Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - April 15, 2012

It's Sunday morning, time for my weekly off television topic post reflecting on the past week in both words and photographs I've taken. Remember, tonight there will be a blog party during the east coast airing of The Amazing Race -- if you watch the show, please stop by and share your thoughts! Of course, since CBS doesn't know how to juggle shows and sports well, I can't guarantee the show will start on time. I will be putting the post up on time, though.

Let's see ... what happened this week? Hmm, a heck of a lot of nothing for me. Well, not really nothing, I guess. I worked. I ate. I slept. I spent an inordinate amount of my time at home under a purring cat. Work has been hectic with lots of folks either picking up a stomach bug or perhaps it's spring fever. I don't know, but I was certainly there all week unlike many. I don't want to waste my paid time off being sick!

The weather here has been pretty -- many a day with few clouds in the sky. However, the overnights and early mornings have been chilly down near the freezing point. The wind has been much too much, too. As we've had hardly any rain for nearly a month, wildfires are popping up aided by the winds. Oh, they're nothing like the fires I witnessed in California when I was a young child. But they're scary nonetheless. Heck, even one of those swampy areas near the NJ Turnpike caught fire. (A side note -- I always thought those swamps were the perfect place to bury mob hit bodies!)

Starting yesterday the temperatures have been going up. It sounds like today will be a glorious day with highs in the mid to high seventies. Tomorrow, too hot. I don't want 85 to 90 degrees! Say nothing about too early, I don't want those temps ever! I'm not a fan of hot heat and humidity. I like spring and fall so much because the temperatures usually average out in the 70s with cooler overnights. 

Time to go onto the photos -- clicking on an image will open it larger in a gallery-like feature.

By lamplight

This is one of the lamps at the YWCA on East Front Street in Plainfield. It's now almost daylight as I make my early morning trek to the train station. I edited this show to leave only the lamp in color.

Some call it a weed

I call it nature's magic.

Don't fence me in

Despite the lack of rain, the spring colors are flourishing in "the wild." This is the field of geese, also known as the toxic superfund site in Bridgewater NJ by the train station.

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Pretty in pink

At the Plainfield Train Station

Dandy pansies

E.T. phone home

But he can't because THERE ARE NO PHONES! Most of the public phones I see are but empty shells. They haven't been stolen by thieves. The phone have just been removed by the companies who own them. Apparently the lack of use due to cellphones and maintenance costs to keep them going don't make business sense. In Plainfield, many of the pay phones which still exist are those with the extra equipment for the deaf. But they're few and far between.

Gently tug ears

I love this box! I bought these snack crackers at Target. They're kind of like Pepperidge Farm goldfish crackers, except bunnies. I was sold on the "gently tug ears to open" on the box top. I took care not to just wildly rip the ears off the bunny.

Weedy

Pink azaleas have arrived

The pink azaleas at the ball park by the Bridgewater Train Station are sporting random blooms. The red and white ones have yet to bloom at all.

Field of goose

A solitary goose in the field of geese in Bridgewater. Last night as I waited for my train, I watched a pair of geese just walking all about the field honking wildly. I don't know what that was about. They did the whole perimeter of the field. Marking their territory with honks?

Carpenter bee at work

I saw my first carpenter bees of the season Friday on my way home from work. They're the size of small flying mice, I swear!

Looking up

I know this tree is some sort of invasive non-native plant, but don't ask me what it is.

Plainfield's red azaleas

While the red azaleas in Bridgewater are yet to bloom, they're in full bloom on East Second Street in Plainfield. This is the Second Street entrance to the Monarch building parking lot.

The sentry

Crow on duty. I edited this one to make it black and white, as well as giving it a bit of an illustrated look.

Leaflets three

Spring and autumn poison ivy is just so photogenic! Bridgewater Train Station

Watchung and HAWK St.

The hawk looked like he was playing with the wind when I took this shot. I often see this one by the Plainfield Police Station/train tracks area. I do wish I'd see him closer!

Showing off the gray

Definitely not the best shot of Vincent. But this one is one of the few which show his three stripes of faded gray on his tail. He's doing well, loving the open windows into the evening. Then when he throws himself across my shoulder and neck purring, he smells like a clean fresh outdoor scent instead of bland nothing indoor cat!

How was your week?