John Boyd Thacher State Park, is situated along the Helderberg Escarpment, one of the richest fossil-bearing formations in the world. Even as it safeguards six miles of limestone cliff-face, rock-strewn slopes, woodland and open fields, the park provides a marvelous panorama of the Hudson-Mohawk Valleys and the Adirondack and Green Mountains. The park has volleyball courts, playgrounds, ball fields and numerous picnic areas with nine reservable shelters. Interpretive programs are offered year-round, including guided tours of the famous Indian Ladder Trail. There are over 25 additional miles of trails for summer hiking and mountain biking, and winter cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, and snowmobiling.
At least if you go outside this morning you’ll get washed. Needless to say I’m taking the early express downtown and walking laps on the Concourse before catching the shuttle to the suburbanite office with acres of parking.
Good morning! What day is it? A Rainy Day, of course. Rain and 40 degrees at the Stewart’s. 🌧️ There is a southeast breeze at 11 mph. 🍃 with gusts up to 21 mph 💨💨💨. Temperatures will drop below freezing at Monday around 3 am. ☃️
So it’s back to walking 🚶 the Plaza for an hour before work. I wonder how many buckets they’ll have out catching leaks from the roof. Even a two billion dollar building leaks. Still beats walking in the rain. Eggs 🥚 for breakfast with sweet onions 🧅 and Chipotle spices. I hear bird flu is back 🐥 so my favorite source of cheap healthy quick to cook protein is going up in price, like everything in this world today. Paying back for the good times of the pandemic.
Today will rain. 🌧 High of 40 degrees at 7am. 13 degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around March 2nd. East wind 11 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 63 degrees. The record high of 79 was set in 1981. 11.0 inches of snow fell back in 1891.❄
The salmon was good last night 🐟, haven’t had that in a while. It’s good to have some more omega 3s. Not as easy to cook as canned sardines or tuna but it’s good to mix thlngs up. That second loaf 🍞 of bread I made up on Sunday night was exceptionally tasty. Read 📖 for a while and went to bed 🛏 around 8 pm. Just working my way through another week. 👣 One step at a time. I wish it wasn’t raining so I could ride to work more of the week.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:59 pm with sun having an altitude of 52.9° from the due south horizon (-17.9° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 4.5 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 6:47 pm with the sun in the west (272°). 📸 The sunset is in the west (278°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:24 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 55 seconds with dusk around 7:52 pm, which is one minute and 8 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 8:27 pm. At sunset, look for rain 🌧 and temperatures around 38 degrees. There will be a east breeze at 14 mph with gusts up to 26mph. Today will have 12 hours and 54 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 51 seconds over yesterday.
After filing my taxes 💰 I was reviewing them and realized that I had made a mistake again on my state forms and swapped a number and will overpay the state by $400. It’s fine, I budgeted $1,600 for taxes as I knew that’s what I would owe due to the dividends and interest due to the higher interest rates. Sucks but I did fairly well with the higher rates last year. So either the tax department will catch my mistake or I’ll file an admemded return later in the year to get my money back.
Tonight will rain, snow, and sleet before 4am, then rain between 4am and 5am, then rain and snow after 5am. 🌧️ Low of 35 degrees at 10pm. Two degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around April 7th. Northeast wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible. In 2023, we had cloudy 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 14 occurred back in 1954.
I was tracing out some code at work yesterday , 🖥 it was just insane. If you were at a certain zip code on a certain street in Westchester, you raise flag 🚩 number 31. Then you shift several digits to a buffer and then other digits from another field and combine it with data from another buffer. It was absolutely insane but after studying it for a half hour I realized it was doing. But much like life, data is messy and often complicated to clean up. But goddammit, use comments in your source code to explain the madness. 🤬 The one upside is I am getting good at reading and writing C code. I might not be a programmer 🤓 but I’m putting my skills to good work.
Cool but with improving conditions this weekend. 🌤️Saturday, mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 52. Typical average high for the weekend is 55 degrees. Staying in town this weekend but who knows about future 🔮 weekends. I am thinking I might do the Green Mountains more this year as some ways it’s more convenient from my office. Also thinking about one more trip to the East Branch Sacandaga River before the black flies are out should it warm up this spring. 🌸
Looking ahead, next Wednesday is 8 PM Dusk 🌆 when the sun will be setting at 7:33 pm. On that day in 2023, we had sunny and temperatures between 67 and 30 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 57 degrees. We hit a record high of 86 back in 1922.
I am not fan of organic products, mostly because they are branding tactic slapped on by the government rather then a sustainable agricultural practice. Rarely is the label worth spending extra money on, it’s just something slapped on a package shortly to be thrown into the trash or burnt on up in the fire.
Unfortunately when you out there looking for healthier products, sometimes organic is only version sold at retailers. While I certainly wouldn’t pay extra for an organic label, which is literally trash, sometimes that’s the only option they stock. I ran into this issue when I was at Hannaford the other day, stocking up on groceries and the only option was organic tofu — it’s literally the same crap with a label.
Fortunately though it was inexpensive, price competitive with the non-organic tofu I buy at Walmart. Still I grumbled a bit when I put it in my cart, knowing the scam I was supporting. Now, I’ve been looking at getting some Quinoa to add to my diet next week, and I’m annoyed that the only choice stocked locally is organic. I get the retailers can only stock so many versions, and might not be cost-effective for them to stock less popular products.
Now, I don’t think buying organic is necessarily harmful to eat or even bad. It’s possible some of the techniques are more sustainable then conventional agriculture, but color me skeptical. But if it’s the only option, and it’s not absurdly expensive, I guess it’s worth paying the price, if its that or skipping new and nutritious options to add to my diet. I just had how popular culture dictates the branding in the market.
Bussing it downtown today because I don’t want to get soaked on the evening commute riding home. Instead, I figure I’ll catch the early bus in and walk from the Plaza to my office in Menands for some steps. Figure that way I can skip the shuttle while getting more exercise in.
Good morning! Happy Tuesday. Mostly cloudy and 38 degrees at the Elm Ave Park and Ride. ☁ There is a north breeze at 7 mph. 🍃. Temperatures will drop below freezing at Thursday around 5 am. ☃️
I was told it was an impressive sunrise 🌅 but I don’t have a good easterly view from my apartment. Pancakes with lots of ground carrots 🥕 and oatmeal in them topped with blueberries and real maple 🍁 syrup. I wish I could be riding in today but walk from the Plaza to the office in the suburbs 🏢 will be good. I catch the early bus in the morning so I have more time to walk. 🚶
Today will rain likely, mainly after 4pm. Cloudy 🌧, with a high of 48 degrees at 1pm. Five degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around March 24th. North wind 5 to 7 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 46 degrees. The record high of 77 was set in 2010. 8.0 inches of snow fell back in 1924.❄
So yes, it’s going to rain 👣 so best to get my steps in early. Yesterday I got my truck washed, 🛻and stocked up on groceries. 🛒 Spent more than I would want to but that’s the normal thing with inflation. Pulled out some salmon from the freezer that will be dinner with some veggies. 🐟️🥦
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:59 pm with sun having an altitude of 52.5° from the due south horizon (-18.3° 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 6:46 pm with the sun in the west (272°). 📸 The sunset is in the west (278°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:23 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 55 seconds with dusk around 7:51 pm, which is one minute and 8 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 8:25 pm. At sunset, look for rain 🌧 and temperatures around 46 degrees. There will be a southeast breeze at 8 mph. Today will have 12 hours and 51 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 52 seconds over yesterday.
Tonight will rain likely, mainly after 5am. Cloudy 🌧, with a low of 37 degrees at 6am. Five degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around April 15th. Southeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. In 2023, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 24 degrees. The record low of 16 occurred back in 1954.
Right now, a split verdict on the weekend. 😕 Saturday, mostly cloudy, with a high near 46. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 52. Typical average high for the weekend is 55 degrees.
As previously noted, next Tuesday is 7:30 PM Sunset 🌇 when the sun will be setting at 7:32 pm with dusk at 7:59 pm. On that day in 2023, we had sunny and temperatures between 55 and 29 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 56 degrees. We hit a record high of 77 back in 1991.
In related news, I’ve decidedto buy a house in Clifton Park with vinyl siding, cathedral ceilings, marble counter tops, grid tied solar panels and a giant picture of Joe Biden in the living room. That sure sounds creepy. I am also buying an electric SUV to drive to work, and to Commissioner Grannis promise I’llwash out and recycle plastics andnot burn them any more.
Good morning on this first day of Trout Season! 🎣 Cloudy and 37 degrees at the Delmar, NY. ☁ Calm wind. Good conditions for getting snookered on the interwebs or hitting the trout hole, although creek levels might be a bit high. Not much sun for shadows at all this week but the river levels will be rising midweek. The skies will clear Saturday around 8 pm.
My pantry is quite bare 🥚 but I managed to cook some eggs with spinach and corn 🍳and bake some bread 🍞 and a big pot of rice and split peas for dinner. 🫘 Got milk 🐮 for my coffee and I should be good ☕ once I go shopping 🛒 tonight after dinner. I also plan to wash the salt off Big Red. 🛻
Today will have a slight chance of showers between 11am and noon. Cloudy 🌦, with a high of 55 degrees at 4pm. Three degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around April 6th. South wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, remaining cloudy in the afternoon. The high last year was 74 degrees. The record high of 77 was set in 1986. 5.0 inches of snow fell back in 1924.❄
Probably today is the best weather day of the week for riding to work 🚲 but I’m hoping at least to ride in again on Friday and maybe work the afternoon downtown and catch the bus home Friday. It’s fine, Tuesday evening when it’s raining I’ll bring my laptop 💻 home as I need to work on a few things at home.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 1:00 pm with sun having an altitude of 52.1° from the due south horizon (-18.7° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 4.7 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 6:45 pm with the sun in the west (271°). 📸 The sunset is in the west (277°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:22 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 55 seconds with dusk around 7:50 pm, which is one minute and 8 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 8:24 pm. At sunset, look for mostly cloudy skies ☁ and temperatures around 50 degrees. There will be a south-southwest breeze at 5 mph. Today will have 12 hours and 48 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 52 seconds over yesterday.
I got to say I’m glad these days I’m no longer involved in the state budget or the Capitol Hill life. 🏛️It’s nice having my evenings back and not sleeping under my desk or running reports at 2 am. It’s just another ordinary day ahead for me in the data services department. 💾 Run reports, supervise data entry people, talk to the programmers. Fun stuff.
Tonight will be mostly cloudy 🌥, with a low of 37 degrees at 5am. Five degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around April 15th. Light and variable wind becoming north 5 to 9 mph in the evening. In 2023, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became partly cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 30 degrees. The record low of 17 occurred back in 1964.
Besides shopping this evening 📚 I plan to do more reading of the e-books I got from the library. It was a bummer that you can’t read e-books more than two days after not having cell service but how often am I that far off the grid except camping at the East Branch Sacandaga River or Piseco-Powley. Most of the time, e-library books really are the way to go especially for the first two days. It’s so much easier to carry books on my phone 📱. Plus no worries about them getting wet or damaged.
Aftera rainy week some improvements ahead. ☀ Saturday, mostly cloudy, with a high near 47. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 53. Typical average high for the weekend is 55 degrees. Not terrible for early April but still a bit cool. The following week might really feel spring like. But this weekend I’ll probably stay in town.
Not sure when my next trip will be ⛺ but not this weekend. I might do Charles Baker in Madison County come later April or Burnt-Rossman in Schoharie. Lower elevations will see spring first. 🌸 All depends on how much it warms up next week. I wouldn’t mind taking off another Friday.
Looking ahead, there are 2 weeks until Tax Day 💰 when the sun will be setting at 7:39 pm with dusk at 8:07 pm. On that day in 2023, we had partly sunny skies and a nice warm day with a thunderstorm and temperatures between 84 and 52 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 59 degrees. We hit a record high of 86 back in 2003. I’d take weather like that for reading down at the park.
Back from the Adirondacks as March comes to it’s logical conclusion. It was a nice long weekend up north. Things are unpacked and I’m out visiting the folks for Sunday dinner. It wasn’t a bad weekend but it was cold with the wind.
Good evening! Partly clear and 47 degrees in Dormansville, NY. 🌃 There is a west-northwest breeze at 10 mph. 🍃. Going to try to leave at least some of the windows open tonight even if it’s cold. It will help with the moisture levels, especially if I have clothes hung out to dry downstairs. Between those nights in the wilderness, the big ol’ fire and having my windows open, I should sleep like a baby. 🛌 No waking me before five o’clock, maybe later.
I swear when I was driving through the State Office Complex 🏢 that the grass is starting to green up. 🌾 I guess that’s to be expected, it’s April and it’s been quite mild. I don’t see much freezing weather for Albany in the coming week but a lot of rain. Snow though maybe in the mountains ⛰ but it will probably be a while before I head back up to the woods again. That said, I’m really looking forward to the green-up.
Tonight will have increasing clouds ☁, with a low of 32 degrees at 6am. One degree above normal, which is similar to a typical night around April 2nd. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light west after midnight. In 2023, we had light rain in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 41 degrees. The record low of 9 occurred back in 1923.
It was nice to get away to camp ⛺ for a while on the East Branch Sacandaga River though a bit cold 🍃 and noisy like NY 8 always is. Saturday evening on the East Branch Sacandaga River No. 5. Still a lot of snow in parts, hit a snow drift on the driveway to the campsite had to dig it out a bit to get up the hill to camp. Great weekend but cold. While you can hear the rumble of trucks climbing Eleventh Mountain on NY 8, I didn’t see a single human up there all four days.
The nearest campsite is over a mile away, the nearest house is 6 miles to the east and 15 miles from the west. ⛰️Really remote country but also not far from year round maintained asphalt. I like coming up here during shoulder season when most Adirondack back country roads are impassable by my truck. Wild but a bit noisy.
Rode my bike to the road summit of NY 8 – Eleventh Mountain, spent a lot of time wandering around Fox Lair 🚲 and then Easter I hiked from Griffin to the backside of Forks Mountain which I followed an unmarked path, bushwhacked through swampy ground on the ridge near Forks Mountain 🥾 then down to the east side of the gorge below Auger Falls then up along the East side of Auger Falls.
The golden hour 🏅 starts at 6:44 pm with the sun in the west (271°). 📸 The sunset is in the west (277°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:21 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 55 seconds with dusk around 7:49 pm, which is one minute and 9 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 8:23 pm. At sunset, look for partly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 45 degrees. There will be a west-northwest breeze at 9 mph. Today will have 12 hours and 45 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 53 seconds over yesterday.
It was great to be away from it for a few days. ☺️ It was annoying that my e-books expired on Saturday but I still got in lots of reading before that point came to be. Plus a lot of time to listen to podcasts and videos I had downloaded, without the distraction of social media.
Tomorrow will have a slight chance of showers before 3pm. Cloudy 🌦, with a high of 49 degrees at 4pm. Three degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around March 26th. South wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, which became light rain by afternoon. The high last year was 74 degrees. The record high of 77 was set in 1986. 5.0 inches of snow fell back in 1924.❄
As we head into April, next Sunday is 7:30 PM Sunset 🌇 with dusk at 7:57 pm. On that day in 2023, we had mostly sunny and temperatures between 48 and 34 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 55 degrees. We hit a record high of 87 back in 2010.
South Hamilton is a small little hamlet in Brookfield near the Moscow Hill Assembly hill at the Brookfield Horse Trail system. It’s fairly hilly country, but still has good enough dirt for some homesteading and dairying.
Honestly, it’s probably no different than a million small hamlets but I still really like it with the rundown, often very old farm houses, the ram shackle barns, the feeder caves and goats in people’s yards, gutted deer hung in backyards, the wood smoke, the piles of junk and old cars and the big jacked up trucks.
It’s real, it’s not plastic and so fake like so much of suburbia…
Renewable energy consumes natural resources. It uses things that are renewable only to the extent its consumption limits the impact on the environment to sustainable levels. It can be much more polluting than fossil fuels due to the larger footprint if not properly sited.
I support strong and skeptical reviews of all renewable energy projects as they tend to be of a higher impact to local ecology and environment than fossil plants, especially per unit of energy generated. That doesn’t mean don’t build renewables but build them properly in a sustainable fashion that protects the environment and isn’t just about greenwashing.
