Good morning! It's Sunday morning, therefore 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.
Have any of you folks heard that there's some kind of storm heading towards the Mid-Atlantic and East Coast? Apparently it's supposed to be a whopper, eh? I read that the weather people (as opposed to the Weathermen) want people to stop calling it silly names like "Frankenstorm" because it's just so darn dangerous.
Now, I'm not doubting it's going to be serious. But, sheesh. I think the media makes people panic about it. Someone even stole my Sunday newspaper this morning, possibly thinking it has the latest up to the minute storm details.
Me? I'm not all that worried. I live in a very populated area. I have enough food to last a number of days if need be. I have candles, batteries, one of those stick on lights and a good flashlight. I have plenty of water, plus my water doesn't go out even if the power's out. Normally my landline stays working, too. Plus I have my cell phone and police, weather alert (etc.) scanner.
If, for some reason, there's a really long power outage, it's not like there's no other people around. One of the shelters set up is a five minute walk away. Getting to work may be another issue. I doubt I'll be going in until after my next day off. They're already talking about shutting down the NJ Transit trains and buses. Heck, work might not even be open! I have plenty of paid time off in the bank, so I might have a little vacation!
Right now, it's not doing anything out there. But, yesterday, I returned home from work to find the notice below shoved under my door. I think I prefer Chinese menus, thank you very much! (And in the 12 years I've been here, I've only seen flooding once -- during Irene.) I don't doubt there will be street flooding because the city never bothered to pick up the huge piles of leaves at the curb!
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| Oh my |
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| Plainfield Train Station lamp |
On Monday, I spent an inordinate amount of time at the Plainfield Train Station. I'll get into that later. But I was there after the sun started shining.
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| Squirrel! |
The squirrels have been extremely active lately. Beside gathering their goodies, they're chasing each other around and chattering at people for daring to come near them. This was on East Front Street in Plainfield.
**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**
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| Atencion! |
Okay, this is why I was at the train station ... a "trespasser" or, in other words, a suicide attempt. No, obviously not one of MINE. For the second time in four days, my commute was disrupted by desperate folks. While it's sad, it's a very brazen and public way of doing it. The one the week before, further down the line, was hit by a moving train and died immediately. It is usually a successful way to kill yourself. But, not if you just sit in front of a barely moving train, like the attempt on Monday. That's just enough to ruin the rest of your life physically and financially while traumatizing transit personnel.
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| The train in question |
I knew it was going on before I left my apartment. But no one was really giving time frames on departures heading west. So I only left home about ten minutes later than usual. I could already hear all the news helicopters hovering from inside my apartment. I knew from my police scanner that the person was taken to the hospital alive, but severely injured. The train you see sitting on the tracks is the train that hit him. So, it was going slow to begin with as it JUST left the station.
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| Investigating |
Now the daylight is here and they finally moved the train. Remember, it was going slow as it was leaving the station. But, wait ... it has to almost stop on its own! See the orange in the upper left? There's some kind of construction going on there. Eastbound trains have to almost stop and shift to the right there. So, the gentleman was run over by a practically stopped train. Ow.
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| A helicopter |
When I first left my apartment that morning, I counted six news helicopters in the skies. It must have been a slow news morning in NYC! One by one, they dropped out and away as if realizing, "There's nothing to see here."
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| Another helicopter |
This one is from WCBS 2, out of Manhattan. I like the challenge of trying to get decent images of the helicopters. In the dawn skies, it was harder than snagging a clear shot of the moon.
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| Plainfield Train Station |
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| Another view |
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| Colorful! |
This was the same day, but in the afternoon as I returned home from work.
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| Head to tail |
The bees are still out and about! A honeybee and a carpenter bee in Bridgewater, NJ.
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| Fly butt |
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| Won't be around much longer |
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| Sunrise over 287 |
When it's not overcast, I've been arriving to my workplace just in time for the start of the sunrise. Bridgewater, NJ.
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| Pre-dawn patriotism |
East Front Street, Plainfield. Gee, right by the storm shelter!
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| Go to work or jump on bus to NYC? |
I often fleetingly think of blowing off work and jumping aboard the passing Manhattan bound bus. Then I just plod on to the train station.
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| Happy squirrel |
East Front Street, Plainfield.
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| Already LEAVE-ing us |
Also East Front Street. The trees right outside my windows are just starting to turn yellow and most are still green.
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| Flock of pigeons |
I think they scheme. "Let's all of a sudden take off, fly in a big circle, then land right back here again! That will confuse those silly people!"
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| Poison ivy is still brilliant |
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| Hanging in there |
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| Another monarch butterfly sighting |
I saw another monarch butterfly on Tuesday. I don't remember seeing any this late into autumn before. Bridgewater, NJ.
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| Not as cooperative as the one last week |
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| Detrain, detrain! |
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| Autumn in the dark |
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| He has his eye on something! |
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| Vincent bids everyone adieu |
I know I put this one on my Facebook page, but not everyone who reads here is on Facebook. This was on Wednesday as I took my trash to the Dumpster. I looked at my window and there was this little cat face!. He has to be standing on his hind feet judging by where he is. If he was on the recliner, he'd be more to the left in the shot.
Oh. I should mention that Vincent has plenty of food, cat litter and cat treats. Not that I'm not taking the storm seriously, but I doubt I'll have to evacuate. If I do, his carrier is available. I wouldn't ever leave him. Well, except to go to work and stuff.
8 comments:
True the weather channels cry wolf a lot, but this just feels different. Be safe....
Yes, I do think this is going to be a big one. I'm set to hunker down until it clears up. I'm not the first floor, so I doubt I'd need to evacuate. My stove is gas. Although I'm alone (with Vincent) in my apartment, it's an almost 40 apartment building and I know many of the neighbors well. I'm also not the top floor, so I'm about as safe as one could be!
It sounds like you are as prepared as you can be for the storm. The photos are so good that it's impossible to pick out a favorite.
I just remembered I wanted to buy eggs, so I'll head back to the local bodega shortly. I was already there once this morning! I was going to wait until CBS Sunday Morning ended, but they broke in for NY Governor Cuomo's storm news conference. Grr. When I was at the bodega an hour or so ago, I was surprised they still have plenty of gallons of water, bread and such. But if I want to hunker down, I need eggs! Two eggs won't cut it,
Thanks for the kind words about the photos, Pat.
Jackie, terrific pictures. I am like Palmaltas, it is hard to pick a favorite -- other than the two of Mr. Handsome.
I was going to ask if they allowed animals at the shelter. I think cities and shelters learned (the hard way) that a lot of people would not leave their pets behind during Katrina. The last hurricane evacuation they had here they announced that buses would accept animals in crates.
San Antonio had air conditioned warehouses where they kept the animals. Citizens in SA volunteered to walk pets, clean up after them and see that they had food and water.
I can see both sides to the hype of the weather stations. I tend to err on the side of caution myself. If they say it is going to be bad, I won't take a chance.
Jackie and Vincent, stay hunkered down and safe. Hope you find eggs at the store. Hope to see you at the blog party tonight.
Glad you are prepared, yes. I'll be thinking about you guys.
2373elipmen
I have been thinking and praying and wondering how you are doing. Hope all is well with you and vincent and it is not your side of town. although I fear it is since there was not a survivor party last night. I thinking you have no power. If so, Hope yours is on quickly and you read this message soon. Take care. we all love you here
I keep checking to see if you reappeared yet, and you haven't. I hope you're okay.
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