My apologies for getting this post up so late today. Last night's wild weather awakened me several times with hail and winds which sounded like freight trains! There have been several trees down around town and power outages. My power has stayed on (so far), but many areas in Plainfield are out as I get this written up. And now, several hours into these winds, I just got a Nixle Alert on my cell phone advising me to stay inside due to dangerous conditions outside. Well, duh. I took trash out to the dumpster and snagged my Sunday newspaper from the front of the building. The wind was ridiculous. I'm glad I don't have to go to work today.
Meanwhile, a certain cat keeps jumping on me to purr in my ear. Don't get me wrong. I love the cat. But, sheesh ... he sure can be an affection mongering kind of cat! Once he's on my shoulder, I can't type at all.
Random notes on the week:
- We keep alternating between winter and spring. Unfortunately, most of the warmer days, we've had rain.
- We started the week with high wind warnings. We ended the week (and started this week) with high wind warnings.
- I keep having to get out my winter jacket, then putting it away.
- I worked extra hours this week and I'm totally exhausted.
- I actually have three of four days off starting today. I work tomorrow, but have off both Tuesday and Wednesday. I volunteered to take a paid vacation day to help with a budget cut this week at work. Good for them; good for me. I need the rest. I've been running on empty.
- We didn't get the overnight snow coating they predicted for last night. However, I'm sure we had a hail coating in the middle of the night!
- I bought a package of peanuts to feed squirrels. I'm weird like that.
- The Walking Dead season finale is tonight. Gulp. They better not kill off Darryl. Or, if they do, perhaps they could bring in Larry and his brother Darryl and his other brother Darryl from Newhart. I bet they'd be quite capable in the zombie apocalypse.
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| On a wing and a prayer? |
More like on wings and wind currents. A turkey vulture was having the time of its life gliding about in the high winds earlier in the week. He's probably hiding with the hurricane-force winds we're getting today!
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| Daffodils are still growing strong |
Despite some outright overnight freezes, they're hanging in there!
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| First bum of the day |
No Plainfield Train Station ticketed passengers can use that platform shelter in this photo. The bums hang out all day and most of the night there. They're responsible for all the trash on the grass in that area, too. It's sad that new apartments have been set up on North Avenue in rehabbed buildings, commanding a luxury rent price ... and they look out on the Plainfield Train Station bum gathering. The police regularly stop by and move along those on the East 4th Street side of the station. Yet this spot is almost totally ignored. I doubt those new apartments will ever have good quality tenants until the loitering issues are solved.
**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**
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| Spring ground cover |
I never know what this stuff is, but I always end up photographing it anyway. It's probably some sort of invasive weed. But it's intricate and rather cool ... until they mow it down.
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| We want this mint! |
Sparrows were pecking at this hard candy wrapped mint. I watched as they got it partially opened and were pecking at the candy. I ended up unwrapping it and crunching it into bits for them. Huh. So, sparrows like sweets. Who woulda thunk it?
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| A periwinkle blossom peeks out at me |
The violets will be next.
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| Stand your ground |
The sparrow and I had a stare-down contest. I won.
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| The tulips want to bloom! |
Don't! Not yet! Hunker down, little tulips! The evil "snow" word keeps getting mentioned in forecasts! Berckman Street, Plainfield.
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| I'm rich! I'm rich! |
I found this $50 bill on the sidewalk on East 4th Street in Plainfield! I should rush right off to deposit it in the bank or I'll just spend it on foolishness.
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| It WANTS to be spring! |
But Mother Nature isn't really cooperating well this year. Looking at forsythia and some magnolia leftovers on East Second Street in Plainfield.
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| Apple blossoms! |
Although the magnolia petals have mostly blown away, the non-fruit bearing apple trees are now in bloom.
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| One of many ... |
... new construction projects in Plainfield. This one, on East Second Street and Gavett Place, is to be mixed use -- commercial and residential apartments. Again, I expect the rents will be high there. If the city truly wants to get this Transit Village off the ground, that area near the train station must be policed better. I personally wouldn't pay the rent expected in a neighborhood where I'd be frightened to walk outside at night.
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| Danny's breakfast bunch |
Danny's Bakery, a Mexican bakery on the corner of Watchung and North Avenues in Plainfield, makes the best fresh-baked croissants in town. They need more chocolate stuff, though!
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| Downtown blossoming |
I took this shot from the Plainfield Train Station platform on North Avenue.
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| This season's newest pigeon baby spotted |
Well, the first one for me, anyway. He really didn't have much fear of me and posed quite nicely for a photo. When he flew away, his flying still needs some work. I guess the pigeons get going before the smaller birds. I know the eagles at Duke Farms (not far from Bridgewater where I took this shot) hatched two babies this week.
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| Heehee |
Look at those baby feathers on the back of his head!
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| Flowers by the Plainfield Police Station |
These were freshly planted. I hope they can make it through the weather while Mother Nature tries to decide whether to make it actually spring or to make it winter. I notice the same plants in Bridgewater, several seasons old, are just starting to turn to green leaves and sport the beginnings of buds. They may fare better.
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| Sick Sea Pig |
Graffiti on the Raritan Valley Line NJ Transit train. I didn't do it. If I ever got the whim to do graffiti, I'd do much more artistic stuff.
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| A race course? |
Last Saturday, when it was nice out, I heard the sound of racing engines when I got off the train in Bridgewater. But I was headed to the Target store and didn't see what it was. This Saturday there was a light rain. But I heard the noise again and investigated. Oh my. A race course is all set in cones where the Big Apple Circus recently vacated. I personally think conditions were a bit slick for racing and watched for a car to hydroplane out for a few minutes. No such thing happened. The racing cars aren't anything all that spectacular. However, I noticed none had license plates. So, I guess they're just some sort of racing cars.
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| Paper Mill Playhouse |
This poster is up on NJ Transit trains. I know it's a popular venue and I went once to a show there years ago. Many big name celebs have been in shows there. I can't believe I missed the musical version of A Bronx Tale. That had to be interesting.
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| More apple blossoms |
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| That turkey vulture |
Yeah, it's the same one, this time with the view from underneath. I was calling "here, vulture, vulture" in an effort to get him closer to me. But he ignored me.
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| Vincent in black and white |
Although, in reality, he's kind of white with a few touches of grey on his head and tail.
2 comments:
The spring ground cover is "Creeping Charlie". It's taking over my lawn, and I've finally given up. What the heck - it's green, which is more than my grass can boast.
You may not want chocolate on/in the croissants at the Mexican bakery. Mexicans tend to put too much cinnamon in their chocolate. Great photos and captions this week!
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