Blobs of Snow
On a tree at the Pine Bush.
Taken on Saturday January 8, 2011 at Albany Pine Bush.Why ads? π€ / Privacy Policy π³
On a tree at the Pine Bush.
Taken on Saturday January 8, 2011 at Albany Pine Bush.Democracy is messy. A little civil disobedience is part of protest, it helps raise awareness. Managing protests can be hard especially when emotions are high. Police have a tough job figuring out how much disorder to allow but protests are much better managed today then 50 years ago – fewer people are injured, less property damaged, less people arrested.
I would rather see some windows broken, some traffic stopped on highways or train tracks and some disorder in general if that’s what it takes to increase awareness of community problems. We can’t back away from our constitution or the first amendment just because we don’t like the message of the protestors. Glass can be replaced but our constitution can’t be.
A common reaction about my winter camping trip in December was people asking if it was cold. I didn’t think it was that cold, although I made sure to dress in layers, had a good working tent heater, warm campfire, and good nutritionally-dense, warm food to eat. Probably the coldest time during the whole trip was when I was out hunting, the rest of the time I was out burning calories, or sitting next to the fire or heater. When I was at camp, when I’d get cold, I’d chop wood and be warmed up quickly.
Winter is only cold if your not properly dressed for it and do stupid things like get wet and don’t have a plan for getting warm quickly. With the Big Buddy Heater, especially in the tent, I had no problems staying warm, indeed I found myself quickly turning it down because it got too hot in the tent. Sometimes there would be some cold drafts but for the most part it was delightful. At night, after the tent was warm and toasty, I’d shut the heater off and burrow under the covers. If I got cold at night, I’d reach over and turn the heat back home.
I think it’s a mistake to think winter camping is cold, although I do note the air was dry and my hands did crack easily. Hunting is cold in the winter, but not camping. Maybe if your ill prepared you might disagree – and certainly if I had better hunting gear, I’d probably been warmer. But it’s tough when your not burning calories and to keep warm, sitting still in the woods.
Newspaper headline writers across the state have been waiting their whole careers for the news that the North American Manure Expo is coming to New York State for the first time ever. As the expo notes on their Facebook page, "The excitement is spreading."