Good morning! Happy 5 PM Sunset 🌇 ! Next Monday is February 🌧 . Mostly sunny and 17 degrees in Delmar, NY. 🌞 Calm wind. There are 2 inches of snow on the ground. ☃ ️

Last night my apartment flooded again. Yet, another water heater melted down, starting to leak water out of the top again. Called the landlord, and he says he’s going to have the plumber install another heater tomorrow. 💦 This time for some reason the catch pan didn’t empty out the leak and it poured all over the floor of the closet, into my bedroom and through the living room ceiling downstairs, but so be it. Third water-heater this unit has gone through since I moved in December 2007. 🙄Kind of annoying, but it’s more my landlords problem then mine, bar the extra cleaning and mopping up of the wet dirty stuff from the melt down. It’s annoying that it’s one issue after another with the plumbing here, but at least he’s good at getting things fixed. 🚽 I wish he would just buy a good quality heater, so I wouldn’t be dealing with this issue every five years, especially when things flood. Last time they didn’t but I’m guessing the drain pan hose iced up in the cold.

To be fair, my apartment is quite affordable 🏘 as it’s been the same place I’ve been sent back in the day when I was making $27.5k at my first job out of college. Today, I make quite a bit more and my rent has not increased much over the years. Of course the fact that the landlord keeps having to replace the waterheater suggests at some point rent will be going up again. I like my apartment and it’s location, but I guess you get what you pay for these days. And it’s good that it gave me a long needed cleaning and straightening up my bedroom.🛏 Too often things just kind of got piled up around, things that I thought I might use some time in the future but probably should have long ago been chucked in the recycling bin or trash like old magazines. Dust doesn’t get cleaned off, books fall out of book shelves, you name it, it happens. 📚That’s kind of why I eventually want to own a tiny home, so if it’s not immediately being used and is kind of marginal in usefulness, it goes out to out the burn barrel for a very fiery form of disposal. 🔥

I was also having blog problems, ✍ due to a software update under Linux which seems to have broken the SSH connections everywhere on the system. I am looking into it further on my end but it only really effects a few things I use regularly, including syncing the website to local database. 🔄 The techs got part of it working again, but I’m still trying to figure out what I broke on my end. Not sure at all – I think either a certificate layer or broken protocol software. 🔢 When I get to the library later in the week, I’ll run apt and update the software, and hopefully that will fix things. I only don’t have synced things from the past few days.

Today will be sunny 🌞, with a high of 29 degrees at 2pm. Two degrees below normal. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph. A year ago, we had cloudy skies in the morning, which became rain by afternoon. The high last year was 39 degrees. The record high of 61 was set in 1938. 9.5 inches of snow fell back in 2000.❄

It’s going to be a cold day today, but sunny. 🌞 While I did my evening walk, I skipped the morning walk as I was still cleaning up from yesterday’s mess. I really should done more to clean up earlier on – like get the old ripped clothing to the recycling center ♻ and put all my summer clothing away so I could put my winter clothing in the dresser, but it’s now done. I also cleaned up and organized the crawl space, because I wanted to make sure none of my other clothing or camping gear would be sitting in a puddle of water for the rest of the winter. 👕 It’s good though come the spring, it will be easier to get out the things I need.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:08 pm with sun having an altitude of 28.5° from the due south horizon (-42.3° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 11 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 4:18 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (238°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-southwest (245°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 5:00 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 13 seconds with dusk around 5:30 pm, which is one minute and 17 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the Waxing Gibbous Moon 🌝 Moon in the east (88°) at an altitude of 37° from the horizon, 246,581 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 6:05 pm. At sunset, look for partly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 28 degrees. There will be a north-northwest breeze at 5 mph. Today will have 9 hours and 44 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 7 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will be partly cloudy 🌤, with a low of 17 degrees at 3am. Three degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around February 11th. Calm wind. In 2020, we had light rain in the evening, which became light drizzle by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 34 degrees. The record low of -17 occurred back in 1920.

Sunny but cold Saturday, snow possible for Sunday. Saturday, mostly sunny, with a high near 22. 🌞 Sunday, a chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 29. ⛅Chance of precipitation is 30%. ❄ Typical average high for the weekend is 31 degrees.

🌹🌻🌼Only 54 days remain until the first day of calendar spring!🌹🌻🌼 I can’t wait until it’s warm enough to have the windows open and some fresh air. While that doesn’t happen all of the time in March, sometimes it can get fairly warm and nice. I am really looking forward to spending more nights in the woods. I can do winter camping, but I like it when the time changes and the weather is much nicer in the spring.

As previously noted, next Monday is February 🌧 when the sun will be setting at 5:09 pm with dusk at 5:38 pm. I am glad, this month seems like it has dragged on forever, and it’s been so controversial with so many angry people everywhere. Hopefully with a professional in the White House, the vaccine will roll out much more smoothly, and we can get back to normal life. 😃On that day in 2020, we had snow showers, cloudy, mild and temperatures between 40 and 32 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 32 degrees. We hit a record high of 65 back in 1989.

Good morning! What day is it? First day of legislative session, of course.🏛 Garth’s Good Ride Cowboy 🤠 on the radio. Six weeks to 5:30 PM Sunset 🌇 . Snow flurries clouds and 27 degrees in Delmar, NY. ❄ There is a north-northwest breeze at 8 mph. 🍃. There is a inch of snow on the ground. ☃ ️Things will start to thaw out at around noontime. 🌡️

So yes, happy middle of the week. 🐪 It will be the first week of January, and hopefully you week is having a fast and furious letdown like camels do. 🥛 Do watch those videos on Homesteady about camel dairying. Cloudy today. ☁ Looking forward though to more sun tomorrow. 🌞 Not real cold for the balance of the week into the week, so no complaints, but I see the writing on the wall. At some point, I will have to turn up the heat when the temperatures plunge.

Today will be scattered flurries before 8am. Mostly cloudy , with a high of 35 degrees at 1pm. Four degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around February 15th. Northwest wind 8 to 11 mph. A year ago, we had light snow in the morning, which became mostly clear by afternoon. The high last year was 40 degrees. The record high of 71 was set in 2007. 12.7 inches of snow fell back in 2002.❄

I didn’t get to the store 🏬 yesterday and I doubt I’ll be able to do so today. I’m just too busy with work and everything else. I still haven’t dug out my truck although I don’t think that will be a big deal. I think I will be too busy today 💼 with work but I do need to get to the bank 🏦 soon as I have a big check I’ve been holding for the new year for tax purposes but it needs to be deposited soon. Plus I’m low on food 🍲 although I think I can stretch groceries for one more day. I think maybe tomorrow – the weather will be much nicer and then I can also go to the library.😎 I also want to wash my truck. 😋 Salt eats cars. 🛻 I was at least happy that they credited my latest paycheck under the PEP vacation time for healthcare — my budget is always so tight 💸 and that extra $45 every two weeks ensures I can afford to eat and fuel my truck, which is kind of important. 🍎 It’s amazing how fast that money disappears into various retirement and investment accounts.

I went for my evening walk 🚶🏻 last night and it was pleasant. I saw snow on the radar but none fell from the sky. Cool but not unreasonably cold for January❄ But I’m sure in a few weeks the pattern will change and we will have a frigid February and March. I guess with remote work if it’s really cold I won’t have to go outside much less wait outside at the frigid bus stop. 🚏 You don’t know how cold it can be downtown with the wind whipping around all of the office buildings. 🏢👪🚃🏰🏬 This morning is gray but I’m out for my walk. 🌰 I need to restore some of my sanity before the craziness. 🚶🚶🚶🚶🚶

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:02 pm with sun having an altitude of 24.9° from the due south horizon (-45.9° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 12.9 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 3:53 pm with the sun in the southwest (232°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-southwest (240°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 4:38 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 22 seconds with dusk around 5:09 pm, which is one minute later than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 5:45 pm. At sunset, look for mostly cloudy skies ☁ and temperatures around 33 degrees. There will be a northwest breeze at 9 mph. Today will have 9 hours and 12 minutes of daytime, an increase of one minute and 7 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will be mostly cloudy 🌥, with a low of 24 degrees at 4am. Nine degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 11th. Maximum wind chill around 17 at 3am; Northwest wind 8 to 10 mph. In 2020, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became partly cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 23 degrees. The record low of -12 occurred back in 1878.

Saw the first mouse 🐭of the year in my apartment. I am surprised that I haven’t seen many mice for many years and the mice were so bad this summer up in the woods. Well I’ll put together a bucket trap if they become a problem. And make sure to lock up food 🔒 and clean up the crumbs a bit more.

While I expect a busy day today, 💼 I will occasionally follow the news 📰 on the happenings in that other circus 🤹🏻‍♂️ known as Washington DC. I can’t believe so many people are denying reality after the incompetent incumbent got voted out of office. ❎ Comptence matters especially during a pandemic. 👾It’s important to stand up for your rights and protests are important part of a healthy democracy but you can’t deny objective reality.

A picture perfect weekend on tap. 😎 Saturday, mostly sunny, with a high near 31. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 33. Typical average high for the weekend is 30 degrees.

I don’t want to go too far from home this weekend, 🏠🔙🏂 but I should definitely plan on getting out both days this week. I do like Schodack Island. Or maybe I should explore Papscanee Island. I haven’t been there since July and I could then go grocery shopping at Aldi’s. 🛍 Or maybe I’ll end up somewhere in Western Rensselear County. Then maybe Sunday I’ll hike around the Copeland Hill Preserve.

🌹🌻🌼Only 73 days remain until the first day of calendar spring!🌹🌻🌼 That means that Saturday works out to be 70 days or 10 weeks until calendar spring. Whatever that means. Gawd rarely follows the calendar, especially in New York.🌨 All the cow people down south will be putting their cows out to pasture in March and I’ll be jealous as shit. 🐮

As previously noted, next Wednesday is Make Your Dream Come True Day 🏡 when the sun will be setting at 4:45 pm with dusk at 5:16 pm. On that day in 2020, we had mostly cloudy skies with rain showers and relatively mild temperatures for January, between 40 and 29 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 30 degrees. We hit a record high of 71 back in 1932.

Been thinking a lot about what is next. ⛵ I know that for now the best thing is to stay the course but I tell you all those off grid, rural and farm groups I’m part of on Facebook has me dreaming about a better tomorrow. 🚜 I guess it’s one step at a time but I do look and see time starting to fly by so quickly. ⏳Goals at least targets 🎯 slowly but certainly are being made 🥅 but there is so much to do. I’m getting older and sometimes I look back at the silliness of my youth but I’m still learning.

Good morning! Happy National Bird Day 🐧 ! Bird’s the word. I know with this pandemic, 👾 I have been doing a lot more bird watching from my truck working off the Wi-Fi 📶 at the library parking lot. Those binoculars really bring in the birds up close, and when your looking out a windshield for 8 hours a day, you see a lot of nature. 🐿 Next Tuesday is Coldest Day Recorded in Albany 💨 . I don’t think this year next week will be nearly as cold. Cloudy and 31 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☁ Calm wind. There are 3 inches of snow on the ground. ☃ ️Things will start to thaw out at around 10 am. 🌡️ Melty melt. Kind of like that discarded empty coffee container from the other day. ☕🔥 Redneck recycling, it’s all BTUs in outdoor woodboiler. ♻ Never mind, rednecks don’t tell. 😶 LOL.

Heading out for my morning walk shortly.🚶 I was so bad and didn’t get for my evening walk. I was going to go, but then I got playing with Leaflet Javascript mapping script. I figured out how to get the traditional topographic maps and the digital orthophoto quadrangles from the mid-1990s loaded into the system, so I can easily create interactive comparisons for the blog. 🗺 I was excited as a pig in shit about that, because I like neat, easy to create content that informs people about how our world is changing.🌎 Remote sensing, computers and GIS makes it easier to monitor the shit storm we know is happening on the earth. 😯 This morning is cloudy and shit but I better walk or I’ll get even fatter and die of a stroke.

Listening to Bob Dylan’s Lay, Lady Lay. 🎸 I fixed it so it now plays on my smartphone, because it wasn’t in MP3 format. Good song, and I love the Erick Landy photo of Bob Dylan on the cover Nashville Skyline, which makes Mr. Dylan look like the country boy he really is or at least pretends to be in the year of 1967 when country-folk music was very popular. Kind of melty theme. 🍦 That and the Byrd’s Sweetheart of the Rodeo. I just like it when fairly hip rock-and-rollers play country music with a bit of an ironic twist. 👨🏻‍🌾

Today will be cloudy ☁, with a high of 35 degrees at 1pm. Four degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around February 15th. Calm wind becoming north around 6 mph in the afternoon. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning, remaining cloudy in the afternoon. The high last year was 37 degrees. The record high of 64 was set in 1950. 8 inches of snow fell back in 1891.❄

I am planning on going to the store mid-day today, 🛍 and then maybe wash my truck. 🚿 Then down to the library for the afternoon work session and to get more podcasts until I feel super cold and I have to come home and sit next to the electric heater. I want to install that ERIC IDE to see if that will help me with my Python coding, which I promise myself I am going to get even better at and use more python to write system scripts and the alike, rather then PHP which really isn’t well suited for that job but I often use for that purpose.💻

I finally got my replacement driver’s license in the mail ✉. I will need to get an eye test 👀 before the end of the year but I should probably visit the eye doctor this summer as it’s been a few years since I last got my eyes checked. While my insurance covers yearly contact exams now, I hate dealing with eye doctors, they’re the worst.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:02 pm with sun having an altitude of 24.8° from the due south horizon (-46° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 13 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 3:52 pm with the sun in the southwest (232°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-southwest (240°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 4:37 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 22 seconds with dusk around 5:08 pm, which is 58 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 5:44 pm. At sunset, look for mostly cloudy skies ☁ and temperatures around 34 degrees. There will be a north breeze at 5 mph. Today will have 9 hours and 11 minutes of daytime, an increase of one minute and 2 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will be mostly cloudy 🌥, with a low of 25 degrees at 5am. 10 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 14th. North wind 3 to 6 mph. In 2020, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became light snow by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 26 degrees. The record low of -19 occurred back in 1996.

Did you see that they added the fondue emoji 🫕 in 2020? Maybe not so cool to be sharing a pot of food in the year of the pandemic, 👾 but who doesn’t like fondue, with good melted cheese 🧀 and cheap wine 🍾 and flour. I think we have a melting theme going on this morning. It’s because it’s fairly warm this morning, and in the distance I can just see spring. 🐷 I know spring is a time of hick towns that smell like cow poop and mud 💩 but also it means longer days, trout season 🎣 and less snow to deal with. And eventually things start to dry out and the swarms of black flies return to terrorize the woods. 🐜 Trust me, I know how the cycle works in Upstate NY. Three days of nice weather, 8 months of frigid cold, then cow shit, mud and black flies. 🐄 But no cows, no cheese for fondue. And that would be sad.

A picture perfect weekend on tap. 😎 Saturday, mostly sunny, with a high near 31. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 32. Typical average high for the weekend is 30 degrees.

If it wasn’t a two day weekend, 😫 I would definitely head up to the Adirondacks. Plus I was just up there last weekend. But maybe we will have another weekend in January that isn’t super

As previously noted, two Tuesdays until the Coldest Day Recorded in Albany 💨 when the sun will be setting at 4:44 pm with dusk at 5:15 pm. On that day in 2020, we had mostly cloudy, warm weather rain showers and temperatures between 67 and 31 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 30 degrees. We hit a record high of 63 back in 2018. But back in 1972, it was a block-freezing negative 28 in the city of Albany. But it never gets that cold anymore, or so I’ll claim.

🌹🌻🌼Only 74 days remain until the first day of calendar spring!🌹🌻🌼