Five Rivers Environmental Education Center is a living museum comprising over 450 acres of broad fields, towering forests, and tranquil wetlands. Five Rivers offers people of all ages a rich variety of guided and self-guided opportunities to encounter nature directly. Stimulating interpretive programs and guided school lessons promote awareness, knowledge and appreciation of New York State’s environment year ’round. With over 10 miles of trails for self-guided exploration, Five Rivers fosters discovery, spiritual refreshment and physical fitness through wholesome outdoor recreation.
Staying cool without air conditioning can be challenging, but there are several effective strategies you can employ to beat the heat:
Use Fans:
Ceiling fans or portable fans can help circulate air and make you feel cooler.
Place a bowl of ice or a frozen water bottle in front of a fan to create a DIY air conditioner.
Close Curtains and Blinds:
Keep blinds, curtains, or shades closed during the hottest part of the day to block out direct sunlight.
Create Cross-Ventilation:
Open windows on opposite sides of your home to encourage cross-ventilation. This helps to draw in cooler outside air.
Seal Gaps and Insulate:
Make sure doors and windows are properly sealed to prevent warm air from entering your home.
Consider using weatherstripping or draft stoppers.
Use Natural Ventilation:
Open windows during the evening and early morning when the outside temperature is cooler.
Stay Hydrated:
Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. This can help regulate your body temperature.
Cooling Clothing:
Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, and light-colored clothing to help your body stay cool.
Take Cool Showers or Baths:
A cool shower or bath can provide instant relief from the heat.
Use Cooling Products:
Apply a damp cloth or use a cooling towel on your forehead, neck, and wrists.
Consider using a handheld personal fan or a cooling vest.
Limit Heat-Producing Activities:
Avoid using heat-generating appliances like ovens and stoves during the hottest parts of the day.
Opt for meals that don’t require cooking, or use a microwave or slow cooker to minimize heat production.
Create DIY Airflow:
Place a shallow bowl of ice in front of a fan to cool the air as it circulates.
Hang Wet Sheets or Towels:
Hang damp sheets or towels in front of open windows to cool incoming air through evaporation.
Sleep Low:
Hot air rises, so if your home has multiple levels, consider sleeping on the lower floors.
Stay in Cooler Areas:
Spend time in air-conditioned public places like libraries, malls, or community centers during the hottest part of the day.
Use Natural Cooling Techniques:
Plant shade trees around your home to reduce direct sunlight and lower the outdoor temperature.
Limit Electronics:
Electronics generate heat, so reduce their usage during hot weather.
Stay Informed:
Keep an eye on weather forecasts to plan your activities around cooler times of the day.
Stay Still:
Physical activity generates body heat, so try to limit strenuous activities during the hottest hours.
Remember that staying cool without air conditioning requires a combination of strategies and adjustments. Experiment with these methods to find the ones that work best for your specific situation.
I mean I probably should have with the summer we’ve had expect rain. Going to clear out later but will be cool for the family clam bake.
Good morning! Happy Sunday. Rain showers and 65 degrees at the Five Rivers Environmental Education Center. There is a north-northwest breeze at 6 mph. . The dew point is 60 degrees. The skies will clear around noontime.
Woke up early and to run to the bathroom and decided not to go back to sleep. Milled oatmeal down to a fine powder in the food processor and then added one of the fresh apples that I got at Yonder Farms and ultimately a banana for sweetness and consistency and a bit of water for pancakes . Black coffee and frozen fruit with sugar free syrup made for a good breakfast.
Rode Blackie out to Five Rivers Environmental Education Center for some nature observation and to get away a bit this morning, though I wasn’t expecting the rain. Not super wet but unexpected in my mind, I’m hiding our under the pavilion for now. I’ll go for a short walk and then head home. Then shower , get a few groceries at Walmart and clams at Market 32 then head out to the folks house by later midday.
Today will have isolated showers before 9am. Partly sunny , with a high of 76 degrees at 3pm. Five degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 11th. Maximum dew point of 62 at 11am. North wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had cloudy skies in the morning with more sun in the afternoon. It was somewhat humid. The high last year was 81 degrees. The record high of 97 was set in 1948.
Yesterday afternoon at Thacher Park was nice, though some of those trails were rougher on the bike then expected but I try to be super gentle with Blackie not wanting to break shit but I’m also not afraid to now ride somewhat rougher trails with Blackie but I still prefer gravel. Super muddy after the summer that was. Still want to get to Charles Baker State Forest to ride before the snow comes. Not that I probably have much of a worry this winter with El Niño and I’m not planning on doing much trail riding which closes October 31st, just road riding.
John Wolcott’s funeral is over that chapter is closed. The whole wheat bread I made last night came out pretty good, most of it is now frozen. Last night’s dinner was commercial protein pasta you find in the supermarket with a bunch of spinach and the remaining kale I had plus mackerel for a good boost in the omega 3, healthy fats to help absorb the vitamins that make up the spinach and kale. The fats, protein and fiber fill you up quickly.
Solar noon is at 12:58 pm with sun having an altitude of 57.5° from the due south horizon (-13.3° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 3.8 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour starts at 7:03 pm with the sun in the west (278°). The sunset is in the west-northwest (285°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:41 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 59 seconds with dusk around 8:08 pm, which is one minute and 39 seconds earlier than yesterday. At dusk you’ll see the Waxing Gibbous Moon in the south-southeast (151°) at an altitude of 15° from the horizon, 228,020 miles away. The best time to look at the stars is after 8:45 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies and temperatures around 71 degrees. The dew point will be 59 degrees. There will be a north breeze at 6 mph. Today will have 13 hours and 26 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 44 seconds over yesterday.
Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low of 56 degrees at 6am. Three degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around September 6th. Maximum dew point of 60 at 6pm. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. In 2022, we had clear skies in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It became humid as the night progressed. It got down to 59 degrees. The record low of 42 occurred back in 1982.
Now that I made bread with yeast , I’m interested in doing baking using baking powder or baking soda for those times I don’t want to mess with kneading or waiting 24 hours for the bread to rise. That’s more kind of for making biscuits but they can be a source of healthy carbs too if you limit the unhealthy fats by using olive oil or ghee and don’t use sugar. Also I was playing with my food processor this morning and will just dry oatmeal seems to do a decent job of milling whole grain oatmeal down to oat flour – and not just pancakes.
Today in 1859, Petroleum is discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania leading to the world’s first commercially successful oil well. To this day, that town still smells like petroleum, and it floats in the creeks, but they produce much less oil today then at the peak around the turn of the century. Exploring the Oil Creek State Park is fun as is Pithole abandoned oil town but do expect a strong petroleum smell. But then again, Western PA smells like petroleum like the Black River Valley smells like cattle and manure. Just part of the country.
Looking ahead but maybe not forward to dark mornings walked or risen, there are 2 weeks until 6:30 Sunrise when the sun will be setting at 7:16 pm with dusk at 7:43 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.
There is a north-northwest breeze at 6 mph. 
. The dew point is 60 degrees. The skies will clear around noontime.
and to run to the bathroom 
and decided not to go back to sleep. Milled oatmeal down to a fine powder in the food processor and then added one of the fresh apples 
that I got at Yonder Farms and ultimately a banana 
for sweetness and consistency and a bit of water for pancakes 
. Black coffee 
and frozen fruit with sugar free syrup made for a good breakfast.
out to Five Rivers Environmental Education Center 
and then head home. Then shower 
, get a few groceries at Walmart and clams 
at Market 32 
then head out to the folks house by later midday. 
, with a high of 76 degrees at 3pm. Five degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 11th. Maximum dew point of 62 at 11am. North wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had cloudy skies in the morning with more sun in the afternoon. It was somewhat humid. The high last year was 81 degrees. The record high of 97 was set in 1948.
was nice, though some of those trails were rougher on the bike 
then expected but I try to be super gentle with Blackie not wanting to break shit but I’m also not afraid to now ride somewhat rougher trails with Blackie but I still prefer gravel. Super muddy after the summer that was. Still want to get to Charles Baker State Forest to ride before the snow 
comes. Not that I probably have much of a worry this winter with El Niño and I’m not planning on doing much trail riding which closes October 31st, just road riding.
that chapter is closed. The whole wheat bread I made last night came out pretty good, most of it is now frozen. Last night’s dinner was commercial protein pasta you find in the supermarket with a bunch of spinach and the remaining kale I had plus mackerel for a good boost in the omega 3, healthy fats to help absorb the vitamins that make up the spinach and kale. The fats, protein and fiber fill you up quickly. 
starts at 7:03 pm with the sun in the west (278°). 
The sunset is in the west-northwest (285°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:41 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 59 seconds with dusk around 8:08 pm, which is one minute and 39 seconds earlier than yesterday. 
At dusk you’ll see the Waxing Gibbous 
Moon in the south-southeast (151°) at an altitude of 15° from the horizon, 228,020 miles away. 
The best time to look at the stars is after 8:45 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies 
and temperatures around 71 degrees. The dew point will be 59 degrees. There will be a north breeze at 6 mph. Today will have 13 hours and 26 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 44 seconds over yesterday.
with a low of 56 degrees at 6am. Three degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around September 6th. Maximum dew point of 60 at 6pm. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. In 2022, we had clear skies in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It became humid as the night progressed. It got down to 59 degrees. The record low of 42 occurred back in 1982.
, I’m interested in doing baking using baking powder or baking soda for those times I don’t want to mess with kneading or waiting 24 hours for the bread to rise. That’s more kind of for making biscuits but they can be a source of healthy carbs too if you limit the unhealthy fats by using olive oil or ghee and don’t use sugar. Also I was playing with my food processor this morning and will just dry oatmeal seems to do a decent job of milling whole grain oatmeal down to oat flour – and not just pancakes. 
To this day, that town still smells like petroleum, and it floats in the creeks, but they produce much less oil today then at the peak around the turn of the century. Exploring the Oil Creek State Park is fun as is Pithole abandoned oil town but do expect a strong petroleum smell. 
But then again, Western PA smells like petroleum like the Black River Valley smells like cattle and manure. Just part of the country.
