I think my 2022 was good relatively speaking but it was just a bad year for me as everyone else.
Inflation, high gas prices had me cutting expenses wherever I could. It meant fewer trips, more trips closer to home, more setting up camp and staying for 3 or more nights. I ended up spending 33 nights in the wilderness in 2022 which isn’t bad – nothing like the pandemic year but close to average.
More frustrating on a short term view is just watching how much things declined in our country and how negatively it effected my future.
While I was able to probably get things at a discount this year in the markets, everything from bonds to stocks are down and inflation is just chewing away faster than interest rates rise. Inflation makes going to the grocery store or gas pump painful. It seems like the city where I work is more dirty and dangerous than it was before the pandemic. Even the local library has gotten dingy and the book collection isn’t what it once was. And I don’t listen to the news anymore because of the partisan bickering. Despite the pontificating the politicians aren’t doing shit on the climate crisis.
But I’m not too focused on the year that was.
I built into my plans for instability, a recession. And I’m not focused on today but what I can do today to contribute to better tomorrow and protect myself from societal decline. Nothing is built in a day but day by adds up to a year and a decade. Ask not what you can do today but what you can do to better tomorrow. Today doesn’t matter except for what it can contribute to tomorrow. Pruning things today will allow for more growth tomorrow.
Been out exploring the Bender Mellon Preserve on this first day of 2023🚶 🍈 🗻
Trails are kind of wet and the sun is rapidly setting but it’s going to be great once the ground freezes and I can bring some skis. I’m a bit disappointed by the views from the preserve but it’s kind of a muddy and gray day, and the area with the best views is off limits right now due to the abandoned buildings. Not that it’s likely to stop anyone, doubt there’s many game cops out here patrolling. But much too muddy.
It’s a bit noisy from NY 85 and 85A but that’s to be predicted for a suburban preserve. It’s currently a mixed habitat, with only the upper acres brush hogged so it’s full of wildlife like deer, geese and squirrels. Come the right season and I’m sure it would be packed with birds. I’m just glad it’s within a short – two or three mile walk from home, especially in these inflationary times when motor vehicle travel is so expensive.
I’m glad it’s preserved as I need more nature near where I live to explore, as I get tired of Five Rivers Environmental Education Center and this place in the winter on the rail trail is very skiable from home.
Good evening! Mostly cloudy and 22 degrees in Delmar. ☁ Calm wind.There are 2 inches of snow on the ground. ☃ ️Things will start to thaw out at Wednesday around noontime. 🌡️
Back to work tomorrow 💼 after the holiday weekend and my week off. I wish the weather was better but at least I didn’t have to get up and go to work each day. 👣 But with the bad weather – cold or rain until Christmas Eve I had fallen behind on my steps.
Did 26,000 steps today – did Meads Lane and Five Rivers Environmental Education Center via Fisher Trail in the morning, Bennett Hill in the afternoon and then my evening walk. 🚶 And I got milk 🥛 for the morning.
Tonight will be mostly cloudy 🌥, with a low of 17 degrees at 1am. Three degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around January 6th. Maximum wind chill around 14 at 6am; South wind 3 to 5 mph. In 2021, we had cloudy skies. It got down to 26 degrees. The record low of -18 occurred back in 1914.
Tonight will have a Waxing Crescent 🌒 Moon with 17% illuminated. At 8 PM, the moon was in the west-southwest (242°) at an altitude of 3° from the horizon, some 227,290 miles away from where you are looking up from the earth. 🚀 At the state speed limit of 55 mph, you’ll make it there by June 17th. Buckle up for safety! 💺
The Wolf 🐺 Moon is on Friday, January 6. The darkest hour is at 11:57 pm, followed by dawn at 6:53 am, and sun starting to rise at 7:25 am in the east-southeast (122°) and last for 3 minutes and 25 seconds. Sunrise is 20 seconds later than yesterday. 🌄 The golden hour ends at 8:11 am with sun in the southeast (130°).Tonight will have 14 hours and 53 minutes of darkness, a decrease of 21 seconds over last night.
Tomorrow will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 31 degrees at 2pm. Four degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical Southwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, remaining cloudy in the afternoon. The high last year was 34 degrees. The record high of 60 was set in 1895. 15.0 inches of snow fell back in 1894.❄
Should be a refreshing change 🚿 after all the cold and rain. I am going to go to the car wash 🚙 tomorrow and return cans 🥫 for recycling ♻ and pick up supplies for the rest of the week. The holiday weekend next week is improving – I can always get groceries in Richfield Springs if I end up heading out that way for New Years Eve.
In four weeks on January 23 the sun will be setting in the west-southwest (244°) at 4:58 pm,🌄 which is 28 minutes and 49 seconds later then tonight. In 2021 on that day, we had mostly sunny, snow showers and temperatures between 24 and 11 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 32 and 15 degrees. The record high of 64 degrees was set back in 1906.
Good Christmas Evening! Partly clear and 13 degrees in Delmar. There is a south breeze at 8 mph. 🍃. The current wind chill is 2. There is a inch of snow on the ground. ☃ ️Things will start to thaw out at Wednesday around noontime. 🌡️
The party 🎉 at my parents house was postponed until Monday due to my sister not being able to come out due to bad roads up north from the ice. I did drive to Price Chopper and got a few things. Had that issue with the lock freezing up. Also set the solar controller down so it will start charging the starting battery 🔋 at a lower voltage in the cold ❄ of winter. This should ensure the starting battery is fully charged when parked for a prolonged time parked in the winter.
Walked around Five Rivers for a while 🐦 it was cold but there wasn’t a lot of people around so that as nice. Did 20,000 steps today so I’m working on my goal again for the steps. 👣 I’ve been bad lately.
Skinned up my knee 🧎 on my evening walk 🚶 in the dark on black ice or maybe white ice. What do I know it was dark and now it hurts. Cold out but not that bad when you are moving. I hear the heat on downstairs. Stars though tonight are pretty but I’m sure in the mountains too cold for camping 🏕. Maybe next weekend.
Tonight will be partly clear 🌃, with a low of 8 degrees at 5am. 12 degrees below normal. Maximum wind chill around 2 at 9pm; South wind around 8 mph. In 2021, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became rain by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 28 degrees. The record low of -22 occurred back in 1969.
Tonight will have a Waxing Crescent 🌒 Moon with 4% illuminated. The Wolf 🐺 Moon is on Friday, January 6. The darkest hour is at 11:56 pm, followed by dawn at 6:52 am, and sun starting to rise at 7:24 am in the east-southeast (122°) and last for 3 minutes and 25 seconds. Sunrise is 25 seconds later than yesterday. 🌄 The golden hour ends at 8:10 am with sun in the southeast (130°).Tonight will have 14 hours and 53 minutes of darkness, a decrease of 12 seconds over last night.
Christmas Day will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 25 degrees at 2pm. 11 degrees below normal. Southwest wind 7 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. A year ago, we had cloudy skies. The high last year was 35 degrees. The record high of 66 was set in 1889. 19.2 inches of snow fell back in 2002.❄
That just sounds cold for Christmas. 🎄 But actually warmer than today.
In four weeks on January 21 the sun will be setting in the west-southwest (244°) at 4:55 pm,🌄 which is 27 minutes and 34 seconds later then tonight. In 2021 on that day, we had snow showers, partly cloudy and temperatures between 31 and 14 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 32 and 15 degrees. The record high of 61 degrees was set back in 2006.
