Sunday, April 26, 2015

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - April 26, 2015

Good morning! Since it's not just a morning, but a SUNDAY morning -- it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. Tune in on Wednesday and Friday evenings for the Survivor and Amazing Race blog parties!

It seems much of this week was windy or rainy or very cold (freeze warnings out and about) and rather sucky for taking photos. Yet I got some decent ones. At least I think I did. Of course, I was better off with more stable objects. No bugs! I had more failed flowers photos due to the wind, too. Grr.

Once again, I don't have much to report on regarding happenings during the week. Work, eat, sleep, give a cat attention, rinse, repeat. So, I'll offer up some random ponderings and observations:
  • NJ Transit is considering up to a 9% increase in bus, light rail and train tickets. They could probably get at least 5% of that if conductors in every train collected/checked tickets of every passenger instead of not bothering. That and actually enforcing the $5 surcharge for buying tickets on the train itself instead of via online, machines or ticket agents.
  • While they're at it, they seriously need to enforce the "no feet on the seats" rule. I remember decades ago getting bopped with a nightstick on my toe when I did that on the subway in NYC.
  • I hear no coyotes at night around here. Yet they've been spotted in Manhattan.
  • Good manners in public go a long way -- it doesn't matter whether you're a child or an adult.
  • I'm looking forward to summer TV series. Big Brother will premiere on June 24. Under the Dome will be following BB on either Wednesday or Thursday nights, can't remember which one. Woot! I just saw a commercial for Falling Skies. So You Think You Can Dance should be popping up again. I'm also interested in the upcoming James Patterson series Zoo even though it brings back memories of the defunct whacked series When Good Pets Go Bad.
  • What is the record for the length of time a cat can purr?
  • I saw a Lamborghini this week during a rare moment without my camera. It was dirty. If I owned a Lamborghini, I'd pay someone to wash it. 
  • They ripped out the hedge where I used to shoot periwinkle growing underneath. I wish they'd stop doing things like that. It's bad enough they removed the flowering bushes which used to attract butterflies and bees up by the TD Ball Park in Bridgewater. 
  • I'm looking for the snakes to reappear at the Bridgewater Train Station. Although, it could be like the Year of the Snails there -- only showing up one year, then gone.
Onto the photos -- clicking on an image will open it up larger in a gallery doohickey!

The moon last night

Rockin' Robin

Tweet, tweet.

Looking more like spring in da 'hood

**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**

Sunshine on the starling

The late afternoon sun brought out the iridescence of this European Starling's breast.

Rabbit!

It's time for the rabbits to start taking over my New Jersey 'hood. For some reason, I see them during the wintertime near the Bridgewater Train Station, yet see none until the spring and summer in my neighborhood. Perhaps it's country bunny versus city bunny. I never saw rabbits years back when my neighborhood had a severe feral cat problem.

Threatening skies

Oh, the drama of the skies!

Rainy rainbow

I tried to capture the glorious rainbow from the train window. But the raindrops on the window, as well as reflections from the lighting and overhead racks of the train, interfered.

SPRING IS BUSTING OUT ALL OVER!


Tulip bud in the rain







Coming to life

The poison ivy is about to unfurl its fresh new leaves.

Soon

Soon these teeny red buds will be beautiful red, pink and white blossoms covering the tree like a fluffy blanket.






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You can't get there from here

Supposedly, they said replacing this overpass for the NJ Transit railroad was supposed to be a new technology one-day job of dropping it in. Yet the street is all closed off and I'm seeing the old bridge just sitting there. I swear they're going to block off all of downtown if this stuff keeps up!

Birds of a feather?

No, the starlings aren't hanging out with the robin. They're stalking him! Eek.

As the sun sets

Downtown Plainfield.

Olive green?

Ew! They painted the walls of the rehabbed apartments in these two buildings olive green? Yuck! How dark. How depressing. How ... um ... puke green of them. North Avenue, Plainfield.

A tree grows in Plainfield

Actually, there are a lot of trees in Plainfield. But not all can stand outside the Park-Madison complex!

Bring out the catnip!

Vincent is such a silly!

2 comments:

Palmaltas said...

Great photos this week, Jackie, especially the floral ones.

Sharon N said...

Beautiful photos this week. This is one of my favorite times of the year... when the fresh/bright green of the trees and all the pretty blossoms start to appear.