I've not seen a bear in the Adirondacks in years. I'm sure they are out there but I've just not run into them.
Heading out for a week of December camping next week? In a tent? In the Finger Lakes? Yeah, I’m thinking about it. We might finally get a snow free, sunny week. Been waiting for one for weeks. It would quite the adventure. I still haven’t finalized my plans though.
![Untitled [Expires November 4 2024]](https://andyarthur.org//data/photo_017047_large.jpg)
"So, forget about deadlines. The simple truth is that stopping climate change gets harder if we leave it later.
It’s like putting off paying your credit card bill. The interest just keeps mounting and the total bill gets ever worse. There is no cutoff point, except bankruptcy – which is best avoided.
Climate change is our bill coming due, and we would do better to pay up now before the interest starts spiking. "
Pennsylvania has the most charming little towns, maybe because they are so backwards. I am sure if a town like Wellsboro existed in New York, the state would have shown up with buckets of money to “tear out those polluting, old fashioned gas lights in favor of modern LED technology.”
Modernity has it’s benefits, but even our state has started to learn that urban renewal often leaves spaces cold and undesirable. The newest of technology might have impressive “environmental performance” but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s green or a good place to live.
Of course the biggest joke of it all is, now after the state has spent millions bulldozing downtowns, they’re spending millions to install quaint-styled park benches and decorative old-fashioned looking light fixtures (using LEDs, of course).
There are few downtowns left in New York that haven’t seen the aggressive hand of urban renewal, followed by the state trying to undo the damage from all the buildings they bulldozed and replaced with “modern structures”.
I am actually surprised more quaint down towns don't use gas street lights. It's rather expensive and inefficient compared to incandescent light, but it's so charming.
The gas lamps burn day and night in Wellsboro, as they don't have automatic lighters but the they turn the gas down to a low setting in the day time. If a gas light goes out, they have to be manually re-lit by a borough worker. They do however make gas lights that have automatic ignition but it requires the lights to be re-wired for gas and power, as they didn't have electricity when they were first installed.
"Over 1,800 black bears were taken in the first three days of Pennsylvania's four-day black bear season, including this notable 679-pound bear in Warren County."
Good evening! Cold, dark and 43 degrees in Delmar. ☁ It’s the first Monday night of December. Its particularly cold not because of the mercury but because of the wind. There is a west breeze at 15 mph. 🍃. Temperatures will drop below freezing at tomorrow around 2 am. ☃️
Bus left the plaza right at 5:12 and was right on time.🚍Good, I didn’t have to wait for long. State Christmas Tree, well actually the Capitol is all lit up.🎄Looks really pretty although it seems a bit crooked and those LED lights, especially the blue are a bit garish. I’m sure once those lights are in the landfill, people will look back and say gosh that was tacky.
Tonight will have a chance of rain showers, possibly mixing with snow after 8pm, then gradually ending. Mostly cloudy 🌧, with a low of 30 degrees at 5am. Four degrees above normal, which is similiar to a typical night around November 23rd. Northwest wind 10 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected. In 2017, we had mostly clear skies. It got down to 21 degrees. The record low of -9 occurred back in 1940.
Tonight will have a Waning Crescent Moon 🌘 with 10% illuminated. The moon will rise at 4:04 am. The New Moon is on Thursday night with mostly cloudy skies. The Cold Moon 🌝 is on Friday, December 21st. The sun will rise at 7:08 am with the first light at 6:37 am, which is one minute and 2 seconds later than yesterday. 🌄 Tonight will have 14 hours and 47 minutes of darkness, an increase of one minute and 14 seconds over last night.
Once I get home, I am leaning towards fish sticks, onion rings and corn. 🍤 I think that would be a good dinner. Running low on milk, I might run to the store while dinner is in the oven. It’s literally two doors down to Stewart’s and their milk is cheaper than the grocery store. 🐄
I think most likely after dinner I’ll walk down to library. 🏃 Maybe hop on the internet for a bit, and return my library books. 📚 I guess there is stuff I could work on around the apartment but I figure it’s good to get a few more steps in today. Probably also listen to Marketplace before the library. 📻 When I get home from the library, I’ll probably put Mountain Stage on the radio and listen to it. I was listening to a show about Appalachia today and thinking about how much I miss West Virginia.🎻 I don’t think I should try to drive down there next week but maybe next year. Beautiful state, beautiful people although it really is a mix of beauty and ugliness as all things are in our world. Those strip mines up by Mount Storm coal plant aren’t that pretty. 🏭
At lunch today, 🏃I got in a good mile or two in walking around the plaza. It is easy to rack up the miles if you walk in the tunnels to each agency building, to the museum basement around the base of the Egg, 🍚and the Justice building lobby. I’m trying to walk as much as possible as I know it’s good for health although I really need to think about replacing my boots as multiple holes are now in the soles of the boots. 👞 Eventually I guess.
Tomorrow will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 32 degrees at 2pm. Eight degrees below normal, which is similiar to a typical day around December 27th. Northwest wind 10 to 14 mph. It might be a nice day except for the wind. It will certainly be good for snow in the lake effect belt. I don’t know how they do it up in the Tug Hill.❄ Those snowy commutes with the big hills must be miserable. A year ago, we had cloudy skies, clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 39 degrees. The record high of 63 was set in 1998. 6 inches of snow fell back in 1901.❄
Cool this weekend with temperatures running 8 degrees below normal but otherwise sunny. 😀 Saturday, mostly sunny, with a high near 29. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 32. Typical average high for the weekend is 38 degrees.
I am still thinking about going out to the Finger Lakes next week. I haven’t made a final decision yet, but it could be a full week if the sunny forecast out there continues. I don’t mind the cold so much if it’s sunny. I have almost a full propane tank and the heater can take the chill off the tent quickly. I’ll also bring lots of tarps to block the wind. ⛺ Not sure if I will take the full week off, but I might. Snow is the big concern this time of year but I believe the road where I’m thinking of camping has town plowing in the winter and no real snow is forecast for next week although that’s still a long way off.
The long nights could be fun with a good sized fire, the Christmas lights, some music and podcasts. 🔥Lots of time for cooking after dark and listening to the radio. Then maybe retire to the tent around 8 or 9 o’clock but not too early as it’s dark out there until like 7:30 in the morning this time of year. At least if there are blue skies, it won’t be so dark in the morning. And if I’m cold I can always warm up next to the heater. ☕Yeah, I’ll keep my knife and carbon monoxide alarm ready case of an emergency although I only really turn the heater on briefly.
In four weeks on December 31 the sun will be setting at 4:32 pm,🌄 which is 9 minutes and 48 seconds later then tonight. In 2017 on that day, we had snow, mostly cloudy skies and temperatures between 8 and -2 degrees. Ducking cold last year on New Years Eve. 🐦Typically, you have temperatures between 32 and 16 degrees. The record high of 61 degrees was set back in 1895.
Looking ahead, 7:15 AM Sunrise ⌛️ is in 1 week, New Years Eve 🎆 is in 4 weeks, Latest Sunrise of the Winter 🌄️ is a month away, Coldest Week of the Year 🌬 is in 6 weeks, Martin Luther King Day 🖤 is in 7 weeks, Presidents Day 👴 is in 11 weeks, Average High is 40 ☀️ is in 13 weeks, April Fools Day 🤡 is in 17 weeks, Tax Day 💰 is in 19 weeks, Earth Day 🌎 is in 20 weeks, Memorial Day 🇺🇸 is in 25 weeks, July 🏊🏿 is in 30 weeks, Last Sunset After 8 PM 🌆 is in 36 weeks and Election Day 2020 🗳️ is in 23 months.
