Elm Ave Town Park

Cold start to the morning ❄

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Kind of a cool start to the morning and probably even cooler come the weekend with the clouds and the breeze from the hurricane off the coast.

Good morning! Yeah, it’s Friday! Partly clear and a chilly 49 degrees in Delmar for the morning walk. 🌅 There is a north-northwest breeze at 6 mph. 🍃.

Out for the morning walk 🚶 getting things ready to head out of town for the weekend but first work in the office. Going to ride Blackie 🚵 to work today and then leave work at 4 PM, catch the express home an then head up to camp. 🏕 Just a quick weekend camp, planning to be out to the folks house on Sunday back 2 PM to do apple picking with dad. Seems like a lot of work to go away for two nights, and really just a full day, but I’m keeping it simple. 🍏 🍎

Today will be sunny 🌞, with a high of 70 degrees at 2pm. Five degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 26th. Maximum dew point of 51 at 1pm. North wind 6 to 11 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 70 degrees. The record high of 92 was set in 1915.

Went to Walmart and bought some more jeans 👖 and supplies. Couldn’t believe the bill was $161 but I got two pairs of jeans and needed a lot more supplies for camping and cleaning around home then I had realized. Things are just more expensive these days with inflation. I spent some time studying food processors, and other kitchen equipment there. I’m leaning towards getting a Ninja 850 watt, 9 cup food processor for $100 but I want to study the reviews and think about it before laying down my money next week. That said, once I have a lot of apples from apple picking this weekend, I am going to want ways to quickly chop a bunch of them up 🔪 and make apple sauce and the alike.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:52 pm with sun having an altitude of 50.5° from the due south horizon (-20.3° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 4.9 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 6:30 pm with the sun in the west (269°). 📸 The sunset is in the west (275°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:08 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 55 seconds with dusk around 7:34 pm, which is one minute and 47 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 8:09 pm. At sunset, look for partly cloudy skies 🌃 and temperatures around 64 degrees. The dew point will be 48 degrees. There will be a north breeze at 10 mph. Today will have 12 hours and 33 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 51 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will be mostly cloudy 🌥, with a low of 55 degrees at 3am. Two degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around September 11th. Maximum dew point of 49 at 6pm. North wind around 10 mph. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 45 degrees. The record low of 32 occurred back in 1964.

Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy 🌥, with a high of 73 degrees at 3pm. Two degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 19th. Maximum dew point of 50 at 12pm. Northwest wind 13 to 15 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 71 degrees. The record high of 92 was set in 1939.

Going to be a cool and cloudy start to the weekend, but I figured it’s good get away ⛺ for a few days. Next weekend might be better, might head to the Adirondacks for that. Just some nice meals over the campfire, 🔥 and doing some trail and road riding with Blackie. 🚵‍♀️ It’s the first weekend of autumn next weekend, though I’m not expecting much color at this point because it’s been such a mild late summer, bar this past day through the weekend. 😎 But come Sunday and especially next week after the hurricane 🌀 moves further off shore it looks like it could warm up quite a bit again.

Looking ahead to Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 77. ☀ West wind around 7 mph. Maximum dew point of 56 at 5pm. Typical average high for the weekend is 75 degrees. Will be nice weather for apple picking 🍏 though got to watch out for clouds and rain showers come the evening.

Looking ahead, next Friday is Autumn 🍂 when the sun will be setting at 6:54 pm with dusk at 7:21 pm. On that day in 2022, we had rain and temperatures between 71 and 51 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 72 degrees. We hit a record high of 95 back in 1895.

Darker

Just because the cops are out to get you isn’t an excuse to commit crime

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Back in the 1960s there was a folk ground known as Peter, Paul and Mary. They sung many folk songs, some quite politically controversial like If I Had A Hammer and This Land is Your Land. Half a century later, it seems almost absurd that these folk songs and the bands that played would have received extensive FBI surveillance.

But the FBI had it’s reasons at the time – these songs were often first sung by socialists, many of whom actively advocated and in some cases engaged to violence including bombings in an attempt to overthrow the American government. Some in the New Left like the Weathermen and the Black Panthers where taking up the mantle of violence against the government even as Peter, Paul and Mary sung their folk songs.

In 1969, Peter, Paul and Mary released a children’s album, Peter, Paul and Mommy. Shortly thereafter, in an attempt to suppress the freedom of speech and break up the music group, the FBI set up a sting operation against Peter Yarrow who was known inside circles to enjoy groupies – young girls brought to the members of popular bands to provide sexual gratification.

As the story goes in 1970, Peter Yarrow was in a bugged motel room when the 14-year old informant who crossed state lines went in, and Mr. Yarrow unbuckled his pants and masterbated in front of the underage girl. He was immediately arrested and ultimately served a few years in prison for transporting an underage girl across state lines for a sexual act. Not an uncommon practice at the time for music groups – lest the term groupie and the arrest of other singers like Jonathan King on similar charges, nevertheless was a serious crime that hurt minors and was justified to be charged and punished for his actions.

Peter Paul and Mary would be broken up, trying their best to downplay the arrest of their member while still selling their children’s record. They would not rejoin together until 1977, a half decade after Yarrow got out of prison and had received extensive mental health treatment. Yarrow went on to become an advocate against childhood bullying and many of the group’s post 1977 songs were for children.

There really is no question that Peter Yarrow committed a serious crime against a child and that he was punished and deserved to be. Ultimately, President Jimmy Carter pardoned him on his way out the door. The evidence suggests that was a sound decision even if it was the only time in American history when the president pardoned a person for a sex offense against a child. Peter Yarrow has done much good since they terrible act a half century ago.

That was fifty years ago. More then two generations prior. Donald Trump’s criminal cases filed against him brings us to today. I think it’s hard to argue that Donald Trump wasn’t targeted by the FBI both during his presidency but especially thereafter post January 6th uprising. A lot of FBI members and police more generally take their roll in protecting the country and it’s democracy very seriously and the former president’s actions most certainly raised alarm in the minds of many lawmen just like Peter, Paul and Mary’s songs did to a prior generation in the FBI.

The FBI, or more likely many members of the FBI felt that Donald Trump was a threat to the country and his actions warranted surveillance. Likewise, the FBI and the federal prosecutor were looking for things to charge the former president with, especially after January 6th. The former president had several chances to return stolen classified, national security documents but failed to and lied to investigators. These are serious offenses, though had the former president voluntarily returned the documents chances are he could have avoided prosecution and it would have been maybe a fine or violation of the law rather than a serious felony.

What the president did was a serious offense and he should be prosecuted and quite possibly sent to jail for a while, and be mandated to pay a significant fine. It’s not like he didn’t have a chance to go down this road, but justice demands he be treated like every other criminal. Donald Trump’s service to the country as president and other good acts over the years should be taken into consideration during his sentencing.

Likewise it should be up to a future president to decide if a pardon is warranted in the sake of justice, weighting both the former president’s actions, his good deeds both before and after his criminal acts, and the way the FBI targeted him. A pardon never erases or undoes a crime but it releases a person from any further punishment and resets the slate going forward. Would such a pardon be justified? Only time will tell.

A brief history of Thacher Park

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Here are some key points in John Boyd Thacher State Park’s history:

  1. Early 20th Century: The park was established in 1914 and originally named the Helderberg State Park. It was created to provide the people of Albany and the surrounding region with a natural recreational area.
  2. John Boyd Thacher: In 1938, the park was renamed John Boyd Thacher State Park in honor of John Boyd Thacher II, the Mayor of Albany from 1886 to 1887 and a prominent local figure. He was an avid naturalist and conservationist who played a significant role in preserving the Helderberg escarpment.
  3. Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC): During the Great Depression, the CCC was active in the park. CCC workers built many of the park’s facilities, including trails, picnic areas, and the famous Indian Ladder Trail.
  4. Indian Ladder Trail: This trail is one of the park’s main attractions, taking visitors along the Helderberg Escarpment, offering stunning views of the Hudson Valley. It is named after the original wooden ladders that were used to navigate the steep cliffs.
  5. Geological Significance: The park is known for its unique geological formations, such as limestone caves and fossils dating back hundreds of millions of years. The Indian Ladder Trail provides an opportunity to explore these geological wonders.
  6. Today: John Boyd Thacher State Park continues to be a popular destination for hiking, picnicking, birdwatching, and enjoying nature. It offers a variety of recreational activities and scenic vistas, making it a beloved spot for both locals and tourists.

The park’s history is intertwined with the conservation efforts of John Boyd Thacher II and the contributions of the CCC, and it remains a testament to the natural beauty of the Helderberg Mountains.

Saturday at Thacher Park with Blackie 🚵

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That’s the plan for today after the morning walk. Shower, finish cooking some brown rice and lentils up head out to the Nature Bus around 9:20, be to Thacher Park by 9:50. Then whatever until 6:20.

Good morning! Happy Saturday. A little cooler for the weekend! Mostly cloudy ⛅ and 68 degrees in Delmar for the morning walk 🚶 pm this Saturday morning. Calm wind. The dew point is 64 degrees. Not going to be a real nice weekend, the skies will clear Monday around 4 pm.

Lots of people out walking 🚶 and riding this morning but it’s already gotten hot and sticky. Hopefully it will be cooler when I get up to Thacher State Park 🏞 up on the hill. Otherwise I figure I can just relax on the hammock with a good book. 📖 No real plans for today besides just hanging out at Thacher Park. That and bake the bread I have rising today. Decided to do whole wheat bread with a kneaded recipe this time – still just the simple whole wheat, water, yeast and a bit of salt. Next week looks to be cool and may be an excellent week to use up a bunch of fresh and frozen vegetables in the freezer for soup. 🥣

Today will have a slight chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 11am. Mostly cloudy ⛅ , with a high of 80 degrees at 3pm. Three degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around August 31st. Maximum dew point of 70 at 3pm. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 83 degrees. The record high of 94 was set in 1959.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:54 pm with sun having an altitude of 52.8° from the due south horizon (-18.1° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 4.6 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 6:41 pm with the sun in the west (272°). 📸 The sunset is in the west (278°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:18 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 56 seconds with dusk around 7:45 pm, which is one minute and 46 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 8:21 pm. At sunset, look for rain 🌧 and thunderstorms 🌩 and temperatures around 75 degrees. The dew point will be 69 degrees. There will be a calm wind. Today will have 12 hours and 50 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 50 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will have a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Mostly cloudy 🌧, with a low of 65 degrees at 5am. 10 degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 69 at 6pm. Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. In 2022, we had partly cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 56 degrees. The record low of 34 occurred back in 1978.

Looking ahead, there are 8 weeks until Daylight Savings Time Ends 🛥️ when the sun will be setting at 5:46 pm with dusk at 6:14 pm. On that day in 2022, we had sunny, warm and temperatures between 71 and 46 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 54 degrees. We hit a record high of 76 back in 1994.