Sunday, July 12, 2015

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - July 12

Good Sunday morning to everybody! I hope the sun is shining and it's not too hot for comfort wherever you might be. This is my weekly off television topic reflection on the past week in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

If you're looking for Big Brother television show or live feeds content, you can find all of those posts at this link right here. I have a live feeds report from the overnight happenings in progress and expect to be posting it shortly. This particular off television topic photo post that you're reading right now is posted every Sunday morning throughout the whole year. BB is only three months. (Although sometimes it seems like an eternity!) You can feel free to skip this post. My feelings won't be hurt.

WAH!

Er, never mind. I was just doing that for attention!

It's been a rather typical July week here in New Jersey -- heat, humidity, rain, rinse, repeat. Today is supposed to be over 90 degrees with high humidity. Ick. I have no plans to go anywhere. I'll stay in my air conditioning, thank you very much!

The past week was rather uneventful. Work, work, work. Sigh. That's another reason for no real plans today -- a day of relaxation, reading, music ... I have excellent restful diversions at hand. Plus, maybe even a nap!

About the only real thing I can think of to report from the past week is that the Plainfield Police finally seem to be cracking down on the drinking homeless, transient, bums, street people (although I'm sure many do have somewhere to be other than drinking in public) at the Plainfield Train Station. I saw one cop telling those using the electric outlets on the platform to charge their cell phones to move along. And, twice I've seen them yell at the drinking bunch on the benches to move along. Yay!

Without further ado, onto the photos for this week. Clicking on an image will bring up a larger version.

Japanese beetle up close and personal

I didn't realize until I watched this one that they cut or rip strips of the leaf off and then eat the pieces. I always thought they just chomped directly on the leaves.

Eek! A wild animal headed my way!

Is it a BEAR?!?! No? Perhaps a COYOTE!?!?! No? Oh. It's a rabbit. Cancel the alert, please. East Second Street, Plainfield.

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

The Japanese beetle in context

This is the same Japanese beetle in the close up photo at the beginning of this entry. Some years back, this area near the Bridgewater Train Station was infested with them. It's been a good five years since I've seen any there. Despite the photo, there doesn't seem to be any sort of infestation. Perhaps a rogue beetle?

I see dead people

Sure, it's hot. But, geez. Get a room, buddy! I took this shot on a very hot afternoon on Depot Park (which I think is the name of the basically nameless street leading to the Plainfield Train Station parking lot). I know the "street" leads to the parking lot and the little actual park called Vest Pocket Park.

I see dead people, two

People really shouldn't fall asleep on NJ Transit trains near me. I call fair game!

Glory fly

A fly checks out the morning glory blossom growing on the fence at the back of my apartment building.

Mushroom fly

A very different fly checks out a mushroom growing in the grass in Bridgewater. I believe this one is a deer fly, not the kind which gets into your home and becomes a pest (until Vincent kills it). This kind of fly bites!

Wilting 'shrooms

Checking out the red hibiscus

Another view of the hibiscus

I just think these blossoms are so neat! But they don't last long.

Call me a cab?

The taxi cab passed by as I was taking this photo of a man on North Avenue in Plainfield.

Pretty in purple

So sad

Once a treasured friend, this rocking horse was cast aside by the trash on Berckman Street in Plainfield.

Here in the morning ...

... gone by late afternoon.

Wayward baseball

Had I not been so lazy and didn't want to go get it, I could have added another baseball to my TD Ball Park Somerset Patriots ball collection.

Nightshade blossoms and berries

Would you care for some tea?

Lily's last gasp

The lilies have just about passed for the season.

Strangers on a bench

Random remaining azaleas

While the azaleas passed weeks ago, a few random ones once again have bloomed. Outside the TD Bank Ball Park, Bridgewater.

Chicory blossoms

They open in the morning and close at night. Plainfield Train Station.

Late night train from Manhattan

Practically empty near the end of the Raritan Valley Line on a Monday night. Bridgewater Train Station.

Pretty flowers make me smile

But don't expect me to grow any!

I had to Google these

Every summer I admire these blooms growing on trees and bushes. Finally, I thought to look them up. Rose of Sharon, in the hibiscus family. Aha!

More Rose of Sharon

Of course, now I wonder who Sharon is and why she has all these roses that aren't roses!

Sir Vincent

Master of his domain. Or, so he thinks.

2 comments:

russ said...

Love the hibiscus shots!
If you had taken more time in observation, you would have noted that the Japanese beetle was making a salad...
Favorite picture of the week, though, is the rabbit coming down the sidewalk toward you... Just never see that normally...

lynn1 said...

Jackie, I enjoy all your photos but this week I particularly like the Hibiscus. We have 2 native hibiscus plants in our yard. The plants are very different in appearance from the tropical variety in that they can grow to over 6 ft. tall. The leaves look more like a marijuana plant than typical hibiscus. The flowers are similar but the native flowers are the size of a dinner plate. The flowers only last one day. They open in the morning and die at night.
I tried to find just a picture with no success but I did find a link that has several pictures if them.

http://www.americanmeadows.com/perennials/hardy-hibiscus/hibiscus-lord-baltimore

Maybe I will try to take a photo of the ones in our yard and send to you.