Good afternoon! Mostly cloudy and 34 degrees in Bethlehem, NY. ☁ There is a northwest breeze at 7 mph. 🍃. There is a inch of snow on the ground. ☃ ️Temperatures will drop below freezing at around 5 pm. ☃️

Kind of a cold and gray Saturday. ☁️ There is just enough of a breeze this afternoon to make it rather unpleasant out. I started the day out the library, doing some research and playing with R Studio 🤖 specifically as it relates to urban planning data from the Census Bureau. I am continuing to learn more about the Census and it’s data both for a practical perspective and so I can develop skills for my future. It’s good to know what data is out there, so I can whip up some quick code and get some data out to clients who need it. Plus it’s a great way to fill space on the blog.

This afternoon will be mostly cloudy 🌥, with a high of 35 degrees at 1pm. Three degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around February 9th. Northwest wind around 7 mph. A year ago, we had light snow in the morning, remaining cloudy in the afternoon. The high last year was 31 degrees. The record high of 61 was set in 2006. 7.2 inches of snow fell back in 1990.❄

The plan for this afternoon is to bundle up and get some exercise by walking out to Five Rivers. 🐸 It’s a cold and gray, nasty day but I always like walking out along Meads Road, seeing the cows 🐄 and then observing nature at Five Rivers, followed by hiking back along Fisher Boulevard. This way I don’t have to worry about walking along the road as dusk approaches. 🌆 Plus it’s a great chance to get caught up on podcasts.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:07 pm with sun having an altitude of 27.4° from the due south horizon (-43.4° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 11.6 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 4:11 pm with the sun in the southwest (236°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-southwest (243°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 4:54 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 16 seconds with dusk around 5:24 pm, which is one minute and 15 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 6:00 pm. At sunset, look for mostly cloudy skies ☁ and temperatures around 34 degrees. There will be a northwest breeze at 6 mph. Today will have 9 hours and 38 minutes of daytime, an increase of one minute and 55 seconds over yesterday.

Also been continuing to run the numbers 🔢 and think about my Mission Fifty Plan. I think my financial plan as it stands is fairly secure, though having to replace my truck in a year or two will have a temporary dip, though I don’t plan to have something has a fancy or nice for my next truck. Thinking small, though I do want a truck cap for camping. I kind of like the Toyota Tacomas, as they are easier to drive and park, though I might consider another regular cap-short bed Silverado if it means I can reuse my cap. The other thing I’ve been thinking about is how to get more involved and knowledgeable about homesteading and off-grid living — I should look for events and classes to participate in. I am also thinking about taking a class in welding. 👩‍🏭 A lot though should involve stay the course.

Tonight will be mostly cloudy 🌥, with a low of 23 degrees at 2am. Eight degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 5th. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. In 2022, we had light snow in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 23 degrees. The record low of -20 occurred back in 1984.

Looking, there are 3 weeks until Don’t Cry over Spilled Milk Day 🥛 when the sun will be setting at 5:23 pm with dusk at 5:50 pm. On that day in 2022, we had partly cloudy, snow showers and temperatures between 26 and 12 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 35 degrees. We hit a record high of 59 back in 1981. Do mop up milk though, as it kind of stinks when spoiled, but maybe compost those milk-soaked paper towels, as it’s good fertilizer.