There is a lot of talk about the Trump tax code being made permanent but nothing is permanent in the law, even if there is no set out, explicit sunset date in the tax code. But it’s not permanent or necessarily long lasting.
Social security needs more money to keep paying out the promised benefits with more people retiring and costs going up in the program. While Congress can do a year by year transfer from the General Fund to cover the gap, that is not a sustainable option. They need to consider tax collections and how to get more revenue into the system.
There are many ways they could address the shortfall. Benefit cuts are possible but likely very unpopular as people have paid into the system their whole lives. A carbon tax is an option as is boosting taxes on the wealthiest individuals and corporations. Or they might choose a broader tax that taxes workers more though that would likely be the second least popular option after benefit cuts.
We know what’s in the tax levels are today. But all tax laws are subject to change based on the party in power and ultimately public opinion and the voters who elects these leaders.
It was a chilly but sunny start to independence Day 2025, felt more like a crisp autumn morning then a midsummer swelter.
Not many bugs around to start out the day with the cool dry weather but I’m sure that’s to change as the sun rises. ☀️ Cool it really feels almost more like Columbus Day or late September to start out the day.
The water in the East Canada Creek is pretty mild, at least when I stuck my hand in the Potholers yesterday. 🏊 I didn’t really go swimming yesterday as it seemed so cool for most of the day but I kind of wish I had brought my swimming trunks up to the Potholers after I went there last evening.
I kind of hung out by the fire then in the hammock until 12 AM, lazily looking at the stars ✨ but did not light off any fireworks last night. But today is Independence Day, so I’ll have to make sure to do that today. Also need to gather firewood so I can have a good fire tonight, not that last night was too bad though the wood was damp so things smoldered more yesterday then usually do on the fire night of camp.
Today I’m thinking of going on a bike road along some of the roads outside of Stratford, though that climb out of the East Canada Creek valley is a be relentless so I pause a bit on that. 🚲 Maybe I’ll just ride up to the Potholers. I definately want to use the tube some today, even if it’s cool as soon as I get out of the water. And lots more reading and thinking.
Looking for the call of the wild? This list of lakes from the NYS Rare and Endangered Species dataset lists the lakes that have been known to have loons during the summer months that you can sit down and listen to in evening making their calls.
Adirondack Lake, Amber Lake, Ampersand Lake, Arbutus Pond, Ayers Lake, Bay Pond, Bear Pond, Bear Pond Santa Clara, Beaver Lake Morehouse, Beaver Lake Watson, Beaverdam Pond Webb, Big Deer Pond, Big Moose Lake, Big Otter Lake, Black Pond Brighton, Black Pond Santa Clara, Boreas Ponds, Brandreth Lake, Bridge Brook Pond, Bubb Lake, Buckhorn Lake, Bug Lake, Canachagala Lake, Canada Lake, Cascade Lake, Cat Pond, Catlin Lake, Cedar Lakes Arietta, Cedar River Flow, Charley Pond, Chazy Lake, Chub Pond, Clear Pond Duane, Clear Pond North Hudson, Cook Pond, Copper Lake, County Line Flow, Cranberry Lake, Cranberry Pond, Crystal Lake Watson, Debar Pond, Deer Pond Minerva, Deer River Flow, Dexter Lake, Diamond Lake, Dodge Flow, Dry Channel Pond, Duck Lake, Duck Pond Franklin, Eagle Lake Hamilton, East Pond Webb, Elk Lake, Falls Lake, Ferris Lake, Flatfish Pond, Floodwood Pond Santa Clara, Follensby Clear Pond, Forked Lake, Four Brothers Islands, Francis Lake, Fulton Chain Lakes, G Lake, Garnet Lake, Gibbs Lake, Good Luck Lake, Goodnow Pond, Grampus Lake, Gray Lake, Green Pond Santa Clara, Gull Lake, Gull Pond, Handsome Pond, Henderson Lake, Hewitt Pond, Hitchins Pond, Hoel Pond, Honnedaga Lake, Horn Lake, Hornet Ponds, Horseshoe Lake Piercefield, Horseshoe Pond Santa Clara, Hunt Lake, Huntley Pond, Independence Lake, Indian Lake Indian Lake, Indian Lake Morehouse, Jabe Pond, Jenkins Pond, Jocks Pond, Jones Pond Brighton, Jordan Lake, Kennels Pond, Lake Abanakee, Lake Champlain Plattsburgh, Lake Champlain Westport, Lake Clear, Lake Clear Outlet, Lake Colby, Lake Durant, Lake Kora, Lake Kushaqua, Lake Lila, Lake Rondaxe, Limekiln Lake, Little Clear Pond, Little Green Pond, Little Long Pond Santa Clara, Little Moose Lake, Little Moose Lake Webb, Little Pond Thurman, Little Rock Pond, Little Rock Pond Webb, Little Safford Lake, Little Tupper Lake, Long Lake, Long Lake Morehouse, Long Pond Colton, Long Pond Long Lake, Long Pond Piercefield, Long Pond Santa Clara, Loon Lake, Loon Lake Franklin, Lows Lake Bog River Flow, Madawaska Pond, Mason Lake, Massawepie Lake, Mckenzie Pond, Mcrorie Lake, Middle Pond, Middle Saranac Lake, Middle Settlement Lake, Mink Pond, Minnow Pond, Moosehead Pond, Morehouse Lake, Moshier Reservoir, Moss Lake, Mount Arab Lake, Muskrat Pond, Negro Lake, Nehasane Lake, New Pond, Newcomb Lake, Nicks Lake, Nine Corner Lake, North Branch Lake, North Lake, Oliver Pond, Olmstead Pond, Oswegatchie River Reservoir, Oxbow Lake, Panther Lake Webb, Paradox Lake, Peck Lake, Pharaoh Lake, Pickwacket Pond, Piercefield Flow, Pine Lake Caroga, Pine Lake Morehouse, Plumadore Pond, Polliwog Pond Santa Clara, Putnam Pond, Pyramid Lake, Queer Lake, Ragged Lake, Rainbow Falls Reservoir, Raquette Lake, Rice Lake, Rich Lake, Rock Lake, Rock Lake Mullins Flow, Rock Pond Altamont, Round Lake, Round Lake Fine, Round Pond Indian Lake, Round Pond Long Lake, Sand Lake, Sand Lake Webb, Sand Pond North Hudson, Sand Pond Watson, Shallow Lake, Sheriff Lake, Shingle Shanty Pond, Silver Lake Clifton, Simon Pond, South Lake, South Lake Ohio, South Pond Deerland, South Pond Webb, Spectacle Lake, Spectacle Ponds Brighton, Sperry Pond, Spitfire Lake, Sprague Pond, Springhill Ponds, Spy Lake, Square Pond, Squaw Lake, St. Regis Pond, Star Lake Fine, Stark Falls Reservoir, Stephens Pond, Stillwater Reservoir, Stony Creek Ponds, Stony Pond Minerva, Sunshine Pond, Tamarack Lake, Taylor Pond Black Brook, Tenant Lake, Thayer Lake, Third Lake Essex Chain, Thirteenth Lake, Thurman Pond, Trout Pond, Trout Pond Colton, Turtle Pond Santa Clara, Twin Pond Webb, Twitchell Lake, Upper and Lower Sister Lakes, Upper Chateaugay Lake, Upper Saranac Lake, Upper Sargent Pond, Upper St. Regis Lake, Utowana Lake, Weller Pond, West Pond, Whey Pond, Whitney Lake, Wilcox Lake, Wilmurt Lake, Windover Lake, Wintergreen Lake, Witchhopple Lake, Wolf Pond Belmont, Wolf Pond Newcomb, Wolf Pond North Hudson, Woodhull Lake
Upon my first hit, not only was I hungry, I marveled at how rich the colors were around me. How soft and gentle the leaves of trees were, how beautiful the clouds were in the sky.
At the same time I was kind of disappointed especially by the long weekend’s end. The cannabis was good but ultimately most of what it did was make me a bit sleepy and unambitious, somewhat more hungry but it wasn’t earth shattering. It made me forgetful but didn’t open up any new worlds. Maybe a bit giggly or having fun singing with Puff the Magic Dragon, but it hardly made all my fears go away.
Maybe I was just oversold on the power of grass. But it was still fun to explore this legal product and celebrate freedom on this Independence Day Weekend.
While I did hit a bit rain – actually some pretty heavy rain on NY334 – this July 3rd has been nice but really a bit too cold for swimming. Just sun but cool expected through Sunday.
I was at camp by 10 am and I got the House Pond Campsite 🏕️ for the weekend, a fact I’m pretty happy about it. It’s so nice to be a short easy bike ride to the Potholers and have the swimming hole 🏊 across the road for floating and swimming. It also will nice to sit down by after dark and light off fireworks 🎆.
Spent much of the day listening Sarah Jones’ Disposableabout frontline workers 👷 during the pandemic and reading 📖 a book about Organic Farming. Smoking grass and drinking PBR and eating fried zucchini with bacon 🥓 and onions. And listening to some of the Grateful Dead and Country Joe and the Fish. 🐠 Yes, I’ve become a stoned hippie with a Don’t Tread on Me, Molon Labe and Pride Flag. 🏳️🌈
Topped off the coolant in my truck. 🛻 I had noticed a while back it was low, but ever since I last changed the coolant I’ve smelled coolant every once and a while when I use the heater. Truck is getting old, and I blame myself for not getting the coolant done at least one more time a few years back. 🔧 Somehow it got overlooked. Wasn’t a big deal, took less then a cup of coolant to get it to the fill line, but with the hot weather expeected Sunday for driving home, I didn’t want to get low. Also topped off the oil, 🛢️
In some ways with the cooler weather, I wish I had gone somewhere else in the Adirondacks not next to swimming hole. 🏊 Swimming will be great on Sunday, but today is too cold to swim, so I’ve stayed out of the water. I kind of have this idea that Independence Wild Forest would have been fun to go to this weekend, but alas I’m here. Trying to find some new, novel places to explore.
