Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - January 17, 2016

Good morning! Yes, 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. I swear I'll get back to posting about television soon! I promise!

Here are some random observations from this past week:

• I was saddened to hear on Monday morning that David Bowie had passed away on Sunday last week. I had just quoted one of his songs in last week's photo post not knowing he was even in ill health. A true innovator and such a talent ... he will be missed.
• My upstairs neighbor now seems to have a new girlfriend living up there and a new stereo as well. Lots of thumping around, arguments and loud music. One night as they were fighting late into the night and I contemplated calling the police, someone beat me to it and the police came. It's so much better (and quieter) when people live alone! Sigh.
• Our winter weather here remains very weird. We've only had snow flurries and it's past mid-January now. We'll have record-setting warm temperatures followed by cold snaps. Even the cold hasn't been as cold as it could be! All the precipitation has been coming during the warm periods, so we've had plenty of rain. Mind you, I'm not complaining. I could do without ice and snow for a season. Small children will have the opportunity to see snow in their lifetimes. My wish isn't to deprive them permanently of such. Just one winter. That's all I want.
• That said, it does limit my photo fodder when most of the trees are barren and there are no flowers nor bugs to shoot.
• I've a few short weeks (four days, not five) ahead at work. Yay! This coming week I'm taking a paid day off mid-week and next week I have a vacation day to start off my staycation the following week. Yay! It's not as good as retirement because I won the Powerball, but I'll take it.
• Yes, I played the Powerball. I lost four dollars doing it. But, when I bought the tickets I didn't spend any more than I minded losing. Heck, I could have gone higher. However, I'm rarely lucky at winning stuff. I'm not much of a gambler at all. I probably spend a whole ten dollars a year on lottery. I was never into casinos or betting. At least, by working I'm guaranteed a paycheck! My 401K is the most "gambling" I do and I let other people do that for me.

Onto this week's photos. Clicking on an image will bring it up in a larger gallery version.

Y'know ... we need new bulbs

NJ Transit's haphazard maintenance at the Plainfield Train Station is ruining the possibility of symmetry and balance if I want to take shots of the rows of lamps on the platforms. Yet the ne'er-do-wells and denizens of the streets have found access to power outlets enabling them to loiter more at the station. 

Saturday night's moon

Yep, I shot the moon. It's been mostly overcast as of late when I've been out in the dark. At least clear skies give me the challenge of moon shot with my carry around point and shoot digital camera.

Every step you take, every move you make ...

... I'll be watching you. I got out of work in the daylight for the first time in ages. As I got to the top of the stairs at the Bridgewater Train Station I had that uncomfortable feeling that someone was watching me. Sure enough, I looked at the fence and there were three deer, two of them intent on watching me.

I believe they're the same ones I've photographed before. They're quite curious about either me or the camera, not sure which. They don't seem to have fear of humans as much as they have curiosity about us. They're in the "field of geese" -- a fenced-in field at the Superfund toxic waste site adjacent to the train station. There is no hunting, nor trespassing, allowed in that area. They don't have much to fear from humans at all. They hopefully have a healthy fear of fireworks, cars and trains. Oh ... and geese. I've seen the geese charge at them. More deer shots (and closer ones) after the jump.

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

Looking up at the crane

Now it's Watchung Avenue shut down (again) and Park Avenue open as they put the finishing touch on the railroad bridges replacement on either side of the Plainfield Train Station. They're putting the "bookends" in on either side of the new bridge. I'm not impressed with the ones now finished on Park Avenue. The old ones read "Welcome to the Plainfield Train Station" and "The Queen City." Plus they had the city seal. The new ones have nondescript arrows and "to NJ Transit train station" on them.

Ice, ice, baby

Under pressure to prove it's indeed winter, rain was followed by a cold snap creating real icicles from the railroad bridge overpass at the Bridgewater Train Station. There are stalactites and worn down by foot traffic stalagmites year-round there. But these are the real thing. (See what I did with the "Ice, ice, baby" and "Under Pressure"?) 

Men at work

They've put an addition atop the rehabbed historical building which now houses Maria's Bonaventura (sp?) Restaurant. At first I thought it was a shelter so they could work on roof repair despite winter weather. Now it's looking like more than that. I'm not sure what they're doing. 

So sad

This poor little Charlie Brown type Christmas tree was discarded on North Avenue near the train station. If they wanted to add insult to injury, the parking bureau could have come along and issued a ticket for an expired meter. Poor little tree never had a chance!

Turkey vulture in flight

It was a weird morning. I saw one circling over the Plainfield Train Station, then another once I arrived in Bridgewater.

The saga continues

I see dead people on NJ Transit.

Synchronized deer

Yes, Fran, she's still there.

I'm not sure why there are Big Apple Circus trailers in the background there. Yes, the circus sets up nearby. But they don't come here until March every year.

Nyah-nyah

I'll stick my tongue out at you!

You're still there?

I'm eating, but I'm still watching you.

Who would discard this?!?!

It looks like a handmade plywood fire truck! I saw it sitting in the dark (and scary) alley on West 4th Street near the Plainfield Train Station. I always glance in the alley as I walk by as you never know if someone might be lurking there looking for victims. Merely being aware of your surroundings can often offset any trouble. No lurkers, but I saw this way cool handmade toy sitting next to the dumpster and shot it using my flash. No, I did not take it home. While it's fairly large, Vincent can't ride it around.

Poor little Vincent

This is what he's done to his most recent scratcher doohickey. I've explained to him that it's to scratch his claws, not for him to bite off chunks. Yet he loves to sleep in it, scratch on it and, yes, bite off chunks of it and spit them all over the floor.