I’m hoping that next weekend ends the drought of trips out of town. It’s been tough with the weather and my search for a bicycle. But also there is a darker truth – I don’t enjoy camping as much as I once did, especially those shorter trips with the longer drives – now that I’m in my forties.
It’s just a lot of work to pack, drive out of town to set up camp for one or two nights. It’s gotten more and more expensive with inflation, namely food and fuel prices. But also I find it harder and harder to find new and novel places relatively close to home to explore. It’s boring to do the same trip over and over again, I get little out of it.
Vacation is in two weeks. I am really hopeful to take delivery of my mountain bike soon. I will be at the shop that was supposed to be assembling my bicycle on Saturday to get a status update and find alternative plans as necessary, such as ordering at a different shop. And I might get out next weekend for a long weekend, depending on the weather.
Still, I want to get up to the Potholers at least a few more times before it gets cold out in mid-to-late September, likewise I would like to swim at the Mine Kill Pool a few times before it closes in seven weeks after Labor Day Weekend. With two weekend allocated to summer vacation that last and first week of August, Labor Day Weekend will be here before you know it.
Labor Day Weekend I am still thinking about Speculator Tree Farm, namely Hardwood Hill if I can get and riding around the Tree Farm, and doing some paddling in Lake Pleasant. Later in September, I would like to get out to Charles Baker State Forest to ride the many forest roads there, and paddle Nine Mile Swamp in Hamilton which I haven’t done in years.
Later in the autumn, I am still thinking about a trip up to the Black River Valley, and maybe a trip to North-Central PA to ride in the Grand Canyon / Pine Creek Gorge trail which could be combined with a trip to the Finger Lakes National Forest or Allegheny National Forest. Maybe camp at Burnt-Rossman around Columbus Day Weekend. so I could ride those roads and do more of the Catskill Scenic Trail once the leafs start to pop.
And also maybe a trip to Cazenovia / Stoney Pond to camp there after it’s open without reservation in the autumn after the crowds are gone for the season. That could be a good one for November or early December if the snow holds off. Then a December trip to NY 8 – East Branch to close out the year.
Rensselearville State Forest remains a good option for autumn camping and or even winter camping once hunting season is done. But I’d rather go other places a little farther from home, though it sure is convenient and easy to get a campsite in the winter. Plus that road is plowed year round. The dirt roads for the most part would be good on the mountain bike, and I wouldn’t mind exploring the OSI parcel further, especially after a good cold snap when the ticks aren’t so bad.
My corner office is on the north-east side of Smith Building downtown. In June and July for much of the work day, the sun radiates into my office necessitating the window shades be closed, especially on hot days. But come later in July, heading into August by mid-day the sun is far enough to the south and west, that on cooler days, I can have the window shades open and a cool blue light coats the the office as I rarely use the overhead lights. Come September and especially in October and November, I will have to use my desk lamp more, especially as the time change approaches.
Moss Lake is a pond located between Big Moose and Inlet, outside of Old Forge in the Western Adirondacks. While I didn't have much luck fishing on this hot summer mid-day, 🎣 it was nice to explore this lake by boat, and soak up some of the sun.
For the first time in a while I sat out back until late into the evening. After a hot day it was a very pleasant evening. Today is more cloudy and humid, a lot of rain is on tap for the next few days.
Good morning! Happy Sunday. Clouds and 70 degrees in Delmar for the morning walk out to Five. ☁ Calm wind. The dew point is 68 degrees. The skies will clear Tuesday around 2 am. But first, 4-6 inches of rain. ☔ Best to get my steps in early. 👣
Walking 🚶 out to Five Rivers Environmental Education Center which may be one of the last times in the near future. Bicycling will be so much quicker, even if I take the long way to avoid traffic and hills. This morning to change it up, heading out Fisher Boulevard and will walk back Delaware Ave, though that way is a bit more narrow. Already when the sun is out I’m feeling the humidity. 😰 Really dripping in that sweat.
Today will have a chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2pm, then rain and thunderstorms likely between 2pm and 5pm, then rain likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 5pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Mostly cloudy 🌧, with a high of 81 degrees at 3pm. Three degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around June 23rd. Maximum dew point of 72 at 11am. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 80 degrees. The record high of 103 was set in 1936.
After I do my walk 🚶 I’ll probably cook up the chicken 🐔 for the week and lunch. Hot day for turning on the oven but I figure I’ll take a cold shower after cooking and then I’m heading out to the folks house in the evening which with the rain should give time for everything to cool down. 🍲 Home cooked chicken breast are so much healthier than the frozen ones and I can refreeze them. Also will toast the remaining chickpeas I have soaked. 🍘
Solar noon 🌞 is at 1:01 pm with sun having an altitude of 69.8° from the due south horizon (-1.1° vs. 6/21). The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:53 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (295°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (302°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:36 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 25 seconds with dusk around 9:09 pm, which is 25 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:54 pm. At sunset, look for rain 🌧 and thunderstorms 🌩 and temperatures around 69 degrees. The dew point will be 69 degrees. There will be a west-northwest breeze at 6 mph. Today will have 15 hours and 11 minutes of daytime, a decrease of one minute and 8 seconds over yesterday.
Yesterday besides getting a bicycle 🚲 and going shopping 🛒 it was a very hot and humid kind of quiet day. Besides the morning walk around the park I ended going back to the town park 🏞 to watch the sun set and went to the library 📚 for a few hours to heat the heat. I thought about plinking down the seven or eight bucks to swim in the town park pool 🏊♂️ but being do hot and humid you never know when a thunderstorm ⛈ would come rolling through. One clap of thunder and the pool closes for a half hour. 💸 I tried making hummus and that was a disaster after buying expensive Tanani sauce. I paid good money for the ingredients, I’m going to have to try again. 😖
Tonight will rain and possibly a thunderstorm before 8pm, then rain and thunderstorms between 8pm and 11pm, then rain and possibly a thunderstorm after 11pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. 🌧 Low of 66 degrees at 12am. Four degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 70 at 6pm. 🏖️ West wind around 6 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies. It got down to 52 degrees. The record low of 47 occurred back in 1963.
Looking, next Sunday is Last Sunset After 8:30 PM 🌆 with dusk at 9:04 pm. On that day in 2022, we had a rather hot day, that was mostly sunny and temperatures between 88 and 60 degrees. Did I spend it at the Potholers? Yes. Typically, the high temperature is 84 degrees. We hit a record high of 97 back in 1900.
