There's really nothing remarkable to report this week. It was warmer, then it got colder. It was sunny, then rainy and windy. Today is fairly seasonable. After all, it is getting that time of the year. Right now I'm sporting a bump and bruise on my left temple, making me look like I've been beaten. No, I haven't been beaten. I'm just a dummy and hit my head on a very solid object as I bent down. Foolish me. Clumsy me. Gah.
Other than that, it's been another week in the life ...
Onto the photos I've taken this week. If you click on an image, a Photobucket page will appear and you can make the image larger there, then just close out the page to return to the blog.
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| The Beaver Moon |
The full moon earlier this week was the Beaver Moon. Back in the day, it was named such to signal colonists and American Indians to set their beaver traps before the swamps froze. That way, they'd have furs to keep warm for the winter. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a totally clear (and definitive) shot of the moon, thus this obscured a bit by a building one.
On Friday, a tractor trailer truck rammed and got stuck under the bridge at the Plainfield Train Station, Park Avenue. Thankfully, they let my train pass over the bridge coming into the station. They were off-loading the cargo and the tires were all hissing as they deflated them when I went by. I think it will need to lower more than that! The trailer was two feet higher than the clearly marked bridge. There were industrial tow trucks at either side. I guess they have to unhitch the trailer and tow the tractor and trailer out separately from either side. Here's a slideshow of the stuck truck ... clicking on the diagonal arrow on the bottom right will make it full screen --
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| Colorful sunrise |
My timing on my early days now with the change back to standard time coincides with the sunrise. I took this shot looking at the end of the platform at the Plainfield Train Station.
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| Speaking of the train ... |
This is my NJ Transit train approaching the Bridgewater Train Station one afternoon this week as I headed home. The double-decker trains always look short in photos, but they're actually pretty long. Oh, not like being stuck at a crossing waiting for a long freight train to pass. Not long like that at all!
My flowers and foliage slideshow this week is colorful. While we're past peak in autumn foliage, we still have some brilliant colors and even some green leaves left. Soon we'll be ankle-deep in leaves on the sidewalks as freezes hit more steadily. I took most of these shots in and around my neighborhood and the Plainfield Train Station --
**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**
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| TVMs |
Yep, we're talking TVMs -- Ticket Vending Machines. Since they put these machines in at every station, including those where there's no human ticket agent, NJ Transit has been more stringent in enforcing the $5 surcharge for tickets bought on the trains. Since I've been riding the train, the Plainfield Station, which has a ticket agent until noon or 1pm or so, has had the machines. I always buy my monthly pass through them. These in the photo are at the Bridgewater Train Station where there is no ticket agent.
I have no clue where to buy bus tickets other than at Port Authority in NYC, though. It seems like the monthly bus passes are sold at various convenience stores and such. My monthly train pass gets me free bus service of a zone which can get me across town. I pay 85 cents to go an additional zone on the bus. That would get me to Trader Joe's in Westfield! However, those folks with bus passes find that they can't be used on the trains unless bad weather calls for "cross-honoring" tickets. Unless you need a monthly bus pass for regularly commuting, the only time you need a ticket instead of cash to buy one on the bus, is when you leave from Port Authority in the city. They have NJ Transit bus ticket TVMs there.
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| Golden leaves in the lamplight |
I took this shot at the Bridgewater Train Station one day as darkness fell.
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| Dawn in Plainfield |
Instead of the dark of night for my morning commute, I'm actually seeing daylight. Well, at least on the days that it's not totally overcast and pouring rain! Plainfield Train Station, westbound Track 1 platform.
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| Geese coming in for a landing |
In the low-hanging sun of late afternoon at the Bridgewater Train Station.
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| I see dead people saga ... |
... continues. At least this one thought to hide from my camera. Raritan Valley Line, NJ Transit.
Let the sun rise ...
The following group of shots were taken at the Bridgewater and Plainfield train stations. The last shot in the series with the grey bank of clouds was what became of the gorgeous reds by the time I got to my work destination.
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| Banana Man |
I know I've mentioned Banana Man before -- he's the one I pass almost every day at the Bridgewater Train Station. He parks his car at the Target store parking lot across from the train station to avoid paying for parking at the train station itself. (Cheapo!) He's heading towards Newark/NYC while I'm coming from that direction. He's always eating a banana -- note the peel in his right hand. In many years of passing each other each morning, he's never said hello.
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| Balancing birds |
Starlings at the Bridgewater Train Station.
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| Nik Wallenda wannabe |
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| I snagged this one |
I haven't experimented cooking it yet, though. The folks living in my building have been breaking off the cucuzza squash growing over the fence from the garden at the house in back of us. I cut off part of the vine with this one in hopes in will grow more inside. This one's about the size of my forearm. I know they can get much larger.
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| How dare you leave me! |
No catnip needed for this shot! Vincent, upon realizing that I'm getting ready to go to work and leave him for the day, often throws himself on the floor looking all kinds of forlorn. Apparently he thinks he's just so adorable and precious that I'll stay home with him. I wish I could; I really wish I could.
6 comments:
Love your photos. You have no control over the light, and yet you always seem to catch it just right.
What is the plant in #2 of the sideshow, the silvery fluff? Is that a low weed, or a shrub?
An old joke: Truck driver, thinking as he approaches an overpass, "Um, let's see, sign says nine feet, five inches, I'm nine feet seven inches, that means I have two inches clea...." CRUNCH
Thank you, Silk. That's neither a low weed, nor a shrub. It's a high weed! I have no clue exactly what they are, but they're 4 to 5 feet high coming out of cracked pavement in a many decades defunct ex-parking lot at the Bridgewater Train Station.
As always great photos--especially the sunrise ones. And the fall colors ones were great,too. Love starting my Sunday with your photos.
Thank you. I think that may be the same stuff that grows down by the bay. You strip off the leaves, spray it with AquaNet, stand it in a tall floor vase, and it looks great and lasts forever.
Ha... Banana Man!!
If he only knew his label... along with being cheap and unfriendly!
Great pictures as always. You must have your camera strapped to your neck 24/7. LOL
Jackie, I am in awe of your talent every week.
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