The Rattlesnake Hill Wildlife Management Area is a 5,100 acre upland tract, situated approximately eight miles west of Dansville, New York. Roughly two-thirds of the area lies in southern Livingston County, while the remaining third lies in northern Allegany County. The tract was purchased in the 1930’s under the Federal Resettlement Administration and is one of several such areas turned over to DEC for development as a wildlife management area.
The area is appropriately named after the Timber Rattlesnake, which may be occasionally found in the more remote sections of the “Hill”.
The area offers an interesting blend of upland habitats such as mature woodland, overgrown fields, conifer plantations, old growth apple orchards and open meadows.
The area is inhabited by a variety of game species and is open to public hunting. The white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, grey squirrel, cottontail rabbit and woodcock are found on the area. An occasional snowshoe hare may be observed adjacent to thick creek bottom brush or conifer plantation habitats.
A number of small marsh units have been developed and provide limited hunting for waterfowl. Some of the area’s furbearing species such as mink, beaver and raccoon may be occasionally viewed at these marsh units.
It’s a guess a spooky thing being October and Halloween in three weeks but whatever. Cold start to the morning but at least it’s clear and I’m out walking.
Good morning! Yeah, it’s Friday the 13th! Clear and 42 degrees in Delmar, NY. 🌞 There is a northwest breeze at 8 mph. 🍃.
Pumpkin – oatmeal pancakes 🥞 for breakfast. I also have a pot of rice and lentils cooking down 🍲 with lemon – pepper and garlic spice, I wanted a change from the split pea soup for lunch today. Yesterday dinner was tuna with spinach and whole wheat pasta. Haven’t had that in a while. 🐠 Always don’t like the carbs but the fatty fish with the healthy omega-3 fats and vitamins and fiber from the spinach help balance that out. You need some fats to maximize fat-soluable vitamins. Also had a bit more kefir — it tastes like sour milk and is thick but it does help the stomach after all that pea soup I’ve been having the past few days.
Today will be sunny 🌞, with a high of 61 degrees at 3pm. Two degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around October 17th. Northwest wind 8 to 10 mph. A year ago, we had rain in the morning, which became light rain by afternoon. The high last year was 70 degrees. The record high of 81 was set in 1930. There was a dusting of snow in 1934.❄
Caught two mice this morning. 🐭 It’s been kind of bad this year though not uncommon as the cold weather approaches. Probably my kitchen is a good place with all the dropping I’ve missed from all the cooking I do plus all those yummie smells 😋 from bread baking and food on the stove top full of spices. Eventually I’ll get all the mice and things will get better. Usually happens around November. 🚫 Like a girl I ran outside with the second mouse I had with only a shirt and my boxers on, well oops. Not thinking, it’s cold! 😮 That mouse got away, but outside. I should have crushed him, but I was half awake and my face full of shaving cream when I heard him get stuck. Big and fat sucker too. 🐁 Maybe pregnant, which is why I wanted him gone before her babes got breaking into my food and chewing my wires and holes in the walls of my apartment. People are shocked I still stay in my dumpy apartment that I’ve had since I was a researcher 16 years ago, but it’s cheap and I like the location. Plus I’m home so rarely. I’ll put up with the mice and rotting door and all the broken shit I have.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:42 pm with sun having an altitude of 39.7° from the due south horizon (-31.1° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 7.2 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 5:40 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (254°). 📸 The sunset is in the west (260°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 6:18 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 56 seconds with dusk around 6:45 pm, which is one minute and 39 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 7:19 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 56 degrees. There will be a west-northwest breeze at 10 mph. Tomorrow will have 11 hours and 11 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 48 seconds over today.
Tonight will have increasing clouds ☁, with a low of 44 degrees at 4am. Two degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around October 8th. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph. In 2022, we had rain in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 42 degrees. The record low of 21 occurred back in 1958.
I was over at the dungeon yesterday, looking at all the snacks 🍬 in the break room realizing that there was nothing I could eat over there now that I’ve gotten into healthy eating. I’ll have to make sure to bring my own food over there in the future especially next year when I’ll probably spend a lot more time over there. Also yesterday I rode the elevator down one time for the first time since June as I had a meeting to go with a colleague but I did the stairs up and down like usual the rest of the day. Ridden back and forth to work so far three days this week for a total of 45 miles. 🚲 Today I plan to ride in but may take the bus 🚍 home in the evening.
Tomorrow will have a slight chance of rain after 2pm. Mostly cloudy 🌧, with a high of 59 degrees at 2pm. Three degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around October 22nd. North wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had rain in the morning, which became light rain by afternoon. The high last year was 67 degrees. The record high of 81 was set in 1920.
The weekend isn’t looking so bad at this point. 🤷♂️ But next week is still going to be quite cloudy and rainy, and much worse in West Virginia. 🌧 I definitely will be doing some riding this weekend. 🍏 I might ride out to Indian Ladder Farms and get some apples. I was thinking about going up to the Albany Pine Bush Preserve and then checking Salvation Army and Farmer India’s Market but I think I’m good for now. I might leave next week for West Virginia if the weather is good or possibly consider another trip, but I’m not going to take off time and get burned by the weather again this year. It’s the second time that this has happened in the past month, and it’s not fair to take off time then cancel it to the other director, lest she wants to take off time.
Looking ahead to Sunday, partly sunny, with a high near 57. ☀ North wind 9 to 13 mph. Typical average high for the weekend is 62 degrees. Maybe a bit cool with the breeze, but it’s October so I’ll take it. Where to go is the question? I don’t plan to camp this weekend as last weekend I did Rensselearville State Forest. Maybe somewhere closer to home. Not sure.
One month 📅 from now the be Average Night will be Below Freezing 🌌 when the sun will be setting at 4:36 pm with dusk at 5:05 pm (Standard Time). Average high will be 50 degrees with a low of 32. We loose one hour and 41 minutes of daylight over the next month.
Some people are surprised that I voted for Jill Stein on the Green line for President. I voted for Working Families candidates down the rest of the line. Most of the races weren’t particularly competitive or interesting, but I wanted to sending a message that I want candidates in office that are working for average people.
The last three Presidential Elections I’ve voted for have been for Democrats — John Kerry, then Barack Obama’s two terms — all on the Working Families Party line. But I certainly don’t always vote for Democrats. In retrospect, I think I would have voted for George Bush on Conservative line in 2004, as I thought he showed a lot of courage during the start of the Great Recession, and I approving his 2007 energy bill did much to move our nation’s energy policies forward, including the strong new fuel economy standards, lighting energy standards and other efficiency standards that will save millions of megawatts and billions of gallons of fuel.
But I’ve always been somebody to split tickets and vote on third party lines …
On the state level In 2002, I voted for Tom Golisano for Governor who had the Independence line. In 2006, I voted for Elliot Spitzer, a Democrat for Governor then in 2010 I voted for Carl Paladino on the conservative line and also in 2014, I voted for Rob Astorino on conservative line. I’m not a real big conservative, but I do like the idea of limiting the role of government and checking the power of governor. I’ve never liked a certain governor, ever since he served in lower levels of government, nor his poorly thought out, SAFE Act. Down ballot, I tend to vote overwhelmingly Democratic, as I think we want local politicians that are more environmentally sensitive — especially on the planning board level. Some of the local Republicans and Conservatives, where they exist, are just awful. Most are just nuts.
I’m not a big fan of voting for candidates on the major party lines. I want candidates to have ideas and an ideology. The Democratic and Republican Parties do good job supporting their members, but they are hardly idea factories. The minor parties force the candidates to take a stand and help express a view point. Thanks to New York’s unique fusion law, I try to vote with the minor parties whenever they run a candidate I like. And I don’t I feel like I have to be tied to any one party or ideology when it comes down to voting.
I also like a divided government. I think public policy decisions should be taken cautiously and in general the status quo isn’t that bad. Divided government protects different regions and groups of people in our country, it ultimately protects liberty. A Republican US Senate would be an important check on Hillary’s power. Many years I do split my ticket, and while I didn’t do that this year, I am sure in future years I will keep an open mind, and maybe even vote for some Republicans like I have on state or local level in years past.
While I wouldn’t and I’m glad I didn’t vote for Hillary Clinton, I think it’s good news that she is the likely next president. She seems like a responsible individual, and it will be good to have a women president — and that our country is becoming more pluralistic and open to different groups and people. While I have reservations on some of her policy positions, I think she will do a good job. Jill Stein may be a better choice — and I’m happy having voted for her — but Hillary won’t be a bad second choice.
That’s my thoughts on the election. You are free to have your thoughts.
Is that even possible? I heard they have a lot of coal there, it’s not like the Gaza strip.
I so wanted to go to West Virginia this year. And I might but not next week. I keep putting off my decision to formally request to not take off next week from work, hoping in vein that the forecast for the High Country of West Virginia would improve in vein.
It’s been a tough decision as I really wanted to go next week when there would still be good color but after the crowds of Columbus Day Weekend. When it would still be fairly warm and the days relatively long for the autumn season.
But the cruel reality is that the low pressure is moving further south than originally expected and it’s not only expected to deliver a significant amount of rain come Saturday into Sunday – which I don’t care so much but leave the High Country socked in rain showers and fog most of the week, with highs in the low 40s with the strong winds that give the trees of Dolly Sods their distinctive shape. Really doesn’t sound like much fun for camping.
I’m sure I could survive hot tenting but it wouldn’t necessarily be a totally pleasurable experience, especially figuring it’s not cheap to drive my Big Jacked Up Truck all the way to West Virginia which is about 500 miles and two days away from Albany. A lot of gas and wear and tear on my twelve year old truck. And that means at least one night each way camping at the County Bridge campground in Pennsylvania which is relatively inexpensive but not free. It would be lots of money spent for camping in hypothermia weather.
Maybe the forecast will improve for the following week or even in three weeks when Election Day and Veterans Day holiday fall on the same week, offering extra time off without using as much time. Or maybe I’ll plan other smaller trips closer to home. But I’m disappointed as I really was looking forward to my West Virignia trip.
Moving forward on this Thursday morning, the weekend is moving closer. Doesn’t look like a wash out this weekend locally but kind of gray again. The same can’t be said though about the High Country of West Virginia unfortunately. But that’s nothing I can change no matter how much I refresh the web page for the Tucker County forecast.
Good morning! Partly cloudy and 47 degrees in Delmar, NY. ⛅ Calm wind.
Eggs, onions, veggies and probably too much spices 🍳 for breakfast this morning. Didn’t get up real early today, quarter to five as by the time I got unpacked from my trip to Wally World and lights out 🛏 it was well after nine. Plus no big meals 🍴 cooking this morning, did most of my cooking yesterday. ☕ When I get home I’ll have that second cup of coffee with cinnamon and ginger, maybe a few blueberries 🫐, shower 🚿 and ride to work. 🚲 Bike rides so much smoother and better since I got that waterproof ⚙ chain oil. The dry chain oil worked okay but not for long.
Today will be partly sunny 🌞, with a high of 64 degrees at 2pm. One degree above normal, which is similar to a typical day around October 11th. Maximum dew point of 48 at 10am. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 71 degrees. The record high of 85 was set in 1954. There was a dusting of snow in 1904.❄
Should be a great day for a bike ride into the office. 🚲 Third day in the row, not too bad, though yesterday was kind of cloudy. I definitely used both the front and rear lights yesterday for safety, with the shadows and clouds hanging over low over everything. It’s nice being able to plug things in and things quickly charge with the USB charger overnight. I also will enjoy that sunlight soaking through the window as I work on the stack of cap grants on my desk. 📃 Then this afternoon it’s off to the dungeon for a while for some darkness. Not going to be the same in the break-room 🍬 since I’ve gotten into the healthy eating thing.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:43 pm with sun having an altitude of 40.1° from the due south horizon (-30.8° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 7.1 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 5:42 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (254°). 📸 The sunset is in the west (261°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 6:20 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 57 seconds with dusk around 6:47 pm, which is one minute and 39 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 7:21 pm. At sunset, look for partly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 59 degrees. The dew point will be 47 degrees. There will be a northwest breeze at 7 mph. Tomorrow will have 11 hours and 13 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 49 seconds over today.
Yesterday I went Walmart and got socks, boxers, and supplies. 🛒 They didn’t have gray socks so I ended up deciding on black socks 🧦 which are fine as I didn’t want easily stained white socks. Nice having boxers that fit well now that I’m so much slimmer and aren’t totally worn out. I’ve actually been tossing a lot of old boxers and socks in the rag pile lately to take to the recycling dumpster, as many have gotten holes or are otherwise worn through. Got Keifer milk (fermented milk) as something new to try, it’s like yogurt but thinner like milk and supposedly is really good for the gut with all kinds of healthy live bacteria unlike most yogurt where the bacteria is killed before consumption.
Tonight will be partly cloudy 🌆, with a low of 41 degrees at 6am. One degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around October 15th. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph. In 2022, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became rain by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 53 degrees. The record low of 24 occurred back in 1981.
Mice have been bad this year 🐭 in my apartment since it’s gotten cool, so I picked up some additional sticky and traditional spring mouse traps. Usually once I catch enough of them they thin out for the winter. I think they probably like all the bread crumbs and other crumbs with all the fresh cooking I do these days. 🍞 I don’t mind that much except when they chew holes in the walls, and crap all over my griddle and spread disease, but they’re also annoying when once scurries off. My experience is though overtime with the traps, they’ll disappear. I could also get out the bucket trap which is often quite effective for a while until it no longer is once they figure it out or get enough thinned out.
Not as wet for the Albany area this weekend, as the low center and rain has moved south. 🌧 Instead of us getting it, it will be West Virginia, where I was planning on going this weekend, lol. Saturday, a chance of rain, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. North wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Sunday, mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. Still hardly a banner weekend. Typical average high for the weekend is 62 degrees.
I might end up heading up to the Albany Pine Bush 🦋 to ride trail with Blackie and to the Salvation Army to look at some more clothes, stop by Farmer’s Indian Marker and Aldis for more spices and groceries, and maybe explore the Italian or Chinese markets further down center. 👩💼 At this point especially I should see if I can get some dress shirts at Salvation Army for work, or other “nice” stuff to wear in the winter that fits me well. At least it’s not going to be as wet as originally predicted. 🌧
Further out, next Thursday is Average High is 60 🍂 when the sun will be setting at 6:08 pm with dusk at 6:36 pm. On that day in 2022, we had partly sunny and temperatures between 53 and 33 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 60 degrees. We hit a record high of 79 back in 1963.
It’s been such a wet and cloudy year this year, especially on the weekends. Bad luck I guess and it’s only expected to get wetter come the weekend into next week. I’m going to see if I can untake off next week and cancel my October vacation at least for now.
Good morning! What day is it? Hump Day, of course. Rain showers and 48 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☔ There is a south-southeast breeze at 5 mph. 🍃. The skies will clear around 1 pm.
Out for my morning walk 🚶 it’s kind of cold and damp 🌧️ though it’s not raining like it was earlier. Yesterday I skipped both my morning and evening walks, I wasn’t feeling it but rode back and forth to work. 🚲 Going to be another dark and shadowy day, I’m glad I have those bright new lights on bicycle I’ll certainly use them. I love how I can charge them right on the bike using a USB charger. 🔋
Breakfast today was oatmeal – banana pancakes with shredded carrots 🥕 added to the mix. I like the additional fiber, almost adds a crispiness to the pancakes 🥞 much like oil did back before I got into healthy eating. I made whole wheat garlic bread 🍞 in the oven topped with everything bagel seasoning which is quite good especially dipped in balsamic vinegar. Pea soup with carrots and onions and lots of spices are cooking down in the kitchen 🧑🍳, I need to run to Stewart’s and get milk 🐮 and have a second cup of coffee ☕ before laddling out soup and bread for lunch, showering and riding my bike 🚲 to work. Then climb the 18 flights of stairs and it’s off to work. I have a stack of cap grants to review. 📄
Today will start out with showers then mostly cloudy 🌞, with a high of 64 degrees at 2pm. Typical for today. Maximum dew point of 47 at 5pm. South wind 5 to 9 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning with sunny skies in the afternoon. The high last year was 65 degrees. The record high of 86 was set in 1949. There was a dusting of snow in 1987.❄
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:43 pm with sun having an altitude of 40.4° from the due south horizon (-30.4° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 7 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 5:44 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (255°). 📸 The sunset is in the west (261°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 6:22 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 56 seconds with dusk around 6:48 pm, which is one minute and 41 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 7:23 pm. At sunset, look for partly cloudy skies 🌃 and temperatures around 59 degrees. The dew point will be 47 degrees. There will be a west-northwest breeze at 6 mph. Tomorrow will have 11 hours and 16 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 48 seconds over today.
I got the address verification approved which is the last step to collecting ad revenue on the blog 📺. It looks like if I maintain my current level of traffic and revenue I’ll get my first payment of around $140 come around Thanksgiving. That will help me defray a lot of the operating costs 💵 and inspire me to come up with useful content and update maps. Plus my new data management system makes it much easier to update old maps. 🗺
Tonight will be partly cloudy 🌤, with a low of 43 degrees at 6am. One degree above normal, which is similar to a typical night around October 10th. Light and variable wind. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 41 degrees. The record low of 22 occurred back in 1964.
While I found enough socks for today, 🧦 today I either need to go to Walmart and get more socks for the rest of the week or the laundromat. Probably get socks as I am low on socks regardless, and maybe boxers too as most of the pairs I have are getting pretty worn, fit poorly as I’ve loss so much weight, and then there is a lot of kitchen staples I need that I was putting off debating if I would take off next week or not for vacation. 🛒 But with the forecast for Thomas WV next week I think today I will put the kibosh on next week’s vacation. 😞 Maybe next week.
Another rainy weekend on tap. 🌧️ Saturday, rain likely, mainly after 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 54. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Sunday, a chance of rain before 2pm, then a chance of showers after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Typical average high for the weekend is 62 degrees.
I keep refreshing the weather page for Thomas, West Virginia 🗻 in hopes that the forecast for all of next week would move away from rain and 45 degrees for a high most of next week. 🌧️ But with no luck. If anything as the days grow nearer things get worse. I need to bite the bullet and see if I can work next week. 🔫 It’s annoying that I’ll probably miss peak autumn but I really don’t want to camp most of the week in the rain. I plan to decide some point today, to give my employer enough time to know I’ll be in the office next week. Maybe I’ll take a future week off to go to West Viriginia or do it in a series of shorter vacation.
Looking ahead but maybe not forward, there are 3 weeks until Average High is 55 🍂 when the sun will be setting at 5:50 pm with dusk at 6:18 pm. On that day in 2022, we had partly sunny, warm, mist and temperatures between 69 and 54 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 55 degrees. We hit a record high of 78 back in 1950.
Lately every time I pass a small hunting cabin up in the woods on a trail I have to stop briefly to observe it and reflect about my future in the wilderness. A simple time, one where I can enjoy the adventures of a more natural life in a place of my own free of all the distractions and tackiness of modern living. It often spurs me to see if I can somehow find more money to save and invest.
I really enjoy working with 12 volt power on my truck and would welcome the challenge of wiring a house with a simple 12 volt system. I could use boost and buck converters to power everything from my laptop to USB power ports through out. Maybe use an inverter to power a refrigerator but I want to avoid working with potentially much more dangerous 120 volts as possible. My focus would be on minimizing my consumption of power and energy as much as possible. I could build a custom highly efficient lighting system controlled by Bluetooth using common Chinese components you can order from the internet.
What I like about the hunting cabins is they are small and simple to clean. Muddy boots aren’t a problem. No hideous carpet. I’d rather have a floor you can shovel our like a barn – but maybe a gutter track is a step too far. Gawd I hate cleaning unless of course it involves hauling stuff out back and burning it. Plan to do that with a lot of junk when I have land. Everything is always dirty and needing cleaning in my apartment. I much rather have simple things to clean and a small space.
I would want to make sure that I had a well insulated building though, and an efficient modern wood stove. I like building fires and heating with wood give me such a chance. I also would want to have hot water primarily for showers but also for dishes. Got to be able to get cleaned and washed up. Paper plates are fine but hot water really helps with pots and pans. Instant on hot water heaters that run on propane are becoming common so that’s not a big deal. Having a good water supply is important as hauling water is a lot of work, but there are many ways to collect, pump purify water.
I’m totally fine with outhouses or a composting toilet system, they work fine as long as you keep them separate from water. I can always use a bucket shitter inside during the winter and dump it out in the outhouse in the morning. Shit doesn’t scare me.
I’d have a big fire pit out back for summer evenings out back enjoying the stars and so I could burn my own trash. It would be great to sit out back all summer long with starry skies. I’d crush and save up the tin cans and beer cans for recycling, maybe get a few bucks at the scrap yard and only take a small load maybe once a year to the transfer station. I hate landfills, this way I could have no part of them and get to play with fire to boot. As a single guy who doesn’t buy much in packaging it’s not like there would be that much to burn at any rate.
I can’t imagine I would ever have internet at home but I would most certainly have a smartphone for the necessary purposes and for updating my blog. I could always use a public library to connect to the internet to upload videos after work. And no I doubt I’d ever own a television as I hate staring at a screen watching a mindless program.
