Good morning! Happy Sunday. Two weeks to December 🎄. Christmas is coming or as the Republicans want you to believe, you can only say Happy Holidays. My view is that around Christmas say Merry Christmas and the rest of the holiday season say Happy Holidays. Nothing wrong with being a proud Christian, a Jew, Muslim or somebody who just enjoys watching wrapping papers and Styrofoam packing blocks that the Christmas toys come in go up in smoke. 💨 Stinky black smoke for that Styrofoam for sure. Greta wouldn’t approve.

Its a very cold morning Mostly sunny and cold around 22 degrees in Delmar, NY. There is a north breeze at 5 mph. 🍃. Things will start to thaw out at around noontime. 🌡️ After the freezing rain tomorrow morning it’s actually going to warm up. Or so I’m told. This is why I really need a well insulated place with a wood stove. Unlike the New Scotland Armory where the Green Energy Fair was held and heated with fracked gas in a building with windows missing.

Today will be sunny 🌞, with a high of 36 degrees at 2pm. 11 degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around December 14th. North wind around 6 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon. A year ago, we had cloudy skies in the morning with more sun in the afternoon. The high last year was 44 degrees. The record high of 73 was set in 1928. 2.8 inches of snow fell back in 1992.❄

Kind of another cold day 💨 but it’s November and that’s to be expected. I’m planning to run to the store and go over to the Pine Bush for a quick little Save the Pine Bush Hike at 1:30 at Willow Street trailhead then to a meeting at the library to discuss the proposed Crossgates housing complex in the Pine Bush. 🚶 Then out to the folks house for Sunday dinner.

The sun will set at 4:31 pm with dusk around 5:01 pm, which is 52 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 At sunset, look for partly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 35 degrees. There will be a northeast breeze at 5 mph. Today will have 9 hours and 42 minutes of daytime, an decrease of 2 minutes and 6 seconds over yesterday.

The Green Energy Fair was good yesterday, 🌲🌳🌻 although I thought the attendance was a bit lighter than I expected and many of the booths weren’t that exciting but we gave out a lot of the Save the Pine Bush coloring books. They had a lot of Teslas in the electric car club section, and a Chevy Bolt. I toured the Bolt a few years back, and I do recommend Weber Auto tear down of the Chevy Bolt videos on the YouTube to learn how neat the technology really is. 🚘

Then I went for a hike along the rail trail into the Norman’s Kill George. 🚉 It was cold as duck, I’m not ready for winter but it happens. At least the trail is free of ice, and they’ve installed more guard rail and benches. 🚶Water levels are very low on the Norman’s Kill. 💦 I thought that was unusual on how wet it’s been lately.

Tonight will have a chance of freezing rain, mainly after 5am. Increasing clouds 🌧, with a low of 28 degrees at 8pm. Three degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around November 27th. North wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. In 2018, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 30 degrees. The record low of 10 occurred back in 1972.

I am continuing to research 📖 building a new theme for the blog, replacing the old code based on an unsupported theme with a lean one that loads faster. That said, getting the Masonry library and the Indefinite Scroll libraries to play along proven more difficult than originally anticipated although I probably want to keep figuring this out. There is just a lot of unused bloat in the theme my blog is based off it and I could disable many of the unused features if I wrote my own based on the stripped down theme.

Tuesday Big Red is getting his tires rotated, oil changed and state inspected. ⛽ I think the weather will be fine but I’ll have to drop it off early on Tuesday morning as my new work hours earlier the before. I think the inspection will go fine and with the oil changed I’ll be good until May or June when the weather is nice again as I drive few miles in the winter – although I’m thinking about a winter camping trip to the Finger Lakes like last year during black powder season.

But before then I’m thinking about heading to the East Branch in the Adirondacks ⛺ come next weekend or maybe Black Friday, assuming that I have the day off and the weather is decent. I could see a lot of the snow melting in the Adirondacks this week although it could be icy from the freezing rain tomorrow morning. Or will it be all snow up north? God knows. But a nice big ol fire 🔥 in the wilderness will be fun. Maybe do some hiking, skiing 🎿 and hunting 🔫 not spent enough time out in the field this year.

As previously noted, there are 2 weeks until December 🎄 when the sun will be setting at 4:23 pm with dusk at 4:54 pm. On that day in 2018, we had partly cloudy, rain showers and temperatures between 45 and 31 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 41 degrees. We hit a record high of 67 back in 1934.

Good evening! Cold and clear under the Beaver Moon and 20 degrees in Delmar, NY. ❄ There is a west-northwest breeze at 14 mph. 🍃. The current wind chill is 7. There is a dusting of snow on the ground. ☃ ️Tomorrow will be the coldest day of week – possibly one of coldest mid November days ever – then finally it will start to thaw out at Thursday around 11 am. 🌡️ More seasonable weather come Friday then cold Saturday for the Green Energy Fair ⚡. But that’s where I’ll be.

Finally feeling mostly better 🙂 I have had a ton of energy. After being sick for three weeks I have enough energy I’m bouncing off the walls. 🚶 I’m totally ready for a fifty mile hike, I did my evening walk in the cold and it was a pleasure. I also rode the excerise bike 🚲 for an hour and half listening to music and watching random YouTube videos I downloaded. 📹 Also worked on some new maps and blog posts 🌐 for the blog.

It’s going to be a very cold night 🌃 for mid November but it’s still pretty nice out. Not that cold by late December or even January into February. It’s not going to be 15 below with a negative 30 windchill as happens some time in winter. With that Big Beaver Moon 🎑 and the fresh snow ⛄on the landscape it’s a pretty beautiful night. It wouldn’t be a bad night for hot tenting or sitting although the breeze might add a bit of a chill to the air and blow the pilot light 🔥 out on the heater when sitting out next to it. I did leave the heat at 55 because I don’t like waking up for work when it’s too cold. Guilty pleasure. 😹 I just wish on cold nights like this I had that cabin with a wood stove where I could be truly warm.

Tonight will have isolated snow showers before 2am. Partly cloudy 🌧, with a low of 10 degrees at 6am. 22 degrees below normal. Maximum wind chill around -1 at 3am; Northwest wind around 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. In 2018, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became light rain by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 32 degrees. We will likely smash the record low of 13 that occurred back in 1981.

Tonight will have a Waning Gibbous Moon 🌖 with 97% illuminated. The moon will set at 7:35 am. The Last Quarter Moon is on Monday night with increasing clouds. The Cold Moon 🌝 is on Wednesday, December 11th. The sun will rise at 6:42 am with the first light at 6:12 am, which is one minute and 15 seconds later than yesterday. 🌄 Tonight will have 14 hours and 8 minutes of darkness, an increase of 2 minutes and 17 seconds over last night.

Tomorrow will be sunny 🌞, with a high of 27 degrees at 1pm. 22 degrees below normal. Northwest wind 7 to 13 mph. Days like this are uncommon in November, especially mid month. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, remaining cloudy in the afternoon. The high last year was 44 degrees. The record high of 69 was set in 1964. 6.0 inches of snow fell back in 1886.❄

Got listening to Christmas music 🎶 and thinking about the season 🎄 – especially winter camping with the lights, the music and the hot coca ☕ next to a big roaring fire 🔥. Gotta love 😍 Mitch Miller! Been a long time since I’ve spent much time in the woods but with the cold pattern expected to be breaking down and with my energy restored after being sick I’m ready for some good late November or early December nights in the wilderness. I might even take an extended weekend out to the Finger Lakes come late December like I did last year to winter camp in the National Forest. ⛺

In four weeks on December 10 the sun will be setting at 4:21 pm,🌄 which is 14 minutes and 8 seconds earlier then tonight. In 2018 on that day, we had partly sunny, mist and temperatures between 36 and 18 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 38 and 23 degrees. The record high of 64 degrees was set back in 1966.

Looking ahead, 7:15 AM Sunrise ⌛️ is in 4 weeks, Christmas Eve 🎅 is in 6 weeks, New Years Eve 🎆 is in 7 weeks, Coldest Week of the Year 🌬 is in 9 weeks and Martin Luther King Day 🖤 is in 10 weeks.

Good morning! Yeah, it’s Friday! Three weeks to Buy Nothing Day 🛍️. Mostly sunny and 25 degrees at the Elm Ave Park & Ride – CDTA. There is a northwest breeze at 8 mph. 🍃. Things will start to thaw out at around 10 am. 🌡️

Walked down to the Park and Ride 🚏, it’s a nice day but it certainly feels more like a winter day then early November. The high in Delmar is going to only be in the mid 30s which is more common in December or January than November. The mountains and hills aren’t expected to break the freezing mark although the sun and the breeze should melt away most of the snow. ❄ Bus driver gave me a ride part of the way down to the Park and Ride which is nice on this cold morning although I still enjoy my walk. 🚶 Windy though downtown. 🌬

So the heat is on in my apartment ♨ which definitely felt good this morning. Warm enough that the gas heat kept up easily and it was comfortable getting up in the morning – doesn’t take much heat to keep me warm. I was kind of hoping I could wait until November 13th after the meter was read to  turn on the heat, but no luck there. 💸 Cash flow isn’t great right now, after vacation and my truck repair in October but so be it. The shower 🚿 isn’t leaking which is good too after today’s bath 🛀. Feel clean and ready for a good day at work, that bright 🔆 sun is nice although once I’m in my basement office I won’t have much natural light to enjoy.

Today will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 36 degrees at 1pm. 15 degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around December 14th. Northwest wind 8 to 14 mph. A year ago, we had cloudy skies in the morning with a few breaks of sun the afternoon. The high last year was 49 degrees. The record high of 75 was set in 1975. 1.7 inches of snow fell back in 1894.❄

The sun will set at 4:40 pm with dusk around 5:10 pm, which is one minute and 8 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 At sunset, look for partly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 34 degrees. There will be a northwest breeze at 11 mph. Today will have 10 hours and 2 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 24 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will be mostly clear 🌃, with a low of 20 degrees at 4am. 13 degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around December 18th. Maximum wind chill around 22 at 3am; Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm after midnight. In 2018, we had cloudy skies. It got down to 28 degrees. The record low of 11 occurred back in 1971.

Tomorrow will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 39 degrees at 2pm. 12 degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around December 6th. South wind 3 to 7 mph. A year ago, we had cloudy skies in the morning with a few breaks of sun the afternoon. The high last year was 42 degrees. The record high of 71 was set in 1975. Ten inches of snow fell back in 1900.❄

Looking ahead to Sunday, a slight chance of snow before 10am, then a slight chance of rain between 10am and 1pm. Mostly cloudy, ☁ with a high near 45. South wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Typical average high for the weekend is 51 degrees.

Giving it some thought I think I’ll probably head out to Brookfield this weekend ⛺, and then Sunday drive out to Cazenovia. I was going to camp at Stoney Pond – and I might still if the weather is decent but I’m a bit concerned about the possibility of Lake Effect snow ❄ leaving a few inches of snow unexpectedly and it’s an uphill drive out of there and I don’t want to risk it. It looks fairly white out there from the Hamilton and Cazenovia Webcams I’ve checked, although the snow fall reports are quite modest — and it’s expected to be in the mid-30s by afternoon.

Upper I Brown Road is plowed daily for fire department purposes in Brookfield and while it’s modestly steep its down hill and it should be warm enough that it won’t be icy. I really would prefer to camp at Stoney Pond – maybe I’ll play it by ear, camp there Saturday and Sunday do Brookfield which is sort of on the way back home 🏡. I have fond memories of my time in Nelson and I want to hunt out that way, visit Nelson Swamp and Chittenango State Park. I’ll see how much snow is around heading along the Cherry Valley 🍒 bypass.

Not sure if I’m going to John Wolcott house tonight. 🔍 I am kind of tired and I want to get packed for my weekend adventure. 📂 Honestly, this project is kind of getting rapped up, and I want to put a close on it sooner then later. He says he has more boxes, but I think there are others who could help him out. We’ve done six boxes over the year. 🗃

Next week is my first paycheck at my new job. It will be a little larger then the my previous one, because I’m only doing 15% for retirement versus 20% due to the 401k limit being lower then deferred comp. But I’ll put the remaining money away into more mid-term investments like when I want to buy land and a home. 💰 I was reading that 15% should be enough to save for retirement, but I’d rather save more,  just because I hate paying so much in New York State taxes. I literally pay more each month in taxes then I do on rent. Granted, I don’t have the nicest apartment in all of New York.

As previously noted, there are 3 weeks until Buy Nothing Day 🛍️ when the sun will be setting at 4:23 pm with dusk at 4:55 pm. On that day in 2018, we had partly sunny and temperatures between 56 and 28 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 42 degrees. We hit a record high of 66 back in 2005.

Good evening! Cold and damp with snow flurries and 32 degrees in Delmar, NY. ❄ There is a northwest breeze at 8 mph. 🍃. Definitely a cold and damp evening, the heat is on in my apartment and I’m wearing my comfortable blaze orange hoodie I wear regularly in the wilderness. ️

It was a busy and crazy day 😜 at work. I think I’m doing a good job and I have a good team but sometimes it gets crazy. I did check out the Tylenol they had had in the kitchen as I had another headache by afternoon. 💊 Everybody was calling me and keeping me busy, earning my money. Stayed up later last night then usual so I was tired 😴 by afternoon.

Despite the rain, ☔ I walked down to the Union Station 🚉 to catch the bus. I’ve been lately catching the bus down there as it’s easy with my new office 🏢 to walk down Columbia Street and getting the bus before the expressway. But I tell you – there are too many sidewalk barricades on Columbia Street. 🚧 It makes it difficult for a pedestrian to navigate it. Also they really need crosswalks at Chapel Street and Columbia Street. It’s unsafe without crosswalks and no stop signs on Columbia. ⛔ No fun for the pedestrian 🚶 in the rain walking down to the bus stop. 🚏

Got home, laid back in bed 💤 and then cooked up a big pan of pasta and meatballs. 🍲 I probably should have had a smaller meal as I had enough earlier in the day and I should have ridden the exercise bike 🚲 but I spent some much needed time cleaning in the kitchen and then the neighbor came home so I didn’t want to make a lot of noise riding the bike. At least dessert 🍰 was healthy – just frozen blueberries and bananas 🍌 to fill my increasingly bad sweet tooth.

Ended up watching a video on Beaver Trapping and some of Aging Wheels videos and now AVE. I accidentally downloaded most Aging Wheel channel so I might have a lot more to watch. 📹 I should have ridden the bike but at least I did walk a mile and a half today between walking to the express bus 🚍 and the station. So it’s not like I was a total couch potato.

Tonight will have a chance of snow, mainly before 10pm. I think that’s mostly done. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy 🌨, with a low of 25 degrees at 5am. Nine degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around December 5th. Barely expected to rise by morning. Northwest wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. In 2018, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 31 degrees. The record low of 18 occurred back in 1971.

Tonight will have a Waxing Gibbous Moon 🌔 with 89% illuminated. The moon will set at 2:26 am. The Beaver Moon 🌕 is on Monday night with partly cloudy skies. The sun will rise at 6:36 am with the first light at 6:07 am, which is one minute and 15 seconds later than yesterday. 🌄 Tonight will have 13 hours and 56 minutes of darkness, an increase of 2 minutes and 25 seconds over last night.

Tomorrow will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 34 degrees at 1pm. 17 degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around December 20th. Northwest wind 9 to 17 mph. Going to be bitterly cold for November – not much snow melt in the mountains although the bright 🔆 sun will help. With the sun tomorrow and the heat on in my apartment I don’t expect it will get too cold inside. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 49 degrees. The record high of 75 was set in 1975. 1.7 inches of snow fell back in 1894.❄

After I scheduled my post on water waste 💦 I noticed that my shower 🚿 was dripping this evening. I tapped the handle and it finally stopped. Bugged me as hell. If it starts again I’ll text the landlord to have the plumber come over. Also while he’s here I’ll have him fix the leaky sink drain and the sink faucet that leaks when it’s on. May that will slow all rusting and mold problems in the kitchen but I doubt – I think their must be a pipe that’s been leaking elsewhere for years. I hate calling the landlord over because I’ve done a lot of wear and tear on his building although I’m sure he already knows. I’m not a model tenant, I’m a dirty hick who tracks in a shit ton of mud. 💩 My idea of cleaning is paper plates and a campfire. He’s just happy I always pay my rent on time 💸 and I don’t make much noise. 🔇

Watching the snow falls around, ❄ and based on the reports and the weather I’ll decide on where I’m going this weekend. Tomorrow I’m going to John Wolcott house after work and after that I might run to the store or more likely I’ll just stop 🍖and get groceries to take to camp. ⛺

In four weeks on December 5 the sun will be setting at 4:22 pm,🌄 which is 19 minutes and 14 seconds earlier then tonight. In 2018 on that day, we had cloudy, mild, rain showers and temperatures between 53 and 39 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 40 and 25 degrees. The record high of 65 degrees was set back in 2001.

Looking ahead, Thanksgiving 🦃 is in 3 weeks, Repeal of Prohibition Day 🍺 is in 4 weeks, Boxing Day 🥊 is in 7 weeks and National Cheese Lovers Day 🧀 is in 11 weeks. I do love cheese. I really should have visited that Cheese Store when I was in Cuba, NY. If I do go out to Madison County this weekend, I really should stop at For the Love of Bacon. 🐽 Get some good bacon which goes well with cheese.