Search Results for: photo just above the field

Those forty inch jeans ๐Ÿ‘– don’t really fit anymore and are so baggy

I really need to get some new jeans that are better fitting though I only got this pair a few months ago, not realizing what was despite the warnings I was given. Especially because the Salvation Army shirt I got is so nicely fitting. Still I’m hesitant to invest in a new clothes of any expense as I know what I’m up against in a culture that prioritizes low quality calories, excessive sugar and fat. I’m good but the social pressures are so bad, and it can be lonely eating things that are actually half decent for you.

Good morning! Happy Tuesday. Rain and 66 degrees at the Elm Ave Park and Ride. โ˜” There is a north-northeast breeze at 5 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. The dew point is 66 degrees. The skies will clear tomorrow around 2 pm.

Too rainy ๐ŸŒง๏ธ for the morning walk and I wasn’t moving fast enough to catch the earlier bus ๐Ÿš downtown. The rain let up and I walked down to the later express ๐Ÿšbut in part I delayed as I didn’t really want to do laps in the Plaza in part because that would add another time up and down the eighteen flights at work and I didn’t want to do that. Lousy excuse but I’m still not doing elevators at work.๐Ÿ›— It’s stupid, I’m not afraid of the state elevators and I’m sure the state police ๐Ÿšจ would come and rescue me when the elevator breaks down but I like the exercise of climbing ๐Ÿง—‍โ™‚๏ธ all those stairs. The worse thing that could happen is I get trapped in the elevator with the head of the Assembly Republicans and after a few awkward seconds maybe talk about deer ๐ŸฆŒ hunting or something in the wilderness.

Morning was eggs ๐Ÿณ with a bunch of onions, spinach, and peppers. Lots of fiber and protein there. Had a few cups of coffee โ˜• though I really should cut back on the fluids as I’ve been having to piss a lot due to 6000pall the water I’ve been consuming from the watermelon ๐Ÿ‰, zucchini ๐Ÿ†, egg plant and the fruit ๐Ÿ I’ve been eating. Last night was breaded egg plant with panto breadcrumbs using egg as a glue, with a sauce made from tomatoes, jalapeños, onions and Italian spices and a bit of dried Parmesan on top. Broccoli ๐Ÿฅฆ on the side. It was good in the broiler all crispy.

Today will have showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 3pm. ๐ŸŒฆ High of 71 degrees at 3pm. 11 degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 24th. Maximum dew point of 69 at 2pm. ๐Ÿ–๏ธ Northeast wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning with a few breaks of sun the afternoon. The high last year was 87 degrees. The record high of 96 was set in 1959.

Another work day today, then one tomorrow, then it’s off to camp in the Adirondacks. ๐Ÿ• I’m not sure how nice Friday will be and Saturday looks chilly up north, but I might end up bringing both the heater and bug screen, along with tarps. ๐Ÿ“š I’m sure Lynne is going to ask if I want to go to the Guilderland Meeting regarding the Senior Home Development in the Pine Bush ๐ŸŒฒ but I’ll see if I can get out of that because I don’t feel that great, and I’m tired of attending meetings regarding the Pine Bush, yelling and screaming and being mocked in the press. ๐Ÿ“ฐ  I really have other priorities, and I’d like to get books from the library and get packed for camping. I doubt I’ll leave before early on Thursday morning, but if I get ready, it’s less to do tomorrow. Pine Bush stuff is kind of important, but I don’t want to be on the forefront, and so many of these hearings and being shoved down by the town board is kind of boring. Plus I have salmon ๐ŸŸ to cook up tonight with spinach, and I’m looking forward to that on this rainy night.

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 1:01 pm with sun having an altitude of 61.5° from the due south horizon (-9.3° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 3.3 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 7:20 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (284°). ๐Ÿ“ธ The sunset is in the west-northwest (290°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:59 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 4 seconds with dusk around 8:28 pm, which is one minute and 27 seconds earlier than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ The best time to look at the stars is after 9:07 pm. At sunset, look for rain ๐ŸŒง and thunderstorms ๐ŸŒฉ and temperatures around 70 degrees. The dew point will be 67 degrees. There will be a calm wind. Today will have 13 hours and 58 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 32 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will have a chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am, then a slight chance of showers between 1am and 2am. Mostly cloudy ๐ŸŒง, with a low of 65 degrees at 4am. Four degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 68 at 6pm. East wind around 5 mph becoming south after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies. It got down to 58 degrees. The record low of 41 occurred back in 1972.

In 1969, the Woodstock Music Festival Opens on Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, ๐ŸŽง ๐ŸŽธ๐ŸŽท much to the distaste of his neighbors and fellow community members. ๐Ÿฎ I’m sure he just thought of it as a way to make some money on a wet, muddy field that wasn’t growing much hay or silage that year due to the weather. He used to run the largest dairy farm in Sullivan County. Of course, they cut his milk contract in subsequent years, and was forced out of the dairy business. His son would go on to be the Sullivan County Clerk some years later. And the farm became a tourist destination in recent years. ๐Ÿ—‘ The hippies trashed the land more then Yasgur could have ever expected, to say nothing of what they did to the neighbors. And he just wanted a little money from the hippies, and expected after the weekend, the muddy field could be tilled up and put back in production.

On this day in 1970, President Richard Nixon completes the break from the gold standard by ending convertibility of the United States dollar into gold by foreign investors. ๐Ÿ’ฐ Much was made out of it, but truth be told the US hadn’t been pegging it’s currency to gold since the 1930s and by the 1960s the value of the US currency had grown with the size of the economy and inflation, it was getting harder and harder to come up with enough gold to settle the currency, especially as investors sought more gold as a hedge of growing inflation as the sixties slid into the 1970s. ๐Ÿ“ˆ Truth be told, regardless had the gold standard ended or not, the gas crisis would have still occurred, and it would have done a lot of damage to economy, though a lot of that was baked in after the sixties, and all the post-war expansion including the baby boom and the construction of the Interstate system which produced a enormous boom that was petering out by the seventies as major legs of the system were finalized. ๐Ÿ›ฃ

Cool but sunny this weekend. ๐Ÿ˜Ž Saturday, mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Maximum dew point of 58 at 2pm. Sunday, sunny, with a high near 84. Maximum dew point of 64 at 4pm. Typical average high for the weekend is 82 degrees. Actually, Sunday will be fairly warm and muggy. But Friday the high is only 66 degrees with rain showers. I am going to bring my heater up north I guess this weekend, along with the screen tent as the bugs may be bad. ๐ŸŽช I wasn’t sure if I was going to bring my kayak up north, but Sunday could be a very nice day for kayaking on the Mohawk River around Moss Island, ๐Ÿ›ถ especially if I do a bike ride first. Although do I want to spend more time at the Potholers at Piseco-Powley? ๐ŸŠ‍โ™€๏ธ Decisions! ๐Ÿค”

Looking ahead, there are 11 weeks until Halloween ๐ŸŽƒ when the sun will be setting at 5:51 pm with dusk at 6:19 pm. On that day in 2022, we had partly cloudy, rain showers and temperatures between 64 and 37 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 56 degrees. We hit a record high of 75 back in 2019.

When Big Bay turns north to Piseco Lake it becomes too shallow to navigate

A slow and warm day for setting up camp for the next five days in the Finger Lakes ๐Ÿฎ

Finally made it to the Finger Lakes National Forest which is exactly my reaction when I pulled to the roadside desperately to piss in my wheel well as all day I’ve been peeing. I didn’t think I drank too much coffee this morning but those peaches and other farm fresh produce I was snacking on my ways to the Finger Lakes National Forest kept my bladder full and looking for trees, rest rooms and stops. Didn’t help I got stuck in bad traffic in Ithaca with construction and a tourist bus that used the back bumper of a flatbed trailer to stop and oh, yeah no power in East Ithaca or working traffic lights. Plus besides all the bathroom breaks, shopping at Walmart in Oneonta and an amazing farm stand in Caroline that made me wish I hadn’t gotten so much in Oneonta. Regardless, lots of good eating over the next few days.

Good evening! Partly clear and 79 degrees at the Finger Lakes National Forest. There is a west-northwest breeze at 6 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. The dew point is 66 degrees. The muggy weather ends tomorrow around 11 pm. ๐Ÿ˜“ Kind of buggy with the heat and humidity, though I expect things to improve come tomorrow. The real question is how wet will tomorrow be. Not sure, the Finger Lakes this year haven’t been as wet as Albany but not quitgy dry spell like Western New York. Seasonably wet you might say.

Got the big ol campsite โ›บ I wanted on Potomac Road. I admit I kind of raced the last two miles up here after a leisurely drive as I wanted to ensure I got the site I really wanted including swerving to dodge a pothole on the road and maybe even cutting off a driver a bit in determination to get the site though I doubt they were looking to camp here. I did see a camper van who was obviously looking for this site around 4 or 5 pm but I was here by 1:45 and it’s first come first serve. I took Friday morning off for a reason, lol. I really like this site as it’s farther off the road, well shaded but also where my truck is parked in a sunny field. No cell service at camp ๐Ÿ”• but I look at that as a benefit because I like the quiet ๐Ÿคซ. And my radio ๐Ÿ“ป is broke so no endless hours of talking heads ๐Ÿ‘ฅ discussing Jason Aldean’s Try that in a Small Town. I don’t need that crap or the endless stream of emails ๐Ÿ“ง and notifications on vacation. ๐Ÿ–

Spent the balance of the afternoon unpacking, organizing and setting up camp ๐Ÿ’ผ so everything will be perfect ๐Ÿ‘Œ for the next nine days. Did a lot of cooking – chicken, potatoes, onions, peppers and other things for lunch, then a similar thing with frozen samon for dinner. ๐Ÿ  I have so much good food to eat it’s hard to know where to start. Diet, lol. ๐Ÿ˜‚ Actually truth be told, I don’t have any cookies or junk food, just solid quality minimal whole fruits and vegetables ๐Ÿ that I’m cooking and eating this week. Had a beer ๐Ÿป but only one and no more then two each day if that all. Had some fresh squeezed lemonade ๐Ÿ‹ with stevia and used the rest of the lemon with the salmon. Yum, I’m eating good. ๐Ÿ˜‹

Tonight will be mostly cloudy ๐ŸŒƒ , with a low of 67 degrees at 6am. Four degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 67 at 9pm. Northwest wind around 7 mph becoming south in the evening. In 2022, we had partly cloudy skies. It was somewhat humid. It got down to 68 degrees. The record low of 47 occurred back in 1987.

My phone shows a chance of rain โ˜” late this evening, so I’ll put away anything I don’t want to get wet before bed like my hammock and store my clean clothes in the cab of my truck to ensure they stay dry. I have a tent ๐ŸŽช set up for the dirty clothes, boxes and other camp supplies I’m not immediately using, mostly for organizational purposes. I think I need to get some crates for storing food, like I use on the back of my bicycle ๐Ÿšฒ especially as I have so much fresh stuff that I am not keeping in the cooler as I don’t have the space and I don’t think it strictly necessary but I worry about bruising and disorder in the reusable shopping bags ๐Ÿ›.

Tonight will have a Waxing Gibbous ๐ŸŒ” Moon with 82% illuminated. At 8 PM, the moon was in the south-southeast (158ยฐ) at an altitude of 17ยฐ from the horizon, some 233,176 miles away from where you are looking up from the earth. ๐Ÿš€ At the state speed limit of 55 mph, you’ll make it there by January 21st. Buckle up for safety! ๐Ÿ’บ The Strugeon ๐Ÿก Moon is on Tuesday, August 1. The darkest hour is at 1:14 am, followed by dawn at 5:23 am, and sun starting to rise at 5:56 am in the east-northeast (63ยฐ) and last for 3 minutes and 15 seconds. Sunrise is 59 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ„ The golden hour ends at 6:36 am with sun in the east-northeast (70ยฐ). Tonight will have 9 hours and 21 minutes of darkness, an increase of 2 minutes and 3 seconds over last night.

Tomorrow will have showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 3pm. ๐ŸŒฆ High of 73 degrees at 12pm. Nine degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 14th. Maximum dew point of 71 at 12pm. ๐Ÿ–๏ธ West wind 9 to 15 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. A year ago, we had cloudy skies in the morning, which became mostly sunny by afternoon. It was sticky. The high last year was 89 degrees. The record high of 97 was set in 1894.

I am not expecting a real nice day tomorrow ๐ŸŒง๏ธ but I got books to read ๐Ÿ“– and podcasts to listen to and I’ll spend a relaxed day around camp doing some good cooking ๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿณ healthy ingredients from the bounty I got at Walmart and that farmers market. ๐ŸŒฝ I have a ton of delicious Vadella onions ๐Ÿง…and lemons, ๐Ÿ‹ and so much else from grapes ๐Ÿ‡ to strawberries ๐Ÿ“ that I won’t go hungry and if I do I have more salmon, fresh spinach, rice ๐Ÿš beans ๐Ÿฑ and hot peppers ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ. Nice days I’ll head into town or other activities, ๐ŸŠโ€โ™‚๏ธ rainier stormy days, I’ll tool around the National Forest with Blackie my mountain bike ๐Ÿšต, hike into the back country and do some fishing ๐ŸŽฃ.

In four weeks on August 25 the sun will be setting in the west-northwest (286ยฐ) at 7:55 pm,๐ŸŒ„ which is 38 minutes and 26 seconds earlier then today. In 2022 on that day, we had hot, humid, mostly sunny, rain showers and temperatures between 87 and 60 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 81 and 60 degrees. The record high of 99 degrees was set back in 1947. Too soon, I’m not willing to think about summer coming to an end on vacation, lol.

Looking ahead, Average High 70 ๐ŸŽ‘ is in 5 weeks, September ๐ŸŽ is in 5 weeks, Labor Day Weekend Begins ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿญ is in 5 weeks, Autumn ๐Ÿ‚ is in 8 weeks, Buy Nothing Day ๐Ÿ›๏ธ is in 17 weeks, December ๐ŸŽ„ is in 18 weeks, Bill of Rights Day ๐Ÿ“œ is in 20 weeks, Days are Getting Longer โ˜€๏ธ is in 21 weeks and 4:30 PM Sunset ๐ŸŒ† is in 5 months.

Summer day

The Friday before Memorial Day Weekend ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

And I’m so not rushing around to make sure I have everything packed so I can be eaten alive by the black flies while I struggle to find cell service so I can work. Or rolling out of Mayfield watching traffic queue three miles in the distance as people crawl towards Northville and I’m openly wondering if all the good campsites are taken. I’m sure there is a lot of summer and autumn left.

Good morning! Yeah, it’s Friday before Memorial Day Weekend! ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Sunny and 42 degrees in Delmar, NY. ๐ŸŒž Calm wind. An absolutely beautiful morning, although a bit cool for the morning walk.

These days with the early sunrise ๐ŸŒ… I find it difficult to sleep much past five o’clock which is bad for the sleep ๐Ÿ˜ด as it’s also hard to get to bed before 9:30 or so after the evening walk ๐Ÿšถ. But I’m moving forward and I’m thinking eggs, tofu spinach and feta for breakfast this morning. ๐Ÿณ I’ve really been overdoing the sugar lately and eggs have an amazing staying power for the full day. ๐Ÿ’ช

Today will be sunny ๐ŸŒž, with a high of 72 degrees at 5pm. Two degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around May 19th. Calm wind becoming north 5 to 7 mph in the morning. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 74 degrees. The record high of 94 was set in 2010. There was a dusting of snow in 1953.โ„

Should be a pretty nice day. โ˜บ Yesterday wasn’t half bad, walked 11 ยฝ miles had a good dinner with salmon, peppers, tomatoes and a lemon juice ๐Ÿ‹ topping. Work was busy but it’s exciting getting that new Census Housing Data for sure. ๐Ÿ–ฅ That said, I had most depressing project to review yesterday ๐Ÿ“ but not everything can always be happy and fun when you are paid to review it.

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 12:53 pm with sun having an altitude of 68.5ยฐ from the due south horizon (-2.3ยฐ vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 2.4 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 7:40 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (293ยฐ). ๐Ÿ“ธ

Going to catch the earlier express bus ๐Ÿš๐ŸšŒ in this morning so I can bring the Lupine Festival ๐Ÿฆ‹ display to my office ๐Ÿข and hopefully bring it back to Lynne this afternoon. Then do some more walking ๐Ÿšถ before getting down to work for the day. As I won’t be leaving right from work today to the Adirondacks I figure I won’t be guilty of such clock ๐Ÿ•’ watching today but it should still go by quickly as I expect to be quite busy.

The sunset is in the west-northwest (300ยฐ) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:22 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 20 seconds with dusk around 8:54 pm, which is 55 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ At dusk you’ll see the First Quarter ๐ŸŒ“ Moon in the southwest (234ยฐ) at an altitude of 52ยฐ from the horizon, 251,804 miles away. ๐Ÿš€ The best time to look at the stars is after 9:38 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies ๐ŸŒ„ and temperatures around 65 degrees. There will be a calm wind. Today will have 15 hours of daytime, an increase of one minute and 37 seconds over yesterday.

After work tonight I want to go to the library ๐Ÿ“š and get a book to read for the holiday weekend then run to Walmart after 8 pm after they restocked followed by Market32 for anything they don’t have. ๐Ÿซ‘๐ŸŽ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ๐Ÿฅš Want to make sure to have lots of fresh fruits and vegetables for camping ๐Ÿ•.

Tonight will be mostly clear ๐ŸŒƒ, with a low of 45 degrees at 5am. Seven degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around May 7th. Light and variable wind. In 2022, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It became humid as the night progressed. It got down to 63 degrees. The record low of 30 occurred back in 1969.

The plan for tomorrow ๐Ÿšฒ is to work on the bicycle in the morning ๐Ÿ’ป along with any other work that comes in tonight into the morning then go out and primatively hammock camp โ›บ in the back country as simply as possible doing all my cooking ๐Ÿณ over a fire with hiking ๐Ÿšถ, reading and nature observation during the day. Use a candle ๐Ÿ•ฏ and the fire ๐Ÿ”ฅ for light at night ๐ŸŒƒ.

Tomorrow will be sunny ๐ŸŒž, with a high of 79 degrees at 5pm. Five degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around June 12th. Calm wind. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 77 degrees. The record high of 94 was set in 1914.

Looking ahead to Sunday, sunny, with a high near 85. โ˜€ Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph in the afternoon. Maximum dew point of 55 at 8pm. That will feel like summer. Typical average high for the weekend is 74 degrees.

And Memorial Day ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ will be sunny โ˜€ with a high of 87 degrees as the heat wave strengthens heading into the work week, even if Monday is a holiday. I’m sure it will be a long and busy work week next week, though maybe not so bad as Tuesday is the Assembly Majority picnic and Thursday is a get away day. Then that final hellish week and they will be gone. And then the recovery weekend for me spent with dad at the Gas Up. ๐Ÿšœ

The truth is I’m more focused on the following weekend, June 3-4 for more of a get out of town adventure โ›บ๐Ÿ›ถ๐ŸŒณ๐ŸŒฒ just because I know the woods will be quieter that weekend, the black flies less bad ๐Ÿœ, water warmer, less traffic and likely less work for me. All a win – win assuming the warm weather doesn’t crap out by then. And of course, Juneteenth long weekend extended by a few extra days at the Potholers. ๐ŸŠโ€โ™‚๏ธ

Looking ahead, there are 7 weeks until National Nude Day ๐Ÿ‘ฑ when the sun will be setting at 8:33 pm with dusk at 9:06 pm. On that day in 2022, we had partly cloudy and temperatures between 85 and 65 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 84 degrees. We hit a record high of 99 back in 1995.

Brief Rainshower On A Hot Day

April 17, 2023 Morning

Just a little spring time rain ๐ŸŒง๏ธ

So far it’s been a pretty gentle rain though it’s expected to pick up mid morning. It will help with the progress of springtime but he done by the evening.

Good morning! Monday’s come back around again. Rain showers a around and 58 degrees in Delmar, NY. โ˜” There is a south-southeast breeze at 11 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. The dew point is 54 degrees. The skies will clear around 6 pm.

Out walking this morning ๐Ÿšถ before the rain gets heavy. 20 ยฝ miles on Saturday doing Blodgett Hill and only 9 ยผ yesterday though I ended up doing 3 ยฝ of them pushing a wheel chair around the Crossings in Colonie.

Today will have showers, mainly before 3pm. ๐ŸŒฆ High of 62 degrees at 2pm. Two degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around April 20th. Maximum dew point of 55 at 7am. ๐Ÿ–๏ธ South wind 9 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 48 degrees. The record high of 91 was set in 2002. 0.3 inches of snow fell back in 1965.โ„

Not as warm today, but the same is true for all of week. ๐ŸŒท But not real cold either, heat is staying off. Last month my electric and gas bill fell to $61 which is great. With the base fees and the energy used by the refrigerator and hot water heater I doubt it will go much below that.

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 12:56 pm with sun having an altitude of 57.8ยฐ from the due south horizon (-13ยฐ vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 3.8 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer.

Blodgett Hill Hike on Saturday was fun โ›ฐ but walking twenty miles really make it an all day activity. Definitely spring time with all the cow slurry ๐Ÿฎ I passed by from Stanton’s dairy getting all that cow manure and water ๐Ÿ’ฆ out on the fields before planting. Blodgett Hill was nice, they’ve removed a bunch more White Pine ๐ŸŽ from the summit improving views and the Pitch Pine – Scrub Oak habitat.

The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 7:01 pm with the sun in the west (279ยฐ). ๐Ÿ“ธ The sunset is in the west-northwest (285ยฐ) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:39 pm after setting for 3 minutes with dusk around 8:08 pm, which is one minute and 9 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ The best time to look at the stars is after 8:44 pm. At sunset, look for rain ๐ŸŒง and temperatures around 56 degrees. The dew point will be 47 degrees. There will be a west breeze at 5 mph. Today will have 13 hours and 31 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 46 seconds over yesterday.

After the Blodgett Hill Hike, I got thinking about getting my bicycle ๐Ÿšฒ roadworthy again. I did a careful analysis all that was broken and the process of replacing the broken spokes myself. Spoke replacement isn’t hard but I never had a cassette removal tool to pull the gears to get to the broken spokes. I also need to replace one of the derailer cables but I believe that I could be on the road and bicycle commuting by May. It unlocks a lot of possibilities for motor free travel in the region, especially nowadays with so many parks and bicycle routes. Plus I really like the idea of saving bus fares by riding my bike to work.

Tonight will have a slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy ๐ŸŒง, with a low of 43 degrees at 6am. Five degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around April 30th. Southwest wind 3 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 27 degrees. The record low of 21 occurred back in 1948.

Not a particularly nice weekend on tap. ๐Ÿ˜ž Saturday, showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Maximum dew point of 47 at 1pm. Sunday, a chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 59. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Typical average high for the weekend is 63 degrees.

As previously noted, there are 2 weeks until May ๐Ÿ•Š when the sun will be setting at 7:56 pm with dusk at 8:25 pm. On that day in 2022, we had mostly sunny and temperatures between 69 and 35 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 66 degrees. We hit a record high of 86 back in 2001.

South Hunter Mountain

March 24, 2023 Morning

Good morning! Yeah, it’s Friday! Did it ever seem like we would make it here this week? This week bucked at times like the engine on the bus on the old I 787 in traffic but much like Friday, it made it to the destination.

Mostly cloudy, rather dark and 35 degrees at the for the morning walk in Delmar. โ˜ There is a northwest breeze at 14 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. Temperatures will drop below freezing at tomorrow around 2 am. โ˜ƒ๏ธ Then again it’s 6:15 after the time change, though we are seeing some as the walk continues.

Not so cold this morning but the wind makes it a bit cool. ๐Ÿ’จ The deer ๐ŸฆŒ are grazing on the well manured farm field ๐Ÿฎ while a turkey vulture flies overhead and the sky to the east is a beat red. I was up before six and I finished off the last of the oatmeal ๐Ÿฅฃ.

Today will be mostly cloudy ๐ŸŒฅ, with a high of 47 degrees at 5pm. One degree below normal, which is similar to a typical day around March 21st. Just hearing that is a reminder that spring is coming soon. Northwest wind 10 to 14 mph. A year ago, we had light drizzle in the morning with a few breaks of sun the afternoon. The high last year was 46 degrees. The record high of 69 was set in 1976. 5.5 inches of snow fell back in 1956.โ„

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 1:03 pm with sun having an altitude of 48.7ยฐ from the due south horizon (-22.1ยฐ vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 5.3 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer.

The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 6:35 pm with the sun in the west (267ยฐ). ๐Ÿ“ธ The sunset is in the west (273ยฐ) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:12 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 54 seconds with dusk around 7:39 pm, which is one minute and 9 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ At dusk you’ll see the Waxing Crescent ๐ŸŒ’ Moon in the west (262ยฐ) at an altitude of 34ยฐ from the horizon, 239,655 miles away. ๐Ÿš€ The best time to look at the stars is after 8:13 pm. At sunset, look for partly cloudy skies ๐ŸŒƒ and temperatures around 43 degrees. There will be a northwest breeze at 8 mph. Tomorrow will have 12 hours and 26 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 54 seconds over today.

I wasn’t sure but I managed to get out walking ๐Ÿšถ down to the town park ๐Ÿž right after work and did a few laps around the Nature Trail ๐Ÿธ before it got dark and started to drizzle. I had a small container of pasta with lots of vegetables, which has more sugar then I would like but I had previously bought, froze and didn’t want to go to waste by eating in moderation. ๐Ÿฅง

Tonight will be mostly cloudy ๐ŸŒฅ, with a low of 31 degrees at 5am. Two degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 30th. North wind around 7 mph. In 2022, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 39 degrees. The record low of 0 occurred back in 1875.

Tomorrow will have a chance of snow before 9am, then a chance of rain and snow between 9am and 11am, then rain after 11am. ๐ŸŒง High of 38 degrees at 4pm. 11 degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around February 24th. Breezy, with a southeast wind 6 to 11 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Little or no snow accumulation expected. A year ago, we had light drizzle in the morning with a few breaks of sun the afternoon. The high last year was 57 degrees. The record high of 74 was set in 1910. 1.9 inches of snow fell back in 1960.โ„

Tomorrow I think I will get up early or at least at the normal time ๐Ÿšถ and walk before the snow and rain comes. Maybe even do Five Rivers though Sunday sounds like a better day for doing that. I was hoping to get out of town this weekend but I didn’t think that was possible with the weather. It’s fine, I have some library books ๐Ÿ“š to finish up that are due back and I’ll probably end up working Saturday morning. I could do it remote but at home is easier.

Looking ahead to Sunday, partly sunny, with a high near 50. โ˜€ Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Typical average high for the weekend is 49 degrees.

Sunday sounds like the better day of the weekend โ˜บ though that wind of will make it feel colder than the mercury actually says. But I’ll probably hike Bennett Hill and go out and see the folks in the afternoon.

Looking ahead, there are 2 weeks until 7:30 PM Sunset ๐ŸŒ‡ when the sun will be setting at 7:30 pm with dusk at 7:56 pm. On that day in 2022, we had rain and temperatures between 51 and 45 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 55 degrees. We hit a record high of 87 back in 2010.

One Mile to Fire Tower

February 20, 2023 Morning

Good morning! Cloudy and 36 degrees at the Moscow Hill Camping Area. ๐ŸŒฅ There is a south-southwest breeze at 9 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. Temperatures will drop below freezing at around 5 pm. โ˜ƒ๏ธ

The past few days I’ve decided to take a break from social media and the blog ๐Ÿ“œ so I can spend more time in the woods hiking and thinking, ๐Ÿ‘‚ listening to podcasts and drinking ๐Ÿป beer and being away from it all. Two nights is never enough, especially since I got used to remote work from camp. I could have taken tomorrow off but rain is coming.

I was on the fence about where to this long weekend โ›บ but settled on Brookfield as there was more trails I wanted to explore and the forecast while cloudy for Sunday and today looked less wet. I had been at Rennselearville State Forest three weekends ago and wanted to mix things up especially so I didn’t burn up too much firewood. Plus I like the rural landscape ๐Ÿšœ heading out to Brookfield. Longer drive though but a pleasant one.

Saturday I walked around Glimmerglass State Park ๐Ÿž and it was cold by the lake but in the woods with the wind ๐Ÿƒ blocked by the mountains it wasn’t so bad. I didn’t stick around very long as such. Deep blue skies and a pretty sunset ๐ŸŒ‡. Got to Moscow Hill Horse Camp ๐Ÿด and set up camp then hiked over to Elmer’s Place and then bushwhacked over Grassy Hill trying to find a good view which didn’t exist but I did flush out a ton of grouse. ๐Ÿ•Š

By the time I got back to camp it was 6:10 and nearly pitch black but I had previously gathered firewood, set up the lights and propane, ๐Ÿฎ had everything ready to go so it was a pleasant night. Had a big fire ๐Ÿ”ฅ though it was smokey at times due to all the wet wood, wet stuff in the burnables as I’ve been eating healthier. Heard a local fire station whistle go of ๐Ÿš’๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿš’ and thought I might have some unplanned visitors but no it was some other call. This place isn’t as remote as some places I camp. โ›บ Forgot to buy lighter fluid but once I got the somewhat damp and frozen wood going it burned well but was sparky until the wind died out. Saturday was a star filled night โœจ and very mild which was nice.

Sunday was cloudy and breezy at times ๐ŸŒฌ๏ธ especially up on the hills. I hiked the bulk of the day, visiting most of the outer truck trails at Charles Baker State Forest ๐ŸŒฒ๐ŸŒณ๐ŸŒฒ as I didn’t want to hike muddy horse trails. Checked out the Elmer Spring Campsite which is remote but accessible by vehicle and is really nice and private. โ›บ Hiked the Ledges Trail which was kind of interesting as was Truck Trail 7 which is cut into a ledge on the side of the mountain โ›ฐ๏ธ. Icy in spots especially on the road but cold enough even the horse ๐Ÿด trails weren’t too icy.

For today, Washington’s Birthday will have showers likely, mainly before 11am. Cloudy ๐ŸŒฆ, with a high of 40 degrees at 11am. Three degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around February 28th. Not bad for the high country in in. Just wearing the vest. Southwest wind 9 to 13 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning, remaining cloudy in the afternoon. The high last year was 28 degrees. The record high of 66 was set in 1930. 11.2 inches of snow fell back in 1977.โ„

While it hasn’t been sunny โ˜๏ธ the mid weather has been nice. Not having to deal with frozen water ๐Ÿ’ฆ, frozen food like milk ๐Ÿฅ› or eggs ๐Ÿฅš is good for a change. The batteries are healthy and happy ๐Ÿ˜Š in my truck ๐Ÿ”‹, I haven’t had to start the truck all weekend long. Used the propane heater โ™จ a lot less than I have in recent trips, no icy propane lines to deal with. But it’s been cold enough that things have remained generally frozen in the ground, keeping the trails from being too muddy.

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 12:16 pm with sun having an altitude of 36.2ยฐ from the due south horizon (-34.4ยฐ vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 8.2 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 5:01 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (249ยฐ). ๐Ÿ“ธ The sunset is in the west-southwest (256ยฐ) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 5:40 pm after setting for 3 minutes with dusk around 6:07 pm, which is one minute and 17 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ At dusk you’ll see the Waxing Crescent ๐ŸŒ’ Moon in the west-southwest (253ยฐ) at an altitude of 2ยฐ from the horizon, 228,419 miles away. ๐Ÿš€ The best time to look at the stars is after 6:41 pm. At sunset, look for mostly cloudy skies โ˜ and temperatures around 34 degrees. There will be a west-northwest breeze at 10 mph. Today will have 10 hours and 50 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 47 seconds over yesterday.

Today I decided to hike back and explore a few more ponds ๐Ÿธ in the northern part of the state forest. Then midday head back home. I figure enjoy and explore as much of the land while I’m here. Then I’ll have to head home. I thought about taking Tuesday off but it looks like rain โ˜” and maybe snow here.

Tonight will have a slight chance of snow showers after 4am. Mostly cloudy ๐ŸŒง, with a low of 23 degrees at 2am. Four degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 5th. Maximum wind chill around 17 at 4am; Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 20%. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 13 degrees. The record low of -10 occurred back in 2015.

Planning to go out and see the folks ๐Ÿ‘ช when I get home, that is after showering ๐Ÿšฟ and unpacking. Then I want to run to the car wash ๐Ÿš™ and then Walmart for fruit and vegetables for the upcoming week. ๐Ÿ

Brookfield looks cold and snowy for next weekend. ๐ŸŒจ But I got my fun in. Saturday, a chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 25. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Sunday, a chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Typical average high for the weekend is 39 degrees.

I don’t necessarily plan on being back to Brookfield anytime soon though I might do my April trip to Cazenovia rather than the Adirondacks East Branch Sacandaga River for a change. ๐Ÿ—ป Easter is late this year and depending on how mild the spring is things could be greening up by then. Probably few black flies up north ๐Ÿœ but I’ve been itching to do the Gorge Rail Trail is Cazenovia – Canestota for some time again. March maybe a camping trip โ›บ to Rennselearville State Forest again or Burnt Rossman. Depends on how much snow. It will be after the time change at this point.

Looking ahead, there are 7 weeks until 8 PM Dusk ๐ŸŒ† when the sun will be setting at 7:39 pm with dusk at 8:06 pm (Daylight Savings Time) in Brookfield. Earlier back in Albany. On that day in 2022, we had partly cloudy, warm and temperatures between 74 and 49 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 57 degrees. Thinking spring thoughts ๐Ÿ’ญ on this cloudy but mild morning. We hit a record high of 86 back in 1922.

Red Trail Marker

January 8, 2023 Morning

Good morning! The cold returns on this Sunday morning. Sunny and 29 degrees at the Five Rivers Environmental Education Center. ๐ŸŒž There is a north-northwest breeze at 6 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. When the wind picks up it gets cold. Things will start to thaw out at around 11 am. ๐ŸŒก๏ธ

This morning is a painful reminder that winter is not done. ๐Ÿฆ It’s cold but sunny this morning with the breeze. I walked out to Five Rivers. ๐Ÿฆ I’m making some progress on breaking the new boots ๐Ÿ‘ข in. Helps when their not laced up so tight. Like most things in life. Some people out at Five Rivers but not super crowded at this hour. Probably see more as I head home.

Today will be sunny ๐ŸŒž, with a high of 37 degrees at 2pm. Four degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around February 18th. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 24 degrees. The record high of 60 was set in 2008. 8.3 inches of snow fell back in 1923.โ„

I’ve been thinking more about Mission Fifty. One area I want to explore is what kind of skills I want to master before age 50. ๐Ÿš€ One is in the field of software development. I really want to learn more about writing software libraries, GUI programming and more advanced techniques for development, so I can read and improve things. ๐Ÿค– Maybe I need to find an open source project I can cooperate with to learn. But I don’t really like playing with kids. ๐Ÿ‘จ‍๐Ÿ’ป I really should learn to give in and be more flexible in my thinking, but I’m not good at that. It’s just one of many angles I’m thinking about for the mission. Certainly this is a fairly low bar compared to many other goals I have for the next ten years as I head into my fiftieh birthday.

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 12:03 pm with sun having an altitude of 25.1° from the due south horizon (-45.7° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 12.8 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 3:55 pm with the sun in the southwest (232°). ๐Ÿ“ธ The sunset is in the west-southwest (240°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 4:40 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 22 seconds with dusk around 5:10 pm, which is one minute and 2 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ The best time to look at the stars is after 5:46 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies ๐ŸŒƒ and temperatures around 35 degrees. There will be a calm wind. Today will have 9 hours and 17 minutes of daytime, an increase of one minute and 13 seconds over yesterday.

After Five Rivers, it’s off to see John Wolcott and the crew up in Colonie. ๐Ÿ‘ด And then to find at least one or maybe two dress shirts at one of the big box stores. ๐Ÿ‘จ‍๐Ÿ’ผ Then I’m hoping to hike in the Pine Bush until it  gets dark out. ๐ŸŒฒ Then probably should go to the laundromat, or maybe I’ll wait to Monday. Usually on the weekdays it’s less crowded.

Tonight will have increasing clouds โ˜, with a low of 25 degrees at 5am. Eight degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 11th. Calm wind. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became light freezing rain by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 19 degrees. The record low of -20 occurred back in 1968.

I am watching the weather for next week, and it’s improving. ๐Ÿ• I am starting to think a trip out to Brookfield next week is a realistic option. Probably won’t be for skiing. โ›ท Not enough snow. But it will be cold enough that it shouldn’t be all mud. I would love to get out to Madison County ๐Ÿšœ, it’s been over a year since I’ve been out to that rural, farming part of the state. ๐Ÿ˜Ž Sunday and Martin Luther King Day look amazing for this time of year. But I wonder how the roads will be on Saturday, especially in the higher elevations. I guess old Rensslearville State Forest is still an option.

Looking ahead, next Sunday starts that typically is the Coldest Week of the Year ๐ŸŒฌ when the sun will be setting at 4:48 pm with dusk at 5:18 pm. Based on the weather outlook and La Nina that seems unlikely. On that day in 2022, we had mist, showers, partly cloudy skies and temperatures between 38 and 19 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 32 degrees. We hit a record high of 65 back in 1995.

Quinne Ball