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Just so damn tired ๐Ÿฅฑ

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Honestly, I did not get to bed early enough last night for the early morning ahead, to set up camp, work, and then head back to camp. Didn’t help I needed to stop at Wally World in Gloversville to pee and get maple syrup and caffeine pills becuase I didn’t have any and I wasn’t going to drink coffee before making the two hour drive north.

Got my campsite up on Hardwood Hill and it’s all set up. ๐Ÿ• I am happy I got that, and it’s as nice and beautiful as it always is. Speculator is nice, it’s good to be away and up in the mountains, but it came with a giant pile of work. ๐Ÿ’ฉ ๐Ÿ–จ Five o’clock will nice, it’s just a short drive back to camp. ๐Ÿชต Then I just can gather some firewood, smoke some weed, hang out and relax. But first, work, work work. I worked a bit from camp but I didn’t want to use to much data, so I’m down at the library using the Wi-Fi. I might go to the park for a little walk down by the Sacandaga River before heading back to camp, but all day today has been just non-stop with work. ๐Ÿ’ฝ I totally expected it though, after all I oversee a multi-million dollar data operation both for the State Assembly and campaing committee.

Going to be such a nice weekend though. ๐Ÿ˜€ I think Sunday will be best for hiking Snowy Mountain. ๐ŸƒI know it’s going to be a tough hike but I think if I get an early start I will be up for it. Saturday I might just hang out around camp, maybe do a bike ride, I don’t know, nothing too major. Just kind of enjoy the quiet I think. Usually work slows down for the weekend. Heading home probably late on Monday, I have my doctor’s appointment on Tuesday, so I’ll remote work Tuesday morning then go to my downtown meeting at 12 noon and then by 2 PM be in my regular office to do well regular work. 

Have a small fire tonight, I have the propane heater, ๐Ÿ”ฅbut I’m pretty tired and with Labor Day Weeeknd being so late this year, the nights get dark early. It’s fine, hopefully I’ll get a good nights sleep and tomorrow will be quite relaxing and not all work. It’s kind of nice knowing camp is just up the road, and soon enough I’ll be able to lay back and relax at camp up in the hammock. Should be a great weekend even if it was an early start to the day.

Map: Charleston State Forest

Allegheny, Wayne, Monongehella

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Which National Forest to visit come November once the campaigns and work are all behind me? I have options whne I can take off a week and hopefully enjoy some November sun while traveling under mild conditions as El Nino holds winter a bay or so I hope.

I’ve been thinking about some time getting down to the Allegheny National Forest. It’s been some years since I was last down that way, I’ve wanted to ride the Jake’s Rocks trails now that their complete. Plus, US 6 is always a good place to scope out rural burn barrels and rural life. Many people that part of Pennsylvania live without weekly rural trash service. Have some nice fires, maybe explore some parts of the National Forest I haven’t in the past. Good service with the cell phone up around Jake’s Rocks which helps pass the time on long winter nights, when it’s dark a little after 5 pm. Plus I use my phone for streaming radio and news, so it’s all the more essential.

Then I’ve been interested in exploring Ohio more. Do people burn garbage there? Not what the law says, but local practice. What is the land scape really like, what the are the opportunities for building an off-grid retirement there? I want to see more the coal country part of Ohio, where there are deep hills and hollows. I’ve heard the Wayne National Forest offers fewer places to camp along roadside sites, as it’s not as remote or large, but I am still evaluating options. I need to study maps, it would work out well to drive down from Allegheny National Forest, see also parts of Western PA before exploring down there.

And then there is Caanan Heights and Thomas, West Virginia. Monongehella National Forest. Didn’t go last autumn as I feared Big Red was on his lats legs, my paranoia made me choose a rather fun Adirondacks trip instead. Still, if it looks to be relatively warm, ice free, I want to spend several nights up at Canaan Heights, a special place in my mind. Do a day trip up to Dolly Sods to hike, and maybe drive up to the top of whatever that highest peak is in West Virigina. Though it might also be fun to go down to the New River Gorge.

Snow, ice, winter, and just life could get in the way, but I am considering what a November trip might look like once campaign is done. Plus in the middle of that week is November 11, Veterans Day, so it’s only four days off from work. Southern rifle season opens that weekend, so that’s another consideration – probably don’t want to hike or be doing a lot of firewood gathering in woods that Saturday, though I guess it’s fine to do a quick overnight like at Sugar Hill or that pond outside of Greene, on my way back home after vacation. Especially if I arrive after dark, and just use propane for cooking and staying warm.

Tomorrow the song goes, “Leaving in the SuperDuty…”

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I guess it’s better then the Pope Smokes Dope or whatever I would be singing along riding my mountain bike to work past the garbage recycling plants, sewage treatment works and the old Albany Northend Landfill. And it pissed people off that I burn my garbage and drive a F-350, even if it does make some impressive flames with all that plastic burning, but don’t tell a liberal.

Apple pancakes this morning. ๐Ÿ‘ How fast those zucchuni disappear when you have them breakfast and dinner meals plus then summer squash for lunch. ๐Ÿ† Hard to argue about enjoying them for the next month while they are still avaliable. Dad gave me a spaghetti squash from his garden to eat, I haven’t cooked it up yet after my freak out about what I though was arcing in my mind after the grease fire last week. And the near choking to death ๐Ÿ’€ at 677 Prime on Tuesday. I just fear losing my apartment and having to buy a 25-year old Honda Civic and one of those plastic houses in the suburbs everybody says is so wonderful. I just so love those little off-grid hunting cabins with grunting hogs and burn barrel out back. No more recycling anything but that occassional tin can or other scrap metal ๐Ÿฅซ for me, not that would change much. โ™ป๏ธ As that dairy farmer I follow notes, manure and silage is smell of home. ๐Ÿฎ

Yesterday was busy, ๐Ÿ‘จ๐Ÿผโ€๐Ÿ’ผ so much to do in the office between my two jobs. At least the Communications Moratorium for the legislative side of things starts Friday and things should be much quieter. Remote working on Friday and Monday from Speculator, then I have my doctor’s appointment at 9 AM on Tuesday for my yearly physical, and then I’ll remote work from home or maybe the library, ๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ then off to downtown for mid-day meeting and then off to my office in Menands for the balance of the day. The following weekend, who knows, it’s a matter of the weather deciding. I need to study my options for cellphone boosters more. ๐Ÿ“ถ And also at selling my old truck – I get offers but it’s tough as I am not sure I’m willing to move as much on price as people want me to. I should also list the truck cap seperately.  ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿปโ€โ™‚๏ธ The money from selling the truck could definately cover the cellphone booster, which would be good for remote work. Won’t help where there is no service but often I camp were service fades in and out.

Tomorrow it’s up north. ๐Ÿ•’ The hope is to get up to Speculator by 9 AM to get right down to work and start running data jobs. ๐Ÿ’ฟ That said, I am making good progress though I might have to re-run some of them with a change, but that’s not a big deal. Set up camp and hammock, ๐Ÿ•๏ธ work and relax. I am undecided if I will hike Snowy Mountain on Saturday or Sunday, but one of those days. ๐Ÿฅฑ Going to fuel up the SuperDuty โ›ฝ and get groceries tonight, and everything packed except a few things I can’t pack until morning. Double check my list. Monday I’ll probably do some paddling on the Sacandaga River and Lake Pleasant, though I’ve always wanted to explore Indian Lake if it’s relatively calm or maybe some of the Jessup River. ๐Ÿ›ถ Not sure! And obviously enjoy some cold beer and smoke some dope, have some fires. ๐Ÿ”ฅ Because you might have heard a rumor that I like to burn shit. Looks like regardless, it’s going to be a beautiful weekend.  โ˜€๏ธ Cool but sunny, great weather for hiking, and even paddling, but maybe not so good for swimming or using the tube one last time, โญ• though I will pack it regardless.

Map: Shindagin Hollow State Forest Ortho
Map: Severence Hill Trail

Second half of the hump ๐Ÿซ

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Might only be Wednesday but on Friday at this time, I’ll be heading up north for the Labor Day Weekend so whatever.

Well except for that piece of steak I choked on last night and had to be helimich maneuvered, ๐Ÿฅฉ it was a pretty good day yesterday. I wanted my steak rare, I like my food chewy and with lots of fiber, and it definately was. And the waiter gave me good bear ๐Ÿงธ hug after several people raced over to save my life. So yeah that happened, and on the bus ride ๐Ÿš I had to pee despite not drinking a lot last night. ๐Ÿบ Counting down the minutes until the bus reached my stop, and then a wadle home with a very full bladder, but I made it to the shitter in time. ๐Ÿงป I miss being in the woods and peeing whereever. I could have taken the SuperDuty into the reception last night, but I just didn’t want to risk getting a DWI. ๐Ÿš” Damn valet lost one of my co-workers keys ๐Ÿ”‘ last night.

Ah, yeah so it’s Wednesday. ๐Ÿ“† I hate leaving the office with a stack of work left unaddressed but there is much left to do, so I am heading in pretty early again. ๐Ÿšด Need a good bike ride to help with my digestion and burn some calories this morning. Thursday I’ll be busing it as I want to bring my laptop home for Friday through Tuesday’s remote work up north. ๐Ÿ‘จ๐Ÿปโ€๐Ÿ’ป Tuesday I have my physical, at least I’m not dead, so I can attend that. โšฐ๏ธ Assuming I do nothing stupid this weekend. I’ve haven’t gotten my hunting license yet, though I’ll be wearing blaze orange ๐Ÿฆบ especially if I’m leaving the trail as people will be out in search for tree rats ๐Ÿ€ by the weekend, as Labor Day is late. This evening, I might start packing, as Thursday I often get stuck in meetings in the office, though I hope to catch the 5:20 home so it’s plenty of time to run to Wally World and top off the SuperDuty, so I can leave early and hit Speculator by the 9 AM rush of work. ๐Ÿ‘จ๐Ÿปโ€๐Ÿ’ป

Onwards, the weekend is rapidly approaching ๐Ÿ“ฐ and the data jobs aren’t going to disappear off my desk until I get in there and start processing them.