November 21, 2020 11 PM Update

Good evening! Partly clear and 39 degrees in Delmar, NY. There is a north-northwest breeze at 7 mph. πŸƒ. Temperatures will drop below freezing at tomorrow around 1 am. β˜ƒοΈ

It turned out to be a nice starry night. After my evening 🚢🏻 I sat out back for a while. Its only about forty degrees out but with a coat it’s not too bad. I kind of wish I had gone up to the Adirondacks for the weekend.

Lots of friends and colleagues are posting pictures of the deer 🦌 they harvested on the first day of rifle season. Basically that one day accounts for 2/3rds of the state’s deer harvest. I’ve always just done small game although this year I didn’t get a license as I was busy with work and then it was so hot that one weekend I was up in the woods. Eventually when I own my own land. I’ll also hire a guide and really learn what I’m doing first and then invest serious time in a tree stand. Folks who have harvest a nice buck on opening day often spend weeks if not months studying and observing the land from their stand, zeroing in their rifles, looking at aerial photos and maps. That said, having your own land to hunt is a big benefit – public lands hunting sucks when your looking off a ridge and can spot two other hunters from your vantage point.

Hiking the Pine Bush was nice but it was so busy. πŸ¦‹ I probably should have hiked after the press conference after dark but I wanted to do some hiking. Almost every parking πŸ…Ώ spot at the Discovery Center was packed. So many people on the trails. 🚢🏻 The only place more packed then the Discovery Center Trails was the mall. Yucky. A crowded Crossgates Maul during the pandemic. πŸ—£οΈπŸ‘©β€πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§β€πŸ‘§πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§β€πŸ‘¦πŸ€§πŸ‘Ύ Saw two bow hunters there. 🏹 I was kind of surprised as I thought most bow hunters would put their bow away for the first day of rifle in other parts of the county but maybe they figured the orange army πŸ”« would drive the deer into the Pine Bush.

Save the Pine Bush got a big victory by that judge βš–οΈ ruling over the neighbors case over the SEQRA process over the Costco and apartment complex in the Pine Bush. πŸ¦‹ While I’m sure the ruling will be appealed and Save the Pine Bush must continue on its fight it buys the area time from being developed. 🌲

Tonight will be partly clear πŸŒƒ , with a low of 27 degrees at 6am. Three degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around November 30th. North wind 5 to 7 mph. In 2019, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 33 degrees. The record low of 8 occurred back in 2018.

This weekend turned out nicer than I expected and I kind of wish I could have rounded out this calendar πŸ—“ year of camping with 60 nights but I’ll make it there God willing before 2021. Still five more weekends left in the year. With the pandemic and remote work πŸ’» I’ve spent more time camping πŸ• and nights in the woods then ever before. Some places got overused and there was some abuse of some places but there is still a lot of great wild country out there.

Tonight will have a First Quarter πŸŒ“ Moon with 49% illuminated. At 10 PM, the moon was in the west-southwest (237Β°) at an altitude of 9Β° from the horizon, some 243,515 miles away from where you are looking up from the earth. πŸš€ Quite a nice moon under star lit skies. At the state speed limit of 55 mph, you’ll make it there by May 25th. Buckle up for safety! πŸ’Ί The moon will set in the west-southwest (248Β°) at 10:59 pm. The Full πŸŒ• Moon is on Monday, November 30. The darkest hour is at 11:42 pm, followed by dawn at 6:25 am, and sun starting to rise at 6:56 am in the east-southeast (117Β°) and last for 3 minutes and 16 seconds. Sunrise is one minute and 12 seconds later than yesterday. πŸŒ„ The golden hour ends at 7:39 am with sun in the southeast (125Β°). Tonight will have 14 hours and 28 minutes of darkness, an increase of one minute and 54 seconds over last night.

No sleeping pills πŸ’Š left for tonight but with the red light in my bedroom πŸ’‘ and sitting out back earlier I hope I’ll sleep okay. πŸ‘ŒπŸ» I’m going to buy more pills the next time I’m at Walmart – get the big jar that will last a long time.

Tomorrow will have a chance of rain, mainly after 4pm. Increasing clouds 🌞, with a high of 39 degrees at 1pm. Six degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around December 6th. North wind 5 to 8 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. A year ago, we had cloudy skies in the morning, which became mostly clear by afternoon. The high last year was 48 degrees. The record high of 70 was set in 1931. 9.1 inches of snow fell back in 1943.❄

In four weeks on December 19 the sun will be setting in the west-southwest (238Β°) at 4:24 pm,πŸŒ„ which is 3 minutes and 33 seconds earlier then tonight. In 2019 on that day, we had cold weather with mostly sunny skies and temperatures between 18 and 6 degrees. I remember going out for a walk on that cold winter day. Typically, you have temperatures between 35 and 20 degrees. The record high of 54 degrees was set back in 1895.

Tree Line

President Barack Obama

President Barack Obama

11/19/20 by NPR

Web player: https://podcastaddict.com/episode/115452321
Episode: https://play.podtrac.com/npr-381444908/edge1.pod.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/npr/fa/2020/11/20201119_fa_fapodthurs_1-f21967bd-4b3a-4ad4-96bd-bb34df6fd3bd.mp3?awCollectionId=381444908&awEpisodeId=936643487&orgId=1&d=2891&p=381444908&story=936643487&t=podcast&e=936643487&size=46153017&ft=pod&f=381444908

In his first interview with Terry Gross, President Barack Obama talks about birtherism and fake news, and reflects on what he misses most about being president β€” and why he still has faith in democracy. The first volume of his memoir about his presidency is ‘A Promised Land.’

This is a really interesting podcast. I do miss Barack Obama. While I didn’t agree with all of his policies, I voted for him twice and I always thought he was a very thoughtful individual.

Next Time – Saturday November 21

Today’s sunrise was at 6:54 am. The next time the sun will rise earlier then today πŸŒ„ is in 85 days on Sunday, February 14, 2021.

The average high for today is 46 degrees. 🌑 The next time it will be on average warmer then today is in 121 days on Monday, March 22, 2021 when the average temperature will be 47 degrees.

The highest point for the sun today will be 27.3° from the horizon at 11:42 am. 🌞 The next time the sun will be higher in the sky mid-day is in 60 days on Wednesday, January 20.

Today has 9 hours and 54 minutes of daylight. ⏳ The next time the day will be longer then today is in 60 days on Wednesday, January 20.

Today’s sunset will be at 4:27 pm. The next time the sun will set later then today πŸŒ† is in 35 days on Saturday, December 26.

The average low for today is 30 degrees. 🌑 The next night it will be on average warmer then tonight is in 128 days on Monday, March 29, 2021 when the average temperature will be 31 degrees.

Pine Creek Gorge

Coronavirus Updates : NPR

U.S. Passes 12 Million Confirmed Coronavirus Cases : Coronavirus Updates : NPR

Cases of COVID-19 are rising at an alarming rate in nearly every state as the nation approaches Thanksgiving.

The cumulative case count passed 12 million on Saturday, six days after the previous million mark was crossed, which was six days after the previous million.

On Friday alone, there were more than 195,000 new confirmed cases and 1,878 deaths reported, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

More than 255,000 people have died in total, as of Saturday afternoon.

Don't worry, the shopping mauls are absolutely PACKED today. Got pick up a good case of COVID-19 before they close them down again. 

Did Biden Create ‘Office of the President Elect’ To Undermine Trump?

Did Biden Create ‘Office of the President Elect’ To Undermine Trump?

Firstly, Biden did not create the “Office of the President Elect,” nor was he the first person to address the country under that title. A photographer for Getty Images captured Trump on Jan. 11, 2017, speaking at a podium decorated with the same phrase in the weeks after his 2016 victory over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Xinhua/Gary Hershorn via Getty Images Next, we sought evidence to confirm or deny that Biden was using the office as a political strategy to mislead Americans about voting results.

Looking at states’ Secretary of States’ websites, which are databases of official voter information, news media announced Biden secured the majority of the nation’s electoral votes — 270 — on Nov. 7. That announcement kicked off a series of steps outlined in the Constitution, federal statutes, and state laws to officiate Biden as America’s 46th President.

Two days later, Biden addressed the country at a podium decorated with a sign that read “the Office of the President Elect.” Opponents called such events premature since Trump had not conceded defeat and states had yet to certify voter tallies. However, it was not unusual for state election officials to take days, or weeks, to certify voter tallies and designate electors, and that process continues under federal laws regardless of a losing candidate’s willingness to acknowledge defeat.