Good evening! I hope you Independence Day went well🎆 and you still have as many fingers to end the day as you started with. It’s mostly young people who do stupid shit with fireworks.🎇

This afternoon was downright sultry but after the sun dropped below the horizon it became more reasonable. Mostly clear and 87 degrees in Delmar. There is a south breeze at 6 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 70 degrees. The heat index is 93. The muggy weather ends Friday around 4 pm. 😓 Yeap, while the worse of the heat and humidity has broken, it’s still 94 degrees in my bedroom. I expect my fan will be running all night. Out back, especially since about eight o’clock it’s been fairly reasonable, that is after several beers and burgers sitting next to my fan. I am glad that power is restored to my truck cap. Now to fix that broken piston tomorrow on the back glass.

Replaced the broken ground wire from the truck cap back to the frame. ⚡Once again I have power to truck cap. I replaced the copper coated aluminum wire with good quality heavy braded copper wire, securely crimping and heat shrinking it. I’m hopeful that this will last for the rest of the life of the truck unlike the copper coated aluminum which converted to white dust at the connector and lost all connection – second time that happened. 🔌 No good as that’s the primary source for light and power when I’m camping. Everything runs through it. I buggered up a GM body bolt in the process which I had to replace. I also added a two way switch to run power from the solar panel to the starting battery, overriding the battery isolator, so I can top off the starting battery without starting the truck when I’m parked out in the sun, potentially leaving the truck off for several days while still opening and shutting the doors as needed. Fixed another broken connection too.

Slept during the hottest hours of the day 💤when my bedroom reached 101 degrees per my display, then went for an evening stroll at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center. 🌲There was a lot of wildlife out and about as as the heat broke for the day.🐦 Reasonably hot in the shade, especially down by the Vlomans Kill I was actually surprised to hear so many birds and there was a ton of rabbits out grazing.🐇 I think I may have accidentally flushed a grouse out of the bushes but I didn’t get a good look. 🐥

I thought about going out for a paddle today on the Hudson River or even fishing at Henry Hudson Park 🎣but I decided against it with all the people likely down at the park for the holiday. I also thought about Thompson Lake or Grafton Lake but I want to save the miles for next weekend’s trip. 🚘Still always a possibility for tomorrow which I have off from work.

Tonight will be partly cloudy ☁, with a low of 73 degrees at 5am. 12 degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 71 at 10pm. Yuck. South wind 3 to 6 mph. In 2017, we had partly cloudy skies. It got down to 57 degrees. The record low of 44 occurred back in 1982. I guess the fan will be running all night in my bedroom.

Tomorrow will have a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny and hot 😎, with a high of 92 degrees at 3pm. 10 degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 74 at 11am. Heat index values as high as 102. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies with more clouds in the afternoon. The high last year was 84 degrees. The record high of 99 was set in 1919.

I’m heading to bed fairly early tonight 💤after sleeping in the hottest part of the day today with the hope of getting an early start tomorrow and buying some discounted fireworks and sparklers early in the morning. 🌋I would save them for the next time I’m camping in the Adirondack back country. Then I want to install the replacement support pistons for the truck cap when they arrive, head down to the library for a bit and maybe if it doesn’t get too stormy go fishing on the Hudson River from the shoreline. Always a nice way to end a hot evening. 🎣

On this day in 1776, The United States Declaration of Independence is adopted by the Second Continental Congress. I think that’s the primary reason people are lighting off fireworks all around tonight. 51 years later, slavery would be banned in New York State in 1821. Starting the day after Independence Day 1967, you would be able to FOIL the Federal Government, after U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Freedom of Information Act into law on July 4, 1966. Then citizens could request information on how much the federal government spent on fireworks the night before. Good to know.

Looking ahead, there are 4 weeks until August 🌻 when the sun will be setting at 8:15 pm with dusk at 8:46 pm. That will mark the mid point of my summer vacation. On that day in 2017, we had mostly sunny skies and temperatures between 87 and 62 degrees. In four weeks on August 1 the sun will be setting at 8:15 pm,🌄 which is 21 minutes and 7 seconds earlier then tonight. I hope we have weather like that when I’m at the pool side during vacation. Beats the heat of when I’m home. Typically, the high temperature is 82 degrees. We hit a record high of 101 back in 1933.

I’m thinking of heading back to the Finger Lakes for summer vacation this year. 🗻 I’m not sure if I will also head down to Pennsylvania, that has yet to be decided. Hoping for lots of sunny and warm days. I don’t mind hot weather when I’m next to a swimming hole. Maybe for once Enfield Glen won’t be so frigid. Not likely.

A picture perfect weekend on tap. 😎 Saturday, sunny, with a high near 79. Maximum dew point of 52 at 4pm. Sunday, sunny, with a high near 84. Maximum dew point of 57 at 7pm. Typical average high for the weekend is 82 degrees.

That should be a nice weekend. 😎 I’m thinking about hiking and maybe staying over on Huntersfield lean-to, Mine Kill State Park Pool, maybe some fishing and camping at Burnt Rossman State Forest. Maybe get some fresh veggies at the farm stands out in Schoharie or hike the Cliffs of Middleburg. Should be a nice weekend to head out of town.

Looking ahead, August 🌻 is in 4 weeks, Altamon Fair Opens 🎡 is in 6 weeks, State Fair Opens 🎡 is in 7 weeks, Last Sunset After 7 PM 🌆 is in 13 weeks, Halloween 🛥️ is in 17 weeks, Daylight Savings Time Ends 🛥️ is in 4 months, Day After Election Day 🛀 is in 18 weeks, Boxing Day 🥊 is in 25 weeks and Inauguration Day 2021 👴🏻 is in 133 weeks.