Elm Ave Park & Ride – CDTA

The Elm Avenue Park and Ride offers a convenient way to get downtown without the hassles of urban traffic. Located next to the Elm Avenue Park at the end of the Delmar Bypass (NY 32), it is serviced by several buses that will quickly transport you downtown.

There is a new, expanded schedule for the Elm Avenue Park and Ride. 5 morning buses depart there, 5 buses in the afternoon plus a mid-day bus schedule. Very convenient. http://www.cdta.org/uploads/Route719.pdf

February 7, 2020 Morning

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Good morning! Yeah, it’s Friday! Next Friday is Valentines Day ❤️. Rain, mist and 36 degrees at the Elm Ave Park & Ride – CDTA. ☔ There is a northeast breeze at 5 mph. 🍃. There is a inch of snow and ice on the ground. ☃ Going to rain all day until it turns to snow and then gets real cold. Hello, February. ️Temperatures will drop below freezing at around 2 pm. ☃️

I decided to walk down to the express bus 🚍 but it was raining or misting fairly hard. Not a nice day to be outside and it only is going to get worse. Reminds me of that one night I camped up on the Boereas River and NY 28 several years ago in December. ⛺ Icy snow and rain. That was before I had the propane heater and only a very smokey campfire to keep warm.

I knocked the remaining snow and ice off Big Red 🚘 in hopes things won’t be too much of a frozen mess come Saturday. Still not sure if I’m going to drive anywhere tomorrow, it’s going to be pretty bitterly cold with the wind but a fair amount of sun ☀. I might just stay home and walk down to the library 📚.

Today will rain and sleet before 2pm, then rain and snow between 2pm and 3pm, then snow likely after 3pm. Temperature falling to around 27 by 5pm. ☔⛄ Windy, with a northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west 19 to 29 mph. Winds could gust as high as 49 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total daytime snow and sleet accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 47 degrees. The record high of 48 was set in 2005. 12.4 inches of snow fell back in 1983.❄

I totally expect a miserable and slow icy commute home this evening 💦 but maybe they’ll close the office early or they’ll get a lot of salt on the roads to prevent icing. The good news is that I live in the city so not so far to go. If it’s bad and I don’t see the local coming I’ll take the local home. 🚍

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:10 pm with sun having an altitude of 32° from the due south horizon (-38.9° vs. 6/21). The golden hour 🏅 starts at 4:36 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (243°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-southwest (250°) starting at 5:13 pm and lasts for 3 minutes and 5 seconds with dusk around 5:45 pm, which is one minute and 19 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the Waxing Gibbous 🌖 Moon in the east (80°) at an altitude of 24° from the horizon, 232,013 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 6:19 pm. At sunset, look for snow showers 🌨 and temperatures around 27 degrees. The wind chill around sunset will be 11. ☃️Blustery, 🌬 with a stiff breeze at 30 mph the west-northwest with gusts up to 52mph. Going to be frigid, especially downtown. I turned my heat up a few degrees before leaving home to ensure my apartment isn’t too cold by the time I get home on what will be the most blustery of evenings. Today will have 10 hours and 13 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 30 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will have a chance of snow showers, mainly before 7pm. Mostly cloudy 🌧, with a low of 16 degrees at 4am. Typical for tonight. Maximum wind chill around 4 at 6am; Windy, with a west wind 24 to 29 mph decreasing to 17 to 22 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 48 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. In 2019, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 25 degrees. The record low of -16 occurred back in 1950.

Tomorrow will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 29 degrees at 1pm. Four degrees below normal. West wind 10 to 17 mph. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 45 degrees. The record high of 52 was set in 1925. 14 inches of snow fell back in 1895.❄

Looking ahead to Sunday, partly sunny, with a high near 31. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon. ☀ Typical average high for the weekend is 33 degrees.

🌹🌻🌼Only 41 days remain until the first day of calendar spring!🌹🌻🌼

As previously noted, next Friday is Valentines Day ❤️ when the sun will be setting at 5:25 pm with dusk at 5:54 pm. On that day in 2019, we had snow showers, partly cloudy and temperatures between 37 and 26 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 34 degrees. We hit a record high of 63 back in 1946.

Frozen Swamp Above the Gulf

I just got done watching Rick Sieves The Rise of Facism in Europe at the Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace

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I just got done watching Rick Sieves The Rise of Facism in Europe at the Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace. ✌

Its a reminder that it can happen here. Or anywhere. We pretend we are better than fascism and we would never let a strong man rule our country. But is that really true or just a lie we tell ourselves? Would we behave differently than the Germans or the Italians during the Great Depression? Power can often is abused by people who think they have God on their side as power often is violent and oppressive. People should be skeptical of power both of their own political persuasion and that of others. People should welcome the dysfunction of democracy and the virtues of taking it slow. Fascism can come to America and its just as likely to be a left wing as a right wing thing. 

I noticed that CDTA’s vehicle locator system has a public facing feed at the Internet that one could pull to get the locations of all the buses currently on the road

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I noticed that CDTA’s vehicle locator system has a public facing feed at the Internet that one could pull to get the locations of all the buses currently on the road.

https://www.cdta.org/realtime/buses.json?[randomStringLikeTimeToForceBrowserRefresh]

This might be useful for a mapping application (as there are coordinates for each bus in feed, along with direction of the bus) or maybe just a straight-forward text interface for using on mobile apps. I am undecided if I will make something public-facing or just for my ease and convenience. I’ll have to think more about it.

February 1, 2020 Morning

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Good morning! Happy February 🌧! It’s February 2020 if you can believe it, soon Iowa caucus time for those Democrats in Iowa. I’m sure they’re tired of all those Elizabeth Warren radio commercials on the top 40 country station 📻 and embers of Joseph Biden mailers floating off their smoldering burn barrels 🚒 setting their pastures on fire. 🔥 I’m sure it will just make the grass grow greener after they spread more hog shit on them come spring. It is Iowa after all, God’s country, a free place.

I don’t care, I’ll probably vote ❎ for Bernie Sanders come the spring. I think democratic socialism has a lot of good ideas, especially limiting the power of the state in the criminal justice system and his idea of universal health care is good if I want to eventually retire early so I can focus on improving my own land. 🚜 Plus he’s from Vermont and probably toured a barnyard or two and isn’t afraid of dirt roads or the woods. 🌲Unlike the pretty boy 👦 in the White House who talks about loving coal while he poops on a toilet 🚽 made of gold.

Cloudy and 31 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☁Calm wind. We got a dusting of snow but it sure is gray today. Must be because they haven’t removed the incumbent from the White House yet. Things will start to thaw out at around 8 am. 🌡️ Great more mud. 🐷

I made up pancakes and coffee ☕ for breakfast 🍳. A pretty good breakfast. Listening to Weekend Edition. Not a very nice day, very gray for sure. I’m chewing over walking out to Five Rivers Environmental Education Center 🐸 but I don’t know. I want to do some soldering projects, 🔬 finish up on the John Wolcott index 📇 and some other projects.

Today will have a slight chance of snow showers, mixing with rain after 11am, then gradually ending. Mostly cloudy 🌧, with a high of 37 degrees at 12pm. Five degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around February 23rd. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 18 degrees. The record high of 65 was set in 1989. 15 inches of snow fell back in 1898.❄

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:10 pm with sun having an altitude of 30.2° from the due south horizon (-40.6° vs. 6/21). The golden hour 🏅 starts at 4:27 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (240°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-southwest (247°) starting at 5:05 pm and lasts for 3 minutes and 9 seconds with dusk around 5:37 pm, which is one minute and 19 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the First Quarter 🌓 Moon in the south (173°) at an altitude of 59° from the horizon, 248,379 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 6:12 pm. At sunset, look for mostly cloudy skies ☁ and temperatures around 35 degrees. There will be a north-northwest breeze at 5 mph. Today will have 9 hours and 58 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 20 seconds over yesterday.

The fact that the sun is above 30 degrees angle and the calendar ☀ gives me a great deal of hope. I really want to spend more nights in the wilderness but it has to be reasonably pleasant out, with the snow banks low enough that I can find a place to park. 🅿 I really miss the fires and camping in the wilderness. ⛺ It’s just not the same sleeping at home with the windows shut and just walking around the neighborhood🚶. Spring is coming! 🌸 But God willing maybe I’ll get out for a weekend in the wilderness as soon as next week, but only time will tell.

Tonight will have isolated snow showers after 3am. Mostly cloudy 🌧, with a low of 26 degrees at 4am. 11 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 16th. Northwest wind 3 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. In 2019, we had clear skies in the evening, which became partly cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to -2 degrees. The record low of -18 occurred back in 1961.

🌹🌻🌼Only 47 days remain until the first day of calendar spring!🌹🌻🌼

One month 📅 from now will be March 🌨 when the sun will be setting at 5:45 pm with dusk at 6:13 pm.

View Along Yellow Trail

January 25, 2020 Morning

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Good morning! It’s the weekend and the Save the Pine Bush Hike I’m leading from the Madison Avenue Extension at 9:30 AM. 🚶 Also Happy 5 PM Sunset 🌆! Next Saturday is February 🌧. Mostly cloudy and 26 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☁ Calm wind. There is a inch of snow on the ground. ☃ If you are joining us for the hike, you might want to bring the microspikes. ️Things will start to thaw out at around 9 am. 🌡️

Today will have a chance of rain, snow, and sleet before noon, then definitely going rain later on this last Saturday of the January. 🌧 High of 39 degrees at 4pm. Eight degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around March 1st. I’m old enough to remember when it wCalm wind becoming north around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, which became mostly sunny by afternoon. The high last year was 35 degrees. The record high of 61 was set in 1938. 9.5 inches of snow fell back in 2000.❄

After the Pine Bush Hike, I have Chet’s wake to go to. 😐 I found my black tie and I’ll get cleaned up and go there. A lot of the older generation 👴 is passing away, a lot of good people and some less so too. He was one of the good ones for sure.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:08 pm with sun having an altitude of 28.3° from the due south horizon (-42.5° vs. 6/21). The golden hour 🏅 starts at 4:17 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (237°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-southwest (245°) starting at 4:57 pm and lasts for 3 minutes and 13 seconds with dusk around 5:29 pm, which is one minute and 17 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 6:04 pm. At sunset, look for rain 🌧 and temperatures around 39 degrees. Forget about watching the 5 pm sunset. There will be a west-northwest breeze at 6 mph. Today will have 9 hours and 42 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 5 seconds over yesterday.

Finally got that USB hub I ordered from China two months ago. 💻 I wanted a second one to use at work to plug my laptop into as I frequently swap cables between my laptop and the work computer. 🔌 Nice little hub with switches and LED lighting. Only two dollars. 💵 Will be perfect for work. One thing I like about ordering from China is it comes with so much less packaging than anything you would get directly from the store. Unfortunately Trump and Cuomo are levying new taxes and shipping fees on things imported from China.

Tonight will rain before 1am, then a slight chance of snow showers after 5am. Patchy fog after 1am. 🌧 Low of 30 degrees at 6am. 16 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 27th. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Little or no snow accumulation expected. In 2019, we had clear skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 14 degrees. The record low of -17 occurred back in 1920.

🌹🌻🌼Only 54 days remain until the first day of calendar spring!🌹🌻🌼

That said, with today’s rain ☔ it will feel a lot more like spring than winter especially once most of the remaining snow melts away. And then next Saturday is February. Looks like for Ground Hog Day in Punxsutawney the Ground Hog won’t see his shadow, with the current forecast but that’s subject to change. That said in recent years with the warming climate the Ground Hog rarely sees his shadow. 🐻

As previously noted, next Saturday is February 🌧 when the sun will be setting at 5:08 pm with dusk at 5:37 pm. On that day in 2019, we had cold, sunny and temperatures between 18 and -8 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 32 degrees. We hit a record high of 65 back in 1989.

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