Good morning! Happy Saturday. The day before Halloween. 👻

I guess that’s supposed to be spooky and shit like that, but it’s more just rainy, dark, and kind of yucky out.

Rain, clouds and 46 degrees in Delmar, NY. 🌦 There is a northeast breeze at 11 mph. 🍃. Temperatures will drop below freezing at Thursday around 6 am. ☃️ Haven’t seen that message in a while. It’s November though come next week, so freezing temperatures shouldn’t be that unusual, although Albany has far fewer freezing days then even a few decades ago.

If I was good, I probably would be lit dropping or canvasing today, 🗳 but it’s an awful cloudy and rainy day, and I did that the past two weekends. I might be around on Election Day, so maybe I’ll do a little more of that for Mr. DeCancio for Town Board, it all depends on how things go. I can certainly hold up signs or drop literature at people’s doors, early in the morning. 🚪 I just didn’t want to get soaked and all sick and stuff in this weather. ⛈ Plus I’m just tired after a five day work week. Only three days this week and zero days next week with vacation. 😫

Monday though I want to go out hiking in Rensselaer County, 🍂 somewhere not to high elevation, so there will be some leaves on the trees. Been thinking about doing some of the new Electric Rail Trail / Empire Trail out that way, although I’d rather do it in more open country rather seeing people’s backyards. 🚶‍♀️ I also have a list of other things that I need to get done, although at least the tires are ordered, assuming that back-order ends. ⚫ If they don’t come in within two weeks, I’m going to just order the BFGs from Mavis and have my local shop replace the shock bushing. 🤯

Tuesday, though I might do some volunteering for local campaigns, 🗳 and then go out to Five Rivers for a walk before dark. 🐦 Then early to bed. 🛌 I don’t care that much about election results, I’m sure they will be in the newspapers in the morning. 📰 I am too old at this point to stay up to hear who won the election, especially when all that news is in the papers the next day. 💤

Next Saturday, bar a major blizzard, 🌨 I will be heading out of town. I almost have the plans worked out, although they can evolve. I am planning a relatively quiet week — first in Central NY and then out in the Finger Lakes. Time change is next Sunday, which I actually prefer, with more daylight in the morning. Dark evenings provide more time for reading and cooking, although I do need to replace the lantern globe 🏮 so I can limit my electrical use, especially if it’s more cloudy out some days. Probably when I get out to the Finger Lakes, it will be many days at camp, just walking from there with my shotgun in a sling and back tag on my back. I would like to spend a bunch of time walking the dirt roads of Connecticut Hill WMA, the biggest WMA in the state. 🐿 🔫

I am also thinking about getting a camping permit for Hicks Run Campground in Pennsylvania, 🏕 and spending some time in Elk Country just observing the elk and doing some hiking and exploring out that way. It’s so easy to get a permit from the DCNR these days with their website, but I need to do that early enough so I can get the permit and permit. 🎫 That’s not set in stone, but the worse thing is I get the free permit and I don’t end up using it.

Ever since my bank merged with another bank 🏦 all my notifications have stopped and I’ve been trying to fix them. Low on money again, after paying rent and savings. 💸 I transferred in the money for the tires, ⚫ and to ensure I can maintain my minimum balance. I really need to reconsider my budget, although after snow comes and traveling stops, I’ll have more money. 📜 I’m just trying to get more into the bond market these days, especially as my “high interest” savings account is such a joke, with the fed rate essentially zero and inflation what is these days. ⚠️ Plus I am too much in the stock market and want to re-balance my portfolio adding new money without selling any stock.