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Conservative Politics and Moving Out West

Andy | April 5, 2024

One of the reason I want to move out west is to move into a political environment that is more comfortable and agreeable. Living in New York and being involved in City of Albany politics, I frequently run into people that are extremely liberal and whose views are much farther to the left then I could ever accept. At least for some city political activists, I’ve been characterized as downright conservative, even if I’m generally pro-union, pro-worker rights, and pro-strong environmental protections.

I find it particularly painful to be categorized as a conservative outsider. I support many progressive positions, and for people to just label me as a conservative who is against progress just bothers me. I want to have a clean healthy environment, I want to have a high minimum wage, and allow people to make their own private lifestyle choices.

In a more conservative area, many of core beliefs, particularly on rural issues, will be norm for the society. I may face an uphill battle in rural areas on more progressive issues like the minimum wage or clean air from big corporate polluters, but wherever one goes there still is a core progressive group that I can join up with that shares my progressive beliefs. I find it much easier to fight for a liberal cause, then against a liberal cause I disagree passionately with.

One the things I loved best about attending college in North Country of New York State was I could find like minded Democrats in the region. Many of the progressives of the North Country shared the same beliefs that I hold dear, but also where strong progressives on the major issues. Rural progressives generally where not proponents of gun control or hostile to rural issues but still cared strongly about labor rights and strong environmental protections against some of the worst abuses across our country.

What Wilderness Means to Me

Andy | April 1, 2024

I am often very critical of efforts to deem public lands as wilderness, as a form of statutory or constitutional protection of the lands, forever condemning motorized uses, and severely limiting other uses of the land, especially if the land has previously been farmed, logged, or otherwise changed by man. Certainly there are some unique parcels that should be preserved in such a pristine state, but many others are just wild lands to be used by man and nature alike.

I really do not like the legal definition of wilderness. I don’t think it captures my view of the forest lands I belove, the real wilderness in my imagination. Wilderness is the state of being wild and natural, largely uncontrolled by society’s social structures. It’s a land where man is free to use, largely without the control of government dictating how it is to be used except for minimal standards to protect its quality for future generations. Wilderness is a place where you go to get away from it.

Wilderness is any wild location in a rural area. It could be a hobby or even a professional farm, run by it’s operator. Or it could be any forest privately or publicly owned. It could be a hunting camp. It could be a dirt road in the middle of nowhere, or a state forest. It could be a wild forest in Adirondacks, a National Forest, or some other wild land. It could be a state truck trail or a back-country location. It does not have to be road-less or totally untrammeled by man, just wild and free without excessive government control and oppressive populations.

… wilderness is a place to escape, a place to get away from it all.

July

Andy | June 30, 2023

July is the hottest month of the summer. It’s the month when the school children are out from school and the legislature has left Albany for the year. Hot and humid, but wonderful summer days upon us, as we enjoy long nights in the summer haze.

There won’t be any real cold days in this month. Rainy days are a rarity, although one always to be on the watch for the heavy thunderstorms that often come by afternoon. Humidity will be high, one things warm up by mid-day. Regardless, with long days, one can get up, hike up a mountain, break by early afternoon, and then enjoy nice nights. We will enjoy the wild blueberries and the wild raspberries as spend time outdoors.

July is the month when we celebrate the birth of our nation with Independence Day. Always a long weekend, it will be a nice one. We will enjoy fireworks, both legal and illegal, lighting them off, into the summer skies. We will watch the fireflies as they fill the fields at night with their flickers of light.

It will be an enjoyable month.

The warmest month is upon us, when we celebrate our country's independence and enjoy many delightful summer past-times.

Types of Wood to Burn in A Fireplace

Andy | February 15, 2014

An interesting graph from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory, that tells the benefits of burning various types of wood. Good knowledge not just for home heating, but also for camping and back-country activities.

2013 Concludes

Andy | December 31, 2013

Tonight marks the end of holiday and the year that will forever be known in the history books at 2013. In many ways an uneventful year, I did get to see some pretty interesting places and got to drive across the state at least once this year.

This past year I spent a lot of time exploring state parks. Not that I am a big fan of state parks, but I had a $40 Empire Pass, and figured while I had it, I better use it. Went up to the Adirondacks several times, then took a week to explore the Tug Hill Plateau in the rain, the several more weekend trips, a fall trip to Moose Plains, then that blockbuster trip across the state, that involved seeing many gorges in the beauty of the fall.

Fall came much too fast, as did winter. But that’s just a sign of how fast the calendar comes back around.

Winter is a quiet time for me, but I look forward to the spring time. April is like 91 days away, but I expect the next few months to be pretty busy with work. I will probably spend much of the time hiding away from the cold, working on code, writing, and other projects at home. Go snowshoeing a few times, and maybe take some shorter trips, but I really want to continue focusing on saving so I can get my truck jacked up this springtime.

April will come. I am hoping to take my first adventure of the year that first week or two of April, maybe a couple of days in the Finger Lakes. Melted snow means mud, but its still fun if I can avoid getting stuck in the mud. Early April, while not summer, can still be quite delightful, if you watch out for the sunburn.

I am also looking forward to jacking up my truck in April, assuming I meet my savings goals. I will not jack up my truck until I have at least. It will be fun to see the world from 8.5 inches higher, going from a stock lift to 6″ inches of height plus 35s. Those 4.88 gears will be a lot fun, climbing the hills with ease.

Next summer should be one of many good adventures. I am thinking of taking a trip down south next summer, visiting the Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway, and camping mostly in the backwoods of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia. Should be a great adventure.

Good night! Happy 2014.

2013 comes to a close, much too quickly. But it was a year of many good adventures, looking forward to the many adventures of next year.

November Days Are So Short

Andy | October 29, 2012

One of the things you have to consider about camping in November is how short the days are so darn short. Literally, you get up to darkness, and by 4 PM, you have to get camp set before the impeading darkness.

Literally, you won’t see the sun most mornings until 6:45-7 AM, so you wake in darkness. And total darkness overtakes the landscape by no later then 5 pm. While artificial light can help make the nights a little shorter, it really cuts down on time for the day’s adventures.

I’ve found the best way to handle the long nights is to get up early. Set up the alarm clock and be up prior to dawn. Cook breakfast under the camp lights and wait for morning to come.

Then at the break of dawn, get on to the day’s activities. Try to make the best out of your limited hours prior to dusk appearing once again at 4:30. It’s just the nature of this time of year.

That November 2012 Trip

Andy | September 6, 2012

I have been toying around in mind what I want to do in mid-November as I take a week off from work to travel. While there is two big ifs in my mind — the exact amount of time I will have off and the cost of gasoline — the later being a big expensive question, I have already been thinking what I want to do.

Traveling in November can be tricky. You get up before sunrise, or near it. You have to rush around all day, knowing you have to locate a campsite by 3 PM or so, and be well on your way of setting up camp by 4 PM, because it will be dark out at 5 PM, and you will want to have firewood and a fire started by dusk. The long evenings are not much of a problem, as I have lighting powered by the deep cycle battery in my pickup, but still daylight limits day time activities. The potential for snow and hunting season are other constaining factors. Cold can be bad, but at least with my current set up with the truck, having a dead battery is not a real risk.

I have three different trip options in mind:

Tug Hill/Northern Tier/Adirondack Trip
Southern Tier/Western NY/Northern Tier of PA Trip
Wayne National Forest and Monongahela National Forest Trip

The Tug Hill/Northern Tier/Adirondack Trip would take me up through the Tug Hill checking out Whetstone State Park, maybe Moose Plains or Independence River Wild Forest, Brasher-Bombay State Forest near Massena, and then maybe somewheres around St Regis Canoe-area. Would have to worry more about snow, and it would be big game season, but its the shortest and most economic trip especially if gas prices are high.

The Southern Tier/Western NY/Northern Tier of PA Trip would have me going out US 20, probably camping at Stony Pond Campground, then out to East Otto State Forest or maybe Sugar Hill in between. I would check out Zoar Valley, and then probably drive down to Chautauqua County and ultimately to Allegheny National Forest. Probably stay there a couple of days, then head back east on US 6, through the Endless Mountains, and return through Binghamton. That said, this is somewhat repeative of the mid-summer trip, so I don’t know if I want to do it again.

Then there is the trip I really want to take, which is to Coal Country Ohio and West Virigina, and the Wayne National Forest and Monongahela National Forest. It would be a delightful trip, even if it was kind of a lng trip. But that is dependent on gas prices, and if I can get a week plus off to make it all happen. But I have truck and gear, so it could be really awesome trip if I could make it happen. I want to travel to new frontiers, and I am ready to make that happen.