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.
May the Forth be with you on this Direct Drive of the Week ⚙
I think my Ford Ranger years ago had the fifth gear labeled as OD for overdrive. Once you climb the hump of the week, which Ford’s don’t have things get easier I tell myself.
Good morning! Today is the 8:30 PM Dusk 🌆 . Cloudy, damp and 43 degrees in Delmar for the morning walk. ☁ I’m not sure how much more rain we got last night but this morning is cold. There is a north breeze at 7 mph. 🍃. The skies will clear tomorrow around noontime.
Yesterday was a tough day 😴 as while for most people 11:30 ain’t late, it is for me as I am often up closer to 5 or 5:30 each morning now especially with the earlier sunrise. Kind of a busy day with work too. Walked exactly 8 miles yesterday 👣, I was sure yesterday evening would be a soaker but my fears were overblown and I did an evening walk. Salmon, kale, onions and asparagus for dinner last night. 🐠
Today will have a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy 🌦, with a high of 55 degrees at 3pm. 13 degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around April 7th. North wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. A year ago, we had light drizzle in the morning, which became light rain by afternoon. The high last year was 57 degrees. The record high of 91 was set in 1944. There was a dusting of snow in 1986.❄
Cooked up a big pot of brown rice, lentils, beans, onions and asparagus 🍲 for the week to come. I’m thinking about getting some chicken breasts to roast 🐔 and chop up with some fresh spinach and a low keto wrap 🌯 for kind of a Cinco de Mayo treat at camp. ⛺ Plus I’m soaking some chickpeas to roast up at camp.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:53 pm with sun having an altitude of 63.3° from the due south horizon (-7.5° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 3 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:19 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (286°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (293°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:59 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 8 seconds with dusk around 8:29 pm, which is one minute and 8 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the Full 🌝 Moon in the southeast (124°) at an altitude of 14° from the horizon, 239,785 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:08 pm. At sunset, look for rain 🌧 and temperatures around 53 degrees. There will be a calm wind. Today will have 14 hours and 15 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 27 seconds over yesterday.
I was excited to see the Nature Bus 🚍 returns the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend to Thacher Park 🏞. I think it could be great fun especially with a bicycle 🚲. I could take the bus up to the park, ride all around Berne then bike home or catch the bus home. 🏡 The bicycle opens up a lot of possibilities.
Tonight will have a slight chance of showers before 1am. Mostly cloudy 🌧, with a low of 42 degrees at 5am. Three degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around April 29th. Calm wind becoming north around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. In 2022, we had light rain in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 49 degrees. The record low of 29 occurred back in 1974.
I have to pack for camp tonight 🍏 and get a few groceries and supplies. It’s only going to be two nights but I want the necessary supplies to have a healthy, good trip. I haven’t decided if I need the propane heater though it’s nice in the morning. I still have a gallon or two of propane so that should be good for now.
The weekendcontinues to look like a winner. 🌷 Saturday, sunny, with a high near 67. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph. Maximum dew point of 43 at 8pm. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 70. Maximum dew point of 44 at 7pm. Typical average high for the weekend is 68 degrees.
My hope is to leave town around 1 pm tomorrow ⛺ and get camp set up early. It’s black fly season but that’s expected this time of year. 🐜 It won’t be that long until it’s Potholers season. I’m already thinking about the Potholers and summer days with clams. 🦪 Doing some hiking and fishing 🎣 this weekend I’m thinking. I wish I had my bicycle 🚲 read but it’s not yet on the road. Making progress I tell myself.
Looking ahead, there are 4 weeks until 9 PM Dusk 🌆 when the sun will be setting at 8:27 pm with dusk at 9:00 pm. On that day in 2022, we had rain and temperatures between 69 and 60 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 76 degrees. We hit a record high of 94 back in 1918.
The original Cedar River Limekiln Lake Road in the 1890s did not climb Sturges Hills.
Instead it followed the current route to Payne Brook and the North Country Placid Trail to Little Moose Lake and then followed the Moose River to the Sly Pond trail and the current alignment.
At one level I never thought of myself as a foodie or a picky eater, more of a chubbie beer guzzling redneck then a health food eater. I’ve always worked to have some vegetables in my diet to add some balance, but I have to admit I guzzled more milk, apple juice and eat sausage paddies and ravioli then I care to admit.
But the thing is food is what makes up our bodies. If you put garbage in, you get garbage out. There is a lot more to food then just taste. Food science is full of junk from marketers and manufacturers, but if you wade through all of the non-sense, there is good information on how to fuel your body in ways that make you both stronger and healthier.
Not that it will feel anything like seventy degree weather today but it like next week will be far more seasonable.
Good morning! What day is it? The State Budget is Done Day, of course. 🐪 Hump day and it feels good to be over the hump, knowing that there won’t be any really late nights anytime soon. Got home at 11:30 and that wasn’t so bad. And I’m up at six o’clock and out walking 🚶. Managed to get in 8.2 miles of steps in, working in steps into my day anyway possible. Sometimes the best thing to do is maintain a schedule and put one foot in front of the other.
Anotherreally chilly start to the morning. Clouds and 42 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☁️ Calm wind. The skies will clear Friday around 4 am. Hey, at least it’s not raining this morning.
Today will have a chance of showers, mainly after 11am. Cloudy 🌦, with a high of 52 degrees at 3pm. 15 degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around April 1st. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. A year ago, we had cloudy skies in the morning with more sun in the afternoon. The high last year was 67 degrees. The record high of 89 was set in 2001. There was a dusting of snow in 1986.❄
I think I’ll reheat those eggs I made up yesterday 🍳 and a fresh pot of coffee ☕. I have been drinking coffee more black these days as it’s healthier and gives more of a punch 👊 but I’ll probably use some skim milk with the hot coffee. Also want to cook up some rice 🍚 or coos coos this morning for lunch and or future meals. 🍴
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:53 pm with sun having an altitude of 63° from the due south horizon (-7.8° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 3.1 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 (286°). 📸
The sunset is in the west-northwest (292°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:58 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 7 seconds with dusk around 8:28 pm, which is one minute and 7 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the Full 🌝 Moon in the southeast (129°) at an altitude of 25° from the horizon, 242,709 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:07 pm. At sunset, look for rain 🌧 and temperatures around 50 degrees. There will be a north breeze at 5 mph. Today will have 14 hours and 13 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 27 seconds over yesterday.
Decided not to go to Queens night 👑 last night as I wanted to avoid all the unhealthy calories. 🛻 Instead I went home and got Big Red and also stopped by the store and got grapes 🍇. Sweet table grapes are kind of candy but they are better than eating candy. 🍬 Late nights are tough when you are used to going to bed 🛏 early and getting up early.
Tonight will have a chance of showers. Cloudy 🌧, with a low of 43 degrees at 6am. One degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around May 2nd. North wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. In 2022, we had light drizzle. It got down to 50 degrees. The record low of 28 occurred back in 1985.
A picture perfect spring weekend on tap. 😎 Saturday, sunny, with a high near 64. Maximum dew point of 46 at 8pm. Sunday, partly sunny, with a high near 62. Maximum dew point of 43 at 11am. Typical average high for the weekend is 68 degrees.
A little on the cool side of things ⛺ but I’m thinking of taking a half day on Friday to get out of town. I’m still chewing over my options on where I want to go.
As a reminder, next Wednesday is Average High is 70 🐮 when the sun will be setting at 8:06 pm with dusk at 8:36 pm. The grass puppies and honestly myself likes that. On that day in 2022, we had sunny and temperatures between 77 and 39 degrees. We hit a record high of 92 back in 1970.
I guess the way to live a long life to sing songs about the decline of society, at least if you are Gordon Lightfoot.In many ways the 2020s are the new 1970s. Probably the most important lesson of the seventies is while society is going to all shit, take care of yourself as nobody else will.
Good morning! Happy Tuesday. Cloudy and 44 degrees in Delmar, NY. 🌫️ There is a south-southeast breeze at 6 mph. 🍃. The skies will clear Friday around 2 pm.
Out for my morning walk. 🚶 At had to wait for the bus 🚍 after the evening session, so I didn’t get home until 9:30 and went to bed 🛏 shortly thereafter, but later then usual. But I’m up at 6 am walking. There is a a broken water 💦 main on Delaware Ave this morning that looks like a geyser ⛲, I thought about calling it in but a DOT guy just stopped by and I’m sure he knows who to call.
I’m thinking eggs this morning 🍳 as I need power to make it through the day. Plus with the late night I skipped dinner last night in favor of fruit so this is a good chance to boost my intake of vegetables. 🥦 Eggs, especially fortified with vegetables is a good slow to digest protein.
Today will have a chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Some of the storms could produce small hail. Mostly cloudy 🌦, with a high of 52 degrees at 2pm. 15 degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around April 1st. Brr. South wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A year ago, we had light rain in the morning, which became cloudy by afternoon. The high last year was 58 degrees. The record high of 90 was set in 2018. There was a dusting of snow in 1986.❄
My goal 🥅 is just to get through this epic budget week. My division doesn’t have much to do with the budget and it’s kind of slow, a 🐢 lot of waiting for the next project to come in. 📄 It’s just kind of tiring though waiting not knowing what is next or how late I’ll be in the office. 🍏 Eating healthy helps. Plus doing laps around the office 🏢 and Capitol with my phone on forward. ☎️ Ended up walking 7.3 miles yesterday, squeezing in steps wherever possible. It was so cold ❄ in my office last night.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:53 pm with sun having an altitude of 62.7° from the due south horizon (-8.1° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 3.1 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:17 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (286°). 📸
The sunset is in the west-northwest (292°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:56 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 7 seconds with dusk around 8:27 pm, which is one minute and 8 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the Full 🌝 Moon in the southeast (135°) at an altitude of 35° from the horizon, 245,456 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:05 pm. At sunset, look for rain 🌧 and temperatures around 50 degrees. There will be a south-southwest breeze at 5 mph. Today will have 14 hours and 10 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 30 seconds over yesterday.
Tonight will have a chance of showers, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. 🌃 South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
A picture perfect spring weekend on tap. 😎 Saturday, mostly sunny, with a high near 69. Maximum dew point of 43 at 8pm. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Maximum dew point of 48 at 8pm. Typical average high for the weekend is 68 degrees.
Really my focus is on the nicer weather for the weekend. ⛺ I really want to get out of town 🌲 though I’m still chewing over the Adirondacks vs Schoharie vs Rennselearville. I think we are definitely in black fly season now. 🐜 But I do like starting my spring camping season on the East Branch Sacandaga River, it’s a tradition now.
Looking ahead, there are 7 weeks until Primary Day 🗳️ when the sun will be setting at 8:38 pm with dusk at 9:11 pm. On that day in 2022, we had mostly sunny and temperatures between 82 and 47 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 81 degrees. We hit a record high of 97 back in 1953.
Total change in state economic activity over the past decade, in 2012 chained (inflation-adjusted) dollars.
Rank
State
Change
Q4 2012
Q4 2021
1
Utah
49.2%
$130b
$194b
2
Washington
47.6%
$399b
$589b
3
Idaho
46.1%
$58b
$85b
4
Colorado
39.5%
$279b
$389b
5
Florida
39.1%
$779b
$1,084b
6
Oregon
38.6%
$172b
$238b
7
California
35.9%
$2,142b
$2,911b
8
Georgia
33.4%
$447b
$597b
9
Texas
32.7%
$1,448b
$1,921b
10
Arizona
32.5%
$272b
$360b
11
Nevada
31.0%
$128b
$168b
12
Tennessee
29.8%
$287b
$373b
13
South Carolina
29.2%
$176b
$228b
14
North Carolina
27.5%
$442b
$564b
15
Maine
23.8%
$53b
$65b
16
Massachusetts
23.7%
$443b
$548b
17
New Hampshire
20.5%
$69b
$83b
18
Nebraska
19.7%
$103b
$123b
19
Kansas
19.5%
$138b
$165b
20
Indiana
18.8%
$297b
$353b
21
Arkansas
18.3%
$108b
$127b
22
Minnesota
18.0%
$298b
$352b
23
Montana
17.9%
$42b
$50b
24
Ohio
17.8%
$543b
$640b
25
Michigan
16.3%
$422b
$491b
26
New York
16.3%
$1,349b
$1,569b
27
Virginia
15.9%
$445b
$516b
28
District of Columbia
15.9%
$112b
$130b
29
Kentucky
14.5%
$177b
$202b
30
Alabama
14.4%
$188b
$215b
31
New Jersey
13.9%
$514b
$585b
32
Pennsylvania
13.7%
$644b
$733b
33
Wisconsin
13.5%
$275b
$312b
34
Iowa
13.1%
$156b
$177b
35
Maryland
12.0%
$330b
$370b
36
South Dakota
12.0%
$44b
$49b
37
Missouri
11.7%
$270b
$302b
38
Illinois
11.0%
$720b
$800b
39
New Mexico
10.8%
$86b
$96b
40
Oklahoma
10.6%
$175b
$194b
41
Vermont
10.0%
$29b
$32b
42
Delaware
9.4%
$61b
$66b
43
Rhode Island
8.5%
$51b
$56b
44
Mississippi
6.1%
$99b
$105b
45
Hawaii
5.5%
$72b
$76b
46
West Virginia
5.2%
$69b
$73b
47
Connecticut
5.0%
$241b
$253b
48
North Dakota
0.3%
$53b
$54b
49
Wyoming
−3.4%
$38b
$37b
50
Louisiana
−5.2%
$230b
$218b
51
Alaska
−12.1%
$57b
$51b
Andy Arthur, 5/1/23. Data Source:
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Real Gross Domestic Product: All Industry Total in New York [NYRQGSP], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NYRQGSP, May 1, 2023.
