Most devices nowadays are DC powered via a wall wort or charger, and the bridge rectifier in the switch mode power supply ain’t going to give a damn what the sine wave looks like. If you are worried about inductive spikes when the output transistor turns on an off on a modified sine wave inverter, just plug it into an inexpensive surge protector and the varistor will pass any spikes to ground.
Autumn came early due to the drought
You can just sit there a-thinking on your velvet throne 💺
My bed certainly isn’t velvet but in the darkness of the morning feels like it. Some DONOVAN to start out the Tuesday morning it would seem, though not only are the evenings getting darker so are the mornings as autumn approaches in a little over a month. September 23rd at two AM starts autumn. Autumn happens 🍂early on a Saturday.
Good morning! Happy Tuesday. Partly cloudy and 56 degrees in Delmar, NY. ⛅ There is a north-northwest breeze at 6 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 53 degrees. Not the brightest of the mornings, in part due to the clouds. That said with the sun rising now it’s getting brighter 🔆 out.
Got bananas 🍌 at the store yesterday along with frozen fruit and sugar free maple 🍁 syrup so I’m thinking it would be a good morning for pancakes 🥞. Yesterday was eggs and the day before cream of wheat with Greek yogurt and lemon 🍋. It’s good to keep breakfast interesting.
I forgot to put the red kidney beans on the stove 🍲 before walking 🚶 this morning but they can soak and they’ll cook quicker this evening. With the days growing shorter in the evening it’s not like I have that much time in the evening to ride or hike before it’s dark out.
Today will be partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny 🌞, with a high of 78 degrees at 4pm. Three degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 5th. Maximum dew point of 55 at 10am. North wind 6 to 10 mph. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning, remaining cloudy in the afternoon. It was sticky. The high last year was 81 degrees. The record high of 93 was set in 1916.
Going to ride to work again. 🚲 Fixed that missing bolt 🔩 on Blackie 🚵 rack, turned out all of the braze on bolts are standard M5 Allen bolts and I found a matching one from my old bike. It was nice, I didn’t have to go to the hardware store, got rid of annoying rattle and let me ride to the store and get a lot of groceries. I can’t believe I spent another $60 but I should be good for the week now. Really had that rack and basket loaded down heavy and took it easy over the bumps but I didn’t have any issues.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:59 pm with sun having an altitude of 59.2° from the due south horizon (-11.6° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 3.6 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:10 pm with the sun in the west (281°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (287°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:49 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 2 seconds with dusk around 8:16 pm, which is one minute and 35 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the First Quarter 🌓 Moon in the southwest (221°) at an altitude of 19° from the horizon, 240,454 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 8:55 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 73 degrees. The dew point will be 54 degrees. There will be a north-northeast breeze at 6 mph. Today will have 13 hours and 40 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 40 seconds over yesterday.
Last night I went down to the Normans Kill Preserve briefly 🏞 before going to Hannaford to go shopping. I was originally thinking of going to the hardware store and/or shopping on the way home from work on my bicycle, but then when I figured out I could fix my bike without visiting at the hardware store, 👩🔧 I figured I would just to go to Hannaford after spending some time at the preserve. There was a few blackberries left down at the preserve, but we are starting to get beyond that part of the year.
That was quite the grocery haul 🛒 I had riding in the back of Blackie on my way back from Hannaford. I had to use the bungee cord to keep the load tied down. I had a big bag of onions, sweet peppers, a pineapple, frozen fruit, peaches, beans, yogurt, cottage cheese, spinach, edamame and several other things I can’t remember all tied down. 😮 🍑 🍍 🥜 Made for a heavy ride, and I was a bit worried about how the basket would hold up over the bumps, but there was no problem.
Tonight will be mostly clear 🌃, with a low of 54 degrees at 6am. Six degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around September 12th. Maximum dew point of 55 at 8pm. North wind around 6 mph becoming calm after midnight. In 2022, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became thunderstorm by the early hours of the morning. It was sticky. It got down to 68 degrees. The record low of 44 occurred back in 1988.
Not sure what the plans for this evening, 🌆 but gets difficult as the evening are rather dark early, so I probably don’t have time for a ride to Voorheesville. I could do a ride out to Five Rivers if I had a quick dinner, 🐦 but I also want to have time to cook up those light red kidney beans so later in the week they can be either a snack or a meal with maple syrup or maybe cooked with eggs. I also want to hard boil some eggs for a quick go to for protein 🥚 in the morning or even for the dinner. Wednesday I’ll also ride to work, but come Thursday and Friday 🚌 it looks like it will be back to busing it to work, as it will rain. But both days I expect to be able to the take express on in.
Today in 1971, twenty of the Camden 28 were arrested. They were a group of “Catholic left” anti-Vietnam War activists who in 1971 planned and executed a raid on a Camden, New Jersey draft board. 🤜 The raid resulted in a high-profile criminal trial of the activists that was seen by many as a referendum on the Vietnam War and as an example of successful use of jury nullification.
Cool almost autumn like weekend ahead. 🍁 Saturday, a chance of showers after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Maximum dew point of 64 at 10am. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Maximum dew point of 57 at 11am. Typical average high for the weekend is 81 degrees. Saturday is looking less wet, I’ll have to see which day my parents want to do the clam bake. 🦪
One month 📅 from now will be the concluding day of calendar summer 🍂 when the sun will be setting at 6:54 pm with dusk at 7:21 pm. Days by then are much shorter, kiddos back in school 🚸 . The air will have the pungently sweet smell of corn silage as they’ll be chopping soon. The boys of fall.
Just a thought
There is a much smaller difference between rioting and the use of eminent domain then the politicians want you believe.
A fortified macaroni and cheese 🧀
With winter coming, I’ve been thinking about some of my favorite comfort foods, but made in ways with less calories that are more filling, more tasty and nutrient dense. One meal I’m envisioning is a healthier macaroni and cheese that quickly fills one up without needing such excessive portions. The key has to be to add more fiber and lean protein along with the right spices.
Some ideas I have:
- Whole wheat pasta or lentil pasta
- A minimum of two lb of spinach, so at least a 2 to one ratio to the pasta for lots of fiber
- Tomatoes run through the food processor with Italian spices
- Onions
- Hot peppers to make you fill full quickly
- Lentils, maybe peas or white beans as a protein source
- Good quality cheddar shredded and skim milk hardened with corn starch
- Zero fat cottage cheese in the cheese mixture for proteins
- Corn starch mixed with parmesan cheese for a topping, cooked in the broiler
- The right mixture of seasonings
With all this, is it still macaroni and cheese? It’s debatable but it could be delicious food and nutrient dense while still providing the pleasure of macaroni and cheese.
Try that in a small town 🚜
The summer of my fortieth year slowly fades away with too many peaches and sweet corn where that Jason Aldean song is played over and over again until the groove on MP3 is worn out, though the era of clicks and pops are long gone. I was noticing how old and chubby Mr. Aldean has gotten but let’s be honest after all the good eating and mostly the beer of the past weekend I’ve put on some pounds. The wrinkles in my face, well I’m forty.
Good morning! Happy Monday. Only one more remaining until the Labor Day Weekend 🇺🇸 as time fades away so quickly. Very cloudy and 64 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☁ Calm wind. The dew point is 61 degrees. At least it’s not currently raining ☔. Maybe because I’m back home. Sucks that the best day of the long weekend that was after you took down camp, though I had a lot of fun riding Blackie 🚵 on the Canalway everywhere from Little Falls to Saint Johnsville to Jacksonberg.
I’m out and walking 🚶 this morning. Need to get milk 🥛 after the walk and checking on the brown rice, red lentils and green peas cooking down for this week’s food ration. Not that I ever do anything in moderation. Then a shower 🚿 – I turned the hot water back on – and I’m thinking of taking Blackie 🚵 to work as I’m not ready to face the bus 🚍 plus I want to burn some extra calories on top of the 18 floors of stairs to the office 🏢 and the walking.
Today will have a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 1pm and 5pm. Mostly cloudy 🌦, with a high of 81 degrees at 12pm. One degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around August 22nd. Maximum dew point of 69 at 12pm. Light and variable wind becoming north 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. It was somewhat humid. The high last year was 88 degrees. The record high of 98 was set in 1916.
Got home around 8:30 pm mainly because I didn’t leave Little Falls until 7:15 🛻 as I ended up exploring more of Moss Island 🏝 and didn’t want to take Thruway so I shunpiked my way back along NY 5 then over through Rural Grove to US 20 Duanesburg. I just wanted to avoid the city 🏙 as much as possible though I ended up hitting some of the traffic on the closing day of the Altamont Fair. 🎡 Can you believe that’s already done for the year?
Solar noon 🌞 is at 1:00 pm with sun having an altitude of 59.6° from the due south horizon (-11.3° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 3.5 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:12 pm with the sun in the west (281°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (288°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:50 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 2 seconds with dusk around 8:18 pm, which is one minute and 33 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the First Quarter 🌓 Moon in the southwest (234°) at an altitude of 17° from the horizon, 243,345 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 8:56 pm. At sunset, look for partly cloudy skies 🌃 and temperatures around 73 degrees. The dew point will be 63 degrees. There will be a north breeze at 8 mph. Tomorrow will have 13 hours and 40 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 40 seconds over today.
It looks like I need a M5 0.8 bolt for my bike, probably 15mm but I think it best to pull the bolt out from the other side 🔩 and bring it to the hardware store. I was going to just stop at Hannaford on my bike ride home, but I’m worried about loading down the rack with the missing bolt and rattling over that one rough section of the trail between Hannaford and the bike path. I’m thinking a better option 🔧 would be to pull the bolt out of the opposite size, then drive to Lowes (in part because Phillips Hardware closes at 7 PM) and get groceries and supplies at Wally World this evening. Some things I can get only get at Wally World and they’re likely cheaper then Hannaford and have a better chance of having that plain greek yougurt that I like.
Tonight will be mostly cloudy 🌒, with a low of 55 degrees at 6am. Five degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around September 9th. Maximum dew point of 64 at 6pm. Northwest wind 6 to 9 mph. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became partly cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It became humid as the night progressed. It got down to 70 degrees. The record low of 39 occurred back in 1982.
On this day in 1959, United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs an executive order proclaiming Hawaii the 50th state of the union. I guess that makes Barack Obama a US Citizen. 🍍 Plus a good place to pineapples. Right now they’re so cheap, only $2 at Walmart and Hannaford has them on sale for $2.50. Lot of fruity goodness, if you use a knife and aren’t afraid to cut it yourself. Beats the moldy pee-cut pin apple in a trash container or tinned pineapple in sugar, rather compostable, natural way of eating it.
Cool this weekend with temperatures running 8 degrees below normal but otherwise sunny. 😃 Saturday, partly sunny, with a high near 74. Maximum dew point of 63 at 10am. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Maximum dew point of 57 at 11am. Typical average high for the weekend is 81 degrees. Saturday is John Wolcott’s funeral, I am wondering I can bring a change of clothes to do some mountain biking 🚵 after getting all dressed up and swanky looking in my much too large suit 👔 for the funeral. I think I’ve gained some weight but not a lot and my goal is loose it this week.
Looking ahead, there are 2 weeks until Labor Day 👨🏭 when I hope to be camping in Spectulator with the sun will be setting at 7:26 pm with dusk at 7:54 pm. On that day in 2022, we had hot, humid, partly sunny, rain showers and temperatures between 87 and 61 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 79 degrees. We hit a record high of 97 back in 1929.
The days go by too quickly it seems ⌛
I was saddened, maybe even devestated to hear of John Wolcott’s passing while I was up in the wilderness, cut off from the news of the world. At one level I expected it sooner, he wasn’t well when I left for summer vacation and he hadn’t gotten better the last time I visited and I knew the end was near. And it was a cold and rainy four days, away from it all up at Piseco-Powley Road, though maybe it was good to be away from it all for four days before summer was done for good. No radio news, nothing up to date since leaving Thursday. Last summer weekend camping at least at Piseco-Powley though I might do an autumn trip and thinking Speculator for Labor Day Weekend. Can you believe it in two weeks?
Good afternoon! Partly cloudy and 74 degrees at the Herkimer Home Historical Site. ⛅ There is a west breeze at 7 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 62 degrees.
I would have hoped for better weather for the weekend that was 🌦️ but I’m not surprised by rain every day with the summer that’s was and the forecast that degraded as the long weekend approached. There was some breaks of sunshine ☀ but most of the weekend was cloudy with times of rain, especially after dark but also each morning after I got up including take down take down day, earlier today. Cold and rainy. Not a wash out but at times I was glad I packed the propane heater it got a fair amount of use for August camping!
Fortunately I caught the impending rain ☔ with the darkening skies and got the screen tent 🎪, flags 🎌 and tarp down before they could get very wet. 💧 Had a bit of sun today which is good for drying gear and as my starting and accessory batteries 🔋 could use a good boost this morning as it’s been cloudy and I haven’t run my engine since Thursday. It was raining while driving down to Little Falls this afternoon but now it’s getting sunny and warmer.
This afternoon will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 78 degrees at 4pm. Four degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 5th. Maximum dew point of 63 at 4pm. West wind around 8 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning with a few breaks of sun the afternoon. It was somewhat humid. The high last year was 93 degrees. The record high of 97 was set in 1937.
The rainy weekend did leave a lot of time for reading 📖 and playing around with cooking 🧑🍳 some meals coming out better than others. Been trying to come up with filling meals that taste damn good, relatively easy to cook but also have less calories but more fiber and protein, along with essential vitamins. 💊 Plus I have so much good farmers market 🌽 foods to eat up. The sweet corn 🌽 from Samdil’s was amazing as was the peaches 🍑 from Roger’s.
Took a few naps 😴 in the hammock besides reading, 📖 listening to podcasts and some bike riding 🚲 and hiking it’s been a very lazy weekend but I’m chocking it up to the weather. ☔ Honestly though if it had been nicer it would have been a lazier weekend just floating on the tube ⭕. Let’s be honest. Still every day either walked at least five miles, rode 7 ½ or a combination of both. 🚶 Do it’s not like I was just eating 🍴 and sleeping. 🔥 Had some nice fires in part because it was so cold and rainy, smokey at times due to the wet wood.
Bike 🚲 and hiked part of the way back to both the swimming hole off Old Edick Road snowmobile trail on Friday and on Saturday did Goldmine Stream Falls. Lot of water 💦 going over Goldmine Steam Falls. Thursday I rode up to Notch Mountain ⛰ and Friday also spent time at the Potholers but no swimming 🏊 due to it being very cold and the water levels dangerously high. I’ve never seen the Potholers so high in the summer months. 🏊♂️
Saturday night was the best night by far, stayed up until close to midnight watching the shooting stars ✨ from my hammock then listening to music 🎶 down by the campfire 🔥 for warmth. Had a second beer 🍻 and maybe a smoke 🚬 which is so uncommon these days since I’ve gotten into healthy eating in my forties. But also snacked on sweet corn 🌽 and peaches 🍑 by the fire. No more cookies these days, I go for natural fruits when I’m hungry. Greek yogurt too but not on Saturday. Switched on Country is so much funnier when your slightly stoned. 🤪
Solar noon 🌞 is at 1:04 pm with sun having an altitude of 59.5° from the due south horizon (-10.9° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 3.5 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:18 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (282°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (288°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:56 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 4 seconds with dusk around 8:24 pm, which is one minute and 34 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the First Quarter 🌓 Moon in the west-southwest (246°) at an altitude of 14° from the horizon, 246,018 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:03 pm. At sunset, look for partly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 75 degrees. The dew point will be 64 degrees. There will be a west breeze at 5 mph. Today will have 13 hours and 47 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 40 seconds over yesterday.
Today out exploring Little Falls, Herkimer Home, Bike Path and Moss Island. 🚲 No set agenda, I’m just in the area until 6 pm or so when I’ll take NY 5S to Sprakers then down to Sloansville and US 20, maybe stop for ice cream 🍦 and sweet corn 🌽 if I see a good place. I was surprised that Green Acres dinner and ice cream stand is still open in Dolgeville, I heard it’s closing but I’m not going back that way.
Tonight will have increasing clouds ☁, with a low of 64 degrees at 6am. Four degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 64 at 7pm. Light northwest wind. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies. It was humid. It got down to 70 degrees. The record low of 42 occurred back in 1977.
The unavoidable truth is a five 5⃣ day work week ahead in the office 🏢 as the head director is off for my unit, and as the deputy I have to step up and fill in for her role. It’s fine, but no more passing the buck, ignoring emails 📧 and not taking immediate action on staff and inter departmental requests because I don’t want to step on the toes 👣 of the director. 🙈 It means no sneaking off to the woods this week. Promised my mom next week to do a clam bake for them too. 🦪 Following weekend though probably head to Spectulator, maybe taking off that Friday or working remotely.
Need to order the bolt 🔩 and the tool to install the lost bolt on Blackie’s 🚵 rack. The zip tie was a good emergency fix but it still rattles and I’m not convinced that I should carry a lot of groceries on the rack with the loose bolt. Could fail under weight. 🍏 Rather be safe then sorry and have groceries spill all over the road.
In 2014, seventy-two people are killed in Japan’s Hiroshima Prefecture by a series of landslides ☔ caused by a month’s worth of rain that fell in one day. Reminds me of the some of the extreme rain we’ve been having lately.
I was sadden to learn of John Wolcott’s passing this afternoon 😢 while I was away from town at camp. 👼🏼 He was quite the man though I don’t know even half the story as so much of his memory had passed by the time I started interviewing him and going through his files. 📂 I do always wonder what was in his attic that burned in that fire 🔥. I know after that fire I personally made sure to keep multiple off site back ups, scan in important documents and purge a lot of the paper 📄 I owned. Never got to the really interesting stuff in his attic where the fire burned hottest. So much of the story untold. 🕯
I’m glad I blog in part because it’s a way to ensure at least part of my story is told and can get found on the Way back Machine and the Internet Archives. 🖥 You never really know how long people’s lives will last, or the institutions and things around us. Here one day, gone the next. 🕊 Honestly I thought 💭 the news 📰 would happen during summer vacation, though I’m glad I did spend a few afternoons with him at the hospital, took him around the Crossings and read to him before it was over. 🦆 🐦 🦋 🎍 I do wish I had found time to do that one more time before it was too late. 🙏 I need to do better with my parents.
Looking ahead, there are 3 weeks until 6:30 Sunrise 🌇 when the sun will be setting at 7:20 pm with dusk at 7:47 pm. On that day in 2022, we had mostly sunny, patches of fog and temperatures between 83 and 56 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 77 degrees. We hit a record high of 96 back in 1931.
