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April 7, 2021 Morning

Good morning! Today is 7:30 PM Sunset πŸŒ‡ . Might be a nice day for reading down in the park after work. I don’t expect a long day today. Four weeks to Cinco de Mayo 🀠 . Partly sunny and 45 degrees in Delmar, NY. Calm wind. Kind of the calm after the storm, after a crazy day at work and a crazy day all together. I probably shouldn’t have cussed out that little ol’ lady at the store, who was taking too long at the counter by where the eggs are. πŸ₯š Lost my temper, but she was like looking at every egg for like 10 minutes. 😠 It was a tough day yesterday with work and everything else going on, and I think I was sleep deprived. I can be a son of a bitch when I’m tired and cranky.

There was a just a lot of miscellaneous things going on with work, πŸ’Ό and I felt like shit all morning — had some chills and aches, as it felt like I have Lyme disease coming back on again. 🐜 I can’t believe I’m getting Lyme again, but I’m hoping it’s just a temporary bug or I accidentally consumed something contaminated with mold or something. Sunday after hiking Bennett Hill I was out at my parents house, and found ticks crawling over my laptop then on my jeans. πŸ‘– Then later in the evening, I felt something crawling up my pants. Today, certainly the pollen is bad from the tree outside. I don’t know why I’ve gotten so sensitive to everything now that I’m old. It’s not like I haven’t spent that much time indoors, I’ve been exposed to plenty of mud, muck and smoke over the years. Shouldn’t be allergic to any shit these days. Some it though is the work schedule — I worked until midnight last night 😴 and then had to be up early to drop my truck off at the shop to get the oil changed at 8 AM the nigth day.

Then when I got my truck back from the oil change, I found out the shop only used regular oil and not synthetic. πŸ›’ I didn’t say anything, bit my tongue. πŸ˜‹ But I guess that’s fine, I probably should be changing the oil more often on my truck as with the leaky oil coolant line and adding oil, I’m probably building up sludge. I told them synthetic please when the order was written up, but then I got the bill back they put in regular. It’s not a big deal, I still think with modern oils I can go at least 5,000 miles which will get me through the summer. I have that airbag recall πŸ‰ for the truck that needs to be done, so maybe when I take it to the General they can do another oil change and rotate the tires. I haven’t them rotate the tires this time figuring the tires are getting old and the uneven wear. I think too much about oil on my truck, constantly measuring the dip stick, topping it off so it’s perfect, and when I changed my own oil, always using a top of the line filter and synthetic oil. πŸ”§ I should go back to doing it myself, but even I fuck it up and end up buying the wrong oil and having to go back to the store. Or be a drone, and every time I talk to anybody in the shop, remind them I want ducking synthetic oil. πŸ‘©‍πŸ”§

Then when I went down to the library to work in the afternoon, πŸ’» the internet wasn’t working well on the outside router, and I ended up hiking to the other side of the building where I had better reception. For some reason my laptop has trouble connecting to the network properly when there are other computers on the same channel. πŸ“Ά I thought it was a Linux issue but I’ve noticed the same problems in Windows, even when I’m on the VPN. That just kind of continued my fury at all in world, 😑 although I was very restrained with everybody else I ran into for the rest of the day. I probably should have just stayed home, especially with my teeth chattering, feeling sick as a dog for a while. 🀧 I doubt it’s the COVID, especially as it seems more like Lyme. Ironically, I feel better today. Everything was going wrong yesterday.

While I was up really late last night with work 😴 following another previous late night. At least with remote work πŸ’», late nights mean working with my laptop and/or my phone from bed, πŸ›Œ and no dealing with having to drive home in the dark fully exhausted. I got a call much to early this morning that I left my keys πŸ”‘ at the shop, so I’ll have to go back and pick them up today. And I’m feeling a lot better today. I think I’ll probably get to the shop around lunch time to pick up my keys, and then go to the library to work. Hopefully the internet will be better today. I mean it’s a nice day for working outdoors for sure. I left my windows open all night, and while it was cold in the early morning hours, I really like the fresh air.

Today will be sunny 🌞, with a high of 66 degrees at 4pm. 11 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around May 3rd. Light north wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the morning. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 65 degrees. The record high of 87 was set in 2010. 3.2 inches of snow fell back in 1896.❄

I am hoping for a much better day today. 😎 It’s sunny and warm, and despite smelling all that pollen in the air, my morning walk was quite pleasant. 🚢‍♀️ Later when I work down at the library, the sun should be nice and I’ll have plenty of solar power πŸ’» to keep my laptop fully charged. I honestly don’t mind not having Internet at home and working remotely when the weather is as nice as today expects to be. And the seat in my truck is so much more comfortable then that old paint bench I use at home. I really find working at home, I can’t spend more then a couple of hours in front of my computer working at home before my neck starts to hurt. πŸ‘€ It seems like everything is just getting old and worn out.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:58 pm with sun having an altitude of 54.3° from the due south horizon (-16.5° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 4.3 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour πŸ… starts at 6:51 pm with the sun in the west (274°). πŸ“Έ

The sunset is in the west (280°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:28 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 57 seconds with dusk around 7:57 pm, which is one minute and 9 seconds later than yesterday. πŸŒ‡ The best time to look at the stars is after 8:32 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies πŸŒ„ and temperatures around 61 degrees. There will be a north-northeast breeze at 5 mph. Today will have 13 hours and 2 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 51 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will be mostly clear πŸŒƒ, with a low of 43 degrees at 5am. Eight degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around May 1st. Light and variable wind. In 2020, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 42 degrees. The record low of 19 occurred back in 2018. R

Right now, a split verdict on the weekend. πŸ˜• Saturday, partly sunny, with a high near 69. Maximum dew point of 50 at 1pm. Sunday, a chance of showers after 8am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Maximum dew point of 53 at 1pm. Typical average high for the weekend is 56 degrees.

I kind of want to get up to the Adirondacks this weekend, but I don’t know. πŸ• I wish things weren’t so bone dry and the fire risk so high. πŸ”₯ Plus, Friday evening I have the John Wolcott interview with special guest Leon VanDyke, and I’m very excited about it and don’t want to miss the taping and the ability to participate. πŸ“Ή I still think we have more then a few weeks before the black flies dominate the Adirondacks. That said, the weekend forecast is improving, especially for Saturday, so I should plan something nice.

Looking ahead, there are 4 weeks until Cinco de Mayo 🀠 when the sun will be setting at 8:00 pm with dusk at 8:31 pm. On that day in 2020, we had sunny skies and temperatures between 59 and 38 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 66 degrees. We hit a record high of 91 back in 1944.

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April 6, 2021 Morning

Good morning! Happy Tuesday. Three weeks to Pink Moon πŸŒ• . Albany got rid of their Pinkster festival 🌺 some years back to focus on a bigger tulip festival. 🌷 Sunny and 38 degrees in Delmar, NY. 🌞 There is a northwest breeze at 7 mph. πŸƒ.

Up early this morning, πŸŒ… as I have to drop my truck off for the oil change this morning. πŸ›’ I could do it myself, but it’s so much easier to have it dropped off at my mechanic πŸ”§ and let him deal with getting the rusty salt-encrusted filter off and draining and changing the oil. Small engines aren’t so bad, but it can be a bitch to get that filter off sometime, and I can never find 5W-30 synthetic at the store. Then I should be good until November or 7,000 miles when my inspection is due — although I might do another oil change before I go to West Virignia in the fall, especially if it’s in the shop for other repairs at the same time. Not like the bad ol’ days when you did oil changes every 3,000 miles. I’ll drop it off, walk home, and pick it up at lunch time. 🚢‍♀️ That way I get my morning walk in to on this most beautiful of spring days.

Today will be sunny 🌞, with a high of 64 degrees at 4pm. 10 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around April 28th. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph. 🚩 Another red flag day with the wind, the warmth and the dry grass. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 62 degrees. The record high of 82 was set in 1921. 17.3 inches of snow fell back in 1982.❄

At lunch time, I will probably head down to the store 🏬 and pick up some groceries. I need more frozen fruit πŸ“ as I am pretty addicted to that and the Maine frozen Wild Blueberries that they have at Hannaford are like crack, and maybe some eggs and other things. I probably should get the groceries I need for the week, as I don’t have any other reason to drive anywhere this week, although maybe I will go somewhere on Saturday for a hike. I’m thinking Rennselear County but I could decide to just walk somewhere on Saturday and then Sunday maybe do Partridge Run or Rennselearville State Forest. Depends on the forecast.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:58 pm with sun having an altitude of 54° from the due south horizon (-16.9° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 4.4 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour πŸ… starts at 6:50 pm with the sun in the west (274°). πŸ“Έ

The sunset is in the west (280°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:27 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 56 seconds with dusk around 7:55 pm, which is one minute and 8 seconds later than yesterday. πŸŒ‡ The best time to look at the stars is after 8:30 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies πŸŒ„ and temperatures around 59 degrees. There will be a northwest breeze at 7 mph. Today will have 12 hours and 59 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 50 seconds over yesterday. it sounds like a pleasant evening, I might go down to park. 🏞 I should get more books at the library. I’ll have to look and reserve some, especially as when I head up to wilderness I like to have books to read.

Tonight will be mostly clear πŸŒƒ, with a low of 38 degrees at 6am. Four degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around April 16th. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Almost warm enough to leave the windows open, for good sleeping. In 2020, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 42 degrees. The record low of 13 occurred back in 1982.

Not a particularly nice weekend on tap. 😞 Saturday, mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. Maximum dew point of 46 at 11am. Sunday, a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Typical average high for the weekend is 56 degrees. No camping plans for this weekend, πŸ• as the weather doesn’t look great, and I’m worried about it being so dry with a rip-roaring fire in the woods. πŸ”₯ The snow is gone even up in the Adirondacks. I am hoping this weekend into next week we will get some rain, 🌧 and then I can head up north for an extended weekend come Thursday of next week. By then the state budget should be done and things will be quiet.

As previously noted, there are 3 weeks until Pink Moon πŸŒ• when the sun will be setting at 7:51 pm with dusk at 8:21 pm. On that day in 2020, we had rain showers, cold, cloudy and temperatures between 46 and 37 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 63 degrees. We hit a record high of 91 back in 1962.

Houses and Farms

Would I Want to Have a Road When I Own Land.

When I eventually own land and a home, one question I wonder is if I really want road access from my house.

Boreas Road Campsite Driveway

Most people’s houses are on the road, or connected to the road via gravel or in the city, blacktop driveway. Due the cost of maintaining a road, most driveways are relatively short, with houses being within sight of the road. There are good reasons for having a road, namely it makes it easier to get to and from home, and in case of a fire, makes it much easier for a fire to put out by the fire department.

The flip side, is having a road means your closer to the road, with more noise, less privacy. But it also makes it a lot easier for random people to stop by and visit. Few people are going to venture up a heavily posted four-wheeler trail, certainly not strangers. You are more restricted what you can do on your land, if you have nosey neighbors peering in all of the time.

Roads are expensive to maintain in the back country. Mother nature abhors roads, it is always trying to wash out culverts and gravel, erode driveways up the mountainsides. Trees come down blocking access, and mud season is particularly problematic, as big heavy 4×4 pickup trucks really can tear up roads especially on soft ground with regular use. Plus driving a rough road can make a mess out of the suspension, wearing out all kinds of components prematurely.

But if you don’t have a road, walking out to your vehicle can quickly get old, especially if you are a few miles back from the road. Riding a quad or snowmobile is a lot of fun, but for most jobs they probably don’t appreciate you showing up to work smelling like gasoline and covered with mud. I guess the alternative would be to have a trail that wide enough for an enclosed UTV, which could make it through the mud and muck, without having a full-blown road to use.

Then there is the problem with leaving a vehicle un-monitored at the start of the trail back to your home. A car or truck left on the road without anybody supervising it could lead to vandalism, especially if your back in the woods for an extended time period. While a solar panel and charge controller could keep the battery topped off, and you could use a game camera to monitor the vehicle, you have to wonder the wisdom of leaving something sitting for days without you monitoring it.

March 22, 2021 – Looking Ahead This Week

Most of this week is going to feel more like late April through mid-May at least temperature wise, although the dew points will be exceptionally low, with Tuesday’s dewpoint only reaching 26 degrees. So don’t be outside burning noxious things like poopy diapers and broken lawn chairs in rip-roaring fires on your big ol’ farm on a dirt road in Chenango County, as you’ll risk setting your field on fire and getting the wrath of the greeny enforcers with the wind and low dewpoint. But do get out and enjoy the nice weather, at least with your muck boots on because you’ll be twiddles deep in the mud.

Weather Summary
Today.
Feels like …
April 30th.
Sunny and 64 degrees , 7:10 sunset.
Tonight.
Feels like …
April 2nd.
Clear and 32 degrees , 6:52 sunrise.
Tuesday.
Feels like …
May 2nd.
Sunny and 65 degrees , 26 max dew point, 7:11 sunset.
Tuesday Night.
Feels like …
April 18th.
Partly Cloudy and 38 degrees , 6:50 sunrise.
Wednesday.
Feels like …
April 17th.
Partly Sunny and 59 degrees , 7:12 sunset.
Wednesday Night.
Feels like …
May 14th.
Slight Chance of Showers and 46 degrees , 6:48 sunrise.
Thursday.
Feels like …
May 19th.
Partly Sunny and 70 degrees , 44 max dew point, 7:13 sunset.
Thursday Night.
Feels like …
June 1st.
Mostly Cloudy then Chance of Showers and 52 degrees , 6:47 sunrise.
Friday.
Feels like …
May 9th.
Showers is likely and 67 degrees , 52 max dew point, 7:14 sunset.
Friday Night.
Feels like …
April 27th.
Chance of Showers and 41 degrees , 6:45 sunrise.
Saturday.
Feels like …
April 6th.
Mostly Sunny and 54 degrees , 7:15 sunset.
Saturday Night.
Feels like …
April 10th.
Mostly Cloudy and 35 degrees , 6:43 sunrise.
Sunday.
Feels like …
April 4th.
Chance of Showers and 53 degrees , 7:17 sunset.

Nice early spring morning

Camping in Green Mountains National Forest

Green Mountain National Forest Camping πŸ•

Here is a full-screen interactive map, that uses the official forest service maps as a backdrop. You will need to zoom in to see the individual roads.

In the Green Mountain National Forest there are a variety of back country roads, offering primitive roadside camping.

  • Campsites are free to use, and have no facilities except for a fire ring and a pull-off from the road, and sometimes a site reinforced with gravel.
  • As noted below, some campsites have additional facilities.
  • Don’t make a mess of campsites, pack out any garbage left over.
  • Burn only dead and down trees, don’t bring in wood from out of state.
  • You can camp up to 14 days per 30 day period in Green Mountain National Forest — no permits are required.

Here is a listing of the campsite coordinates in a spreadsheet (Green Mountain tab). Please note, these coordinates are not exact as they are drawn based on memory.

Please see also information on dispersed, roadside and back-country camping in New York State, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

The below descriptions of camping areas from the Green Mountain National Forest’s webpage, General Forest Camping.

 North Half of the Green Mountain National Forest

Note: You must zoom in to see individual roads on above interactive map. Campsite locations were added by hand-digitizing and are not exact.

Austin Brook Road: There are three easily accessible campsites by Austin Brook on Forest Road 25 in Warren. They are all within 0.25 mile of State Route 100.

Campsite 4

Bingo: Forest Road 42 in Rochester runs alongside a mountain stream; camping is allowed at designated sites only. These 10 campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. There is a limit of 10 people per site. Check the Bingo Brook bulletin board for designated site locations and other site limitations.

Downingville: There is one secluded site in a small clearing near a mountain stream on Forest Road 291 in Lincoln.

Fay’s Meadow: There are a few sites in an open meadow in Forest Dale. Please do not drive on the meadow because a farmer mows the hay from it. There is a stream for wading and fishing at the north end of the meadow.

Goshen Brook Road: There are a few campsites in and around an open area just beyond the turnaround at the very end of Forest Road 67 in Ripton.

Kettle Brook: A small meadow site at the end of Furnace Brook Road in Pittsford.

Michigan Brook Road: Forest Road 35 in Pittsfield provides many camping opportunities in the woods and along Michigan Brook. The road is not recommended for low clearance vehicles.

New Haven River: There are a few campsites next to the New Haven River at Emily Proctor and Cooley Glen trailhead, on Forest Road 201 in Lincoln.

Field Camping at Romance Header Campsite

Romance Header: A large meadow campsite at the end of Forest Road 224 in Forest Dale. A stream lies to the southeast of the meadow.

Sparks Landing: There is one site in a small meadow on Forest Road 233 in Lincoln. There is good fishing in Sparks Brook, which lies just south of the meadow.

Steam Mill Clearing: There is a large open field on both sides of Forest Road 59 at the Skylight Pond Trailhead in Ripton.

Texas Falls Campsite

Texas Gap: These old fields and side roads on Forest Road 39 in Hancock offer many camping opportunities.

White River & Gulf Brook Roads: Secluded camping, open fields, and beautiful views are offered from the abundance of primitive campsites found along Forest Roads 55 & 101 in Granville.

South Half of the Green Mountain National Forest

Note: You must zoom in to see individual roads on above interactive map. Campsite locations were added by hand-digitizing and are not exact.

 Campfire

Branch Pond Road: Several sites on this road off of Kelley Stand offer good camping opportunities.

Making Breakfast at Camp

Forest Road 71: This forest road stretches from the old Somerset airfield to the Kelley Stand Road. Campsites can be found in various spots along the way, and along some of the forest roads leading off of Forest Road 71.

Forest Road 74: This forest road is a little less remote than other roadside camping opportunities. Off Vermont Route 9, it dead-ends a couple miles in. Campsites are found unevenly spaced along the way. This area fills up early as it’s one of most accessible.

Kelley Stand Road: Connects the towns of Arlington to West Wardsboro, traveling along an unpaved forest road. A handful of campsites are avaliable on this road, many of the sites along Roaring Brook are permanetly closed.

Morning

Old Job: Off Forest Road 30 there are a few camping opportunities; an open area along FR 30, and both an open field area and a site near Lake Brook at the end of FR 30.

Somerset Road Bridge

Somerset Airfield Campground is a small primitive campground along Forest Road 71. There is a pit-privy and fireplaces in this field camping area. Also popular is Castle Brook Road, near the Deerfield River. This area fills up early, and is known for rowdy crowds but is good if you have a big camper.

Upcoming Holidays – March 3, 2021

  • Two Wednesdays until St. Patrick’s Day πŸ€ – Mar 17
  • Five Wednesdays until 7:30 PM Sunset πŸŒ‡ – Apr 7
  • Nine Wednesdays until Cinco de Mayo 🀠 – May 5
  • 12 Wednesdays until Flower Moon πŸŒ• – May 26
  • 19 Wednesdays until National Nude Day πŸ‘± – Jul 14
  • Five months – Campfire Day πŸ”₯ – Tuesday Aug 3
  • 26 Wednesdays until September 🍎 – Sep 1
  • 29 Wednesdays until Corn Moon πŸŒ• – Sep 22
  • 29 Wednesdays until Autumn πŸ‚ – Sep 22
  • 35 Wednesdays until Day After Election Day πŸ›€ – Nov 10
  • 36 Wednesdays until Average High is 50 πŸ‚ – Nov 10
  • 39 Wednesdays until December πŸŽ„ – Dec 1
  • 41 Wednesdays until Bill of Rights Day πŸ“œ – Dec 15
  • 42 Wednesdays until Days are Getting Longer β˜€οΈ – Dec 22

 Hells Gate at Schodack Landing

Ready for the Snow to be Gone.

I am already ready for winter to be over and the snow to be gone.

So I camp and not have to deal with the snow.

Have longer nights.

And bigger fires.

Last night

Spend more time exploring the wilderness.

Fox Lair View