Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - October 26, 2014

Good morning! It's Sunday morning, time for my weekly off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're looking for TV stuff, my last post and my next post will have some.

We had several days of rain this week. But I did take advantage of the few nice days when I could take some photos going to work and coming home. Alas, my day off on Wednesday was raw, chilly and rainy ALL DAY. I didn't even step out of my apartment all day. On the days it was nice, it was VERY nice with warmish (for this time of the year) temperatures and sunny skies. On the days it was not nice, it was dismal with a cold, cold rain and grey skies.

I personally prefer brisk temperatures over the heat (and humidity) of the summers here. I actually don't even mind the cold of winter. I can always layer and dress warm enough. But in the heat and humidity of summer, there's only so much you can take off! And, you could be naked and still sweating! Ew! If we could train the ice and snow to stay off the roads, parking lots and sidewalks, I'd have no complaints about winter whatsoever.

Two years ago at this time we were anticipating being in the "cone of concern" for Hurricane Sandy. There are still signs of the superstorm all about in mismatched roof shingles, tree damage, trees gone and such. I must admit I enjoyed the excitement of the storm, but the aftermath was way too much. Almost two weeks without power, four months of train issues, a wacko snowstorm a few days after the hurricane while I had no heat (or lights or anything). It was a surreal kind of existence for weeks after the storm. I don't want to go through that again. Thankfully, there isn't anything like that in the forecast here now.

Onto this week's photos -- clicking on an image will bring you to its Photobucket page where you can make it larger. Just X out the Photobucket page to return here to the blog.

Downtown autumn colors

The trees surrounding the Park-Madison complex are turning all kinds of pretty colors for autumn. I took this shot looking at the corner of Park Avenue and West Second Street in Plainfield. To my right (off camera) is East Second Street -- Park Avenue in Plainfield is the dividing line between East and West.

Pretty pre-sunrise

The sun is actually rising after I get in the door to work these days. Well, except for Saturdays when I go in to work later. With our three (four?) days of rain this past week, I had rather dismal non-sunrises most of the week. But this one was nice. Bridgewater, NJ

Ladybug, ladybug ...

... fly away home. Your house is on fire and your kids are alone. Eep! What a HORRIBLE little saying! Bridgewater, NJ

This week's Flowers and Foliage slideshow is once again probably more foliage. I took some shots of flowers in the dark with my flash. And, the rain and some warmer temperatures have some of the roses blooming again! The shots were all taken in Plainfield and Bridgewater as I went nowhere and did nothing this week (except work). You can make the slideshow full screen by clicking on the diagonal arrow lower right of the window.

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

Shades of blue

I don't really see a lot of blue jays around here. While I think they're beautiful birds, I can't see them without thinking of my grandfather. He and my grandmother lived in the middle of nowhere in upstate New York near the Vermont border. They were avid birdwatchers and had feeders set up in their yard. My grandfather called blue jays nasty thieves who stole the nests of other birds and killed their eggs/young. He would shoot them if he saw them at the feeders.

Yes, he's also the one who shot the garter snake who bit my thumb when I was a child. I tried telling him it was my own fault the snake bit me. No go. Snake had to die. He's also the one who taught me how to shoot a gun by the time I was nine years old. It was a different world back then.

This blue jay was spotted at the Plainfield Train Station.

Red dawn

Technically, pre-dawn as this was taken in Bridgewater about 15 minutes before the sunrise one day.

Pre-sunrise solar panels

The solar panels in the Bridgewater Train Station parking lot are just waiting for the sun. They spent a lot of time waiting this week due to all the rain!

Man vs. Nature

Nature wins. Bridgewater, NJ

The ivy is turning colors

The ivy growing on the side of one of the car repair places near the Plainfield Train Station is turning autumn colors. Two years ago Hurricane Superstorm Sandy ripped all of the ivy from the side of this building (along with the windows and some of the roof). It's back now!

The bottle and the damage done

While marijuana with the exception of medical use remains illegal in New Jersey, alcohol -- one of the worst drugs of all -- use remains unfettered. Now, I'm not saying I don't ever drink alcohol. I do. But, in moderation. I wouldn't ever want to be like this, passed out on the property of the Plainfield Train Station with a bottle in a bag by my head. I just can't see where this state would be anything enjoyable. Sigh. (Plus, it's a good way to get mugged.) He was indeed alive -- I saw him stir when a loud motorcycle went by on the street.

Park-Madison again

Hyper?

At least if New Jersey has graffiti-laden trucks around here, they're rather professionally done. This seems to be the work of "Hyper," a common tagger who "works" along the NJ Transit rail lines. Or, at least, someone celebrating Hyper. It has a theme (other than saying HYPER), calling BP Gas the real vandals and saying BP stands for ban petroleum. East Front Street, Plainfield.

The Jesus and Politics Shouter

Yep, he's there every afternoon with his megaphone reciting the bible, going on rants against gays, abortions, sometimes white people, and lecturing a non-listening audience. The corner of East Front Street and Park Avenue in Plainfield.

What can I say?

I love those trees at Park-Madison with all their colors! So you see them again!

Plainfield Train Station

As you can see, we still have a lot of green going on here, too.

Colorful tree tops

The smaller trees surrounding the skateboard park which isn't really a skateboard park at West Front and Park have only turned autumn colors on their tops so far. Plainfield.

Messin' wit' da flo

But, not for me. I'm a pedestrian through here. They're digging up the street, not the sidewalks. East Second Street looking at the Watchung Avenue intersection. Plainfield.

Hey, Scar-Nose Vincent!

That really must have been quite the nasty cut he got on his nose before I met him. He certainly hasn't gotten any new scars in his life with me!