Summer Monday, Monday ⭐

Last day of June, Independence Day Week. I haven’t taken off Thursday yet but I’m leaning that way but it depends on the weather. I would like to get north that day.

Last night I noticed the alternator wasn’t charging the starting battery. Found it was the wire that excites the relay that connects the starting battery and accessory batteries under the hood. One of the splices I made years ago had failed and needed to be re-done. Got it done this morning before work. Made me late to work, but it was good for my mental sanity to know it was back and working and ready to go to camp. I want this weekend up at Piseco-Powley to go smoother then last weekend up there, with my hammock, sandals and waterproof holder for my phone. And maybe less deer fly would be nice, as would getting the House Pond Campsite.

Yesterday, I started the morning at Five Rivers until mid-day, then worked on a mapping project for a while, visited with the parents for a while and had Sunday dinner went for a paddle on Lawson’s Lake in Coeymans, and then slept over at my parents house in Big Red. 🛻 Had breakfast with them this morning, and then came home, unloaded the kayak, fixed the broken wire on my truck, and rode my bike to work. With the sun things should quickly charge with just the sun today, and probably even top off the starting battery for good balance.

Spending time at Lawsons Lake made me think, I should plan somewhere I can do a much longer canoe adventure. Maybe rather then go out to Allegheny National Forest to ride trail at Jakes Rocks this autumn I should consider the Adirondacks and the St. Regis Canoe Area. Maybe combine that with an exploration of the Adirondack Rail Trail. I think I will go down to Penna this summer when I’m in the Finger Lakes, though I had kind of hoped to do Jakes Rocks Trails later on in the autumn. But I also don’t want to use up too much vacation time, and it’s a lot of miles out to Western Penna. Truth is I just want to go dirty ol’ PA to see the run down farms with their burn barrels that smell like burnt trash and silage.

Haven’t taken off Thursday yet, I want to wait and see based on the forecast if I should take off the full day or part of it or call it off if the weekend turns out to be complete crap. Right now it looks like there could be some strong thunderstorms mid-day on Thursday but Independence Day through Sunday looks pretty good. Probably won’t bring the kayak up north, just because I’d rather swim and ride, though I could change my mind if it looks like Sunday is good and do Stewart Landing up to East Canada Lakes. I would kind of like to poke around Little Falls and maybe Herkimer Home, and then back up through Rollaway up to Illion on the Canalway. Moss Island really is a special place.