Mason Lake

Mason Lake, nestled in Speculator, offers a serene escape for outdoor enthusiasts. This picturesque lake presents ample kayaking opportunities, inviting you to paddle through its tranquil waters and savor the surrounding beauty. Beyond the lake, adventure awaits with easy access to the nearby bike trails in Perkins Clearing, providing a chance to explore the lush landscapes on two wheels.

For those seeking a camping retreat, Mason Lake delivers free roadside camping options both near the lake and along Mason Lake Road and Perkins Clearing Road. These convenient camping sites enable you to immerse in nature without compromising comfort. Whether you’re drawn to the water’s edge or prefer a more secluded spot along the roadsides, Mason Lake provides a unique and enriching outdoor experience for those seeking relaxation, exploration, and the joys of both kayaking and biking in the heart of nature.

R language

I can’t decide if R language is really that much better then Python data science packages, but I guess it doesn’t hurt to learn R. People certainly have their strong opinions on R but it’s quite popular these days. Many people like 538 use both, as each have their strengths.

Citizen enforcement and the Texas Abortion Laws 🀱

Citizen enforcement and the Texas Abortion Law 🀱

I never understood the controversy over abortion, after all its not a tax or a mandate. It’s actually a relatively inexpensive and simple outpatient procedure, costing less than $500, which is virtually nothing in the world of over inflated healthcare bills due to negotiated rates of insurers. It is the ending of a life but a rather meaningless one as personal not born has yet to experience all the sounds, colors and feelings of the world around them.

That said, at one level I kind of like the Texas Abortion Law – namely its citizen enforcement procedures. People and organizations should have the right to go to court and enforce the law when the government workers – the police, the District Attorney, the Attorney General or agency lawyers fail to enforce the law. Often government workers aren’t motivated to enforce the law due to political considerations. That’s when the public should have the right to step in.

On the other hand, there is a big problem with the Texas Abortion Law. It is an end run around the constitution – an attempt to use the lower standards applied to civil cases to enforce an otherwise unconstitutional law if implemented by the state. The government shouldn’t be in the business of violating peoples rights by devious ways.

Weather Update – September 5, 2021

It looks like today is going to be a fairly cool and gray day. 🌫️

I don’t know if that’s a bad thing, although I probably should have been more ambitious yesterday 😴 and done my hike then to the West Canada Lakes wilderness. I thought about Pillsbury Mountain Firetower or Spruce Lake yesterday but decided against it.

Today, I am probably going to hang around camp β›Ί maybe doing an evening hike to the Jessup River with a fishing 🎣 pole. Do a bunch of reading πŸ“–, maybe finish that book I’m reading on rabbit 🐰 farming. I don’t like to be really ambitious to say the least.

I should do a lot more up at camp but sometimes the laziness gene kicks in. πŸ’€ Plus I just know how crazy things will be next week as work downtown returns to five days a week as remote work ends. Plus with the solar it’s not like I have to drive anywhere to keep the battery charged.

I did like that hike I did last year to Pig Rock 🐷 so I could do that again if the rain holds off. But it might be wet later on. Really depends a lot on the weather. β˜”

Today.
Feels like …
October 3rd.

Slight Chance of Showers then Showers is likely

A slight chance of showers before 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2pm and 5pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 5pm. Mostly cloudy.

South wind 5 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

and

67 degrees , 60 max dew point, 7:25
sunset.
Tonight.
Feels like …
September 14th.

Showers is likely then Mostly Cloudy

Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 10pm. Mostly cloudy.

Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

and

53 degrees , 6:27
sunrise.
Labor Day.
Feels like …
October 5th.

Chance of Showers

A chance of showers.

Light southwest wind becoming west 6 to 11 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

and

66 degrees , 57 max dew point, 7:24
sunset.
Monday Night.
Feels like …
September 24th.

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy.

West wind 3 to 6 mph.

and

49 degrees , 6:28
sunrise.
Tuesday.
Feels like …
September 30th.

Mostly Sunny

Mostly sunny.

West wind around 6 mph.

and

68 degrees , 52 max dew point, 7:22
sunset.
Tuesday Night.
Feels like …
September 17th.

Partly Cloudy then Chance of Showers

A chance of showers after 2am. Partly cloudy.

Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

and

52 degrees , 6:29
sunrise.
Wednesday.
Feels like …
September 24th.

Showers is likely

A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Partly sunny.

Chance of precipitation is 70%.

and

71 degrees , 57 max dew point, 7:20
sunset.
Wednesday Night.
Feels like …
September 17th.

Showers is likely then Scattered Showers

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8pm, then scattered showers between 8pm and 2am. Partly cloudy.

Chance of precipitation is 60%.

and

52 degrees , 6:30
sunrise.
Thursday.
Feels like …
October 5th.

Mostly Sunny then Scattered Showers

Scattered showers, mainly after 2pm. Mostly sunny.

Chance of precipitation is 30%.

and

66 degrees , 54 max dew point, 7:18
sunset.
Thursday Night.
Feels like …
September 24th.

Scattered Showers then Mostly Clear

Scattered showers before 8pm. Partly cloudy.

Chance of precipitation is 30%.

and

49 degrees , 6:31
sunrise.
Friday.
Feels like …
October 5th.

Mostly Sunny

Mostly sunny.

and

66 degrees , 51 max dew point, 7:16
sunset.
Friday Night.
Feels like …
September 27th.

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy.

and

48 degrees , 6:32
sunrise.
Saturday.
Feels like …
October 9th.

Mostly Sunny

Mostly sunny.

and

64 degrees , 49 max dew point, 7:15
sunset.

Good Morning – September 5, 2021

Good morning! Happy Sunday from up here at camp. ☺

Just another day during Labor Day Weekend, not a real sunny day, as it was yesterday. Hear occasional shots of a 22 long rifle down in the valley as somebody harvests tree rats a true sign of the autumn to come. πŸ‚

Mostly cloudy and 59 degrees at Perkins Clearing. πŸŒ₯ There are a few breaks of sun and blue sky here and there. There is a south breeze at 5 mph. πŸƒ. The dew point is 55 degrees. The skies will clear around 10 pm.

Yesterday was probably the nicest day of the holiday weekend and I wasted it β˜€ not feeling really ambitious and choosing to walk some of the skid roads in the conservation easement 🚢 rather than go somewhere crowded πŸ‘ͺ like the Pillsbury Firetower trail. Rather than great views, I often prefer quiet, rarely used trails that I can walk to without driving.

I ended up hiking along the Jessup River Road 🚢 out to NY 30 and then to Hatch Brook Falls, the Brisker Brook Road (permanently closed due to wash out) and through the conservation easement. Brister Brook Snowmobile Trail between Jessup River and Spectulator is very quiet, a bit overgrown though 🌿. Lots of monarch butterflies πŸ¦‹, very lightly traveled this time of year, watch for high grass and culverts that are falling apart. Didn’t see anyone back there at all.

Drove out to Sled Harbor last evening hoping to see the Pillsbury Firetower or possibly the Snowy Firetower lit up but it wasn’t dark enough and then it was too dark and I couldn’t spot the mountain or clearings to see the mountain from the road. πŸ—Ό Well, I tried. Maybe they didn’t light up Pillsbury this year – I spotted it earlier on but not lit then. Maybe I should have hiked Pillsbury last night but it’s a long hike back down in the dark and the trail is steep. If it’s nice on Monday, maybe I’ll hike it then.

Then I came back and had a nice camp fire. πŸ”₯ It is nice whoever camped here before left a big pile of try split firewood although after last week’s rain β˜” it was still a bit damp and needed to be split. This morning I split the some more wood and got a tarp over it as rain is expected in the afternoon. Stayed up until midnight ✨, by then the stars were clouding out the skies.

Kind of buggy this morning 🐜 but if it gets too bad the screen tent is set up. πŸŽͺ I think the noseeums don’t like bright sunny days. Usually on the hammock the bugs aren’t bad either 😴 as they find it hard to bite a moving target.

Good Morning – September 4, 2021

Good morning! Saturday on this Memorial Day Weekend. 😊

You can be sad that summer is coming to a conclusion or celebrate the beautiful morning today.

Partly sunny and 53 degrees at the Perkins Clearing. β˜€ Calm wind. The dew point is 51 degrees.

It’s a pretty nice morning, cool but sunny 🌞. Especially in the shade when the breeze picks up. Kind of a lot like yesterday. I had a nice breakfast of eggs and sausage 🍳 and now I’m laying back in the hammock with a book πŸ“™. No rush today.

I an thinking of heading later down to Spectulator to do some floating down the Sacandaga River with the tube πŸ”˜ and the kayak paddle. I wish there was though more hiking on the village area besides the nature trail 🐦 I regularly do.

I’ve also been thinking about hiking Pillsbury Mountain β›° or maybe back to Spruce Lake. Then again I’m also interested in that Brisket Brook Trailhead I’ve driven past a million times before but not explored. 🚲 I saw a mountain bike parked there the other day which has peaked my interest and I could walk there from camp.