Delmar, NY

Happy Teeth Cleaning Day 🪥

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I bet I would have gotten a better a grade from the dentist before I had gone on summer vacation with all those ice cream sundaes, lemons and chilli peppers and not always flossing every day especially earlier in the week when I ran out of dental floss. I guess you can’t look back.

Good morning! Yeah, it’s Friday! I complained about the week going by too quickly on summer vacation but not so much this week. Mostly sunny and 61 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☀ There is a west-northwest breeze at 8 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 59 degrees.

A pretty nice morning 🌅 though as we start to approach the second half of autumn the mornings at six o’clock are much darker. Good for sleeping. It was such a nice morning that I thought about doing a quick ride out to Five Rivers Environmental Education Center or the Town Park and walking 🚶 three but ultimately settled on my ordinary morning walk. The air smells like silage 🌽 and there is so many people out walking.

Today will be sunny 🌞, with a high of 79 degrees at 3pm. Four degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 1st. Maximum dew point of 60 at 7am. West wind 8 to 13 mph. Summer is not looking back. A year ago, we had cloudy skies in the morning with more sun in the afternoon. The high last year was 85 degrees. The record high of 98 was set in 1944.

This morning doesn’t have to be terribly rushed 🦷 as my dentist appointment isn’t until 10 am as I had originally planned for it to be the kick off for a weekend out of town but plans changed. Going to bike down to the dentist then to work. 🚲 I decided to stay in town this weekend ☔ as I’m thinking Saturday afternoon could be quite wet but mostly because I want a weekend in town after a busy past few weeks. Plus Piseco Powley Road has my name written on it for next Thursday morning should the weather be decent.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 1:02 pm with sun having an altitude of 62.7° from the due south horizon (-8.1° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 3.1 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:26 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (285°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (292°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:05 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 7 seconds with dusk around 8:34 pm, which is one minute and 23 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:14 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 70 degrees. The dew point will be 56 degrees. There will be a west-northwest breeze at 6 mph. Today will have 14 hours and 8 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 27 seconds over yesterday.

When I got home last night 🛏 I had a quick dinner of rice and beans, with some broccoli 🍚 and took a nap until eight while it rained. ☔ Woke up and cut into that watermelon 🍉 which was pretty darn good. This morning I’m thinking zucchini, sweet onions and maybe some spinach with eggs. 🍳 Trying to get less sugar on my teeth before going to see the dentist but truth be told it will it will probably be difficult to get all that spinach and onions off my teeth before I visit. But my insurance pays the hygentist so he can’t complain too much. I need a good amount of fiber and protein for riding to work 🚲. My throat is feeling better today, ☺ and my energy levels are back up. The week after vacation is always the hardest at work. Especially when work is super quiet and mundane as this work has been. No really colorful characters this week to research, though that BS session midweek about 2024 was fun.

Tonight will be mostly clear 🌃, with a low of 56 degrees at 5am. Six degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around September 6th. Maximum dew point of 56 at 7pm. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies. It got down to 60 degrees. The record low of 46 occurred back in 1987.

Continuing to have issues with my shorts being too loose. 👖 Buying shorts that were 38s at the beginning of the summer was a mistake as even the 36 pair I have is much too loose. At some I’m going to figure out what size of jeans I need and think about getting some as it’s going to be getting cold but I need to figure out what my waist size will be. Hell of it is I’m not dieting or limiting portion sizes at this point, just eating healthy 🍏 and I keep losing weight. Funny what a difference it makes when fruits and vegetables are the center piece of your meal and the rice, meat and dairy are the side or the dessert. I might try to do some thrift storing tomorrow in search of less expensive clothing options, lest what I buy is too big or small in a few months. 👕

Tomorrow will have a slight chance of showers between 11am and noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny 🌦, with a high of 84 degrees at 2pm. One degree above normal. Maximum dew point of 67 at 6pm. South wind 5 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A year ago, we had cloudy skies in the morning with more sun in the afternoon. The high last year was 79 degrees. The record high of 99 was set in 1944.

Tomorrow fairly early I want to head to the Albany Pine Bush 🌲🚲 to trail ride potentially stopping at Stanton Farm Market in New Scotland 🌶 🍆🌽 and the thrift store 🏬 on my way over. See if I can visit John mid afternoon then maybe stop at the grocery store or quite possibly Washington Avenue Extension Walmart is search of those wonderful dried pearl onions 🧅they had at least in the Finger Lakes.

Looking ahead to Sunday, a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8am, then a slight chance of showers between 8am and 2pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. ⛈ Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Maximum dew point of 65 at 7am. Typical average high for the weekend is 83 degrees.

I will take a wait and see approach to the Sunday. ⛈ It might go for a bike ride in the morning 🌅 and then going out to the folks house in the evening.

Looking ahead to September, there are 3 weeks until Average High 79🌡️when the sun will be setting at 7:31 pm with dusk at 7:59 pm. On that day in 2022, we had mostly sunny, rain showers and temperatures between 73 and 55 degrees. We hit a record high of 96 back in 1953. Hoping to be up in Spectulator that weekend to be celebrating the end of the summer at the Spectulator Tree Farm. By then I wouldn’t be surprised if the high country has it first signs of autumn. 🍂

Mine Kill Gorge

ChatGPT and the Blog 🤖

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You might have picked up on it, but I’ve been integrating ChatGPT into my blogging routine lately. Think of it as having a trusty sidekick helping me with categories, summaries, and even putting together entire blog posts. Now, I’m not short on ideas, but wrangling them into the right words can feel as elusive as catching a firefly on a summer night. And that’s where ChatGPT steps in, like a skilled assistant lending a hand.

Do I give a standing ovation for every result that comes out of ChatGPT? Well, not exactly for every single one. However, it often provides a solid starting point that I can work with. By offering a few cues and prompts, I guide ChatGPT to craft text that sounds smoother than anything I could write. Sometimes it’s a matter of injecting a few concepts, tweaking the language, and presto!—out comes a piece of writing that adds an extra layer of depth to the blog, something I might not have conjured all by my lonesome.

Let me be clear, I don’t anticipate being swapped out for a robot, unless the bot start craving sleeping in the back of a pickup truck in the woods. But, hey, if I can enlist a sophisticated language tool to help brainstorm, why not make the most of it? It’s like collaborating with a wordsmith who always knows just the right phrase, albeit in digital form instead of across a table.

Updated Albany County Election Results Crunched

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I discovered I accidentally uploaded the wrong file for the Albany County 2022 Election Results Reapportioned to the current EDs but it has been fixed. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1f3p5vNnWtCnkZ38DZwt5GR74-aPauWSaoFSkspPqEiE/edit#gid=1481996295

Also, I added the 2023 Albany County Primary crunched numbers to my 2019-2023 archive, which includes all of those old results in their original version and “adjusted based on block-level Voting Age Population ” to currently in-effect election districts.

https://andyarthur.org/data/albany.county.election.results.2019.2022.zip

I’ve thought about going back to 2018 and before, but I’m not sure how useful those numbers are as demographics shift over the decade, and prior to November 2018 the State Board had enrollments in PDFs which can be tricker to parse then Excel files.

Why I trust chemistry over processed healthy foods ⚗

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Frequently, I encounter reactions from people who notice my dedication to healthy eating habits—tracking calories, fat, sugar, and salt intake—alongside my preference for incorporating items like sugar-free maple syrup, stevia, and MSG into my meals to enhance flavors. Additionally, I remain unperturbed by the choice between organic and conventionally processed foods. In all honesty, if I were to make a decision, I would lean towards conventionally produced items due to their affordability and comparable, if not superior, environmental impact.

The crux of the matter lies in the fact that much of the natural and organic product industry centers around bureaucratic procedures and labeling, rather than prioritizing health or ecological sustainability. Extra costs are incurred for foods with questionable health and environmental advantages. Numerous products flaunted as healthy, organic, or sustainable do not align with these labels. Many items marketed as natural, organic, or healthy are replete with undesirable elements—chiefly excessive calories, fat, sugar, and salt.

To truly enhance well-being, a return to basics is warranted. Opting for whole foods—those reminiscent of garden or orchard produce, or akin to farm-fresh staples like milk and meat—proves significantly more beneficial. Rather than investing in processed foods parading as healthy, directing resources towards fresh fruits and vegetables for the pantry is the wiser choice.

The sight of supposedly healthy organic cookies and wholesome snack cakes deeply troubles me, for such notions are largely unfounded. Despite advertising claims, honey nut cheerios do not qualify as a healthy option. Opting for alternatives like cream of wheat or whole grain, slowly cooked oatmeal and enhancing them with personal choices like honey and nuts stands as a superior option. A judicious sprinkling of MSG onto vegetables can heighten their taste appeal without excessively elevating sodium levels in the body. Similarly, incorporating stevia into freshly squeezed lemonade imparts extra sweetness, as opposed to utilizing natural sugars that contribute to weight gain and overall unhealthiness.

The concept of perceived risk, when examined closely, is often not as alarming as it initially appears. Many products, such as artificial sweeteners and MSG, have undergone rigorous testing and generally carry a consensus of safety. Conversely, the unhealthy nature of sugar and salt remains regardless of their natural origins. While pesticide residues do pose a certain level of risk, it’s important to recognize that this risk is well-researched and tested. On the contrary, neglecting the consumption of adequate fresh fruits and vegetables poses a well-established risk—one that cannot be overlooked. The fear of potential risks should not deter us from pursuing a healthy dietary path.

This morning is a drag 🐲

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Puff the magic dragon by lived by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee. A dragon lives forever but not so little boys.

Good morning! Happy Thursday. It’s cloudy and 60 degrees in Delmar, NY. ⛅ Calm wind. The dew point is 60 degrees. Fog around, and it’s in my head this morning and I’m not stoned but maybe I wish I was as I stumble around this morning skipping my morning walk.

So I can get at least some steps in 👣 taking the long way around the High School 🚸 superblock to the express bus 🚍 as I have enough time. Breakfast was a bowl of light red kidney beans with sugar free maple syrup and a little bit of Greek yogurt and fresh fruit. I have a bit of sore throat this morning and maybe that’s my excuse for my dragging ass, though truth be told it’s the gray skies my struggle to recover from summer vacation. 🛏 I was in bed shortly after 9 pm and slept well but had to run to the bathroom 🚽 a few times during the night as I had a bunch of lemonade 🍋 after my evening bike 🚲 ride to Voorheesville.

Today will have a slight chance of showers before noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between noon and 5pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 5pm. Mostly cloudy 🌦, with a high of 78 degrees at 12pm. Five degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 5th. Maximum dew point of 67 at 1pm. Lighyg south wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. It was somewhat humid. The high last year was 79 degrees. The record high of 96 was set in 1949.

If the weather was going to be better today ⛈ I would definitely be riding into work. 🚲 It was a nice bicycle commute yesterday, although my ride home was a bit heavy with all that sweet corn 🌽, zucchini, cucumbers 🥒 and that watermelon 🍉 I had loaded into the back of my bike. Howard Street does get a bit crazy 🚘 at 5 o’clock but once I hit the bike path under 787 and do the climb out of the valley it’s a bit of serenity. Tomorrow I’ll ride down to the dentist 🦷 and then to work.

Yesterday I rode close to 30 miles or maybe more. 🚲 Not sure though I did GPS log it. Sunset is getting earlier 🌇 and I was running late 🏃 after dinner but it was still a great ride. That said my mountain bike is so slow compared to the road bikes and it’s boring 💤 to ride on asphalt but take it to the places I like to camp ⛺ it’s wonderful and it beats walking 🚶 around town. It just annoys me as road bikes fly by on the bike path, and general boredom of the bike path, but I remember it’s a compromise compared to the great places I can get up in the wilderness. I am thinking the gravel/stone dust of Pennsylvania’s Pine Creek Gorge might be fun this autumn. 

I’ve been kicking myself for not stopping in Triangle on my way home from the Finger Lakes to get more zucchini and have been desperate ever since. 🥒 The zucchini I had in the Finger Lakes was so good that all I’ve been dreaming of all week is more zucchini. Fried with onions, some MSG, some pepper and a bit of stevia and olive oil it was so good. Eat way too much but there are worse foods to over indulge in. Sweet corn also for dinner and a plum for dessert. 🌽 This morning as I mentioned it was red kidney beans and syrup, and lunch is going to be onions, rice with peas and lentils and then some edamame thrown in. Haven’t had edamame in a few weeks, and it’s good, mostly because of vacation. 

Solar noon 🌞 is at 1:02 pm with sun having an altitude of 63° from the due south horizon (-7.8° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 3.1 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:27 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (286°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (292°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:06 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 7 seconds with dusk around 8:35 pm, which is one minute and 22 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:15 pm. At sunset, look for rain 🌧 and thunderstorms 🌩 and temperatures around 71 degrees. The dew point will be 66 degrees. There will be a south breeze at 7 mph. Today will have 14 hours and 11 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 26 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will have showers and thunderstorms likely before 1am, then a slight chance of showers between 1am and 2am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy 🌧, with a low of 61 degrees at 4am. One degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around August 13th. Maximum dew point of 66 at 6pm. South wind around 8 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 63 degrees. The record low of 46 occurred back in 1941.

Another summer weekend on tap. 🏖 Saturday, a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. South wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Maximum dew point of 66 at 5pm. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 80. Maximum dew point of 68 at 10am. Typical average high for the weekend is 83 degrees.

This weekend I’m thinking of either riding or driving out to Our Families Harvest farm stand 🌽 in New Scotland to stock up on produce then maybe some mountain biking / trail riding in the Albany Pine Bush 🦋, I think that could be a lot of fun. Do it early as I see thunderstorms ⛈️ and rain popping up by afternoon. Then maybe go to see John and get some groceries at the Walmart in Albany. I specifically like those little pearl onions they have, I haven’t seen them at other grocery stores. They’re like candy and you can eat them raw after you peal the outer skin or toss them in a frying 🍳 pan and they quickly get brown and extra sweet. Maybe head a bit further north in Colonie and do some of the Canalway trail but I doubt it. Quiet day Sunday, maybe Five Rivers Environmental Education Center 🐸 and go out and see the folks. 👪

I asked the secretary 🗓 to schedule no meetings for me on Thursday and Friday of next week, lest I want to head up to the Potholers for a long weekend and to ride Piseco-Powley Road on Blackie 🚵 and camp at House Pond Campsite ⛺ assuming it’s open. I could go for a nice few days at the swimming 🏊 hole there maybe with some clams again 🦪 and tons of fresh farm produce 🌽 🥒 🍅 🧅 to toss in the beer and clam broth. We’ll see, it depends on the weather. I could use some time floating on the tube ⭕ and cooling in the Potholers before summer is done. I can’t do the following week as the other director is off. Right now the second half of next week looks good, and we might finally get some warmer and drier weather. One last stand before summer is done. I’m also thinking of seeing if I can work remote or take a personal day that Friday before Labor Day Weekend 👷‍♀️ so I can get camp set up early on Friday, then work or have fun as time would allow.

One month 📅 from now will be 6:30 Sunrise 🌇 when the sun will be setting at 7:16 pm with dusk at 7:43 pm. It will mean darker mornings especially for walking 🚶 although I should be able to walk for a few more weeks after then at 6:15 as dawn is about a half hour earlier and I do that most of the winter at any rate. The cooler air will be refreshing and help wake me up when those days come.

South in Gorge

What would you do if… 🎶

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If you were listening to Joe Crocker it would be sing out of tune, and if it was David Crosby it would be find her dead on the floor. Maybe the Wonder Years weren’t as wonderful as people remember them to being. But let’s bang a gong and get it on. After all it’s the morning walk and I need to leave at a reasonable hour as I’m riding Blackie into work today and need to stop on the way mostly to get dental floss but also bananas and maybe some MSG.

Good morning! What day is it? Farmers Market Day, of course. I want zucchinis so badly. Mostly cloudy and 63 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☁ There is a west-northwest breeze at 11 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 60 degrees. The skies will clear around 9 am.

Not sure if I actually need to do my morning walk 🚶 if I’m taking Blackie 🚵 to work but I’m up and going and kind of like the quiet time known as walking to get my day started. Since getting my bike I don’t get in nearly as many steps as I used to do. I think I’ll do Cream of Wheat 🌾 and chia seeds, with fresh squeezed lemon 🍋 with stevia for sweetness, topped with plain non fat Greek yogurt and frozen wild Maine blueberries. 🫐 Just describing that seems so mouth 👄 watering because it is. Good for a sugar high and energy ⚡ for cycling to work.

Today will be mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny ☁👉 ☀ , with a high of 83 degrees at 5pm. Typical for today. Maximum dew point of 63 at 11am. Northwest wind 9 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. It was somewhat humid. The ahigh last year was 86 degrees. The record high of 96 was set in 2001.

Going to be a nice day to ride into work. 🚲 I figure Friday too after my dentist appointment. 🦷I thought about heading out of town this weekend but I really need a week off from life on the road, packing and unpacking. I’m thinking the following week of taking Thursday and Friday off for a long weekend at House Pond Campsite floating on the tube ⭕ and riding Piseco-Powley Road on Blackie if it’s nice.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 1:02 pm with sun having an altitude of 63.3° from the due south horizon (-7.5° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 3 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:28 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (286°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (293°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:07 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 8 seconds with dusk around 8:37 pm, which is one minute and 20 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:17 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 74 degrees. The dew point will be 59 degrees. There will be a west breeze at 8 mph. Today will have 14 hours and 13 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 24 seconds over yesterday.

Yesterday all day my butt was dragging 😴 especially come the afternoon. I’m not sure why I got a goodnight sleep, had a protein and fiber rich breakfast of eggs and spinach, and nothing was extraordinary on Tuesday. I went to the planning board meeting yesterday on yet another development in the Albany Pine Bush. This time they’re proposing yet another warehouse in Colonie in prime Pine Bush in a wildlife corridor. 👷Town is mostly concerned with the coloring of the fencing and the stucco which they want to look like every other warehouse. Developer and the government Pine Bush commission is good as they’re building on an existing site. We’re not at Save the Pine Bush as it’s more Pine Bush being developed.

Tonight will be mostly clear 🌃, with a low of 58 degrees at 5am. Four degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around August 30th. Maximum dew point of 60 at 6pm. West wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm in the evening. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became partly cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It was somewhat humid. It got down to 63 degrees. The record low of 48 occurred back in 1955.

A picture perfect weekend on tap. 😎 Saturday, a chance of showers after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Maximum dew point of 64 at 4pm. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Maximum dew point of 67 at 1pm. Typical average high for the weekend is 83 degrees.

It’s so tempting to head out of town 🌲 as summer is rapidly coming to a conclusion but I know the responsible thing is to stay closer to town and I’m tired of packing and unpacking all of the time, taking down and setting up camp ⛺. I really should visit John at least one last time, his wife needs help with him and time is ticking for him. ⏳ It would be fun to take Blackie 🚵 out on the Erie Canal Trail and maybe the Albany Pine Bush Preserve in the evening. And just rest and restore myself. Eat some fried zucchini with lots of onions. 🍆🧅 Maybe but not likely hammock camp overnight on Cole Hill.

As previously noted, there are 3 weeks until Average High Falls To 79 ️Degrees ⛱️️️ when the sun will be setting at 7:35 pm with dusk at 8:03 pm. On that day in 2022, we had rain and temperatures between 90 and 66 degrees. We hit a record high of 98 back in 1953.

Caywood Point