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.
After a bit of a chilly Sunday, things are warming up quickly already up to 48 degrees on our way up to 65 degrees later. 😎 Doesn’t seem like we will be getting the rain either that they were predicting earlier. Final weekend before the time change, but that’s not too bad as the sun was already up and shining a bit before 6 AM this morning. 🌅 At least it wasn’t pitch black out. So even after the time change I should be able to do my morning walks.
More rain though late tonight into tomorrow. 🌧 That will be tough on the snow but too bad. I already plan to wear the black steel toe boots to work tomorrow, and I’ll bring my umbrella so I’m not real concerned about the rain. I kind of don’t want the snow gone too soon due to the fire risk 🔥 but at the same time, I kind of think it makes it easier to get out in the woods when there is less snow.
Conventional wisdom suggests that the Hilltowns of Albany County have seen a population growth in recent decades.
Indeed, you sometimes see new houses going up.
And there certainly has been some growth since the boom of suburbanization — which followed 20 years latere after the abandonment of farms in 1920s and 1930s.
Walking along the shore of the Hudson River, thinking what a menace Styrofoam really is. So much washes up on the shorelines of the river. Bouys, floats, Styrofoam take out containers, coffee ups and big slurp cups 🥤. It’s all over.
Happy Saturday. We survived the first work-week of March. ☁️
So yes, you have something to celebrate. No radioactive fall out yet. Plus the days are getting longer, next weekend is the time change. Massive inflation of daylight is expected over the next month, Albany is expected to gain another 1 hour and a half of daylight unless of course nuclear winter.
This morning we are at around 20 degrees, ☁️ on the way up to 42 later. And then the low sixties by tomorrow afternoon, after a rainy night into the morning. That will be tough on the snow, which is suppose to take a lot of damage between the rain on Sunday morning and most of Monday. 🌧
Next weekend is the time change, 🌆 which is always nice when we have more light in the evening. Sunset won’t be until after 7 PM come a week from Monday. And Saint Patricks Day. 🍀 Often the second half of march goes quickly for me as work is often busy although maybe not so much in my new position.
I see they have finally dropped the muzzle-mandate at the library 😷 although truth be told I’ll probably still wear it down there, though maybe not when I’m sitting down at a desk. I didn’t know if they’d ever drop the muzzle mandate. That said, with unlimited data on my phone, I don’t really have much of a need to go to down the library much.
The alternative is to walk out to Five Rivers, 🐦 which honestly I’m more inclined to do. Then I don’t have to shower. If I was responsible, I would go to JC Pennies and get another dress shirt 👨💼 and then go for a hike out at the Albany Pine Bush 🌲 but honestly I don’t want to drive with the absurdly high gas prices these days. I am really low on groceries 🐡 but high gas prices ⛽ and grocery prices are a good excuse not to go shopping. I am sure I can find something to eat around the pantry, even if it’s stale and not particularly good.
I don’t know how I will afford to get out of town this summer 🏖 but I guess I can still find ways to get out of town at least once or twice a month. 🏕 Gas is expensive but so is everything in life. My budget isn’t as bad as it once was, although I saw from my credit card company that my balance is over $500 again. 💳 I don’t drink alcohol anymore, 🍺 so they saves money, and with the solar I often like to set up camp and leave the engine off all weekend. I might do several long weekends at House Pond this summer, and then a Finger Lakes trip, where I spend every other day at camp and nicer days in Watkin Glen at the pool and beach.
Between the four day session week and no holidays or snow days this week, it seems like it’s really dragging on. But alas it’s Friday.
We are at around 10 degrees this morning under mostly cloudy skies 🌥. Another kind of cold start to the morning but it’s expected to warm up quickly and reach the mid 30s later on. Which is cold for modern day standards for April but it could be colder for sure. 💦 Rain and the mid 60s come Sunday.
Taking the earlier express downtown 🚍, looking at the local gas station prices ⛽, highest they’ve been since the 2008 price hike. Doesn’t seem like it is slowing congestion much. $4.19 a gallon with diesel a jaw dropping $4.85. California prices. I wonder how bad it is in Pennsylvania. To be fair, I’m making significantly more money then when I was just out of college 🎓 but those prices still are pretty jaw dropping.
I’m somewhat surprised how few of the government workers are wearing muzzles 😷 inside the Concourse. I guess the pandemic is over in the minds of the politicians. I know I’m not ready to give up my muzzle just because I kind of like not getting colds. But then again I’m super spoiled as my muzzles aren’t just ordinary face diapers but at those comfortable masks made by no other than the famous Lynne Jackson.
Walking 🚶 the Plaza is rather cold this morning but I don’t like walking inside with the muzzle on. Plus I figure exposure to the cold air is good for the health 🍏 but I’m still looking forward to the spring. 🌸 I know the long range continues to suggest a cold mid March but at some point things will warm-up. Spring is coming the sun angle is getting stronger every day. ☀ There is hope or so I tell myself.
Cold by recent March standards the next few days than mild and rainy 🦁
I don’t see any real chance for turning off the heat and opening the windows this week but at least the heat won’t be working hard after Sunday. I don’t think this weekend would be a good one for getting out of town but things could change. Each day though we are getting closer to April. The black flies are taking notice.
Today. Feels like …
February 27th.
Scattered flurries before 11am. Partly sunny.
Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph.
and
39 degrees
,
5:46
sunset.
Tonight. Feels like …
March 14th.
Snow showers likely, mainly after 10pm. Mostly cloudy.
Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
and
25 degrees
,
6:27
sunrise.
Thursday. Cold !
Isolated snow showers before 11am. Mostly sunny.
Northwest wind 15 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
and
30 degrees
,8 max wind chill,
5:47
sunset.
Thursday Night. Cold !
Mostly clear.
Northwest wind 8 to 13 mph becoming light after midnight.
and
7 degrees
,3 max wind chill,
6:25
sunrise.
Friday. Feels like …
January 25th.
Sunny.
Calm wind becoming west 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
and
32 degrees
,5 max wind chill,
5:48
sunset.
Friday Night. Cold !
Partly cloudy.
and
12 degrees
,12 max wind chill,
6:23
sunrise.
Saturday. Feels like …
February 24th.
Mostly cloudy.
and
38 degrees
,
5:49
sunset.
Saturday Night. Feels like …
April 1st.
A chance of freezing rain after 1am. Cloudy.
Chance of precipitation is 40%.
and
31 degrees
,
6:22
sunrise.
Sunday. Feels like …
April 5th.
Rain. High near 54. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
