Perkins Clearing

Not sure what to do today 💭

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Going to be a great day but I’m feeling lazy. I could go for a bike ride down through Perkins Clearing or I could go for a paddle on Indian Lake. Maybe both. But the hammock and a good book is nice too. Or sit and stream a video from the hammock. I don’t know!

Good morning! Happy Sunday. Mostly sunny ☀ and 69 degrees at the Perkins Clearing. There is a west breeze at 5 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 59 degrees.

So many options but first the morning to enjoy. 🌅 Oatmeal banana 🍌 pancakes 🥞 milled perfectly 👌 in the food processor. It worked fine with the inverter. Lazy start to the day in the hammock while I chew over my plans for the day. Going to be a hot one especially at this campsite that’s fairly high elevation. I’m leaning towards kayaking 🛶 later on this afternoon but I’m not set in stone. Floating in the Jessup River would be fun too. Or Indian Lake. I’m just worried the lake will be choppy with that breeze.

Today will be sunny 🌞, with a high of 80 degrees at 4pm. One degree above normal, which is similar to a typical day around August 31st. Maximum dew point of 61 at 2pm. West wind 5 to 8 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 83 degrees. The record high of 100 was set in 1953.

Soaked red lentils 🥞 will try again with more water 💦 to make wraps rather than pancakes with the lentils. I’ve had trouble getting them thin enough after they cook but they are so delicious and rich in stomach filling protein. 😋 There not the kind of thing you’d want with a sweet meal but with salt in the batter they are remarkably tasty. Then chicken 🐔 with zucchini and lemon spice, garlic and onions should be so delicious. Since eating healthier my camp meals 🍴 taste so much better. Food really is the key to a good life. Been reading a lot of cookbooks and things on food science and I’m learning an awful lot of interesting things. Plus this time of year the farm markets are packed with good eats. 🍆 Tonight I plan to roast egg plant over the fire 🔥.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:58 pm with sun having an altitude of 54.1° from the due south horizon (-15.8° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 4.3 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 6:54 pm with the sun in the west (275°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (281°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:32 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 59 seconds with dusk around 7:59 pm, which is one minute and 45 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 8:36 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 74 degrees. The dew point will be 61 degrees. There will be a west breeze at 6 mph. Today will have 13 hours and 9 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 52 seconds over yesterday.

Last night watched the fire tower lighting in Spectulator and explored the US 66 village that was lit up after dark. 🗼 Tried to spot Snowy Mountain off NY 30 Tonight lit up – may have hard to tell with headlights and my eyes mostly on the road watching for deer. But Makotis lighting in Spectulator was fun, big crowd there. Jessup River Road has been recently patched, it’s not to bad either on the bicycle 🚲 or driving it even after dark.

Tonight will be partly cloudy 🌤, with a low of 58 degrees at 4am. One degree above normal, which is similar to a typical night around September 2nd. Maximum dew point of 61 at 6pm. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It became sticky as the night progressed. It got down to 61 degrees. The record low of 37 occurred back in 1946.

Stayed up to midnight last night 🌕 under the moonlight which was not quite full but still very bright. By midnight things were covered with moonlight. 🎶 Some music and podcasts it was a nice relaxing evening 🌃.

As previously noted, next Sunday is 6:30 Sunrise 🌇 when the sun will be setting at 7:19 pm with dusk at 7:46 pm. Days are getting short quickly. Not really any time left for an evening bike ride but I can still walk 🚶 then g et to bed early. On that day in 2022, we had mostly sunny, patches of fog and temperatures between 83 and 56 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 77 degrees. We hit a record high of 96 back in 1931.

Marshy End of Indian Lake

For once and for all… I don’t think I’m sick or dying 😵

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I am so fucking tired of people either asking me either directly to my face if I’m sick or dying, or even worse talking behind my back asking if I’m sick and dying – because I’ve decided to learn about food and nutrition – and been making healthier choices with my meals leading to net calorie reduction and therefore weight reduction.

I concede my face is more wrinkled then before as I’ve burned some fat. Skin doesn’t tighten up instantly as one looses weight, it has to be shed and regrown – and to a certain extent will never grow to be super tight again. I’m forty and wrinkles are just part of life, especially as a person who used to be a fair amount chubbier. My face and chest are much more angular without the thick layer of fat underneath. More importantly isn’t the visual fat that has disappeared but knowing the fat in my heart muscles and other organs are fading away, my cholesterol levels are excellent, my blood sugar is back in the normal range and my BMI is now slightly below 25 in the normal healthy range. I’ve changed, my body and mind has changed I’m not who I was in my twenties and thirties.

You know it would be terribly mean to ask every fat person on you see on the street, are you sick and dying? If you see somebody has put on some pounds during the holiday season, it would be cruel to call them out and say, sorry that you are sick and dying. The truth is though they are dying, killing their bodies and their minds through an unhealthy diet. Fat kills – not only do fat people get inferior health care – they’re literally poisoning every organ in their bodies. Excessive unrefined carbs, saturated fats, sugars not from whole fruits and salt will kill you just like cigarettes will. Maybe not today but certainly tomorrow.

By no means am I crash dieting, but instead using the best research I can find to discover healthy, filling meal options. I’m not afraid to consider vegan or vegetarian recipes and pair them with a healthy source of meat. Or any other recipe considering the pros and cons of the nutrition of each food and how it goes into the overall picture. I really try to avoid processed and prepared foods including refined (white) grains and added sugars.

I went to the doctor for a physical in late May. Based on their analysis my health is now excellent for a 40 year old. I might not be an athlete but my BMI has fallen to close to 25 at that point and probably is below now though I don’t own a scale. My cholesterol, blood pressure and sugar levels are excellent. I actually kind of celebrate my trimmer more angular and wrinkled face, often with a great big grin. And if you don’t like it too bad. I think if anything I’ve reduced my chances of dying and getting sick by my healthier lifestyle.

Do I still have some health concerns? Yes, I’m still trying to figure out what a sustainable diet looks like for the future. What luxuries can I afford while remaining healthy – like that occasional ice cream parlor, beer at camp or slice of locally farmed bacon or steak. I also have an issue at times with excessive urination though I think that’s more due to the higher quantity of wet vegetables and fruits in my diet. Eat a lot of zucchini and watermelon and you can expect to pee a lot. Lots of lentils and beans makes you gassy though that problem has been reduced as my gut tract adapted. And it’s clear that like most Americans I’m exposed to toxic chemicals every day, a fact I’m not in denial about, pretending to eat organic. I’m also in that age when health issues can pop up but just because I have a great big grin and my face has gotten wrinkled from weight loss doesn’t mean I’m dying.

Rain?! ☔

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Go figure, going to rain tonight for the fire tower lighting. And I had planned to spend my evening in Spectulator to paddle, ride, watch the sunset, eat ice cream then drive to Mason Lake to see Snowy Mountain and Makotatis.

I find it hard to believe when the radio says, Good Morning it’s Saturday, September 2nd 📻

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It was a beautiful sunrise but I didn’t capture any photos though I’ll have a chance in future mornings I expect based on the forecast. Another cool, basically perfect autumn day ahead.

Good morning! Happy Saturday on this Labor Day 🧑‍🏭 weekend! Partly sunny and 48 degrees at the Perkins Clearing. There is a southwest breeze at 5 mph. 🍃.

I still can’t believe it’s Labor Day Weekend 🌅 but it’s amazing weather all weekend. Need to maximize it but first eggs for breakfast 🍳 then a ride down to Hatch Brook Falls 🚲 and then lunch. In the afternoon into the evening I’m thinking 💭 of going up to Spectulator to see the fire tower lighting, maybe some kayaking 🛶 and then watch the sun set over Lake Pleasant. 📖 Plus some time to do some reading.

Today will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 73 degrees at 3pm. Six degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 19th. Maximum dew point of 55 at 5pm. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 80 degrees. The record high of 100 was set in 1953.

Had a nice fire 🔥 last night but didn’t stay up super late. ✨ It was a starry night until the full 🌕 moon filled the sky with moon light. The nights are so much longer now come September, nine o’clock seems so much later. Where did summer go so quickly I keep asking myself?

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:58 pm with sun having an altitude of 54.4° from the due south horizon (-15.5° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 4.3 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 6:56 pm with the sun in the west (275°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (282°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:34 pm after setting for 3 minutes with dusk around 8:01 pm, which is one minute and 46 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 8:38 pm. At sunset, look for partly cloudy skies 🌃 and temperatures around 67 degrees. The dew point will be 56 degrees. There will be a west-southwest breeze at 9 mph. Today will have 13 hours and 12 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 53 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will have a slight chance of showers before 10pm. Partly cloudy 🌃, with a low of 56 degrees at 6am. One degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around September 6th. Maximum dew point of 57 at 9pm. Southwest wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. 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 56 degrees. The record low of 39 occurred back in 1976.

Looking ahead, there are 9 weeks until Daylight Savings Time Ends 🛥️ when the sun will be setting at 5:46 pm with dusk at 6:15 pm. On that day in 2022, we had sunny, warm and temperatures between 71 and 46 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 54 degrees. We hit a record high of 76 back in 1994.

Gray Evening at the Marsh