Delmar, NY

Good evening! Back home again. 🏡

Two nights on the East Branch Sacandaga River came and went what seemed like much too quickly. I miss doing the long weekends but between work and the weather it didn’t seem like it was going to cooperate.

Partly clear and 66 degrees in Delmar, NY. There is a southeast breeze at 5 mph. 🍃.

I thought long and hard about going up to Stewart Landing or maybe Piseco Powley Road south of the gate 🚧 but ultimately settled on my ordinary choice for kicking off the summer travel season – East Branch Sacandaga River. 🏕️ Campsite 5 which is good during muddy spring due to being gravel and elevated and without nearby trees or grass to the large stone fire ring so fire risk is low.

It really is rare these days that I head out of town for only two nights, especially since the pandemic. ⛺ But with remote work done, and work busy this time of year it’s hard to get away for more than a weekend. 🏢 Maybe in the summer there will be a chance to be remote occasionally but I have my doubts. 💻 Stupid to require in person work though all the time, especially when there is downtime and with laptops and cellphones there is the ability to work from wherever. Senate still does hybrid, especially on non session days.

It was a nice weekend although certainly Saturday morning was chilly when the sun came up and so did the breeze. 🌬️Sunday had less wind but still was rather cold. All weekend was quite clear which was kind of nice, as the nights were quite starry. ✨

Friday night I got up to camp ⛺ around 7:30. While the day was quite windy by dusk the wind 🍃 had slackened and the ground was damp enough and with the temperature failing I had a small fire 🔥. None of those crazy fires I sometimes have to kick off the summer season. Had less stuff to burn as I was green and went to the transfer station ♻ and did the recycling thing two weeks ago. 💦 Plus I wanted to keep the fire small enough it could be easily soaked and made cold to the touch before bed. 🛏 During the summer months I’ll usually let the coals burn themselves out but not when so dry.

Saturday I started the morning with a road hike 🚶 not wanting to be up to my waist in mud 👢 and because often walking along the East Branch is a good place to see wildlife. I hiked down to the Cod Pond Parking Area, some three miles east, exploring old alignments of NY 8 and the abandoned concrete bridges. 🚘 I tell you, parts of that old road were so narrow – most of the fully intact bridges couldn’t have been more the 15 feet wide at most. The old road wasn’t paved, probably just a carriageway. Saw a red tail hawk, pine warbler Blue Jay and heard but didn’t see a gobbler. Stopped down by the river a few times, saw a salamander swimming in the river. I’ve heard the East Branch doesn’t have a lot of fish due to the significant fluctuations in water levels – in the summer it’s common for the river to all but dry up. Explored the Shanty Brook trailhead and campsite but didn’t cross the East Branch to hike the trail, even though with my muck boots and the low water levels I probably could.

Came back to camp, 🥪 had a grilled cheese sandwich, a few beers and took a a nap. In the afternoon I hiked up the East Gorge Trail to the falls at the end. Flushed out a turkey 🦃 but didn’t see if it was a Tom. Not a lot of water 💦 coming over the falls for spring time, although the East Branch varies a lot even with a little rain and the past few days have been dry. Read 📖 a book about Great American Hunters, hiked down through the ruins of Fox 🦊 Lair and the tannery around dusk, 🌆 but didn’t see a lot of wildlife. Came back to camp and around dusk had another small fire. 🔥

Sunday morning was remarkably cold but it warmed up quickly 🌞 without the wind. Made corn bread pancakes 🍳 and took down camp. Truth is I kind of too the morning slow, as I didn’t want to hit the trail until afternoon time when the spring turkey hunt was done for the day. Hiked back along Georgia Brook, was hoping to get back to Cotter Brook Swamp and maybe Pine Orchard but that Georgia Brook bridge was in bad shape. 🌉 Hiked a bit further back on Georgia Brook trail but it was swampy and the valley was deep, so after a bit of nature observing, walked back to the truck. Then hiked along the east side of the Sacandaga River up to Auger Falls via Old NY 8A. Then headed home.

I might have stayed longer up north, 👕 but I had to run to the laundromat to clean my work clothes and do work stuff when I got home. Worked 2 hours from the laundromat then the library until dark when I finished up my work projects. I probably could have done some of that up north, but I didn’t have cell service and things kept popping up for work after I got back into reception. 📲 Just a busy time at work.

Good morning! Yeah, it’s a Getaway Friday! 🏕️

The plan is to head north after work. Things are mostly packed up and I have groceries and a plan where to park today and then head right to camp after work.

Sunny and 37 degrees in Delmar, NY. 🌞 There is a northwest breeze at 11 mph. 🍃 with gusts up to 21 mph 💨💨💨.

Another blustery red flag 🚩 spring day. But the wind should die down this evening 🌃 and the weekend quite nice. Cold enough that I don’t expect a lot of black flies up north – I’m not bringing the screen tent 🎪 but I will pack DEET. Probably no camp fire 🔥 tonight due to the wind but maybe tomorrow a small one if things aren’t too windy and dry up north.

Figured out a good place to park 🅿 and catch an express bus downtown without the hassles of parallel parking which I am so out of the habit of doing since the pandemic. I think this will work based on what I read in the internet. Gives me the option to avoid the Thruway at rush hour if traffic is heavy. 🚘

Bought eggs and sausage for breakfast 🍳 up at camp. It’s been a long time since I’ve had that. Today was oat meal for breakfast 🥣 which was good with lots of fresh, well frozen fruit.

Fueled up this morning, ⛽ gas price was more than listed on the sign. Gas prices are escalating again due to Russia cutting off natural gas to counties that support Ukraine 🇺🇦 and when you don’t have natural gas you switch to oil 🛢. Still better than a lot of gas prices.

I can bitch a lot about inflation 📊 but I make good money 💵 and I like to travel. Sure I’d like to invest more but I also need to live and pay the bills. My portfolio is growing well and I’m in better shape than a lot of people. I will be able to own my own land eventually.

Good morning! Clearing on this Hump Day ☀

Last night was pretty wet but this morning is sunny a bit wet from all the rain last night.

Partly cloudy and 42 degrees in Delmar, NY. ⛅ There is a west-northwest breeze at 8 mph. 🍃. Temperatures will drop below freezing at tomorrow around 5 am. ☃️ Hopefully we can put that message away for a few months soon as Sunday is May.

Last night was a pretty rainy ☔ evening waiting for the bus 🚍 and taking it home. I got home at quarter to nine, brushed my teeth ☺ and went to bed 🛏. Kind of a late night at work so I didn’t get to the store 🛒 not my evening walk 🚶. First time I missed 10,000 steps a day in nine days.

Out of milk 🥛 this morning so I decided to go for my morning walk 🚶 early and bring my muzzle 😷 and get milk tor my coffee ☕ when I returned home via Stewart’s. Earlier in the morning there is less traffic around the High School which means an easier walk.

Today I should be able to leave work at five 💼 and then head home, have a quick dinner then run out to the store. 🛒 I need both groceries for today and the weekend out of town and I’ll probably fuel up at the same time. Then tomorrow I’ll pack. I don’t want to deal with downtown street parking 🅿 so I’ll either do a Schenectady Park and Ride lot or maybe somewhere in Uptown Albany near an express bus downtown. That purple line might be good for that when it starts.

Good morning! Happy Tuesday. ☁️

Not the nicest morning ever but fairly mild and the red wing black birds like it. Grass is really greening up.

Overcast and 51 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☁️ Rain is coming, better pack your umbrella. ☔ There is a south breeze at 10 mph. 🍃. The skies will clear tomorrow around 5 am.

No rain yet 🌧️but I am aware of what is coming. Out for the morning walk 🚶 then ironing and shower 🚿 and the local downtown. 🚍 Last got home at 7:15 made up spaghetti 🍝, did the evening 🌃 walk and then bed 🛏.

I was originally going to go to the store yesterday and get groceries 🛒 but I got home late so I decided against that. I’m thinking tonight or tomorrow I’ll get groceries and supplies for camping 🏕 including gasoline ⛽ so I’m ready come Friday. I’m leaning towards leaving early Friday morning, then parking in a Schenectady Park and Ride lot and taking an express downtown. That way I don’t have to deal with rush hour traffic on the Thruway. 🅿

Yesterday was a fairly quiet day at work, 🤖 although it was kind of a long day. But I made it through it. Weekend is getting closer, or so I tell myself. Hopefully tonight won’t be so late, so I do have time to go shopping, although I can probably wait until Wednesday and that might be a better day as then I’ll have a better idea on my weekend plans and what I’ll need for the weekend up north or out west, depending on the weather and what I decide to do.