Stewart’s

April 11, 2023 Morning

Twenty thousand steps later and it’s a Tuesday πŸ‘£

It got dark and I was tired and stopped at 9.9 miles which is so close but not ten miles.

Good morning! Happy Tuesday. Partly cloudy β›… and 38 degrees in the Delmar for the morning walk. Calm wind.

Thinking about cooking up some barley 🌾 for breakfast this morning for something different. Rice, shrimp and stir fry vegetables for dinner tonight I’m making – from ingredients without all the added salt and sugar. Always trying to find healthy new foods to eat to add variety and nutrition.

Today will be partly sunny 🌞, with a high of 70 degrees at 3pm. 13 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around May 10th. Light and variable wind becoming west 9 to 14 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies. The high last year was 61 degrees. The record high of 87 was set in 2017. 1.7 inches of snow fell back in 1942.❄

The service is done on my truck πŸ”§ but I had a meeting on Monday afternoon so I’m picking it up today before work. I think I’ll take th local 🚍 in after that, maybe from the Delaware Park and Ride, so I can get tofu for use in meals later in the week.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:57 pm with sun having an altitude of 55.6Β° from the due south horizon (-15.2Β° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 4.1 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour πŸ… starts at 6:55 pm with the sun in the west (276Β°). πŸ“Έ

The sunset is in the west-northwest (282Β°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:32 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 57 seconds with dusk around 8:01 pm, which is one minute and 9 seconds later than yesterday. πŸŒ‡ The best time to look at the stars is after 8:36 pm. At sunset, look for mostly cloudy skies ☁ and temperatures around 66 degrees. Breezy, 16 mph breeze β›… from the west-southwest with gusts up to 34mph. Today will have 13 hours and 14 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 49 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will be mostly cloudy πŸŒ₯, with a low of 49 degrees at 6am. 13 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around May 17th. Breezy, with a west wind 14 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. In 2022, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 44 degrees. The record low of 13 occurred back in 1874.

Weekend continues to look mild and fairly spring if not summer like. 🌸 Saturday, partly sunny, with a high near 78. Maximum dew point of 52 at 11am. Sunday, a chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 74. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Maximum dew point of 53 at 10am. Typical average high for the weekend is 59 degrees. Closer to normal for next week.

I’m thinking Blodgett Hill this weekend 🚢 for another 20 mile hike but it depends on the weather forecast and how I’m feeling. It’s a pretty good hike.

There are 2 months until Fathers Day πŸ‘¨ when the sun will be setting at 8:34 pm with dusk at 9:07 pm. The average high temperature is 34 degrees, with a record high of 61 in 1895.

Harvey Mountain

Weather Update – April 5, 2023

I’d say the green up hits Albany next week 🌸

It’s already marching towards New York City having covered much of New Jersey from latest satellite imagery. Going to be nice, though Good Friday looks cold. ❄

Days are getting longer but that sun and warmer weather will feel great. I’ve had the windows open a few days this year and the heat has been off for a few weeks now but I’m looking forward to quality sleep with those windows open. And doing more traveling and camping πŸ•.

Today.
Feels like …
March 24th.

Cloudy

Cloudy.

Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south 11 to 16 mph in the morning.

and

48 degrees , 7:26
sunset.
Tonight.
Feels like …
May 7th.

Chance of Showers

A chance of showers before 3am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 3am and 5am, then a chance of showers after 5am. Cloudy.

South wind 10 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

and

45 degrees , 6:27
sunrise.
Thursday.
Feels like …
April 28th.

Chance of Showers then Showers is likely

A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 1pm and 2pm, then showers likely after 2pm. Mostly cloudy.

South wind 6 to 10 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

and

65 degrees , 54 max dew point, 7:28
sunset.
Thursday Night.
Feels like …
April 26th.

Chance of Showers then Partly Cloudy

A chance of showers, mainly before 8pm. Partly cloudy.

Northwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

and

41 degrees , 6:25
sunrise.
Friday.
Feels like …
April 7th.

Mostly Sunny then Mostly Sunny and Breezy

Mostly sunny.

Breezy, with a west wind 13 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.

and

55 degrees , 7:29
sunset.
Friday Night.
Feels like …
April 1st.

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy.

and

31 degrees , 6:24
sunrise.
Saturday.
Feels like …
March 28th.

Sunny

Sunny.

and

50 degrees , 7:30
sunset.
Saturday Night.
Feels like …
March 20th.

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear.

and

27 degrees , 6:22
sunrise.
Sunday.
Feels like …
April 13th.

Sunny

Sunny.

and

58 degrees , 7:31
sunset.
Sunday Night.
Feels like …
April 6th.

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear.

and

33 degrees , 6:20
sunrise.
Monday.
Feels like …
April 28th.

Mostly Sunny

Mostly sunny.

and

65 degrees , 35 max dew point, 7:32
sunset.
Monday Night.
Feels like …
May 2nd.

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy.

and

43 degrees , 6:19
sunrise.
Tuesday.
Feels like …
May 12th.

Mostly Sunny

Mostly sunny.

and

70 degrees , 44 max dew point, 7:33
sunset.

Daily Update – April 5, 2023

Good morning! What day is it? Hump Day, I’m afraid. 🐰

Maybe it’s just the too many dreams about evil rabbits after thinking what a healthy meat rabbit is. I’m actually more afraid that witch from Hamburg isn’t going to bail out my weekend plans. I’ve just gotten spoiled in recent years. But heck next week looks like when the green out will occur in the city with warmer weather on its way.

Cloudy and 49 degrees in Delmar for the morning walk. ☁ There is a north breeze at 5 mph. πŸƒ.

Yesterday worked out to be 8.9 miles walked 🚢 which is just short of the 9.1 that I did on Monday. Dinner took a little longer to cook and it got darker earlier than normal as it was cloudy out last night.

It’s kind of fun exploring new healthy foods 🍐 each week before going to stock my pantry. So many interesting unmolested whole foods that I didn’t know about, that exist on grocery shelves but only if you know where to look for them. And despite popular culture, you can enjoy their raw and often delicious tastes without frying them in a vat of fat, sugar and salt. Eating healthy is a lot like quitting smoking 🚬, you don’t realize how flavor sugar takes from food. Smoking is great but it makes everything tastes like cigarettes, hurts your voice and your sense of taste.

I’m fully operating on the assumption that I will be working in the office on Good Friday but maybe I’ll see if I can use an get out of jail free card πŸ’³ to leave by 4 pm or earlier on Friday. I’d like to get out of town for at least two days, though at this point next weekend looks almost nicer. What can I say spring is coming? 🌸

Lately I’ve gotten obsessed with food and healthy eating 🍲

There are just so many things I didn’t know about food and what healthy, whole foods exist out there. I always thought the choice was highly processed foods, or complicated cooking that takes hours and hours of time, is expensive organic vegetarian crap that tastes like cardboard.

The problem seems to be that people have an addiction to sugar, salt and fats that the only kind of food that can be eaten is either store processed foods or essentially home proccesed foods. Your not allowed to eat simple ingredients, which put together somewhat thoughtfully can taste naturally good.

If you were to believe the popular culture, most people don’t own refrigerators and freezers and can’t make up a big portion of rice and beans for freezing and refrigerator use throughout the week or weeks. Most food stays pretty decent in the refrigerator or freezer.

At the same time, the popular culture wants you to believe things like rice, beans, lentils and tofu can’t be eaten unless it’s completely adulterated with grease and salt, carefully cooked on a marble tabletop. Not a gritty dirty hillbillies kitchen like my own. Or that if you don’t buy all organic or vegan your essentially poisoning yourself and might as well be eating cheese doodles for breakfast. It’s so easy to start going down some creepy rabbit holes on the internet when you are looking at healthier options.

I get that there are so many snake oil salesman out there looking to victimize those looking for healthier options. But the truth is if you stay basic, dull your expectations over the super charged fats, salts and sugars of the processed diets you can affordably eat healthier while not breaking the bank or spending all day cooking.

I have a freezer at home, like most people do. A freezer is not just for processed foods. Indeed, you can buy tons of flash frozen fruits and vegetables often quite cheaply that are healthy and tasteful. You can also freeze a lot of things like rice and beans that take longer to cook so your not dealing with it every night. Indeed, in many cases a precooked meal you made at home in bulk is no longer to cook then any frozen processed thing.

I’m interested in cooking but I tell you some of these recipes you see on the internet is way too complicated and loaded with unhealthy ingredients that you are much better skipping for more basic whole foods without excessive processing at home.

Above Freezing in Albany

Above Freezing in Albany
The days in Albany when the low temperature is 33 degrees or higher.
Year Start End Days
2022 Fri, Apr 22 Thu, Oct 20 182
2021 Sat, May 8 Mon, Nov 1 178
2020 Thu, May 14 Sun, Sep 20 130
2019 Tue, Apr 30 Sat, Nov 2 187
2018 Tue, Apr 24 Wed, Oct 17 177
2017 Mon, Apr 10 Mon, Oct 16 190
2016 Fri, Apr 22 Fri, Oct 14 176
2015 Sun, Apr 26 Fri, Oct 16 174
2014 Sat, Apr 26 Sat, Oct 11 169
2013 Thu, May 16 Wed, Oct 23 161
2012 Tue, May 1 Thu, Oct 11 164
2011 Mon, Jun 13 Wed, Oct 26 136
2010 Fri, May 14 Mon, Oct 18 158
2009 Wed, May 20 Sun, Oct 11 145
2008 Fri, May 2 Mon, Oct 6 158
2007 Fri, Apr 27 Sun, Oct 28 185
2006 Sun, Apr 30 Thu, Oct 12 166
2005 Sat, May 14 Thu, Oct 20 160
2004 Sat, Apr 17 Sat, Oct 23 190
2003 Mon, May 5 Thu, Oct 2 151
Andy Arthur, 4/4/23 Data Source: National Weather Service, Albany