to set my alarm. I hate getting up early on my days off. Might also get a haircut and run to Latham for that battery. Maybe an evening Pine Bush hike if it is not pouring.

I’m ready to kill my flag light and head to bed. I’m tired. I need sleep. 

Looking ahead, Arbor Day is in 2 weeks, Cinco de Mayo is in 3 weeks, Mother’s Day is a month away, Memorial Day Weekend is in 6 weeks and Flag Day is in 2 months.