Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - August 2, 2015

Good morning! Welcome to my weekly off television topic reflection of the past week in both words and photographs I've taken along the way! This post is a year 'round "feature" on the blog. If you're looking for Big Brother posts, they can all be found at this link right here. If you're not interested in this particular post, please feel free to skip on by it. I'll be posting a Big Brother blog party post coinciding with the East Coast airing of the show and, late this evening, another live feeds post. Stay tuned.

Here in the NJ/Greater NYC Metro Area, we had another hot week with temps hovering around and often going over 90 degrees. While the city itself (NYC) didn't have enough 90 degree days in a row to qualify as a heat wave, we in the inland areas did. The heat never actually broke. But, storms coming through towards the end of the week broke the humidity a bit. By tomorrow, the humidity is expected to return. I am NOT a summer, high heat, high humidity person! I would like autumn weather, please.

I had another rather uneventful week here -- working, working on the blog, not enough sleep, rinse, repeat. I kind of wanted to take my folding chair and head across the street for a free outdoor showing of Selma the city was putting on Friday night (raindated from Thursday). It was right at the Aristacare center where I would have gone for rehab after knee surgery had I been forced to do time in rehab.

But I guess I'm getting too old and crochety or something. I thought of lugging my chair which is wood and heavier than a lawn chair, jaywalking across the street with it, bug bites, the heat and how tired I was after work. I ended up posting a BB live feeds update on the blog, then napping. After napping, I went to bed.  Such is my life these days.

Onto this week's photos! Due to the heat, I didn't take a ton of shots, nor really seek out photography fodder. I went for the easy stuff that was right in front of me. If you click on an image, it will open it up in a larger version.

Posing pigeon

The two young pigeons born this past spring at the Bridgewater Train Station seem to have a real curiosity about my camera. As a result, I often end up with many photos of them.

Help me! Help me!

Oops. I should have posted a human head on his face to be posting "Help me!" with this fly shot. I believe this is a flesh fly, not the kind of housefly you might have to battle with in your home. (Of course, I let Vincent the Cat battle flies that might sneak in here.) They feed off dead animals and such. Ew. But he was kind of cool to photograph.

Eek! A bus!

While it might appear that I'm risking my life for the shot, I'm not. Or, to be more accurate, I wasn't. I took this shot of the 59 bus headed to Newark from the westbound platform of the Plainfield Train Station. It was rounding the corner from Gavett Place to North Avenue. 

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

Heads will roll!

How sad is this? A poor poultry head found in the gutter. Perhaps he once had a future; perhaps he once had a reason to be. Now he's lost to the street gutter, another statistic of a life wasted to the futility of it all.

Bug party on the weed

I was actually just trying for a shot of the weed as it blew in the wind. Then I noticed the fly and the ants. Something must be attractive to them there!

When all else fails ...

... there are always chicory blossoms going on through the summer at the Plainfield Train Station. I love the little "tassels."

The fly again

What can I say? He was a willing subject!

Another bloom on the hibiscus

Right now I'm watching five buds on this plant. It would be cool if they all burst into bloom at the same time. I love these flowers, but the blooms themselves only last a few days and look quite sad when they wither away.

From under the hibiscus

The other adolescent pigeon

Posing for the camera

Look into my eyes!

Short-lived

By the time the sun is on it for a few hours, it shrivels away.

More 'shrooms

I saw these in the morning, brown and crumbled by evening.

Vincent! C'mon, turn around!

Vincent was totally uncooperative for the camera this week. Doesn't he know he's a star? Sheesh!