Balsam Swamp is a sprawling state forest that stretches almost 5.5 miles east-west across 4 towns. The area is very rural, and the landscape surrounding the State Forest is predominantly forested. Balsam Swamp State Forest is comprised of a mix of native hardwood forests, hemlock swamps, and conifer plantations. There are no designated recreational trails on the forest, but there is ample opportunity for self-guided day hikes to explore the diversity of habitats represented on this State Forest. Additionally, the western section of Balsam Swamp State Forest is adjacent to Five Streams State Forest to the south.
The main attraction of this forest is Balsam Pond. The impoundment is approximately 152 acres and is a popular destination for fishing and paddle boat sports. Balsam Pond is a warm water fishery that contains a mix of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, brown bullhead and sunfish. Tiger muskellunge have been stocked in the past with the last stocking occurring in 1995. However, there have been very few reports of anglers catching any of the adult tiger muskies. A shallow gravel boat launch is suitable for launching small fishing boats.
A small rustic camp ground is also located at Balsam Pond. Camping spaces are available at no cost on a first-come, first-serve basis and there is no running water or electricity. A fire ring, outhouse, and picnic table are provided for each camping space. A sign on Balsam-Tyler Road in Pharsalia designates the entrance to the boat launch and camping facility. This is a carry-in carry-out facility. Please do not litter.
It’s such a glistening and beautiful winter day here at the State Forest. I wish I had cross country skis after mine got worn out, snapped, then chopped up burnt last winter. So much fiberglass in those skis, and they held up for 20 years, but like all things, they don’t last forever.
Good afternoon! Partly cloudy and 26 degrees at the Rensselaerville State Forest. ⛅ There is a north breeze at 10 mph. 🍃. The trees are still covered with snow and there is something we haven’t seen in a long time — blue skies. There is a 6 inches of snow on the ground. ☃ ️Things will start to thaw out at Wednesday around 1 pm. 🌡️
It is remarkably beautiful out today. 😀 Cold but beautiful. Yet that’s to be expected camping in the winter up in the mountains. The good news is the road is nice and solid this time for camping, so not playing in the mud or getting wet. The snow is frozen fairly solid, but also is light in fluffy. If I had skis, this would be almost ideal weather for skiing. 🚲 After lunch and finishing setting up camp 🏕 and gathering firewood 🪵 I plan to ride some of CCC Road and maybe go down to the OSI Parcel 📸 to look at the snow covered mountains. Then come back to camp and have a good fire. 🔥
This afternoon will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 29 degrees at 2pm. Four degrees below normal. North wind around 11 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 33 degrees. The record high of 57 was set in 2016. 6.1 inches of snow fell back in 2004.❄
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:11 pm with sun having an altitude of 30.8° from the due south horizon (-40.1° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 10 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 4:31 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (241°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-southwest (248°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 5:13 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 8 seconds with dusk around 5:42 pm, which is one minute and 18 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 6:16 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 27 degrees. There will be a north-northwest breeze at 11 mph. Today will have 10 hours and 6 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 23 seconds over yesterday.
One thing that’s nice about this time of year 🌆 is we are definitely picking up more daylight in the evening, which makes it not as long at camp. That’s good as the nights can drag on. Going to be fairly cold but not super cold by the campfire for tonight, and I will have a nice fire.
Tonight will be mostly clear 🌃, with a low of 18 degrees at 4am. Three degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around February 15th. Maximum wind chill around 9 at 1am; Northwest wind 8 to 13 mph. In 2023, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 13 degrees. The record low of -13 occurred back in 1978.
Looking ahead to next weekend, the following Saturday is Clean Your Computer Day 🧹 when the sun will be setting at 5:23 pm with dusk at 5:50 pm. On that day in 2023, we had mostly cloudy, mild, rain showers and temperatures between 51 and 34 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 35 degrees. We hit a record high of 53 back in 1955.
The United States, we’re told, is increasingly a house divided. Conservatives and progressives are so alienated from each other that conversation is virtually impossible. But are we really as divided as we’re led to believe? As we begin what promises to be a pivotal election season, we’re kicking off a new series about how we form our political beliefs. We’re calling it “US 2.0.” We begin with psychologist Kurt Gray, who studies how we think about our political allies and opponents — and how these insights can help us to chart a new path forward. Have you tried to talk with someone who disagrees with you about politics? Have you found effective ways to get through? If you’d be willing to share your stories with the Hidden Brain audience, along with any questions you have for Kurt Gray, please record a voice memo and email it to us at ideas@hiddenbrain.org. Use the subject line “politics.” And thanks!
This has been happening a lot more in recent years. And it’s not surprising, noting how gray things have been lately. The good news is though that we’ve made it to a Friday.
Good morning! Mostly cloudy and 38 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☁ There is a north breeze at 10 mph. 🍃. There are 2 inches of snow on the ground. ☃ ️Temperatures will drop below freezing at around 7 pm. ☃️
Today will be mostly cloudy 🌥, with a high of 40 degrees at 1pm. Seven degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around February 28th. North wind around 11 mph. A year ago, we had cloudy skies in the morning with a few breaks of sun the afternoon. The high last year was 36 degrees. The record high of 53 was set in 1981. 11.9 inches of snow fell back in 2015.❄
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:10 pm with sun having an altitude of 30.5° from the due south horizon (-40.4° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 10.2 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 4:28 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (241°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-southwest (248°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 5:10 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 9 seconds with dusk around 5:39 pm, which is one minute and 19 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 6:13 pm. At sunset, look for partly cloudy skies 🌃 and temperatures around 36 degrees. There will be a north-northeast breeze at 11 mph. Today will have 10 hours and 3 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 22 seconds over yesterday.
Tonight will be mostly cloudy ☁️, with a low of 26 degrees at 6am. 11 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 15th. North wind 9 to 13 mph. In 2023, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 10 degrees. The record low of -18 occurred back in 1955.
Tomorrow will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 35 degrees at 2pm. Blue sky ain’t that weird? And not so cold either. Two degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around February 9th. North wind 8 to 10 mph. A year ago, we had cloudy skies in the morning with a few breaks of sun the afternoon. The high last year was 33 degrees. The record high of 57 was set in 2016. 6.1 inches of snow fell back in 2004.❄
Looking ahead to Sunday, sunny, ☀️ with a high near 37. North wind 6 to 8 mph. Typical average high for the weekend is 33 degrees.
As previously noted, next Friday is Average High is 35 ☀️ when the sun will be setting at 5:20 pm with dusk at 5:47 pm. Maybe even warmer if the Ground Hog is to be believed. On that day in 2023, we had mostly cloudy, mild, rain showers and temperatures between 48 and 25 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 35 degrees. We hit a record high of 57 back in 1925.
Riding the mountain bike out Orchard Avenue yesterday morning I could definitely smell one of the sure signs winter is fading away – the musk of skunk as their breeding season gets underway during the shortest month of the year – February – one of love especially for one of most pungent furbearers out there. Then comes March and April and manuring as the preparation for crop planting season gets underway.
Good morning! Mostly cloudy and 31 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☁ There is a south breeze at 5 mph. 🍃. There are 2 inches of snow on the ground. ☃ ️The skies will clear tomorrow around 7 pm.
Going to be a good day for riding the bike 🚲 to work today, the rail trail is mostly free of snow and ice. Not so cold, indeed we will start February out more like March then April. Plus it saves time and I get exercise to boot. Should be a nice commute on in. Too dark to ride home but still it saves a buck thirty on the bus fare. ☺ These days with inflation every buck helps. The nice thing about riding in is not only the exercise in the morning, but also the opportunity to go for a ride during the mid-day during lunch down by the river.
Today will have a slight chance of showers after 4pm. Patchy freezing fog before 9am. Cloudy 🌦, with a high of 42 degrees at 1pm. Nine degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around March 6th. South wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 29 degrees. The record high of 65 was set in 1989. 15.0 inches of snow fell back in 1898.❄
Last night I was filmed for the Reszin Adams documentary. 📹 Being one of the younger members of Save the Pine Bush, getting involved in 2004 after Reszin was starting to step back, I don’t have as many good stories to tell as many Save the Pine Bush members, but I tried to tell the most that I have of memories of her working behind the scenes, putting together the lasagna dinners.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:10 pm with sun having an altitude of 30.2° from the due south horizon (-40.7° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 10.3 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 4:27 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (240°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-southwest (247°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 5:08 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 9 seconds with dusk around 5:38 pm, which is one minute and 19 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 6:12 pm. At sunset, look for rain 🌧 and temperatures around 40 degrees. There will be a south breeze at 5 mph. Tomorrow will have 10 hours and 3 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 22 seconds over today.
Tonight will have a slight chance of rain showers before 3am, then a slight chance of rain and snow showers between 3am and 4am, then a slight chance of snow showers after 4am. Cloudy 🌧, with a low of 33 degrees at 5am. 18 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around April 5th. Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 20%. In 2023, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 19 degrees. The record low of -18 occurred back in 1961.
A picture perfect weekend on tap. 😎 Saturday, sunny, with a high near 36. North wind 8 to 10 mph. Sunday, sunny, with a high near 39. Typical average high for the weekend is 33 degrees. I am thinking about heading out to the wilderness for a quick overnight camping.
One month 📅 from now will be March 🌨 when the sun will be setting at 5:46 pm with dusk at 6:13 pm. The average high temperature is 34 degrees, with a record high of 61 in 1895.
As they say, it’s best not to bring your shit into the new month. All that fiber in one’s diet plus coffee can really make a good log that requires a plunger to flush down the toilet.
Good morning! January is almost done. Cloudy and 30 degrees at the Elm Ave Park and Ride. ☁️ There is a south breeze at 6 mph. 🍃. There are 3 inches of snow on the ground. ☃ ️Things will start to thaw out at around 9 am. 🌡️
Bathroom 🚽 humor beyond me, I’m catching the express bus 🚍 downtown. Another busy day ahead. I went out for an early morning bike ride and had johnny cakes for breakfast 🥞 with lots of spinach and peppers topped with cottage cheese. It’s busy learning so much in my new position. 🖥 Probably I’ve been watching too much Brappie on YouTube lately. Silly cannuck redneck shit. That said, eating lots of fiber is essential for healthy living.
Today will have some scattered flurries before 9am. Mostly cloudy ☃️ , with a high of 38 degrees at 3pm. Five degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around February 21st. South wind around 6 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning with a few breaks of sun the afternoon. The high last year was 30 degrees. The record high of 58 was set in 1913. 6.9 inches of snow fell back in 2000.❄
Wasn’t a half bad morning for the ride. 🚲 With the clouds a bit dark but not terrible. Tomorrow I’ll probably ride my bike to work. The rail trail looks like it’s mostly clear of snow 🌨 and I don’t have to dress up for work tomorrow. Friday also looks like I’m likely going to be able to ride in to work. ☺ That puts a smile on my face.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:09 pm with sun having an altitude of 29.9° from the due south horizon (-40.9° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 10.4 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 4:25 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (240°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-southwest (247°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 5:07 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 10 seconds with dusk around 5:36 pm, which is one minute and 18 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 6:11 pm. At sunset, look for mostly cloudy skies ☁ and temperatures around 35 degrees. There will be a south breeze at 5 mph. Today will have 9 hours and 59 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 17 seconds over yesterday.
Tonight will be mostly cloudy 🌥, with a low of 27 degrees at 1am. 12 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 18th. South wind 3 to 5 mph. In 2023, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 12 degrees. The record low of -20 occurred back in 1920.
A picture perfect weekend on tap. 😎 Saturday, sunny, with a high near 37. Sunday, sunny, with a high near 36. Typical average high for the weekend is 33 degrees.
As previously noted, there are 2 weeks until Valentines Day ❤️ when the sun will be setting at 5:26 pm with dusk at 5:54 pm. On that day in 2023, we had partly sunny, mild and temperatures between 50 and 30 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 36 degrees. We hit a record high of 63 back in 1946.
I did not appreciate missing the express bus home yesterday or the smoke alarm repeatedly tripping off after cooking dinner. Or repeatedly hitting the wrong keys in VIM at work yesterday, half awake on a Monday. But the salmon and frozen asparaguswas good for dinner as was the larger paycheck with my new job.
Good morning! Happy Tuesday. Clouds and 28 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☁ Calm wind.There are 3 inches of snow on the ground. ☃ ️Things will start to thaw out at around 1 pm. 🌡️
Made it through my birthday 🎂 without anybody saying anything besides my mom= and a few people at work. I keep my birthday locked down on Facebook as I get tired of all the fake happy birthdays you get on Facebook. I really don’t appreciate all the unwarranted attention to myself and my age, I’d rather tell my story but otherwise he ignored. Maybe that’s why I don’t do the social media.
Yesterday was a Monday and kind of a shitty one but it was always silly stuff. 💩 The kind of things that you can hit escape and then u in vim and undo. I just wasn’t feeling Monday, even if was my forty first time around the sun ☀. The smoke detector that kept going off time and time again from cooking smoke and moisture 🧑🚒 really set me off as did having to ride the local home. 🏡 Then I had to piss and crap so badly that I barely made the toilet 🚽 and had to clean up the seat but fortunately not my pants 👖 this time. 🤯 All that fiber and water from eating lots of fruits and vegetables can be tough at times. Especially spaghetti squash 🍆 which I find hard not to overeat but can he very lubricating of the gut and everything connected. Gawd, I’m getting old 👴🏼.
I got this enormous glass 🍸 at work as a Christmas gift that I love and when it’s full of water 💦 and ice 🧊 it’s so easy to overdo it and I was busy at the end of the day with work 📄 and didn’t have time to run to the bathroom before catching the shuttle 🚀 back to the Plaza. And then missing the express bus 🚍. Yeap. Forgot my fork 🍽 at lunch yesterday and didn’t have a spare one in my new office 🏢 so the cooked part of lunch with peas, corn, peppers and tofu got skipped for lunch as that ain’t finger 🖕 food. The milk 🥛 I had in the mason jar for my coffee ☕ at work went rancid. That was a Monday, my birthday. 🎂
I’m thinking today won’t be such a shit show 🤔 or so I tell myself. 🥞 Woke up at five o’clock like usual with no alarm ⏰ and made some good oatmeal banana 🍌 pancakes. I’ve finally mastered a good recipe that is absolutely delicious 😋 topped with mango and blueberries with real maple 🍁 syrup. The real stuff is so much better even if it’s slightly more calories. It’s not like I eat much meat or milk high in saturated fats these days or processed foods or added sugars so I figured I can use a little bit of natural sweetness occasionally like honey 🍯 or pure maple syrup.
Went for a five mile bike ride this morning after breakfast before showering and catching the express bus downtown. 🚲 Not so cold this morning for a change. My hands 👐 weren’t cold nor was my face. The cows 🐮 on Meads Road were up and around chewing their cud not all huddled together. 🚜 It was nice for a change. I probably would have gone for a longer ride, but time was tight as it was close to 6:50 AM when I got out riding. One thing is nice is that the mornings are a lot brighter then they were.
Today will have patchy freezing drizzle before 10am. Mostly cloudy 🌥, with a high of 33 degrees at 2pm. Typical for today. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, which became light snow by afternoon. The high last year was 41 degrees. The record high of 56 was set in 2013. 11.0 inches of snow fell back in 1966.❄
After all of it, dinner last night was good, 🐟 even if the fire alarm problem was annoying. 👩🚒 I am not sure why it’s been such a problem with the smoke detectors this winter. I got a new smoke detector hoping it would stop false alarms, 🔕 without much luck. Fresh asparagus are hard to get this time of year, but the frozen ones weren’t bad. 🎍 Looking forward to spring 🐰 when the fresh ones are more available for a reasonable price, like around Easter. 👣 Evening walk was good too. I need to get back in the habit, if my fingers are cold all of the time, 🧤 I should learn to toughen up and get better gloves. It’s not like I have as much of an opportunity to get steps in working in the suburban office, though come nicer weather when I don’t have to dress up as much, I’ll probably be back to riding back in and home from the office. I figure after President’s Day, there will be enough daylight in the evening to ride home, and that’s where the real calorie burning takes place. 🌧 With the rain and cold, I’ve really gotten out of the habit, and my stomach and face are starting to show it.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:09 pm with sun having an altitude of 29.6° from the due south horizon (-41.2° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 10.6 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 4:24 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (239°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-southwest (247°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 5:06 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 10 seconds with dusk around 5:35 pm, which is one minute and 18 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 6:10 pm. At sunset, look for mostly cloudy skies ☁ and temperatures around 32 degrees. There will be a south-southeast breeze at 7 mph. Tomorrow will have 9 hours and 59 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 18 seconds over today.
Maybe I’ve been overly cranky, but the smoke detector thing in particularly really set me off yesterday, 👩🚒 especially after such a long and difficult birthday. I am so done with winter, ready for nicer weather and longer days. At least the mornings and evenings aren’t as dark we move into February. I have a lot to look forward to once we get over the hump of winter. ⛄ I think what I really need is just more time in the wilderness. 🏕 Maybe this weekend.
Tonight will be mostly cloudy 🌥, with a low of 25 degrees at 4am. 10 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 11th. South wind around 7 mph. In 2023, we had light snow in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 18 degrees. The record low of -26 occurred back in 1948.
It’s always nice to see a bit of money in bank account 💰 before the money goes into retirement, investments, and my landlord’s slice. 🏘 My apartment is a dump but it’s affordable.
A picture perfect weekend on tap. 😎 Saturday, sunny, with a high near 35. Sunday, sunny, with a high near 35. Typical average high for the weekend is 33 degrees. I am thinking of doing an overnight in the woods this weekend, though I wish I had skis ⛷ but I should be able to ride roads if the trails have too much which they might. Kind of a birthday weekend camping adventure. ⛺ But a week late. Probably won’t head too far out of town for that. President’s Day Weekend, depending on how much snow there is, I might head up to the Adirondacks or Madison County.
As previously noted, next Tuesday is Save the Pine Bush Turns 43 🦋 when the sun will be setting at 5:16 pm with dusk at 5:44 pm. On that day in 2023, we had partly sunny and temperatures between 41 and 21 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 34 degrees. We hit a record high of 55 back in 1991.
You turn on the radio and you hear them talking about polling and interviewing young voters and you realize that they aren’t talking about you. You’re at the point of being 20 years beyond your 21st birthday and first legal drink, 23 years since high school graduation – more than half a lifetime ago.
It’s both werid and kind of odd to be getting old so quickly. To be director of a major unit in your company, to realize your only a few years away from having two decades of experience there. Finally being able to look back and see that you’ve accomplished some big things in your life. But also looking ahead at the big hill left to climb. Retirement is still at least a decade and a half away, although I doubt if I’d retire at that age I’d hardly be idle but more focused on my homestead.
One year of Mission Fifty has come and gone – only less nine years left until I turn fifty. It’s been a good year in the markets – I can be gleeful about how quickly my investments have grown. Yet I’ll also give myself some credit as I’ve kept to my investment and retirement plans, aggressively saving and investing wherever possible by keeping expenses low. I’m realistic though and realize it’s unlikely we’ll see yet another year of 24% S&P 500 growth. Feels good while it lasted.
This was the year I identified and took action on my health, loosing a lot of weight last summer though regaining a bit this past winter. But still I’ve made nutrition a top priority in my life, eating healthy food, giving up processed food, fatty cheeses and meats, and refined grains except in exceptional circumstances. I’ve made learning to cook a priority, embracing cooking delicious healthy meals the fuel my body with vitamins, protein and fiber. I measure the fruits and vegetables in the number of pounds I can eat each day. I’ve made visiting my doctor a regular priority for check ups, learning about various medical conditions, and worrying more about my health. I do piss and crap a lot more with all that water and fiber in my diet since I’ve been eating healthier.
I bought a mountain bike and ride a lot to get around town – somewhat displacing walking but also burning more calories in less time – and seeing more of the country side. I’ve gotten in the habit of going to bed by nine each night and rising by five am each morning, to cook and embrace the day. I’ve tried to build on my old walking habit in the morning and evening, though bike riding has replaced a lot of it. But I do think I’ve slid somewhat backwards lately, with the cold weather and my tendency to have always cold hands and toes, especially in the cold weather. It’s not like when I was younger, maybe I’m crazier now, maybe my gloves are more worn, or maybe I don’t have the circulation in my hands I once did due to pinched nerves due to bike riding.
