Warm Election Day in Cold Spring

In prior years, I made a point of going to the polls during obvious off hours.  Since I wanted to go hiking today, I figured I'd at least try to get to the polls super-early, like around 6 a.m. when they open.  The best-laid plans etc., etc.  By the time I got there, the lines were the longest I'd ever seen, looping around the building's lobby.  I seriously considered giving the whole voting thing a miss -- after all, NYC is a sure thing no matter what I do.  Stalling for time, I turned around and headed to Starbucks.  Thus fortified, I reluctantly went back to see how things looked.  It was worse - the line was now out the door!!!  But I now had food and drink, as well as the final Sookie Stackhouse book, so I was able to pass the time pleasantly.  Once I got into the voting area, it was really chaotic.  We had to stand in multiple lines, which crossed each other at times.  Worst of all were the line(s) to mark our ballots; it would have helped if poll workers stood by to help maintain order and keep things moving along efficiently (e.g., pointing out when marking stations opened). 

However, I was still done by 8 a.m., so it wasn't that bad.

Up in the Hudson Highlands, the day started clear and cool.  I went up Washburn (white) to Nelsonville (green) to Undercliff (yellow), then walked down Fishkill Ave to Main Street.  The library was open, so I took a quick look.  They have some good selections.

Over the course of the day, it warmed up a bit - the puffy jacket came off on the uphills, and by the time I reached the rolling approach to the summit, my long-sleeve fleece was also tied around my waist.  Yes, I was in short sleeves for the descent!

In the local neighborhoods I passed through on my way down to Go-Go Pops, there was some nice synergy with foliage, signs, doors, and cars.

As for the election, I went to bed around 11 p.m. after the electoral maps were starting to become fairly clear.   I woke up around 3 a.m. and found out the results.  It's been a grim election cycle indeed from my point of view, as no foreseeable outcome would be a "win" for the country.  On balance, I was hoping that Clinton would win very, very narrowly and that the libertarians might gain enough traction to be invited to participate in future debates.   This did not happen.  Now, my liberal/progressive friends are succumbing to bleak despair -- they are assuming (I think wrongly) that a vote for Trump is a vote for bigotry, hate and fear.  I think the story is more complex than that, as the few Trump voters I know personally are not so motivated.  There is much to lose, and much to dread, with a Trump presidency, but there could be a silver lining.  Who knows - maybe he or his appointees will have some helpful new ideas.  (Other than building border walls and alienating our remaining allies, as those ideas do not seem particularly helpful, or even particularly new.)  And maybe, just maybe, the nation might possibly reawaken to the importance of constitutional limits on executive power.