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Moving to Pennsylvania ?

The past few months I’ve been writing down my thoughts on moving to different states when I eventually are in a place to become a land owner and an off grid home. Pennsylvania is an interesting option, especially in the Pennsylvania wild region (North-Central PA) but I have to admit as much as I liked my trips down there, I also have a lot of questions about the state’s future.

Narrow Road

I’ve always liked Pennsylvania as the rural towns have kind of a backwards charm to them. I think the state has a very strong land ethic, the state values conservation and a working landscape strongly. Pennsylvania has a very active and engaged sportsmen community, hunting, fishing and trapping are big in the state. Agriculture and forestry also is a big part of the economy and is taken seriously by state leaders.

PA 155 Frame 3

Pennsylvania has some fantastic mountains and hills in the Pennsylvania Wild Region. There are many roads and access points to the backcountry, active sporting community supporting and advocating for the land. Land that is used has an active activist community backing it, more than just a romantic view of nature. There are great parks, places to camp, hunt, fish and trap.

Allegheny River

It is an expensive state to live in, with high taxes but somewhat cheaper then New York. Open burning, burn barrels, and fires are generally allowed in that state, which is a big thing for me being the fire bug that I am. There are many off-grid hunting camps located near state lands, and while there are more rules and regulation for what you can and can’t not do on your own land, it’s far less restrictive then New York. Fireworks are much less restricted. Gas tax is a bit high though, which is the understatement of the decade.

Farm

The second amendment and hunting is well protected in Pennsylvania, although you do have to wonder about the future of the state. It’s a must-issue state for carry permits, there are not permits required to own ordinary handguns. Pennsylvania has the second largest rural population of any state, but it’s also has some big urban areas, with gun violence problems that could push the state to more restrictions. Some of the hunting laws are a bit restrictive though, with Sunday hunting banned, among other things.

Sounds really great. But could the state go blue in the near future? What new laws and restrictions could the activist-types push? Could there be new gun law enacted, even higher taxes, or more restrictions on open burning? What role would animals rights activists have on hobby farming and commercial agriculture alike? Pennsylvania has a great rural part of the state, but things could change in the future, with a change in the balance of power.

Previously, I wrote about …

The Mid-West

This book I am reading makes a good point about the Midwest โ€“ the land is cheap, people are friendly and laid back, zoning and codes regulations tend to be much less with less enforcement. Conservative cultural norms are more laid back, preferring that government stay off peopleโ€™s land and out of private businesses.

Building and living in an off-grid โ€˜tinyโ€™ house or cabin is much easier when you donโ€™t have to deal with nearly as aggressive of code inspectors. Buying a handgun or other firearm for hunting and personal protection is just as easy โ€“ fill out the federal paperwork, have them do a quick background check, and pay the cashier, and walk out with your new gun. Outhouses and composting toilets are easier to get approved, if there is any review at all. As long as there isnโ€™t a high fire risk, youโ€™re free to burn your trash and debris, typically with no permit. Off-road shops, ATVs, snowmobiles, and alike abound, often with a good trail system to ride not too far from home. Good-sized white tails, geese, ducks for hunting and other wildlife abound in the rural landscape.

West Virginia for Living?

West Virginia is one of many charming states with a lot of good rural land to explore. Iโ€™ve certainly enjoyed my road trips down there, and I will probably go back there this autumn. There is are two off-grid living channel I follow on the Youtube, and itโ€™s wild and wonderful down there.

But Iโ€™m not sure I would choose the state to live in. For one, the summers are brutally hot even in the mountains and the winters are cold and icy. The roads are often steep, twisty and narrow which makes vacation fun, but probably not so fun when they are covered with ice and snow and you have to get other places.

April 6, 2019 Morning

Good morning! Happy Saturday. Finally the weekend! My gawd, that was a long work week. Three weeks to Arbor Day ๐ŸŒณ. I like trees, they produce wood that is a lot of fun to burn. You know these days I spend a lot of time thinking about fire ๐Ÿ”ฅ much like Blake Shelton. Be safe out there. It’s funny not listening to commercial radio ๐Ÿ“ป much lately I kind of missed out that song until I spotted it the YouTube. See I’m not a complete luddite even if I spend too many hours listening to Phil Ochs.

This morning is oh so clawdy, dreary and 37 degrees in Delmar, NY. โ˜ There is a south breeze at 6 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. There are some patches of snow on the ground but don’t wait, it won’t last. โ˜ƒ ๏ธThe skies will clear around 1 pm. Hopefully sooner as I want to take a walk out to Five Rivers Environmental Education Center ๐ŸŒฒ before I go over to my niece’s birthday party ๐ŸŽ‰.

Last night was pretty cold and dreary, I ended up staying home, first working on some mapping stuff then working an electronics project, namely hooking back up the LED strip I had that broke last fall and needed reassembly. ๐Ÿ’ก I didn’t ride the exercise bike as my neighbor was home and I didn’t want to bother him. I thought seriously about turning on the heat but a expect shortly that won’t be necessary.โ™จ

Now while I wait for things clear out, I’m riding the exercise bike ๐Ÿšฒ while I work on this blog post. My neighbor is at work now so I don’t have to worry about making too much noise. ๐Ÿ”• At some point I’ll make breakfast ๐Ÿณ up, I’m leaning towards pancakes. I haven’t had them much lately because I usually don’t like baby sitting ๐Ÿ‘ถ the stove while having breakfast. I do fancier meals while I’m at camp. Eggs cooked on charcoal are always good. Plus it’s another opportunity to have a fire. I guess I really have spring fever. ๐Ÿ˜

Today will start out much too cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny ๐ŸŒž, with a high of 60 degrees at 5pm. Six degrees above normal, which is similiar to a typical day around April 18th. South wind 6 to 13 mph becoming west in the afternoon. A year ago, we had light snow in the morning, which became partly cloudy by afternoon. The high last year was 40 degrees. The record high of 82 was set in 1921. 17.3 inches of snow fell back in 1982.โ„

Today I’m off to Five Rivers in a bit once it warms up ๐ŸŒฒ๐ŸŒณ๐Ÿธ๐Ÿฆ then I’m going up to my niece’s birthday party ๐ŸŽ‰. I’m hoping the sun will be out soon and then I’ll leave for Five Rivers. โ›… I have to head home around 12:30 pm so I have time to shower ๐Ÿšฟ and get ready for the party.

The sun will set at 7:27 pm with dusk around 7:56 pm, which is one minute and 9 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ At sunset, look for mostly clear skies ๐ŸŒ„ and temperatures around 54 degrees. There will be a west-northwest breeze at 11 mph. Today will have 12 hours and 59 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 51 seconds over yesterday.

The sign on my wall says one month until the 8 pm sunset. I can wait until it’s nice enough to go to the park after work. ๐Ÿ“™ I’m actually hoping it warms up enough later to open up the windows, it seems like we really haven’t had our first real spring thaw of the year.

Tonight will be partly cloudy ๐ŸŒค, with a low of 37 degrees at 6am. Three degrees above normal, which is similiar to a typical night around April 13th. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light west after midnight. In 2018, we had light rain in the evening, which became mostly sunny by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 25 degrees. The record low of 13 occurred back in 1982.

That’s a lot more reasonable for a change. ๐ŸธThat said, probably still too cold to sit out back tonight with the dampness in the air from yesterdays rain. โ˜” At least the fire danger is lower.

Tomorrow will be partly sunny ๐ŸŒž, with a high of 68 degrees at 4pm. 13 degrees above normal, which is similiar to a typical day around May 10th. I’ll take mid May weather in April. Maybe I’ll finally be able to open up the windows. South wind 3 to 8 mph. A year ago, we had light snow in the morning, which became partly cloudy by afternoon. The high last year was 40 degrees. The record high of 87 was set in 2010. 3.2 inches of snow fell back in 1896.โ„

Different forecasts call for different weather tomorrow. ๐Ÿ˜• I really not sure what it all means. I’m still thinking about ๐Ÿ’ญ hiking Platte Clove Road but only if it’s reasonably nice. ๐Ÿšถ

As previously noted, there are 3 weeks until Arbor Day ๐ŸŒณ when the sun will be setting at 7:51 pm with dusk at 8:21 pm. I was watching a video ๐Ÿ“น of a farm tractor ๐Ÿšœ PTO driven wood splitter the other day. Or was it hydraulic driven? Regardless…. Cool toy. There are a lot neat machinery driven by tractor PTOs. On that day in 2018, we had rain showers, cold, partly cloudy and temperatures between 50 and 36 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 63 degrees. We hit a record high of 91 back in 1962.

I tell you there are a lot of neat toys out there for landowners. ๐Ÿšœ Machinery that has a lot of important purposes around the farm and rural homestead and makes life easier for those who work outside. ๐Ÿ’ต I keep saving and investing, working hard to get ahead at work and towards a better tomorrow. It’s tuff to get ahead but I try to save everyday and note the benefits of compound interest and market growth. Urban New York doesn’t have to be my home forever.

In four weeks on May 4 the sun will be setting at 7:59 pm,๐ŸŒ„ which is 31 minutes and 45 seconds later then today. In 2018 on that day, we had partly sunny, warm, rain showers and temperatures between 84 and 58 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 66 and 44 degrees. The record high of 91 degrees was set back in 1944.

I am very glad that May is less than four weeks away and that the weather rapidly moderates come spring. โ›บ I so look forward to night’s in the wilderness next to the campfire and also nights with the windows open. I really miss spending time in the wilderness. ๐ŸŒฒ๐ŸŒฒ๐ŸŒฒ

Looking ahead, Arbor Day ๐ŸŒณ is in 3 weeks, 8 PM Sunset ๐ŸŒ‡ is in 4 weeks, Flower Moon ๐ŸŒ• is in 6 weeks, June ๐Ÿน is in 8 weeks, Average High is 80 ๐Ÿ– is in 11 weeks, Hottest Time of the Year ๐Ÿ˜… is in 14 weeks, Ugly Truck Day ๐Ÿšš is in 15 weeks, Average High Falls To 79 ๏ธDegrees โ›ฑ๏ธ๏ธ๏ธ is in 20 weeks and Average High 70 ๐ŸŽ‘ is in 24 weeks.

Sun Finally Shows

Ostrich

In recent weeks, since quitting most social media, I guess I’ve become a bit of an ostrich when it comes to following contemporary events and news, but I don’t really care. I don’t have one of those fancy color televisions or cable, I don’t pay attention to the television news. I do occasionally turn on my transistor radio to catch up what they are saying on NPR News, follow some of the political podcasts, but I am not caught up in the 24 hour news-cycle like so many others are today.

I’m not totally cut off from them media. I do read the newspapers and trade publications as part of my job, but I’m not somebody who does it recreationally. I check NPR.org a few times a day and often read the trending article in Mozilla Firefox’s Pocket. But I don’t spend endless hours going down that rat hole — but sometimes there are interesting essays out there to review. But not all the time, as I lack Internet access at home.

Listening to Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, Malvina Reynolds, John Denver, and generally music recorded a half century ago, further isolates myself from the modernity I find so distasteful. I’m cynical, and I don’t like modernity. While I use a contemporary laptop, with modern versions of web browsers, Quantum GIS, and other security updates, I like my XFCE Window Manager, which in-style hasn’t changed in 25 years — and using easy-to-use terminal apps for my purposes.

I walk or take public transit around town, rather then motoring. I like my big jacked up truck, but I really hate motoring, especially in locations with speed restrictions and traffic lights. I spend my weekends in summer months in the wilderness, although I do like having electricity, my truck camper, propane camp stove, and my propane heater in the cold weather. But I don’t do campgrounds, except when there is no other option. And I doubt I would ever stay in a motel, unless there was absolutely no other option.

Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I don’t like direction of contemporary society with colorful screens and ‘modern’ ways of living.

Camera shy

Vanderwhacker

I was thinking the other day, it’s been a long time since I camped and spent much time in the Vanderwhacker Wild Forest. From the Vanderwhacker Mountain Firetower Trail to Lester Flow to just camping along one of the many roads up there, much can be done at weekend up there.

Another View of Vanderwhacker Brook Campsite

The last time I was up there was in May 2013, when I camped off of Northwoods Club Road and hike down to the gorge and paddled around Huntley Pond. That was fun, but I think if I go back I’d rather do Vanderwhacker Mountain and camp off of Vanderwhacker Road.

Open Window

I’ve kind of avoided going back up there, as it’s a pretty long trip and involves hitting rush hour traffic on the Northway,ย but I think it would be a good adventure, on a nice summer weekend, not too hot once the roads get harder, because often Vanderwhacker Road aka Moose Club Road is very soft.

North from Aiden Lair on NY 28

April 3, 2019 Morning

Good morning! What day is it? A beautiful early spring Hump Day, of course. ๐ŸŒทFour weeks to May ๐Ÿ•Š. Partly sunny and 38 degrees down at the Elm Ave Park & Ride – CDTA. Calm wind. Pleasant ๐Ÿ˜Œ morning. Temperatures will drop below freezing around 3 am. โ˜ƒ๏ธ

This morning, not being a session day, I walked down to the express bus station ๐Ÿš‰ and are now riding into work. A fairly mild day, the heat was off in my apartment but it was quite comfortable waking up. ๐ŸŒž Waffles with blueberries and raspberries this morning. โ˜• With a good cup of fresh coffee, a good start to the morning. I was feeling pretty rested, finally caught up after the Big April Fools joke known as working for 24 hours straight.

Today will have isolated showers after 3pm. Mostly sunny ๐ŸŒž, with a high of 61 degrees at 2pm. Eight degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around April 20th. Breezy, with a light and variable wind becoming west 20 to 25 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 43 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had light rain. The high last year was 44 degrees. The record high of 79 was set in 1981. 11.0 inches of snow fell back in 1891.โ„

Today looks like it will be an awful nice early April day. Maybe not quite warm enough to leave the windows open at home ๐Ÿก but I’m certainly going to walk ๐Ÿšถ during my lunch break. Going to be windy by mid afternoon and the temperature will drop a bit but the air is expected to be pretty dry. I got the email from the national weather service office today about the Red Flag ๐Ÿšฉ Warning โš  due to the high fire ๐Ÿ”ฅ risk that is common in the spring time. I guess if you burning stuff up in the woods, like having a campfire, you should be careful,.

This afternoon after work I’m heading over to John Wolcott’s house to continue sorting his historical files ๐Ÿ“‚. Probably stay until around dusk ๐ŸŒ† and catch the 7:30 bus ๐Ÿš home. No more late nights or session this week at work. The legislators all booked out of town yesterday. I packed some Save the Pine Bush Dinner lasagna ๐Ÿ›to heat up and eat before leaving work tonight. Seems like a fitting thing.

The sun will set at 7:23 pm with dusk around 7:52 pm, which is one minute and 8 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ At sunset, look for partly clear skies ๐ŸŒ„ and temperatures around 53 degrees. Breezy, 25 mph breeze โ›… from the west-northwest with gusts up to 39mph. Today will have 12 hours and 51 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 51 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will be mostly clear ๐ŸŒƒ, with a low of 30 degrees at 6am. Three degrees below normal, which is similiar to a typical night around March 28th. Breezy, with a west wind 18 to 23 mph decreasing to 11 to 16 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 37 mph. In 2018, we had partly cloudy in the evening, which became light rain by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 30 degrees. The record low of 14 occurred back in 1954.

Tomorrow will be sunny ๐ŸŒž, with a high of 47 degrees at 3pm. Six degrees below normal, which is similiar to a typical day around March 23rd. West wind 10 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. A year ago, we had light rain. The high last year was 52 degrees. The record high of 79 was set in 1950. 4.3 inches of snow fell back in 2016.โ„

Yesterday morning was crazy ๐Ÿ˜œ too as the bus was packed with exchange students heading downtown and I had some client issues to address over the phone ๐Ÿ“ฑ on the bus. The evening commute – I got out a five – was much easier. Fairly smooth commute home, not too much traffic. Not quite nice enough though yesterday to go down tot he park.

Yesterday after work I went down to the library for an hour to work on the blog and a few other things. ๐Ÿ“ Been really busy at work, I’ve not had the time to even briefly update โ˜‘ my blog from time to time on my phone. I skipped my evening walk ๐Ÿšถ because I was tired. I did however ride the bike ๐Ÿšฒ for a while but stopped as I don’t have any more interesting YouTube videos that I’ve downloaded.

Sunday looks like the best day of the weekend, although maybe not for fishing as it will be quite sunny ๐ŸŽฃ. Saturday, rain likely before 8am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 59. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Sunday, a chance of showers after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 61. Chance of precipitation is 30%.โ˜€ Maximum dew point of 43 at 2pm. Typical average high for the weekend is 54 degrees.

No camping โ›บ this weekend as I’m going to my niece’s three year old birthday ๐ŸŽ‚ party on Saturday but Sunday sure looks nice, although maybe too sunny for good trout fishing. Maybe early morning or evening in a deeper valley? I don’t know. I do need to get some night crawlers for sure. ๐Ÿ› A nice hike would be good too.๐Ÿšถ The following week I should go to the transfer station and then start loading my camping gear back in the truck. Still hoping for decent weather for the Easter holiday weekend. ๐Ÿฐ

In four weeks on May 1 the sun will be setting at 7:55 pm,๐ŸŒ„ which is 31 minutes and 49 seconds later then today. In 2018 on that day, we had partly cloudy, rain showers and temperatures between 74 and 43 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 65 and 43 degrees. The record high of 86 degrees was set back in 2001.

Looking ahead, May ๐Ÿ•Š is in 4 weeks, 8:30 PM Sunset ๏ธโ›ฑ๏ธ is in 9 weeks, Primary Day ๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธ is in 12 weeks, Altamont Fair Opens ๐ŸŽก is in 19 weeks, State Fair Opens ๐ŸŽก is in 20 weeks, September 11th ๐Ÿ‡ธ is in 23 weeks, More Night then Day ๐ŸŒŒ is in 25 weeks, Last Sunset After 7 PM ๐ŸŒ† is in 6 months, Election Day 2020 ๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธ is in 19 months and Inauguration Day 2021 ๐Ÿ‘ด๐Ÿป is in 94 weeks.

Photo.2013.04.05 12.56.41

March 30, 2019 Morning

Good morning! Happy Saturday. Save the Pine Bush Hike at 9:30 today. Four weeks to Arbor Day ๐ŸŒณ. Cloudy and foggy and 44 degrees in Delmar, NY. โ˜๐ŸŒ There is a southeast breeze at 5 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. Temperatures will drop below freezing at Monday around 1 am. โ˜ƒ๏ธ

Should be a nice mild morning for the Save the Pine Bush Hike over at the end of Madison Avenue Extension Barrens off of Washington Ave Extension at 9:30 AM this morning. ๐ŸŒฒ๐Ÿธ๐Ÿšถ๐Ÿšถ๐ŸƒI wish there was more sun but so be it. At least it will be fairly mild today.

Today will have patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy ๐ŸŒฅ, with a high of 66 degrees at 5pm. 15 degrees above normal, which is similiar to a typical day around May 3rd. Maximum dew point of 47 at 11am. Definitely mild but lacking sun. Breezy, with a south wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 50 degrees. The record high of 86 was set in 1986. 4.0 inches of snow fell back in 1911.โ„

This afternoon I plan to go shopping to pick up a few groceries , then I may go to the car ๐Ÿš™ wash ๐Ÿšฟ and then out to my parents house for Sunday dinner a day early. Should be a good, especially because I don’t have to work. Back in the office at nine o’clock tomorrow though for the marathon session. ๐Ÿข

The sun will set at 7:19 pm with dusk around 7:47 pm, which is one minute and 8 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ At sunset, look for mostly cloudy skies โ˜ and temperatures around 62 degrees. Breezy, 16 mph ๐Ÿƒ from the south. If it wasn’t so damp, it could be fire weather. Today will have 12 hours and 39 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 52 seconds over yesterday.

Nice enough last night to sit out back for a while, ๐ŸŒƒ saw the stars and heard the spring peepers for the first time last night this year. ๐Ÿธ That’s a sure sign things are going to get nicer soon. Not a lot of stars though due to the clouds.

Tonight will be mostly cloudy ๐ŸŒฅ, with a low of 49 degrees at 5am. 18 degrees above normal, which is similiar to a typical night around May 21st. You can almost leave open your windows tonight. South wind 13 to 16 mph. In 2018, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became sunny by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 31 degrees. The record low of 12 occurred back in 1923.

Tomorrow will rain, mainly before noon, then showers likely after noon. ๐ŸŒง High of 53 degrees at 11am. Two degrees above normal, which is similiar to a typical day around April 3rd. Maximum dew point of 44 at 6am. ๐Ÿ–๏ธ Southwest wind 14 to 17 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. A year ago, we had mostly sunny. The high last year was 56 degrees. The record high of 89 was set in 1998. 14.6 inches of snow fell back in 1997.โ„

Tomorrow should be a rather busy day at work. At least a long one. But then the state budget should be done. ๐Ÿ“ Hopefully with warmer weather and nicer days I’ll be able to go down to the park after work more often work then.

Maybe on Monday if I don’t have to work and I’m not dog ๐Ÿถ tired ๐Ÿ˜ด, I might get out fishing ๐ŸŽฃ but I’m not that hopeful on that front. Maybe the following weekend, I’ll have to see about that. Two and a half weeks from now I’ll probably head out camping and hit some trout streams up then for sure. โ›บ

Looking ahead, there are 4 weeks until Arbor Day ๐ŸŒณ when the sun will be setting at 7:51 pm with dusk at 8:21 pm. On that day in 2018, we had rain showers, cold, partly cloudy and temperatures between 50 and 36 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 63 degrees. We hit a record high of 91 back in 1962.

Looking ahead, Arbor Day ๐ŸŒณ is in 4 weeks, 8 PM Sunset ๐ŸŒ‡ is in 5 weeks, Flower Moon ๐ŸŒ• is in 7 weeks, June ๐Ÿน is in 9 weeks, Average High is 80 ๐Ÿ– is in 12 weeks, Hottest Time of the Year ๐Ÿ˜… is in 15 weeks, Ugly Truck Day ๐Ÿšš is in 16 weeks, Average High Falls To 79 ๏ธDegrees โ›ฑ๏ธ๏ธ๏ธ is in 21 weeks, Labor Day Weekend Begins ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿญ in 5 months and Average High Falls to 70 ๐ŸŽ‘ in 25 weeks.

 New Lebanon Overlook

March 29, 2019 Morning

Good morning! I hardly noticed it was a Friday, but eight weeks until the start of Memorial Day Weekend. Hello black flies! You remember me.๐Ÿœ Two weeks to Grilled Cheese Day ๐Ÿง€. Despite being such a supporter of the dairy industry, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a good grilled cheese. Good meal for camping on a rainy day with some soup. I kind of don’t like soup cans because they can’t be burnt at camp but they certainly burnt clean, then can be taken to the transfer station and recycled โ™ป.

This morning it was raining but now it’s just cloudy and damp, around 46 degrees at the bus stop near Valero. โ˜” I’m prepared, I brought my umbrella. There is a south breeze at 8 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. Temperatures will drop below freezing at Sunday around 11 pm. โ˜ƒ๏ธ

I was on the fence about taking the bus to work or driving ๐Ÿš˜ in. But I was afraid of getting caught in the rain walking from my truck parked by Downtown SUNY and the Smith Building. Maybe tonight will be a late night, but if I think we are likely to released between 11:30 and 6:30 AM, I’ll go home and get Big Red during some downtown in the evening. That way I’ll only have to park once. Another option is ride sharing, I guess that would be a heck of a lot safer than driving home sleep deprived. Or sleep under the desk until the 6:30 in the morning. ๐Ÿ˜ด I have options. Taking a 40 ft bus ๐Ÿš to work today, no articulated bus today on the 18. A bit crowded but it is generally difficult to justify articulated buses on most of CDTA’s routes.

Today will have showers, mainly before 5pm. ๐ŸŒฆ High of 53 degrees at 4pm. Three degrees above normal, which is similiar to a typical day around April 3rd. Maximum dew point of 44 at 1pm. ๐Ÿ–๏ธ South wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. A year ago, we had light drizzle in the morning, which became light rain by afternoon. The high last year was 50 degrees. The record high of 85 was set in 1946. 5.6 inches of snow fell back in 1984.โ„

The sun will set at 7:18 pm with dusk around 7:46 pm, which is one minute and 8 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ At sunset, look for rain ๐ŸŒง and temperatures around 50 degrees. There will be a calm wind. Today will have 12 hours and 36 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 53 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will have a slight chance of showers before 8pm, then a chance of showers after 10pm. Cloudy ๐ŸŒง, with a low of 42 degrees at 3am. 11 degrees above normal, which is similiar to a typical night around April 28th. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. In 2018, we had patches of fog in the evening, which became mostly sunny by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 37 degrees. The record low of 7 occurred back in 1970.

Thursday I left work at five and caught the express bus ๐Ÿš home. I was surprised, twice this week. I think I also left at five on Tuesday. I doubt I’ll get the express bus home tonight and for the Saturday night overnight at work I’ll drive in. Still one or two nights a year driving into work isn’t too bad. No fees to park on the street on the weekends either, so hard to complain. That said I’m kind of tired ๐Ÿ˜ด already in anticipation for how the weekend will be. Maybe a long day today, who knows? I’ll get Big Red later on if I think I’ll be leaving in the middle of the night although they do have buses come Saturday morning.

I went to the laundromat last night to make sure that I had enough clean dress clothes for the long weekend and into next week if necessary. ๐Ÿ‘š I figured if I had the time I should do it tonight as who knows how late I’ll be at work tomorrow. That and I wanted to see if the stain would come out of my pair of pants. ๐Ÿ‘– It did, I was happy ๐Ÿ˜Š about that. Plus parking ๐Ÿ…ฟ is always a challenge at laundromat on Fridays due to people parking illegally there while they are at the bar getting drunk. ๐Ÿป

I was went for my evening walk last night. ๐Ÿšถ Not a bad evening for a walk, certainly nice and mild. ๐ŸŒƒ It was in the fifties so I could wear just a long sleeve shirt and my Carhartt vest that I so love. I really look forward to more mild nights even if it means that it will be a bit sticky out at times. Humidity can be addressed by cold drinks and swimming holes ๐ŸŠ the same can’t be said about freezing cold weather. Maybe when I have my own land and a woodstove eventually I’ll feel different.

Sat our back for a while with a cold glass ๐Ÿธ of water and a hint of apple cider vinegar last night. ๐Ÿ Its gross but in moderation I think I like it better than beer or whiskey. Shit ton cheaper too and no hang over. Maybe I’m growing old. ๐Ÿ‘ด Not too cold either although there was a bit of a breeze. Clouds kind of blocked the stars. Not sure the next time I’ll get to sit out back, tonight will probably be kind of cold and damp with today’s rain showers. โ˜”

Tomorrow will have a chance of showers before 1pm, then a slight chance of showers after 5pm. Mostly cloudy ๐ŸŒฆ, with a high of 65 degrees at 4pm. 14 degrees above normal, which is similiar to a typical day around May 1st. Maximum dew point of 48 at 12pm. South wind 7 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. A year ago, we had light drizzle in the morning, which became light rain by afternoon. The high last year was 50 degrees. The record high of 86 was set in 1986. 4.0 inches of snow fell back in 1911.โ„

I expect I will be in the office ๐Ÿข tomorrow when I’m not sleeping. ๐Ÿ˜ด But I’m fine with that. Making money ๐Ÿ’ต is important, especially with $1,100 going out the door today between car insurance ๐Ÿš™ for Big Red and rent. Just a lot of things hit at once. Next month mid-April, after a paycheck or maybe two I have to pay my state taxes and credit card ๐Ÿ’ณ bill. But I think I will survive, things aren’t as bleak as a month ago. Still following my savings plan and I think I’ll keep my fund balance relatively close to where it should be.

Looking ahead to Sunday, showers, mainly before 2pm. High near 47. Northwest wind 9 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Typical average high for the weekend is 51 degrees.

I’m thinking about washing the remaining salt off my truck on Sunday. ๐Ÿšฟ I think we are done with road salt for the year. Monday is going to be cold but I doubt the sanders will be out. I will however have to turn the heat ๐Ÿ”ฅ back on for at least one more day. I shouldn’t need a lot of groceries, although dish soap is on the top of the list.

I am hoping to visit Mom and Dad’s for Sunday dinner ๐Ÿœbut I’m not sure what Sunday evening will be like for me. I’m taking it one day at time. But soon it will be less busy for me, and I go out and do some fishing. ๐ŸŽฃ Today I’ll have to renew my fishing license, so I have it ready for when the current one expires in two weeks.

As previously noted, there are 2 weeks until Grilled Cheese Day ๐Ÿง€ when the sun will be setting at 7:34 pm with dusk at 8:03 pm. I usually have cheese at home but I should get some bread ๐Ÿž for that very special occasion. On that day in 2018, we had rain showers, partly cloudy and temperatures between 54 and 29 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 57 degrees. We hit a record high of 84 back in 1977.

In four weeks on April 26 the sun will be setting at 7:50 pm,๐ŸŒ„ which is 31 minutes and 53 seconds later then today. In 2018 on that day, we had partly cloudy and temperatures between 56 and 39 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 63 and 41 degrees. The record high of 90 degrees was set back in 1990.

So they’re banning shopping bags at the state level. ๐Ÿ‘œHardly a secret I’m not a fan of it on the local level but I have no opinion on a state level. Not my place to pass judgment. I guess it’s kind of good from a statewide perspective, it will reduce waste at least in theory. I kind of liked the free shopping bags certainly while camping, they were perfect for storing the day’s burnable trash while camping ๐Ÿ”ฅ , as trash liners in the bathroom ๐Ÿšฎ and of course for wrapping lunch in to prevent leaks. ๐Ÿ

I always brought back the bags I didn’t chuck in the fire to the store ๐Ÿฌ. But so be it, I guess many citidiots aren’t that responsible. I’ll just have to go back to using reusable bags – I used to use them a lot but they got dirty and worn out and I liked having the plastic ones for camp which is more than 3/4th the year for me.โ›บ I’m sure when I move to another state to buy land for my off grid house, they’ll have the traditional bags and the few that I don’t reuse for various purposes will burn down to nothing quickly in the burn barrel out back. ๐Ÿ›ข๏ธ

Lastly, I get kind of a laugh ๐Ÿ˜‚ out of when reporters read my tweets and my blog to figure out what is happening in Albany. ๐Ÿ“– Like I know shit, they don’t tell me anything. But they must think I’m such a good ole boy. Something like Possum King Vlog ๐Ÿ‘‘. Maybe I’ll be one some day when I live in a more free state out in the sticks. I’m actually pretty dull even though I have a big jacked up truck and I spend a lot of time in the wilderness. ๐ŸŒฒ๐ŸŒฒ๐ŸŒฒ๐ŸŒฒAnd I have a thing for Pennsyltucky and fire. ๐Ÿ”ฅ

Looking ahead, Grilled Cheese Day ๐Ÿง€ is in 2 weeks, Pack Rat Day ๐Ÿ€ is in 7 weeks, Memorial Day Weekend Starts ๐Ÿ•๏ธ is in 8 weeks, Dog Days of Summer ๐ŸŒป is in 14 weeks and Labor Day Weekend Begins ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿญ is in 22 weeks.

Franklinton Vlaie