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 not expected to last but I think it’s warm enough that I can leave the heat off until I get home after work.
Mostly cloudy and 45 degrees in Delmar, NY. 🌥 There is a west-northwest breeze at 14 mph. 🍃 with gusts up to 31 mph 💨💨💨. Temperatures will drop below freezing at around 11 pm. ☃️
Yesterdaywasn’t a half bad day though it rained hard in the afternoon. ☔ In the morning though wasn’t too bad, hiked around the town park 🏞 and then up Bennett Hill. 🍲Went out and saw the folks, came home 🏡 and read for a a bit and explored some code. Lately I’ve been doing more analysis of the National Land Data Cover dataset with R. Some neat things you can do in code.
In addition, I’ve been doing a lot of listening 👂 to the marathon length Free Code Camp videos. 🖥 While despite all the ads I now see on the internet for paid college 🎓 classes, I’m mostly interested in learning just some theoretical and formal stuff I don’t already know from learning by doing. There are some free online classes on their website, where you can get a free certificate, I might do some of them. And also look around for online lectures. Not formal classes, but things I can listen to and learn. 👨🏫
I did that Free GIS course last spring 🗺 and it was fine but a lot of work doing shit I already knew. The idea 💡 of going back to school for a formal education program that I pay for and then doing unpaid homework assignments just seems kind of revolting to me. 🤮 I like learning but formal education really doesn’t interest me at this point. Maybe a trade class like welding, 🥽 wiring 🚧 or truck driving 🚚 but not computers. But not sitting in a classroom then going home and doing homework. Plus I just find online learning to be so weird.
Rain, mainly after 1pm. High near 50. South wind 6 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
and
50 degrees
,
4:26 sunset.
Tonight. Feels like … October 18th.
Rain before 2am, then a slight chance of showers between 2am and 4am. Low around 40. South wind 10 to 16 mph becoming west after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
and
40 degrees
,
7:00 sunrise.
Monday. Feels like … November 23rd.
A slight chance of showers between 9am and 1pm. Mostly cloudy.
Northwest wind 13 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
and
46 degrees
,
4:25 sunset.
Monday Night. Feels like … December 7th.
Partly cloudy.
Northwest wind 3 to 8 mph.
and
25 degrees
,
7:02 sunrise.
Tuesday. Feels like … December 3rd.
Partly sunny.
Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
and
42 degrees
,
4:25 sunset.
Tuesday Night. Feels like … November 17th.
Mostly cloudy.
and
31 degrees
,
7:03 sunrise.
Wednesday. Feels like … November 1st.
Showers, mainly after 1pm. High near 55. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Only saw a few glimpse of the colorful sunrise before my morning walk. Didn’t last long, it’s rather cloudy now.
Mostly cloudy and 35 degrees at the Elm Avenue Town Park. ☁ There is a south-southeast breeze at 6 mph. 🍃. Temperatures will drop below freezing at tomorrow around 11 pm. ☃️
Yesterday I walked seventeen miles 🚶, doing roughly 34,000 steps. 👣 Not too bad. It was a nice day and wanted to spend as much time outdoors as possible without driving anywhere. Hiked down to the Normans Kill Falls and South Pearl on the rail trail then Five Rivers via Van Dyke – Meads Lane and the Fisher Trail to Fisher Boulevard. I don’t mind not walking on the narrow shoulders of NY 443. Then did an evening walk on the super block around the High School. 🚸
This morning 🌅 did my morning walk 🚶 and now spending some time at the town park 🏞. Going to hike Bennett Hill later I think than go out to my parents house for Sunday dinner 🍲 and then head home. Heavy rain ☔ expected later so I want to be home before dark.
Today was Buy Nothing Day. The idea is to protest the grotesque displays of consumerism that surround the biggest holiday shopping day of the year. I’ve never been much into holiday shopping, what I will do instead is usually do a donation in someone’s name to the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy or other conservation-minded organization as a holiday gift.
I am not against Black Friday per se. I did take advantage of the holiday to get some deals on my most recent laptop, which I use for work and play. But I ordered it online, and picked it up on the Black Friday at an off-hour, not waiting in line. I think it’s a good day to buy things if you have been planning to get them, regardless of the sales. Most sales are pretty silly to get you in the store, but it’s a not bad thing to save a little money.
I do think frivolous consumption is a terrible waste of resources. Gifting always seems a bit off – maybe it’s a nice gesture – but people rarely are happy with the gifts they get for long. Supporting conservation is a much better gift, as it’s something that people can enjoy for generations to come. Honestly, I don’t like anything that comes in wrapping paper or is over-packaged, I have enough “stuff”, I don’t need any more.
Thinking about taking a personal day on Tuesday to do personal things, but I’m not quite sure what those personal things are yet. But I have some time to use up, and the weather looks nice. Really are getting to the shortest time of the year now, with the later and later sunsets and sunrises.
Today. Feels like … November 11th.
Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny.
West wind 11 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.
and
51 degrees
,
4:26 sunset.
Tonight. Feels like … November 20th.
Increasing clouds.
Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm after midnight.
and
30 degrees
,
6:59 sunrise.
Sunday. Feels like … November 16th.
A chance of rain before 2pm, then showers between 2pm and 3pm, then rain after 3pm. High near 49. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
and
49 degrees
,
4:26 sunset.
Sunday Night. Feels like … October 15th.
Rain before midnight, then showers likely, mainly between midnight and 1am. Low around 41. South wind 11 to 15 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
and
41 degrees
,
7:01 sunrise.
Monday. Feels like … November 23rd.
A slight chance of showers before 1pm. Mostly cloudy.
Northwest wind around 13 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
and
46 degrees
,
4:25 sunset.
Monday Night. Feels like … November 30th.
Partly cloudy.
and
27 degrees
,
7:02 sunrise.
Tuesday. Feels like … November 28th.
Mostly sunny.
and
44 degrees
,
4:25 sunset.
Tuesday Night. Feels like … November 13th.
Mostly cloudy.
and
32 degrees
,
7:03 sunrise.
Wednesday. Feels like … November 3rd.
Showers, mainly after 1pm. High near 54. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
and
54 degrees
,
4:25 sunset.
Wednesday Night. Feels like … November 7th.
Rain showers likely before 5am, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy.
Good morning! Mild and increasingly nice day ahead but breezy 🌤
That’s a nice change as yesterday was really cold and wet. I stayed home, didn’t go anywhere, spending a lot of time reading and learning about more advanced computer science techniques I didn’t know about before. I also finished a book about managing forests for maximum habitat value as a land owner and spent some time flipping through Zillow.
Mostly cloudy and 37 degrees in Delmar. ☁ Breezy, ️16 mph breeze from the west-northwest 🌬 . Temperatures will drop below freezing at tomorrow around 2 am. ☃️
I was thinking about heading up to Vischer Ferry Preserve 🐦 and going for a hike up there but changed my mind after deciding that I didn’t want to use the gas, especially when there are places I can walk to locally. Plus it gets dark so early these days, and it’s going to be windy. I do want to get up there, maybe next week after the Save the Pine Bush Hike, assuming I don’t decide to go to the Adirondacks that afternoon. A lot depends on the weather, and whether or not I have jury duty next Monday. I’m on call, but who knows if I’ll actually get called this week, as the term lasts for four weeks, and can be called for any of those weeks in December.
Instead I decided to go down to the Norman’s Kill Falls 🚶 on the rail trail 🚂 for a change as I’m a bit tired of Five Rivers but I didn’t want to drive anywhere. Sometimes I like simple things that don’t cost anything but let me get my steps 👣 in for the day. The gorge is always nice to see and it’s fairly protected from the wind.
I probably would have been more optimistic about going out further, 📉 but I looked at my stock portfolio this morning, and decided now is not the time to be burning up gas, ⛽ but instead investing, as it’s been a bad year on the market, though I have to say a few times I did play it well, though I’m still down a lot from a year ago, despite putting a lot more money in. Now is the time to invest, I tell myself, as everything is on sale, especially the stocks and bonds that I bought in September. 🤑 I am happy with that decision, but only tomorrow will decide how things will work out.
I thought about ending my CD and putting it into savings in case I need a new truck or car next year, 🛻 but I decided to see if I can get another year out of Red. Worse comes to worse, I break the CD, it’s only a 1-year CD and it’s only 3 months interest lost on the amount you with withdraw, not the full balance. 🚗 I have enough cash reserves, I won’t need that much from the CD, especially if I don’t get a big fancy truck like I have. Plus I drive so little these days, I’m hoping to limp Big Red along for another year. It’s not that old.
