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.
Last nice certainly was wet. But it’s rapidly clearing this morning but things are still dark out early.
Partly cloudy and 54 degrees at the Elm Ave Park and Ride. ⛅ There is a north breeze at 6 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 51 degrees. The skies will clear around 9 am.
I didn’t think the flu and COVID-vaccine was bad. 💉 Maybe it’s because I’m getting so used to have shots and things injected into my body, but also the needles they use these days are so fine it’s barely a prick. I don’t feel a thing this time — my arms aren’t sore, I don’t feel sick or anything. Really much better with the latest booster compared to before. Maybe it’s because I’m just used to it but I didn’t have any side-effects.
The rain was so heavy 🌧 when I ran into the store and the pharmacy, and I got completely soaked. Hopefully I won’t get the flu from getting so wet. As soon as I got home I changed into dry clothes and went to bed. Well, after having some dinner from what I cooked up at home. 🍏 My pantry was kind of bare, because I avoided a trip to the store to double up with the flu shot. I would have preferred to walk down to the pharmacy, but not in the pouring rain.
I guess we are catching up on the rain, ☔ and it’s nice that it’s not lasting into the weekend. If I wasn’t so darn busy I’d probably think it’s a nice weekend to head out of town. But it’s good I’m going to head up to Colonie and visit Mr. Wolcott and do some hiking in the Pine Bush. 🌳 Based on the amount of color from my office window, it looks like it’s getting quite pretty outside downtown now.
Been walking around the old Wheeler Watson Cementary up at Huyck Preserve 🪦
It’s in terrible state of disrepair, abandoned, forgotten long ago as most of the grave stones date back to the 1840s – which was a 180 years ago. Many of the markers are broken, most being simple locally harvested blue stone although some are marble.
It has to have been a much simpler life back then. Far less government influence and regulations. There were probably far fewer police officers and no speed traps, people probably did pretty much whatever they wanted in the backwoods. If people had any idea of what happened in Washington DC, by the time they got the news it was weeks old.
People, especially the many farm families up this way had to be quite self reliant. There simply weren’t all the synthetic materials of today, not to say that they weren’t already using many toxic substances carelessly – they were. Forests by then certainly were being overcut, land abused by farming and tillage, forests over hunted and left denuded.
Historical sites often glamorize the colonial times, paintings give them a romantic image. Colonial people where hardly conservationists, and they were pretty violent both to nature and their fellow human beings. But there also was a simplicity and a local culture lost in the era of motoring and cheap, quickly discarded plastic from China.
I am glad I brought my rain coat because it’s going to be pouring later. At least real mild. I am going to have to drive to get my flu and COVID-booster tonight, as it will not be a nice evening. 💉 Probably work from home on Friday. 💻 Weekend looks nice, particularly Saturday. I am heading over Mr. Wolcott’s new place in Colonie then doing an evening hike in the Albany Pine Bush. 🌲 Hopefully will be relatively quiet weekend work wise, but only time will show. 👨💻
Today. Feels like … September 30th.
A chance of showers, mainly after noon. The rain could be heavy at times. Cloudy.
Breezy, with a south wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 17 to 22 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 39 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
and
68 degrees
,62 max dew point,
6:17 sunset.
Tonight. Feels like … September 17th.
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 4am, then showers likely. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 52. Southeast wind 9 to 14 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
and
52 degrees
,
7:05 sunrise.
Friday. Feels like … October 7th.
A chance of showers, mainly before 7am. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny.
Northwest wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
and
65 degrees
,52 max dew point,
6:16 sunset.
Friday Night. Feels like … October 12th.
Mostly clear.
Light and variable wind.
and
42 degrees
,
7:07 sunrise.
Saturday. Feels like … October 3rd.
Sunny.
Light south wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph.
Another dark morning as I try to get as many steps in as possible before work. It’s just one of those mild October days that turns into heavy rain as it progresses.
Cloudy, breezy and 59 degrees at the Empire State Plaza as the storm blows in. 🍃 There is a south-southeast breeze at 10 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 57 degrees. The skies will clear tomorrow around 8 am.
Yesterday I got my steps in 👣 though Tuesday I came up a bit short as I didn’t do my morning walk and I was stuck in the dungeon, but Wednesday was a beautiful day for getting in as many steps as possible.
I think I picked a terrible evening to get my COVID-19 bi-valiant booster and flu shot. 💉 I guess I’ll drive to the pharmacy ⚕ rather than walk there. it’s fine but I’d rather walk. Regardless I need groceries. 🏬
Tomorrow I think I will work from home 👨💻 in case I feel sick or sore from the flu vaccine. Looks like it will be a nice afternoon so I might either drive to the library and work from truck or out on the picnic table. That said, many things I can do just using my phone.
I think we need a constitutional amendment that prohibits all levels of government from charging user fees.💰
By banning user fees, then government would get out of the business of providing services best offered by the private sector. Without user fees, all services offered by the government would be free and available to the public without discrimination.
Private corporations should be in the business of selling products and services. The government in contrast should be in the business of serving the people.
