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January 24, 2019 Morning

Good morning! Happy Thursday. First day heading to spring when we climb out of the average high of 30 to become thirty one. 🌷 Also the last sunset before five pm until daylight savings time ends the first Sunday of November. Three weeks to Valentines Day ❀️. I love that it’s a fact we are getting closer to spring even in Trump’s Shutdown America. Fog and light rain and 47 degrees in the city. β˜” Breezy, 16 mph breeze from the south 🌬 . There are 8 inches of snow on the ground but it’s melting fast with the rain and warm temperatures. β˜ƒ Watch out for tonight’s evening commute 🚐🚓🚕 🚗🚌🚚🚛🚗 with temperatures dropping below freezing at around 5 pm. β˜ƒοΈ

Today will rain before 4pm, then rain likely, possibly mixed with snow.β˜”Patchy fog before 10am. Temperature falling to around 34 by 5pm. South wind 13 to 18 mph becoming west 5 to 10 mph. Winds could gust as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. A year ago, we had mostly sunny. The high last year was 41 degrees. The record high of 54 was set in 1999. 7.6 inches of snow fell back in 1948.❄

What is there to say but it’s a rather mild and rainy January. I am certainly not complaining at the point as the rain is killing off the snow and ice on the sidewalks, which will make walking safer. 💧While I have had new dress shoes for two weeks now I’ve not worn them yet as I’m afraid the poor weather conditions will damage them. 👞 I like the style and I probably should try them on for fit before it’s too late to return them. Alfred Hammond’s It Never Rains in California is playing on the radio.

The sun will set at 4:58 pm with dusk around 5:29 pm, which is one minute and 17 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At sunset, look for rain 🌧 and snow 🌨 and temperatures around 36 degrees. Breezy, 18 mph breeze β›… from the west-northwest. Today will have 9 hours and 42 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 5 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will have a chance of snow before 7pm. Partly cloudy 🌨, with a low of 23 degrees at 6am. Nine degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 8th. Pretty mild for late January. West wind 8 to 13 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. In 2018, we had mostly clear in the evening, which became mostly sunny by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 14 degrees. The record low of -12 occurred back in 1963.

Last night I got the transistors in the mail and finished building the new board that will control the color adjustable light I built for ease of getting to sleep in the evenings and awake in the morning. :idea:The ESP32 LOLIN32 board has a lot of advantages over the Arduino Nano plus an infrared remote, including much better PWM as you can use PWM on all output pins, and a 5,000 Hz or potentially faster switching speed which has less flicker than the 428 Hz speed of the Nano which also had limited numbers of PWM and only three internal timers which meant you had to share one of timers with the IR library which caused a lot of flicker and poor results with one of the color channels, which I used to assign to blue as I use the color the least. Controlled by Bluetooth means that I have much more flexibility especially once I create a phone app to work with it. More energy efficient too as well as I drive the microcontroller with a buck converter rather than a linear regulator.

As previously noted, there are 3 weeks until Valentines Day ❀️ when the sun will be setting at 5:26 pm with dusk at 5:55 pm. On that day in 2018, we had mostly cloudy and temperatures between 45 and 28 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 34 degrees. We hit a record high of 63 back in 1946.

NY 157

January 9, 2019 Evening

Good evening! Clauwdy, ducking cold and 35 degrees in Delmar. ☁ Although for now it’s above freezing in Trump’s America, although a lot of things seem frozen in the nation’s capital. Breezy, ️20 mph breeze from the west-northwest 🌬 with gusts up to 33 mph 💨💨💨. The current wind chill is 24. Temperatures will drop below freezing at around 6 pm. β˜ƒοΈ

Tonight will have a chance of snow showers, mainly after 1am. Mostly cloudy 🌧, with a low of 25 degrees at 5am. 11 degrees above normal, which is similiar to a typical night around March 14th. There is hope. Or so the sign on the bridge says. Maximum wind chill around 14 at 5am; Northwest wind 16 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected. In 2018, we had cloudy in the evening, which became mostly sunny by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 10 degrees. The record low of -13 occurred back in 1968.

Tonight will have a Waxing Crescent Moon 🌒 with 21% illuminated with the moon setting at 8:10 pm. The moon will rise at 10:09 am. The First Quarter Moon is on Sunday night. The Wolf Moon 🌝 is on Sunday, January 20th. The sun will rise at 7:24 am with the first light at 6:53 am, which is 15 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌄 Tonight will have 14 hours and 43 minutes of darkness, a decrease of one minute and 21 seconds over last night.

Tomorrow will have a chance of snow showers, mainly before 9am. Mostly cloudy 🌞, with a high of 27 degrees at 6am. Three degrees below normal. Blustery, with a northwest wind 18 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Probably shouldn’t turn my heat down much before work. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, which became light snow by afternoon. The high last year was 38 degrees. The record high of 55 was set in 2016. 7.3 inches of snow fell back in 1984.❄

Cool this weekend with temperatures running 6 degrees below normal but otherwise sunny. πŸ˜€ Saturday, mostly sunny, with a high near 25. Sunday, partly sunny, with a high near 24. Typical average high for the weekend is 30 degrees. The sun will be nice but we’ll have to watch the wind chills. I have a lot of things to do this weekend but if it’s reasonably warm for January I might go for a hike up Bennett Hill.

So they finally restored the lights back to my office so it’s not pitch black at five o’clock.:idea: The days are definitely getting longer for sure, but I figure there will be more late nights coming up and everything is was when it’s not so dark after sunset.

On Cyber Monday I ordered an SSD Drive for my laptop that just arrived today. 💾 It was back ordered for a really long time. It’s good because it will double my hard drive space giving me more room to do videos and will make my laptop boot much quicker. I am going to do a clean install of Linux on it this weekend to maximize the speed benefit. I find I often bog my desktop with software I try out but never uninstall and a fresh slate is good for time to time. Not sure if I will install the drive tonight.

In four weeks on February 6 the sun will be setting at 5:15 pm,🌄 which is 34 minutes and 59 seconds later then tonight. In 2018 on that day, we had snow showers, partly cloudy and temperatures between 30 and 15 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 33 and 16 degrees. The record high of 55 degrees was set back in 1991.

Looking ahead, National Cheese Lovers Day 🧀 is in 2 weeks, National Pie Day 🍰 is in 2 weeks, 7 PM Sunset 🌆 is in 9 weeks, May 🕊 is in 16 weeks, 8:30 PM Sunset ️⛱️ is in 21 weeks and Inauguration Day 2021 👴🏻 is in 106 weeks.

Setting Sun

Trump and Government Shutdown

One thing I appreciate about the Trump Administration, is he’s been less of an asshole about the government shutdown,πŸ’© not unnecessarily shutting off government services during the temporary lapse in government funding. During the Government Shutdown during the Obama Administration, they not only shut down access to most of the federal parks,🏞 they also shut off websites like that of US Census Bureau that could have been operating perfectly fine even with the furloughed government bureaucrats.

There areΒ many reduced government services and some areas closed during the shutdown, but in many ways the partial government shutdown under Trump is far less draconianπŸ‰ then the one implemented by the Obama administration. While I think shutting down the government over the border wall is rather childish,Β πŸ‘Ά I’d rather have a low-impact shutdown then one that maximizes the harm to the American people.😑

I am in no way defending shutting the government for the stupid $15 billion money pit known as the border wall,πŸ”’ but I do support the smarter shutdown that is not unnecessarily closing down government programs that do not need government bureaucrats to administer them on a day-to-day basis.πŸ›

Government Shutdown Notice at Blueberry Fee Camping Area

December 1, 2018 Morning

Good morning! Happy Deep and Dark December 🎄! At least if you are a Simon and Garfunkel fan. Two weeks to Bill of Rights Day 📜. Partly cloudy and 29 degrees in the land of the Delmaritian. β›… Calm wind. Black ice on the driveway and grass will start to thaw out at around 9 am. 🌡️ Depending if I decide to drive somewhere this morning I may need to find the ice scrapper. Maybe I should instead hike somewhere. Beats scraping ice.

Today will be partly sunny 🌞, with a high of 36 degrees at 1pm. Five degrees below normal, which is similiar to a typical day around December 14th. At least we have the sun which is a rare thing in Trump’s America. Light and variable wind. A year ago, we had mostly cloudy skies with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 45 degrees. The record high of 67 was set in 1934. 3.7 inches of snow fell back in 1969.❄

The sun will set at 4:22 pm with dusk around 4:54 pm, which is 18 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 At sunset, look for partly cloudy skies 🌃 and temperatures around 35 degrees. There will be a calm wind. Nicer than most evenings of recent. Today will have 9 hours and 16 minutes of daytime, a decrease of one minute and 22 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will rain and snow likely before 11pm, then rain and sleet between 11pm and 3am, then rain after 3am. 🌧 Low of 33 degrees at 6pm. Six degrees above normal, which is similiar to a typical night around November 12th. Southeast wind 3 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible. In 2017, we had mostly cloudy skies. It got down to 26 degrees. The record low of -2 occurred back in 1875.

Last night I watched some YouTube videos I previously had downloaded, worked on maps and code projects I’ve been working. 💻 Fixed some minor glitches on my VMS display that keeps me entertained with useless weather facts.

Once I finish my coffee I will head out somewhere for the day. β˜• I am not sure, I guess if the ice is melted off the windshield I could go down to Schodack Island for a change. I’m not super excited about going anywhere far away despite being a sunny day. 🏃 I really have gotten tired of driving. I don’t really know why. After my walk I should go to the store and pick up a few things. Alternatively I could walk out to Five Rivers but I’ve been there a lot lately. Nice morning with lots of sun, it would be a pity to waste it.

As previously noted, there are 2 weeks until Bill of Rights Day 📜 when the sun will be setting at 4:22 pm with dusk at 4:54 pm. Better have a candle handy to read your constitution with the days so short. Or as Phil Ochs once sung, “tell the police about your rights as they drag you along the ground.” The constitution is only as good as the people enforcing it. Otherwise it’s just another piece of paper in the burn barrel. On that day in 2017, we had snow, mostly cloudy skies and temperatures between 22 and 7 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 36 degrees. We hit a record high of 61 back in 2015.

West Branch of the Susquehanna River

Larry Sharpe and the Libertarians

Larry Sharpe was the libertarian candidate for governor this year, he garnished 90,816 votes putting the libertarian party on the ballot through at least the election of 2022. It will be the sixth party listed on the ballot, after Democratic, Republican, Conservative, Working Families, Green. Independence and Stephanie Miner’s Serve America Party will also be on the ballot.

I don’t know much about the libertarian party in New York but I’m guessing that the chairman of it will likely reserve the Wilson Pakula authorizations to just Republicans. Maybe he or she will give it to Democrats, indeed county committee chairs are free to give authorizations to whomever they want.

I did cast a protest vote for Larry Sharpe as I thought he had many interesting ideas, like pardoning people for SAFE Act violations and reducing the overly burdensome government. But I also recognize the problematic nature of giving the libertarians ballot access status, as it will make it somewhat easier for Republicans to get elected into office in our state.

Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge

Little Falls

Little Falls is a charming little city. In a deep valley, the city is surrounded by rich agricultural lands farmed by generations of families with a deep connection to the land.

 Mohawk River

It has both the falls and the canal, the Erie Canalway bike trail that follows a deep cut in the side of a hill where the old railroad grade ran. Hints of the old industrial landscape dot the hillsides, mill buildings turned into apartments downtown. The Adirondacks are only twenty miles to the north.

Little Falls

I like small town America. I honestly wouldn’t mind living in the country not far from a city like this. The natural resources nearby are superb. But alas, what does one do for work? Plus it’s New York State with the high taxes, the burn ban and all the gun restrictions.

December 2, 2017 Evening

Good evening! Partly cloudy and 26 degrees off of the East Branch of the Sacanadaga River near  Bakers Mills. Calm wind. A bit cool but still pretty nice. I decided that I wouldn’t pitch a tent, because I decided it wasn’t that bad cold, but I do have plenty of propane that if I need the heater and the tent, I certainly could put it up. But for now it’s fine by the fire. Maybe it will prove to be a mistqake at 5 AM when I’m freezing, but honestly under the covers in my truck is pretty comfortable.

Today was a nice day out on Thomas and Cat Mountain. The Thomas Mountain cabin that currently is open to the public is so nice. It’s really disappoiting that they’ve proposed to demolish it to comply with the rules set forth in the Adirondack Park. The only thing it’s msising is the wood stove, which was removed what appears to be fairly recently. I don’t know, if they allow intensive use campgrounds in the Adirondack Park, they should allow the legacy cabin to remain. I figure its good to see it before it’s demolished. If they want to continue the state’s prohibition on closed camps on state forest preserve (which I think is silly, but so is the whole forest preserve concept), they should just remove the front wall, and make a really nice two-story leean-to. I think my dream house would be a lot like that cabin, although I would want some kind of hot running water and shower, so I could get clean in the winter. I like camping, but not having regular showers is probably the biggest disadvantage of being out in the woods. That’s one of the things I like about the Finger Lakes National Forest and visiting the state parks in the summer — the nice showers before and after swimming.

Tonight will have increasing clouds, with a low of 20 degrees at 1am. Six degrees below normal. Calm wind. In 2016, we had mostly clear skies. It got down to 35 degrees. The record low of -1 occurred back in 1976. That’s the Albany record, I’m sure it’s gotten even colder up north here. I mean, we are already in December.

While tomorrow officially is the Cold Moon, December’s Supermoon, for all purposes the moon is nearly full. The sun will rise at 7:11 am with the first light at 6:39 am, which is one minute and 4 seconds later than yesterday. Tonight will have 14 hours and 52 minutes of darkness, an increase of one minute and 20 seconds over last night. Nights are really long this time of year, but then again around the first day of summer, you can go walking at Moose River Plains at 9:45 PM, and there still is a little light leftin the atmosphere. I like camping year round, but those warm summer nights are still so delightufl.

Tomorrow will be partly sunny, with a high of 37 degrees at 1pm. Four degrees below normal. Calm wind. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 42 degrees. The record high of 63 was set in 2009. 5.2 inches of snow fell back in 1893. 

My toes are a bit cold from the boots getting wet, despite changing my socks. I’ll chanage them once again before bed. I finslly got out the propane heater, and I’ve had it next to my chair warming up my behind. I am glad I got propane, because I had only about 2.94 lb left. With the heater, camp stove, and latern, that would leave me dangerously low by morning. 

But I really don’t have an execuse for not having enough propane going up to the Adirondacks. Tractor Supply in Clifton Park is only a short distance from the Northway and tanks don’t have to be totally empty to be filled, and they only charge you for the amount of propane you need. In other words, they charge by the gallon, $2.99. Which is better then the Delmar hardware store where it’s a flat fee no matter how empty your tank is. Which is a good markup from bulk propane delivery, but it takes specially trained staff time to operate the filling machine. The lumber mill in Wevertown also fills propane tanks, but I’m sure they are more expensive and probably aren’t open the long hours as Tractor Supply.

I am very much still in shock that it’s already December. It just got cold so quickly, and summer faded away before you knew it. Been listening to Christmas music while Iam, and that Cold Moon is quite beautiful. I am pretty sure this will be the last night in the wilderness at least truck cap camping for the year, but I might pitch a hot tent later on in December. Fire is roaring away now. While I bought a bag of wood at Stewarts, I’ve been almost entirely just burning wood that I found in the woods. I’ll save the wood for a future trip. The nice thing about the kiln-dried wood is it can be legally brought across state lands and is easy to ignite — and for $8 you still get a pretty good amount of wood — some places it’s cheaper too. Having a cozy campfire is well worth paying for and knowing you have a security of not getting stuck in the dark trying to scrounge up some wood. 

Thomas and Cat Mountain are a nice hike. While there are a handful of modestly steep cliffs that the trail between them goes over, most of the trails are old woods roads. Cat has some pretty impressive secenery, and the Thomas Cabin is really nice. I was slow and took a lengthy stop on both moutains, but if you do both, you can enjoy a nice 7 mile loop that I was able to turn into a five hour hike. There is a good amount of elevation gain, but it’s hardly strenous compared some of the hikes I’ve done elsewhere in both the Adirondacks and Catskills. I will post lots of photos when I return home.

In four weeks on December 30 the sun will be setting at 4:29 pm, which is 8 minutes and 50 seconds later then tonight. It remarkable to think that 2017 is coming to aclose to so quickly. I wonder if I will get a chance to get out camping once again before the end of the year. I guess it depends a lot on the weather — will we get a lot of snow, and how old it will be. I keep telling me a New Years Eve camping trip would be fun, but that never happens. One year I did welcome in the New Year Eve on Overlook Mountain. That was cool but I don’t think I made it quite to the top by when the ball dropped, and it was a bit scary driving down the snow covered Overlook Mountain Road in the morning. Camping I wouldn’t have to worry though about bad roads or drunks on the highway.  In 2016 on that day, we had snow, mist, mostly cloudy skies and temperatures between 35 and 24 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 32 and 16 degrees. The record high of 53 degrees was set back in 1984.

Looking ahead, Ground Hog Day is in 2 months and The Day the Music Died is in 9 weeks. Bye, bye,Ms. American Pie.

I may listen to another podcast, then I will likely retire to bed in the bed of my pickup truck on last time this year. Good night.