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.
I am little troubled by the notion of “rooting out extremists from the military” … 🪖
It’s all the fault of the bad dudes, as former President Trump once said about migrants trying to cross the border. Then there was George W. Bush who liked to talk about the “evil doers” that are out to do in our country. We want to believe they are different from the rest of us.
The problem with bad dudes and evil doers is they don’t really exist. They are just ordinary people, who go on to commit infamous acts of crime or violence. They are the product of bad socialization, not enough positive reinforcement and mixing with people who are of difference class, creed, race and background.
If you want to fix extremism, you need to emphasize diversity and learning. People need to become less afraid of people who are different from them. Racism and biogtry isn’t rooted in bad thought or bad people, it’s rooted in a lack of understanding and acceptance of people that live very different lives then they do. We much as a society share different experiences, increase learning and respect of people who are different then ourselves.
Rooting out bigotry and hatred doesn’t work by excluding people you have decided are evil. The opposite is true – we need to ensure all of our institutions are inclusive, learning places were people of all backgrounds are accepted and there is learning from one and another.
Good morning! Happy Saturday on this Martin Luther King 👑 weekend. Overcast and 25 degrees in Delmar. ☁ There is a north breeze at 10 mph. 🍃. Things will start to thaw out at tomorrow around 1 pm. 🌡️
Today will cloudy with more sun later 🌥, with a high of 33 degrees at 12pm. Typical for today. North wind around 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. A year ago, we had cloudy skies in the morning with more sun in the afternoon. The high last year was 32 degrees. The record high of 66 was set in 1932. 9.0 inches of snow fell back in 1999.❄
Getting ready to head out of town. 📦 Just a lot of packing and picking up things, though honestly for two nights it isn’t that much stuff I need especially as there isn’t much snow around. I’ll bring the shovel just in case but I’m not expecting a lot.
I really have mixed emotions about it all. 🛻 It looks like a cold winters day 🌬️ though the weekend will improve as it goes on. I don’t enjoy camping and traveling the way I once did, I have more and more anxiety about driving. But on the other hand, I do look forward to the open country 🐄 and the rural landscape, and the fire 🔥 once its going and a nice warm dinner. Then hiking the truck trails tomorrow will be nice. But it’s also a lot of money I don’t have though I’m sure it will work out as my tank is still mostly full on my truck and I don’t need that much in groceries and supplies. Part of Mission Fifty is figuring out what is next, I’m not sure I want to keep doing the things in my forties that I found fun in my twenties and thirties.
Got to check ☑ the oil 🛢 and load up the truck. Double check my packing list. Go through a second time and hopefully be on the road a little after 9:30 as I need to get groceries and supplies on my way out and want plenty of time to set up, gather firewood and maybe go for a walk before dark. ⛺
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:05 pm with sun having an altitude of 26.1° from the due south horizon (-44.8° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 12.3 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 4:02 pm with the sun in the southwest (234°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-southwest (241°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 4:46 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 19 seconds with dusk around 5:16 pm, which is one minute and 9 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 5:52 pm. At sunset, look for mostly cloudy skies ☁ and temperatures around 31 degrees. There will be a north breeze at 10 mph. Today will have 9 hours and 27 minutes of daytime, an increase of one minute and 36 seconds over yesterday.
Tonight will be mostly cloudy 🌥, with a low of 21 degrees at 6am. Five degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around February 26th. Maximum wind chill around 15 at 12am; North wind 11 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became mist by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 19 degrees. The record low of -20 occurred back in 1957.
I was looking at my paystub 🎫 and I noticed that they are taking out more for deferred comp now that the federal limit has been raised. It’s good, in the sense that I’m saving more money for retirement though it also means that I have less for today, saving and investing. But it’s pre-tax, so it’s saving money living in a high tax state like this is good. Plus there are years of dividends and market growth ahead. But it still feels like I’m getting squeezed yet another way. 🎐
Looking ahead, there are 4 weeks until Don’t Cry over Spilled Milk Day 🥛 when the sun will be setting at 5:23 pm with dusk at 5:50 pm. On that day in 2022, we had partly cloudy, snow showers and temperatures between 26 and 12 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 35 degrees. We hit a record high of 59 back in 1981.
Good evening! Cloudy and 33 degrees for the evening walk in Delmar. ☁ There is a northwest breeze at 10 mph. 🍃. The skies will clear Sunday around 4 am.
Survived Friday the 13th 👻 though I hardly noticed it. Busy at the end of the day. Rain stopped fairly early, got in 18k steps or eight miles for the day.
The work week has come and gone, 💼 it’s a three day weekend ahead. I won’t say it was an exceptional week but busy though most days I got home at the normal time. Thursday was wet. Friday morning at work was quiet for a while than it got busy.
Just out for the evening walk 🚶 after doing some cleaning and packing around the apartment. Toilet 🚽 needed a good scrub, as did the sink, counter tops and kitchen floor. I’m dirty, everything I own is dirty and worn but I kind of like the life. Maybe that’s why I idolize farming so much, especially the ramshackle, rundown farms in the hills. 🐐 Maybe tomorrow when I get out of town I can see some of them.
Getting ready to head out of town for a few nights of winter camping and hiking. ⛺ I still haven’t fully decided how far I want to head from home. Tomorrow night will be cold but Sunday and Kings day pretty nice. I’ll bring the microspikes but won’t need the skis due to a lack of snow basically everywhere except for the Adirondacks.
I’m just happy 😊 to be getting away. I just feel so trapped living in the city. Earlier in the week, one of colleagues from high school wanted to know when I planned to move back into the hills. ⛰ It’s a question I ask myself a lot. At the same time I keep hearing stories about people falling over and dying from heart attacks in their 40s and 50s.
Tonight will be cloudy ☁, with a low of 27 degrees at 5am. 11 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 18th. North wind around 10 mph. In 2022, we had cloudy skies. It got down to 6 degrees. The record low of -24 occurred back in 1957.
Tonight will have a Last Quarter 🌗 Moon with 59% illuminated. The moon will rise at 11:34 pm. The darkest hour is at 12:05 am, followed by dawn at 6:53 am, and sun starting to rise at 7:24 am in the east-southeast (119°) and last for 3 minutes and 19 seconds. Sunrise is 23 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌄 The golden hour ends at 8:09 am with sun in the southeast (127°).Tonight will have 14 hours and 35 minutes of darkness, a decrease of one minute and 33 seconds over last night.
Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy 🌥, with a high of 33 degrees at 2pm. Typical for this time of year. North wind 10 to 13 mph. A year ago, we had cloudy skies. The high last year was 32 degrees. The record high of 66 was set in 1932. 9.0 inches of snow fell back in 1999.❄
I keep thinking about Mission Fifty, 🤔 and thinking who I want to be in ten years. 🔟 I often always took the easy way out, the slow and steady path. 🐢 I have the corner office, the desk in a private office with the brass lamp that overlooks the Capitol and the Hudson River and several garbage dumps and smoke stacks. But there is still so much wild country out there I’ve never explored. Maybe though I’m waiting too long to take the next step. But if I keep walking 🚶, try to eat healthier and save more 💵 I can build a better tomorrow.
In four weeks on February 10 the sun will be setting in the west-southwest (251°) at 5:21 pm,🌄 which is 35 minutes and 33 seconds later then tonight. In 2021 on that day, we had partly cloudy, snow showers and temperatures between 25 and 12 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 35 and 16 degrees. The record high of 53 degrees was set back in 1955.
Looking ahead, tommorow is , Clean Your Computer Day 🧹 is in 4 weeks, 5:30 PM Sunset 🌇 is in 5 weeks, 5:30 PM Sunset 🌇 is in 5 weeks, St. Patrick’s Day 🍀 is in 9 weeks, 7:30 PM Sunset 🌇 is in 12 weeks, Cinco de Mayo 🤠 is in 16 weeks, National Nude Day 👱 is in 26 weeks, Average High 70 🎑 is in 33 weeks, September 🍎 is in 33 weeks, Labor Day Weekend Begins 👨🏭 is in 33 weeks, Autumn 🍂 is in 36 weeks, Average Night Below Freezing 🌌 is in 10 months, Buy Nothing Day 🛍️ is in 45 weeks, December 🎄 is in 46 weeks, Bill of Rights Day 📜 is in 48 weeks and Days are Getting Longer ☀️ is in 49 weeks.
Good morning! Happy Friday the 13th 🦹on this Make Your Dream Come TrueDay. 🚜. Honestly I think superstitions can be kind of silly, but I believe in power of compounding and dividends produced over time. ⌚ Everything done today can lead to a better future 🔮 if you so choose. You can’t change the past or even the world 🌎 but you can change yourself and future.
Rain showers and 38 degrees at the Elm Ave Park and Ride. ☔ There is a southwest breeze at 5 mph. 🍃. Temperatures will drop below freezing at around 9 pm. ☃️
Not a real soaking rain 🌧️ but I decided to skip the 6:45 am morning walk 🚶 in favor of catching the earlier express bus 🚍 downtown and walking inside the Concourse with the muzzle on. 😷 Last night was also raining so I stayed home 🏡 but I got my steps 👣 in earlier in the day. That said I’m thinking about increasing my steps goal 🥅 as most days I’m exceeding the goal.
Today will have a chance of rain before 4pm, then a slight chance of showers after 4pm. Cloudy 🌧, with a high of 43 degrees at 10am. 10 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around March 9th. Southwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. A year ago, we had cloudy skies. The high last year was 39 degrees. The record high of 71 was set in 1932. 13.1 inches of snow fell back in 1964.❄
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:05 pm with sun having an altitude of 25.9° from the due south horizon (-44.9° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 12.4 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 4:01 pm with the sun in the southwest (233°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-southwest (241°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 4:45 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 20 seconds with dusk around 5:15 pm, which is one minute and 8 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 5:51 pm. Maybe not today though. At sunset, look for rain 🌧 and temperatures around 37 degrees. There will be a northwest breeze at 9 mph with gusts up to 20mph. Today will have 9 hours and 24 minutes of daytime, an increase of one minute and 30 seconds over yesterday.
I was hoping my December electric bill would be under $100 ⚡ but ultimately it came out to be $101. I forget how cold it was right before Christmas and on the holiday, even though we had that week when I had the heat off. I’m trying to save where I can but it’s hard, especially with inflation and higher energy prices. I guess it’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things but I hate to waste energy.
Tonight will have a chance of rain and snow showers before 7pm, then a chance of snow showers between 7pm and 2am. Cloudy 🌧, with a low of 27 degrees at 5am. 11 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 18th. North wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. In 2022, we had cloudy skies. It got down to 6 degrees. The record low of -24 occurred back in 1957.
Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy 🌥, with a high of 33 degrees at 1pm. Typical for Tomorrow. North wind around 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. A year ago, we had cloudy skies. The high last year was 32 degrees. The record high of 66 was set in 1932. 9.0 inches of snow fell back in 1999.❄
Then for Sunday, sunny, with a high near 34. ☀ North wind 10 to 13 mph. Typical average high for the weekend is 33 degrees.
Martin Luther King Day looks to be another winner ☀ with a high around 38. Not bad for January at any rate. Still a few weeks off until January.
Should be a good weekend for getting out of town 🌲 but the question on my mind is how far I want to go from. Not a lot of snow around but Saturday is going to be really cold ❄.
Looking ahead, there are 4 weeks until Clean Your Computer Day 🧹 when the sun will be setting at 5:21 pm with dusk at 5:49 pm. On that day in 2022, we had partly cloudy, snow showers and temperatures between 25 and 12 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 35 degrees. We hit a record high of 53 back in 1955.
Good morning! Dark and cloudy at the freezing point for my morning. ☁ Damp with coming rain showers. ☔ There is a south-southeast breeze at 7 mph. 🍃. Probably the darkest morning I can remember for the morning walk except for Election Day last year when I was up early to see the lunar eclipse.
Out for the morning walk 🚶 on this dark morning. I think part of the reason it’s so dark out is I’m actually on time ⌚ for once for the walk. I was running slow getting up and had a quick breakfast which helped. At the end of the day yesterday I ended up with 19,500 steps or about nine miles which isn’t bad for a weekday. 👣 My goal these days is walk an average of seven miles a day or fifty miles a week.
Today will rain and snow likely before 1pm, then a chance of rain after 2pm. Cloudy 🌧, with a high of 42 degrees at 4pm. Already a few flurries around. Nine degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around March 6th. South wind 7 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, remaining cloudy in the afternoon. The high last year was 31 degrees. The record high of 67 was set in 2020. 12.8 inches of snow fell back in 2011.❄
Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:04 pm with sun having an altitude of 25.7° from the due south horizon (-45.1° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 12.5 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 3:59 pm with the sun in the southwest (233°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-southwest (241°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 4:44 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 20 seconds with dusk around 5:14 pm, which is one minute and 6 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 5:50 pm. At sunset, look for rain 🌧 and temperatures around 41 degrees. There will be a south-southeast breeze at 10 mph with gusts up to 21mph. Tomorrow will have 9 hours and 24 minutes of daytime, an increase of one minute and 31 seconds over today.
Tonight will rain.🌧️ Temperature rising to around 49 by 5am. South wind 7 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 25 degrees. The record low of -18 occurred back in 1968.
I’ve been noticing that the solar isn’t charging the batteries 🔋 as well on my truck as it should. It might be the cloudy weather but from the meter it looks like I have a phantom 👻 load somewhere. Panel itself is sending quite a bit of power to the batteries – a few kilowatt hours since camping in December but it seems like the batteries are always a bit low.
Coldstart to the Kings 👑 weekend but improving as the days go on. Saturday, mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. Northwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Sunday, sunny, with a high near 35. Dirty eight and sunny for Martin Luther King Day. Typical average high for the weekend is 33 degrees.
As previously noted, there are 3 weeks until Ground Hog Day 🐻 when the sun will be setting at 5:11 pm with dusk at 5:39 pm. On that day in 2022, we had snow, mostly cloudy and temperatures between 27 and 20 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 33 degrees. We hit a record high of 53 back in 1981.
Good evening! Partly clear and 29 degrees in Delmar. 🌃 There is a southeast breeze at 6 mph. 🍃. Things will start to thaw out at tomorrow around 10 am.
Out for the evening walk 🚶 after going to the laundromat. 👚 It took a lot longer than I thought, I almost feel like I put in two much soap. I brought my laptop 💻 but I was too fried after the day at work to do anything but scroll 📜 through the YouTube and social media. And then I posted my thoughts about the gas stove ban silliness. But now is the time to take action climate change or it’s never going to happen. 🌎
It’s just been really busy at work lately. 💼 Just a ton of rush projects and maybe I’ve been super aggressive at grabbing whatever is at the top of the que and making sure work gets done and done well. I thought December was busy but this month has proven even busier.
Tonight will be cloudy ☁, with a low of 28 degrees at 8pm. 12 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 21st. Maximum wind chill around 23 at 8pm; Southeast wind 6 to 8 mph. 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 6 degrees. The record low of -26 occurred back in 1968.
Tonight will have a Waining Gibbous 🌖 Moon with 77% illuminated. The moon will rise at 9:23 pm. The Wolf 🐺 Moon is on Friday, January 27. The darkest hour is at 12:04 am, followed by dawn at 6:54 am, and sun starting to rise at 7:25 am in the east-southeast (120°) and last for 3 minutes and 21 seconds. Sunrise is 18 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌄 The golden hour ends at 8:10 am with sun in the southeast (127°).Tonight will have 14 hours and 38 minutes of darkness, a decrease of one minute and 25 seconds over last night.
Tomorrow will have a chance of snow before 11am, then a chance of rain and sleet between 11am and noon, then rain likely after noon. Cloudy 🌧, with a high of 38 degrees at 2pm. Five degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around February 21st. Southeast wind 7 to 9 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 31 degrees. The record high of 67 was set in 2020. 12.8 inches of snow fell back in 2011.❄
Sounds like an awesome day tomorrow. As long as I get my steps 👣 in what do I care I live in the city. It rains and snows and is generally sloppy in the city these days.🌨️ Winter isn’t what it once was.
That said I’m excited about getting out of town this weekend. 🌲Going to be cold but good weather Saturday for getting out of town. Need to check the oil on the truck but other than that it seems like it will be a good weekend.
In four weeks on February 8 the sun will be setting in the west-southwest (250°) at 5:19 pm,🌄 which is 35 minutes and 10 seconds later then tonight. In 2021 on that day, we had mostly sunny and temperatures between 23 and 9 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 34 and 16 degrees. The record high of 52 degrees was set back in 1925.
Looking ahead, Winnie the Pooh Day 🍯 is Next Wednesday, 5 PM Sunset 🌇 is Next Wednesday, 5:30 PM Dusk 🌆 is Next Wednesday, February 🌧 is in 3 weeks, Don’t Cry over Spilled Milk Day 🥛 is a month away, March 🌨 is in 7 weeks, Ides of March ✝ is in 9 weeks, Average High is 70 🐮 is in 17 weeks, Pack Rat Day 🐀 is in 18 weeks, Fathers Day 👨 is in 5 months, Summer ️⛱️ is in 23 weeks, Hottest Time of the Year 😅 is in 25 weeks, Dog Days of Summer 🌻 is in 25 weeks, World Population Day 👩👩👧👧 is in 6 months, Average High Falls To 79 ️Degrees ⛱️️️ is in 33 weeks, September 11th 🇺🇸 is in 8 months, More Night then Day 🌌 is in 37 weeks, Last Sunset After 6:30 PM 🌆 is in 38 weeks, Average High is 55 🍂 is in 42 weeks, November 🥧 is in 42 weeks, Day After Election Day 🛀 is in 43 weeks, Veterans Day 🇺🇸 is in 10 months and Saint Nicholas Day 🎅 is in 47 weeks.
I am digging the thought of summer in 23 weeks and the Potholers once again. ⛺ Or maybe just a weekend at the House Pond Campsite. Though I kind of wish for something new for a change but what it will be that I do not know. I’m just so tired of the ordinary.
