Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - May 24, 2015

Good morning! I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend! Of course, Memorial Day isn't all about beaches and grilling -- please take time to remember the reason behind the holiday to think those who gave their lives in service to our country.

Since it is Sunday, that means it's time for my weekly off television topic reflections on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. I do plan to post some television stuff during the upcoming week even though The Amazing Race and Survivor are over for the season and the summer shows are yet to start. So, please check in for those!

Here are some random ramblings for you:

• I'm on a staycation. I really, really need it. I actually need more than just a staycation, but that's all I can get. I'm so tired all the time! Plus, I'm really grouchy and I don't like to be that way.
• On Thursday night I took a taxi home from the train station as I got home much later than I feel comfortable about hanging around on the downtown streets. (My neighborhood is fine; downtown can be scary at late night hours.) I went to the Yellow taxi across the street from the train station. They called an orange cab (Caribe) to take me home. That was weird.
• Speaking of dangerous, I heard on my scanner last night that three people were shot in town along with many other assaults. It happened at a festival held in a park. I don't go to that sort of thing here.
• I don't know what the theme is for autumn's Plainfield Library Photo Contest and can't find the information online. Hmm. 
• Weather permitting, I hope to hit Mindowaskin Park in Westfield one day, perhaps head into the city (NYC) another and maybe even go to a farmer's market. 
• I might just end up lazing about. Who knows?

Without further ado, here are this week's photographs. Clicking on an image will bring it up in a larger gallery view. I hope everyone has a great week!

Pulling into Plainfield

My train to work arrives at the station. Goody, goody.

The Red Admiral butterfly

He paused on a leaf just long enough for me to snag a quick rather not zoomed in photo.

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A mother, father and adolescent pigeons practically posed for me at the Bridgewater Train station. The adult birds were very curious about the camera, yet watchful over their two offspring. I'm including a flash slideshow here. If you can't get it to come up on your computer or smartphone, the Photobucket link for the pigeon shots can be found right here.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - July 27, 2014

Good morning! Welcome to my weekly off television topic photo post! If you're looking for my Big Brother coverage, you can find those posts right here at this link. This particular post is one I do each Sunday morning throughout the year, BB or not! I reflect on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way.

Alas, I didn't have a great photography week. It seemed like I was always rushing or conditions just weren't right. Oh well, there will be many more photos to take in my life.

I'm going to go once again with some random thoughts from the week:

• Last night as I arrived home to my New Jersey 'hood, I had to hear two competing Mexican Polka Bands. Ack! One was at a house near the corner of my block -- they were having a huge child's birthday party with a bouncy-house and all set up in the front lawn. As I walked by, they sang Happy Birthday, then WHAM into Mexican Polka! The second band was at the usual suspect house in back of my apartment. Even with my windows closed, a fan and the AC on, I could hear the thump-thump of the music. It lasted until nearly midnight.
• Two very young misbehaving children on the NJ Transit train were yelling and carrying on without any effort on the part of the parents to control them. When the piped announcement said, "Watch out for the gap when exiting." -- the girl cried out, "Cat? Where's a cat?" (I'll admit that was cute.) Her mother told her, "Gap. Watch out for the gap." The girl asked, "What's a gap?" I almost said, "A gap is a monster that swallows children who don't behave." I bit my tongue.
• There's an abundance of lightning bugs around here this year. If I were several decades younger, I'd be all over that!
• My cable and power were out on separate days this week, each for about six hours, neither due to a storm. Of course, my cable could have also been out while my power was out. I have no way of knowing.
• I panicked a bit when I saw Vincent pursuing a long dark quick bug along the floor into the kitchen. Ah. A carpenter ant. Not that I want those in my apartment, but it must have somehow strayed in from outside. As I predicted, I have had no influx of bugs by refusing to have my apartment fogged with poisonous junk.
• Oh. And Vincent killed the carpenter ant and then wondered why it wouldn't play with him anymore.

Onto this week's photos --

Early morning sun

Although the days are getting shorter, it's not to the point that I'm seeing the sunrise on my walk to the train station. We have been lucky in that we haven't seen many actual heat waves so far this summer (temps over 90 for three days or more). But we've had a lot of humid days and it's been a summer for lots of thunderstorms. I took this shot on Church Street in Plainfield.

Cool old car!

I have no clue exactly what make and model this is, but it sure is cool. There was an older man driving it. While he'd be too young to be the original owner, he seemed appropriate for the car. Watchung Avenue, Plainfield.

Looking up!

This Eastern Swallowtail Butterfly flew over my head at the Bridgewater Train Station. I was delighted to see I actually captured a halfway decent photo of him.

**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK FOR THE WEEKLY FLOWER SLIDESHOW AND THE REST OF THE PHOTOS!**

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - July 20, 2014

Happy Sunday morning to y'all! This is my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're looking for the latest Big Brother live feeds or show posts, they're right here at this link.

Onto stuff ...!
Despite the dire warnings that if I refused the bug bombing of my apartment, I'd be overrun with critters ... ha. None. Well, I did have a tiny moth in here that apparently came in somehow through the screens. To be honest, I think most of the people in the building refused the fogging. I doubt that, with the exception of a very few apartments, the building has any sort of infestation of roaches or whatever. I really think the new exterminator is milking the cash cow landlord. I'm just glad I could refuse the treatment without issue.

Random stuff ...!

• If you're going to break up with your girl, don't do it loudly on your cell phone on the train.
• If you stand in front of a marked automatic out door wondering why it doesn't open for you, those people trying to exit know the door won't open for them because some fool is blocking it!
• Heard as I walked by a couple on the street -- "You know that fire wasn't an accident. This is between us." Oh my.
• My good quiet upstairs neighbor moved out. I happened to share the elevator with the super and a couple there to look at the apartment. I innocently mentioned how much I missed the guy upstairs because he was so quiet. The super then said I was very quiet myself. Then we both talked about the building being quiet. I hope the couple got the hint if they take the apartment.
• Cool. Mr. Ed is on one of the cable stations way early Sunday mornings. A horse is a horse of course, of course.
• I cringe every time I see a skateboarder on the street itself.
• But I really wish Plainfield would enforce the NO BICYCLES on the sidewalks ordinance. Law? Whatever. Now a bunch of them have bells. This is a case where I stand my ground. I make them slow down and go around me!

Onto the photos ... clicking on an image will open it in a larger Photobucket page and you can make it larger twice using the magnifying glass at the bottom of the image there. Just close out the Photobucket window and you're back here!

Cicada Killer Wasp heading at me!

Last year at the Bridgewater Train Station, I saw garden snails for the first time. Well, at the station, that is, not the first in my lifetime. Earlier this spring, garter snakes. Now Cicada Killer Wasps. This is a male guarding his territory (and looking for a mate). Although they can get as large as two inches long, the males can't sting at all. The most he can do is bump into me and beat me with his wings. The females can sting, but generally don't. They do, however, sting cicadas, then lug them back to their underground nest to feed their brood.

A mother's job is never done

Even though her babies born some weeks ago look bigger than her, they still follow her around jumping up and down and fluttering their wings for food. They remind me of spoiled toddlers. Plainfield Train Station.

Yellow jacket wasp

Now, these wasps I have a very healthy fear of! I also have a fear of ending a sentence in a preposition, but there ya go. I'm allergic and these can be very aggressive. That said, they're usually more aggressive as the summer wears on. Right now they're way too busy building their nests. This one is guarding what's evidently a huge nest inside the base for a light pole at the Bridgewater Train Station.

This week's flower slideshow and more photos after the jump!

**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO CONTINUE!**