I found a screw in my driveway this morning. Fortunately not with my truck tire. I don’t think it came from those pallets I was busting up last night to burn today, still I don’t like it one bit after getting that roofing nail in my truck up at camp a few years back now.
The Friday that Starts of Memorial Day Weekend 🇺🇸
The unofficial kick-off to summer, though at 43 degrees and damp this morning in Delmar, it certainly does not feel that way. I am packing up the food and supplies, showering then off to work. I want to try to leave somewhat early, so I can get camp set up in rain, before it gets dark out.
Seems hard to believe it’s been a month since I last spent a night in wilderness, 🏕️ but so goes this year. Hopefully summer won’t pass by as quickly as these past few weeks have though it probably will. Always does, but I guess it’s one day closer to having my own land where I can have fires whenever. 🔥 Should be a nice fire tonight, even in the rain.
Need to get e-books and audio books, podcasts to listen to. As I’m not totally sure where I’ll end up camping, 📚 I want to make sure I have lots to listen and read to tomorrow, as it doesn’t look like it will be a great day for a lot of riding or hiking. Maybe good for fishing though. Better weather though for Sunday and especially Memorial Day but again fairly cool.
Looks like a rainy start to Memorial Day Weekend ahead
I was a a bit on fence about packing tonight and heading up to camp after work tomorrow. There is a good chance I’ll be setting up camp in the rain, and it could be a cold and wet night up in the woods. But I went to store this evening, got much of my gear packed, and even found some pallet wood along the road that I busted up for getting a fire started tomorrow night in the rain. I’m sure some of my neighbors thought I was nuts smashing up pallets out back with an axe but my good ol boy neighbor certainly understands. I tell you when I own my own land I will hoard pallets both for projects and to burn in bonfires. They don’t have a lot of warmth as they’re usually pine but they burn hot which is good for both starting fires and burning debris hot with less smoke.
It will be fine with the rain tomorrow, it increases the chance of getting the campsite I want. Saturday also looks a bit cold, cloudy and a bit wet, but it’s still late May and I packed the propane heater. Spend a lot of time reading, maybe some smoke some grass and a dart with a cold beer or two. Listen to some podcasts and audio books. Have some nice fires then Sunday and Monday look good. Hoping to have a campsite with enough sun exposure that I can keep the batteries charged while keeping the engine off on my truck and then Memorial Day I’ll ride a good portion of the day, before joining my parents for their Memorial Day Barbecue. With them at their age, you don’t really know if this one will be the last.
At times, when I first got behind my wheel of my truck I was a bit anxious, in part because my brakes failed on my previous truck when it was 13 years old or so on Memorial Day Weekend. But I think this year will be fine, I’ve learned a lot over the past nearly decade and half since then. Just enjoy things for the day, and I’ll have my bike if I have to leave the truck behind. And I don’t know, I’m kind of getting tired of these trips. They’re all the same, unless I can find and discover a new adventure along the way – I try to but there are only so many places locally to explore.
Things are mostly packed at this point but there are the things I need in the morning that I can’t pack until it’s almost time to go. That’s why I have the packing list. While it’s not critical to be in the office on time tomorrow morning, as after all, I’m the Director and my bosses work 5 miles up the road, I’m thinking of leaving early, and I don’t want to set any worse of an example then I normally do. I do need to get some audio books and e-books out of the library tomorrow at work, plus a bunch of podcasts. Not sure if I’ll have internet on my phone up at camp, depends where I end up staying. I am still undecided, as I really wanted to do Somerset Road FR 71, but it’s closed north of Airfield, and no way in hell I’m camping in a developed campground especially on a holiday weekend.
Well, it’s time to get some sleep, as tomorrow at this hour I’ll probably be sitting next to a campfire in the dark of the wilderness, bar of course Christmas lights and flags, listening to some music or a podcast, and maybe lighting off a few of those fireworks and sparklers for fun. Soon I’ll be able to get more at Walmart and other stores, though not in Albany County, because you know, the liberals don’t like fun.
Stratton Pond Outflow
It’s raining, I’m busing it in today ☔ 🚍
Riding to work was a lot of fun while it lasted. That said, I’m sure after the holiday weekend things will get nicer out.
So yes, the rain has arrived. ☔ I was worried I would get soaked on way home but that didn’t happen. Strangely enough though I got a leak in my rear tire of the bike literally a quarter mile from home last night and it sprayed out fix-a-flat and then it stopped leaking and the pressure is good. I think I put too much fix a flat in that tire and it rides lumpy at times, but on the other hand, when I run over something punctures it seals up quickly. Not sure what I ran over.
Busing it in today and will probably drive in tomorrow. 🚍 Looks like it not only will rain all day on and off today but also through tomorrow and pick up tomorrow evening. It gives me pause about heading up to camp after work, 🏕️ as I will be setting up in the rain though the other advantage is I probably will be able to get a campsite easier, just got to watch out for the mud. Definately going to be bringing that heater with me, as I’ll want it under the tarp on Friday night and Saturday morning. Maybe the black flies won’t be that bad. The second half of the weekend does look better though. 🌥️
I decided to do more frozen Maine wild blueberries on banana pancakes this morning, 🥞 and last night was more beans, edamane, onions, and peppers with a bit of olive oil and salt. I have some bread rising in the oven – – 🍞 I double checked to make sure the oven was off before leaving for work. Showered and off ot work on the bus. 🚿 I haven’t decided if I will go shopping tonight or just get what I need on my way to work tomorrow. I guess it depends on timing, how much I get packed tonight, and how hard it’s raining later.
Biden Has Cancer
One of the mistakes I often see people make is not knowing when their time is to leave. It can be hard when you are on the top of your game not to push for more, to walk away, especially when you think can be of greater service to your company or your country. But I see a lot of value in retirement and hanging your hat up at some point, while you still have time to seek recreational pursuits and relax in your final years. It is good to let the younger generation get a foot hold, advance new ideas and better ways of doing things.
We all become set in our ways. Even though I’m certainly not 80 years old, I often find it difficult to change new procedures in the office, when I’ve done something differently for many years. Experience is valuable, but people lose flexibility and clarity in their thinking. While I don’t think there should be a set limit to how old one can be as a political leader, it does seem like 80 years is too old. Both Biden and Trump are of an earlier generation, and hardly relevant to the concerns of today.
Ultimately, the largest tragedy has to be that Biden and Trump will never have a retirement, but worked to the end of their lives. While these elderly leaders blocked younger people from the chance to lead and change the nation for it’s better, they wasted their final years in public service. They could have been enjoying life perusing things they truly found pleasurable, rather then their occupation. Retirement is not a bad thing.
Riding my bike to work 
You know I really enjoy riding my bike to work. Not every day is beautiful weather, some days are bitterly cold and some days I get caught in the rain. Yet, it’s an enjoyable activity, a way to get in exercise while doing something necessary – commuting. And this time of year with everything so green, it’s a beautiful ride along the bike trail.