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.
Increasingly I find myself enjoying weekends away from the social media in places where I lack cell service and can listen to podcasts, read and write without the constant pull of social media.
Every time I head out to the mountains now, I deactivate my Facebook account to avoid the pings when I return to cell service. I also disable the mobile service to ensure that I get no emails or messages, lest I ping a cell tower somewhere in the woods.
While I bring my phone with me and use it for music and podcasts – and jotting down my thoughts, I like the respite from the internet.
Night before dawn is 4 hours and 46 minutes, Dawn starts at 4:46 am and runs for 33 minutes, Sunrise is at 5:19 am which is 6 hours and 40 minutes before noon, High noon, the transit of the sun, is at 12:59 pm, From twelve noon to the sunset at 8:38 pm is 8 hours and 38 minutes, Dusk lasts for 26 minutes concluding at 9:11 pm, Leaving 2 hours and 48 minutes until midnight.
Hot tomorrow 😰 a big reason I’m thinking of heading out of town, especially if I can leave work early or work remote would be even better and leave early from home 🏡.
Saturday looks to be a lot more sunny and less rainy than originally expected. It’s actually been a pretty dry spring into summer but I do remember how cold and damp it was two weekends ago. ☔
I think Schoharie and Piseco Powley are on the short list but I worry about getting a campsite being the holiday weekend – I figure House Pond right on the river is out. Schoharie might be nice but I’m not that much of a fan of pool swimming 🏊.
Today. Feels like …
June 27th.
Sunny.
Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 7 mph in the morning.
and
82 degrees
,55 max dew point,
8:38
sunset.
Tonight. Feels like …
July 2nd.
Mostly clear.
South wind 3 to 5 mph.
and
61 degrees
,58 max dew point,
5:19
sunrise.
Friday. Hot !
Mostly sunny and hot.
Southwest wind 6 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
and
92 degrees
,62 max dew point,
8:38
sunset.
Friday Night. Muggy !
A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2am. Mostly cloudy.
Southwest wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
and
68 degrees
,66 max dew point,
5:20
sunrise.
Saturday. Feels like …
July 4th.
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 11am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Partly sunny.
Southwest wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
As they say, stick a fork into its done. Summer is roaring its self away, disappearing before our eyes. Independence Day Monday followed by another blink by Labor Day and Columbus Day.
Mostly sunny and 60 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☀ Calm wind. The dew point is 54 degrees.
Out for the morning walk 🚶 right at 6:15. Today is a session day so I will need to iron a dress shirt and wear my suit and tie. 👨🏻💼After deciding I wasn’t going to head out of town this weekend, I’m going to pack this morning. Saturday looks increasingly nice as does the whole weekend.
Yesterday was a pretty ordinary day 🏞, I was tired all day especially in the evening but I did end up getting my steps in 👣 and doing 18,000 to boot. Been trying to figure out how to automate the post request for the NY election night returns website to pull county level data, 🖥 which I wasted on too much time on yesterday.
This morning after my walk 🚶 I am going to fill the water 💦 containers and pack clothes 👚 for camping 🏕 which until the latest forecast didn’t seem likely. Tonight might be a late night but I don’t think I’ll need that much gear for three nights in the summer. I will need to get a few things in the store tomorrow but I expect that I can be in and out relatively quickly.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again – politics is for losers.
Often, I see people posting on social media about politics. People are angry; they want change, they want their voices heard. But they are just shouting into the wilderness – yelling at their television or leaving snarky Facebook comments won’t change a thing. It might feel good to be morally virtuous, but it’s ultimately a self-defeating behavior.
Now, it’s not to say that one shouldn’t pay attention to politics in the sense that one should always be gleaming for ways to advance their own interests. Government has a lot of money and offers a lot of little-used services, often a bit hidden. It’s always good to look at new angles to see how you can maximize your own advantage. But it’s not a big piece of legislation that will make your life better or a specific party winning a political office. It’s the little things that you can exploit for personal advantage.
When your not a loser, your focus is about manipulating the system in small ways to make your life better. Maybe it’s a patronage job that brings home the big bucks. Maybe it’s the zoning or permit you get by developing a relationship with the planning or zoning board. Or the one denied to your competitors, giving you a strategic advantage. There is a lot out there in the system, if you know how to play it.
People should stop thinking about how they can improve their community, and focus more how they can improve their own lives. Maybe more people need to ask the question, not what can I do for my country, but instead, what can for my country do for me?
I was thinking about it a lot and Saturday just doesn’t look great. I was inclined to head out of town but now I’m more leaning towards taking the Nature Bus to Thacher Park on Saturday and then hiking in Rensselaer County on Sunday, possibly hammock camping on Sunday night.
Today. Feels like …
June 27th.
Mostly sunny.
Light south wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
and
82 degrees
,56 max dew point,
8:38
sunset.
Tonight. Feels like …
June 11th.
Isolated showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, then isolated showers between 11pm and midnight. Partly cloudy.
West wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
and
56 degrees
,
5:19
sunrise.
Thursday. Feels like …
June 27th.
Sunny.
West wind 7 to 9 mph.
and
82 degrees
,58 max dew point,
8:38
sunset.
Thursday Night. Feels like …
July 2nd.
Mostly clear.
West wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
and
61 degrees
,56 max dew point,
5:19
sunrise.
Friday. Hot !
Mostly sunny and hot.
South wind 5 to 10 mph.
and
92 degrees
,62 max dew point,
8:38
sunset.
Friday Night. Hot !
A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2am. Mostly cloudy.
Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
