I was a bit creeped out by waiting for that bus at Delaware and Morton at quarter after 10, especially with the black kids racing and giggling down the street, having fun like kids, dodging in and out of traffic.
Cue all the racist stereotypes of gang bangers and muggers, 👦🏿👦🏿👦🏾👦🏾👦🏽👦🏿 reinforced every day by the Trumpster and I was a bit nervous. I don’t know, just kids and yokel locals and my phone and bike aren’t particularly nice but I did quickly stick it in my pocket like any good racist and was willing to flee on bike. Just a lot of kids out and about on such a warm and pleasant evening for early October. One thing that amazed me though was how awesome my vision 👀 since having my eye surgery a week ago. While there is still some minor halos around the street lights 💡, really things were so bright and clear. Maybe it’s because the city has invested in better streetlights when they went to brighter LED lights, but I felt like things were not dark or dull at all last night. Even in the darkness of the suburbs, it didn’t seem so dark. The bus was about 10 minutes late due to construction 🚧 on Delaware Avenue but it eventually arrived, and I made it home. I had some trouble with the bike rack 🚲 on the bus, it is very tight being a new unit and being that one style they use, but once it was on, it was very secure. Good because Delaware is rough in parts due to the construction.
It was a productive meeting, 🧑💼👨🏼💼💼 and I think we made some good arguments about why they should not permit solar development ☀️ there. But it left me so tired and it was late for sure. It was good after a very quiet day at work. 🖥️ After a past few weeks, things have been very quiet in the office. Rode in yesterday, but today was particularly nice. I am still so exhausted from last night though.
Headphones 🎧 are now working again, after not charging properly. I had accidentally washed them in the machine last week, and while they sort of worked good for a while – got rid of all the ear wax plugging them 👂, they weren’t charging properly. 🔌 But a good cleaning with a q-tip and some rubbing alcohol they are charging well. They are kind of essential for my mental health, especially while working in the office. 🧠 The tunes provide a good distraction, especially when I’m coding.
By the time I was home due to construction and the late meeting, 🚧 I stepped off the bus and breathed in that sweet smell of corn silage from Preska’s dairy. 🌽 🐮 It smelled absolutely amazing, really an intoxicating experience with it’s sweetness. I got home, cooked up some onions, beens and some of the remaining zucchuni I had, 🍳 headed to bed, but after a night of talking politics and the Pine Bush and carefully reviewing the proposal for a solar farm in a large part o the Albany Pine Bush, ☀️ I was pretty amped up and could not get to sleep.
Plus I was reading about the DEC burn ban, 🔥 which is really just the typical seasonal burn ban for large bonfires and bursh piles, though I guess they’re starting it a week early due to the dryness. Campfires and cooking fires are still allowed, though it’s obvious they’re trying to discourage it due to the fire risk. I guess I don’t need to save all those burnables for fire starting, I’ll have to do the green thing, 🌎 and start separating out the milk jugs and junk mail for recycling rather then fire starting. ♻️ Indeed, was up in Rensselearville State Forest two weeks ago, and even Vermont the week before that, I was very concerned and careful with fire, making sure to drown it out before bed, and keeping it well under the three-foot limit. But that’s not the reason I decided to put off my Adirondack Trip until next weekend. 🏕️ Most of it is my concern about my dry eyes, I can’t imagine spending all day riding in the dry air with so much irriation. 👀 I know things will get better over time, but the weather is certainly not helping.
Probably next week regardless I’ll head up north. 🏕️ Hoping the Wednesday rain showers ☔ are a little more substantial in the North Country, and if I do have a fire 🔥 up north I’ll keep it small. Probably things will be past peek by then, but I would go up to Speculator area for the Columbus holiday weekend ⛵ and on Columbus Day head up to Horseshoe Lake 🧲 and I figure by Monday evening most of the campsites would be free and quiet. I’m hoping that in two week things wouldn’t be wet mid-week unless next week when they’re talking rain right in the middle of my trip. Then come Thursday, head up to Floodwood Road or maybe one of the other areas just off the St. Regis Canoe Area for the final three days, to ride the Adirondack Rail Trail 🚲 and paddle and portage the St. Regis Canoe Area ponds. Do need to fix the tires on my portage cart. Both are flat.
This weekend I’m not sure. Still thinking about Schoharie, or maybe I’ll just do a nice day hike or bike. 🚲 Maybe just Five Rivers. Need to decide what I want to do. 💭 Should be a beautiful weeekend but probably a bit too cold to swim, and certainly not a lot of water around in a lot of the creeks. And it’s not like I’m ready to leave tonight.