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.
I’m moving, though surprisingly dragging my ass more then I probably should be. I didn’t get up until nearly six o’clock this morning, which is late by my standards but I was at the library until almost 9 o’clock last night, and I forgot to soak the peas I got in the store yesterday, but they’re soaking today and I’ll make pea soup and bread tomorrow morning.
Good morning! Happy Tuesday. Mostly cloudy and 44 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☁ There is a south-southeast breeze at 6 mph. 🍃. The skies will clear around 5 pm.
I woke up this morning, and I went to the bathroom 🚽 and headed back to bed. No fancy cooking this morning, although that’s not totally true as I cooked up some quinoa, 🥣 shredded some apples, 🍏 added a bunch of cinnamon and ginger, and made a decently healthy breakfast. Plus some more of that apple bread 🍞 which I can’t say much good about but it’s still relatively nutritious as it’s just carbs and sugars (whole wheat flour, water, yeast, apples, cinnamon and ginger), as I forgot salt as I got distracted and meant to add it at the end of the needing ✊ process. Still have a bit left of that loaf, I’ll probably finish it up tonight as a dessert. 🐠 I took salmon out of the freezer, I’ll have it with the remaining sweet corn 🌽 I left at home and forgot about before camping, some onions 🧅 and spinach. 🥦
Today will be mostly cloudy 🌥, with a high of 62 degrees at 3pm. Two degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around October 14th. South wind 6 to 9 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 62 degrees. The record high of 89 was set in 1939. 0.8 inches of snow fell back in 1925.❄
It got late and I decided it was too late to do my morning walk after breakfast. 😴 Mornings are so dark these days. So I rode my bicycle to work. 🚲 I usually don’t like carrying my laptop to work on my bicycle, but I figured if I wrapped my laptop bag in a towel and road carefully I would be fine. Worked out good and I got to avoid riding the bus.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:43 pm with sun having an altitude of 40.8° from the due south horizon (-30° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 6.9 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 5:45 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (255°). 📸 The sunset is in the west (262°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 6:23 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 56 seconds with dusk around 6:50 pm, which is one minute and 40 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 7:24 pm. At sunset, look for partly cloudy skies 🌃 and temperatures around 57 degrees. There will be a south breeze at 6 mph. Today will have 11 hours and 22 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 48 seconds over yesterday.
Tonight will be partly cloudy 🌌, with a low of 41 degrees at 3am. Two degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around October 15th. South wind 3 to 5 mph. In 2022, we had shallow fog in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 36 degrees. The record low of 22 occurred back in 1943.
Still looking like a wet one to start out vacation. 🌧 Saturday, rain likely, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Sunday, rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 56. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Typical average high for the weekend is 62 degrees. I really don’t know what I am going to do about vacation at this point. I really do want to go to West Virginia next week, but it looks like the Appalachians might be socked in cold weather with clouds rain showers through at least Thursday, not exactly great for camping. 🌧 Makes me want to reconsider my plans. 🤷 I could postpone vacation another week, but then it’s getting late in October, with shorter days and the leaves mostly gone. I kind of frustrated about it all, this week turned out to be a nice one in West Virginia, but I wanted to avoid the Columbus Day Weekend crowds, and autumn seemed quite late this year. 😠
Looking ahead, there are 3 weeks until Halloween 🎃 when the sun will be setting at 5:51 pm with dusk at 6:19 pm. On that day in 2022, we had partly cloudy, rain showers and temperatures between 64 and 37 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 56 degrees. We hit a record high of 75 back in 2019.
I signed the contract and paid my blog host the $540 and my blog will be up and running for three more years through October 23, 2026.
In the grand scheme of things, that seems like a lot of money and three years goes by so quickly these days but ultimately on a daily basis it’s not that much money – 50¢ a day, and since I started running ads two weeks ago I’ve already made $35 in as revenue which isn’t bad for just telling my story and sharing maps and content that interest me.
I expect my first ad payout around Thanksgiving and if ad revenue remains as strong as it’s been the first two weeks, that will likely be $140 deposit in my checking account. Won’t make me rich but it will buy me a beer or a gallon of gas for Big Red from time to time.
Really that’s been my thought walking and biking around Partridge Run WMA today. No color, all green then all the leaves are gone, faded into a sea of browns and grays. Some of it was the heavy rain and wind on Saturday but it’s also a reminder of how fleeting the season of color can be.
Up bright and early as often is the case in the morning. Coffee and eggs just enjoying the quiet over the land as the sun rises. In the distance is the roar of an ATV as I sit warming my hands over the propane heater.
Good morning! Happy Columbus Day. ⛵🍂Mostly clear and 43 degrees in Delmar, NY. There is a south breeze at 5 mph. 🍃.
Five o’clock I rose as always 🛏 and it was dark in the woods. I don’t mind, I like an early start and a good breakfast. 🍳 Annoyed I left the sweet corn 🌽 and onions 🧅 home but I had plenty of other good things to use in my eggs – I packed the jalapeño I had plus canned 🥫 olives and chopped tomatoes. Kind of getting past the farm fresh tomato 🍅 time of year.
Columbus Day will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 60 degrees at 3pm. Four degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around October 19th. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning, remaining cloudy in the afternoon. The high last year was 63 degrees. The record high of 83 was set in 1949. There was a dusting of snow in 2000.❄
Cold this morning with the breeze 🌬️ but should get nicer as the day progreses. Going to ride Blackie 🚵 around Rennselearville State Forest on some roads and trails, have lunch 🍲 and then head over to Partridge Run WMA for biking along the Switzkill and other gravel rides for the balance of the day. Hopefully it will warm up. Yesterday was kind of cool and wet at times, I retired to bed at nine o’clock as it started to rain as I sat by the fire 🔥. At least my only time limitation today is getting home by dusk.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:43 pm with sun having an altitude of 41.2° from the due south horizon (-29.6° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 6.9 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 5:47 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (256°). 📸 The sunset is in the west (262°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 6:25 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 55 seconds with dusk around 6:51 pm, which is one minute and 42 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 7:26 pm. At sunset, look for partly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 55 degrees. There will be a southwest breeze at 7 mph. Tomorrow will have 11 hours and 22 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 48 seconds over today.
Today is the big blog renewal day. 📄 I’m going to bite the bullet and get it done. I like blogging and telling my story. Plus the ad revenue has been pretty good, looking forward to that first check come November. And in a few months time I should be mostly made whole, when I don’t count my time. ⌚ But it’s something I like doing. Kind of like my vacation next week.
Tonight will be partly cloudy 🌃, with a low of 39 degrees at 4am. Four degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around October 21st. South wind around 6 mph. In 2022, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 40 degrees. The record low of 25 occurred back in 1980.
That new bicycle lights are awesome. 🔦 Super bright for riding at night, no worries about hitting potholes or missing something on the road or trail riding after dark. I was so impressed doing a little bit of night riding on CCC Road last night. 🛒 While it might be dusk 🌆 riding home from the grocery store tonight I should be good with that nice bright light. Plus I’ll have plenty of good fruits and vegetables to eat for the week to come. Still will need to visit Walmart probably on Tuesday for socks 🧦 and other supplies.
Yesterday I totally fell off the health wagon 🍻 having a few beers, eating too many carbs 🍞 and even maybe sneaking in a dart or two 🚬 around the campfire. 🔥 Big portion of couscous, chicken, celery and spices for dinner. I don’t smoke or drink except by the fire sometimes. 🍏 Way too many apples and Greek yogurt. So bad! Got to have some fun, tonight it will be back to rice and lentils I think. 🤔 I need to get to the supermarket 🛒 and get more fresh produce tonight as I will have finished off the carrots 🥕 and celery along with apples 🍏 and bananas 🍌 by the end of the day and I need them to eat at work tomorrow.
Rainy weekend on tap to start theOctober Vacation. 🌧️ Saturday, rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 55. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Sunday, rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 55. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Typical average high for the weekend is 62 degrees.
What a bummer. 😔 I’m really watching next weekend to see how my October vacation is going to go. I really don’t want to postpone it due to rapidly dropping daylight, leaves and temperature. I can live with a rainy weekend as I drive south to West Virginia 🗻 but not a week of rain and high temperatures in the mid 40s. I might have to reconsider my trip – cancel it, postpone it or choose another location closer to home. I don’t know, going to watch the forecast for Thomas WV as it draws closer, the 8-14 day outlook suggests cool but dry which I’m good with if not too windy. 🤷♂️
Looking ahead, there are 5 weeks until Average Night Below Freezing 🌌 when the sun will be setting at 4:36 pm with dusk at 5:05 pm (Standard Time). On that day in 2022, we had partly cloudy and temperatures between 49 and 36 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 50 degrees. We hit a record high of 69 back in 1964. Those days are coming much too quickly and I’ll eventually need to turn back on the heat and plug air leaks in my apartment.
Much of this year has been shrowded in clouds of smoke, rain and just generally bad weather. Some of its climate change and some is just bad luck. Driving out to Rensselaerville State Forest and seeing all the bare trees on the way out reminds me what a raw deal a lot of this year has been weather wise. While the sun came out for a while, things were soaked up at the state forest from water logged campsite to trails saturated from yesterday’s heavy rain that washed out local roads.
Somehow I was hoping for better this autumn. Today turned out somewhat better than earlier expected and I’m blessed I got out one night but I had hoped it would be a bit nicer with more color.
So much though depends on the weather. I’m thinking if next weekend is as rainy as the early previews suggest, I’ll focus Saturday and Sunday on driving down to West Virginia and getting camp set up early for the week.
But if it looks like rain all week, then maybe not. I’m not going to postpone my vacation at this point but I might make it shorter, heading out to some place in New York State. Maybe the Finger Lakes National Forest again and then if we get a good run of nice weather I’ll head down to Pine Creek Gorge to do the rail trail for a few days or head to one of those campsites in Allegany or Cattaraugus County in Western NY. Who knows.
I just kind of want to be in West Virginia and have camp established so that I can crack open a beer and relax. Get out and ride my mountain bike around Canaan Heights from camp, hike the trails through the thick mountain laurel, watch the sunset, have a nice fire and then get a good night’s sleep. Cook some good and healthy camp food, sit and observe nature and the stars. Hike back to various scenic vistas. Just be myself as far away from Albany and my ordinary life for a while.
But maybe not my breakfast. I decided to try baking apple bread, but I didn’t use enough salt and maybe oil and I ended up with a carb loaded mess that tasted like crap. Dipping in it maple syrup and salt helped but I still ended up cooking complete junk. It happens when you experiment, at least it’s whole wheat.
Good morning! Partly cloudy and 51 degrees in Delmar, NY. ⛅ There is a southwest breeze at 7 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 44 degrees. The skies will clear around 10 am.
So yeah, breakfast was kind of a mess with the loaf I decided to cook. 🍞 Sometimes you just got to experiment I guess. Maybe it would have been better if I added some olive oil, stevia or salt. All those apples I thought would give it enough sweetness I really made a mistake leaving out all salt from the mix. 🤮 Kind of like dinner — I decided to make brown rice with chicken, with soy sauce but that meal needed some sugar to sweeten it up and MSG to tickle the uamani side of things. 🍚 I’m so used to cooking with loads of spices that when I first tasted that rice with no spices I was shocked how bland it was. And to think 🤔 that’s how I started my healthy eating journey.
Today will have isolated showers after 10am. Partly sunny 🌦, with a high of 59 degrees at 2pm. Six degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around October 22nd. Southwest wind 7 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning, remaining cloudy in the afternoon. The high last year was 54 degrees. The record high of 80 was set in 2017.
Not sure what today’s plans are going to look like. ⛺ Seems like it would be nice enough to camp but cold. I wonder how many campsites would be taken at this point during the holiday weekend though yesterday would have been a complete soaker for camping. ☔ I’m thinking about going to the Green Mountains ⛰ though that’s an awful long trip for one night 🌃 that might be super cold. 🌬️ The forecast has improved but it’s going to be still quite windy and cold. But then again it’s Columbus Day Weekend. ⛵ That said, who knows how much longer there will be much color after the heavy rain and now the wind.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:44 pm with sun having an altitude of 41.6° from the due south horizon (-29.2° vs. V6/21). A six foot person will cast a 6.8 footl shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 5:49 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (256°). 📸 The sunset is in the west (263°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 6:27 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 56 seconds with dusk around 6:53 pm, which is one minute and 42 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 7:28 pm. At sunset, look for rain 🌧 and temperatures around 56 degrees. There will be a southwest breeze at 10 mph. Today will have 11 hours and 27 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 50 seconds over yesterday.
Got the new bike 🚲 light 🔦 installed on my bicycle yesterday and it’s quite bright 🔆 from my initial before dawn testing this morning. I’m hoping if I get out today to camp I can do some night riding and see how great it really is. I love how it has USB charging built in and I can just plug in both the front and back lights for a charge while I’m home or at camp. No need to worry about batteries. 🔋
Tonight will be partly cloudy 🌃 , with a low of 40 degrees at 6am. Three degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around October 18th. South wind 7 to 9 mph. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became partly cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 36 degrees. The record low of 27 occurred back in 2001.
Might be a decent night 🌃 for camping 🏕. As who knows about next week. I keep refreshing the forecast for Thomas WV and aren’t really sure what to think 🤔 about it. Still looks very cold and wet in the long range but things could change for sure.
