What a week it's been around here! The beginning of the week started out with summer temperatures and we ended up with autumn a few days after actual autumn began. Also, the beginning of my work week saw all kinds of action as the Chelsea (NYC)/Seaside (NJ) bomber left unexploded bombs at a nearby city's NJ Transit train station. He was captured in a shoot-out in an even closer town. To be honest, I wasn't frightened ... but I did hope they'd cancel the trains and I would have a good excuse not to return to work for my first day after staycation! But, alas, that didn't happen. So, I went to work.
Let's see ... what happened (other than BB18 finale and Survivor premiere) this week? Well, they posted notices at my apartment building that they were going to do repairs to the parking lot on Wednesday and all cars must be moved. I don't have a car, so I never cared (as Paul from BB would say). I had noticed that they had gone through the lot the week before painting red boxes around every pothole, rough area. Wednesday came and went; nothing was done. Now, I don't know what day they did it -- it had to be Friday or Saturday -- but, I went out this morning to throw my recyclables in the dumpster (for them) and saw that they've cut into the pavement in all of the marked spots. I hope no one decides to go fast through the lot as some of the drop-offs are well more than two inches deep! It had to happen while I was gone because I surely would have heard the noise. Vincent was probably annoyed by them.
My sprained ankle is coming along. The swelling has gone down enough that I can actually feel that bony part of the outside ankle instead of just having it feel like a painful pillow around it. I've given up the cane and roughed it. By the end of my workday, it's a bit swollen again and it's always a bit of a nagging pain. But it's doable. Thankfully, I've been tied up at work with scheduling, hiring, training and testing people, so I've managed to stay off of it for the most part.
When I walked out to the dumpster and to get my newspaper from the front of the building today, the hallway smells SO GOOD. I felt like tracking down which apartment is cooking up the magnificent breakfast and inviting myself!
I have a quiet day planned for today. I want to watch some shows online that I missed this week. Right now I have Charles Osgood's last Sunday Morning on CBS show on. I'm going to miss him and his bow-tie. But I did watch the show back when it was hosted by Charles Kuralt. I'll watch it with a new host. It's one of my personal Sunday morning traditions.
Onto this week's photos! Clicking on an image will bring up a larger version.
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| Yes! It's AUTUMN! Yay! |
On Friday, the temperature hit 90 degrees once again. On Saturday morning as I headed to the train station to go to work, this is what I saw. YES! This is my season! These are the overnight/morning temperatures I want to see! Highs in the low 70s! Perfect!
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| Ladybug, ladybug ... |
This cute little ladybug was kind enough to pose for me one day.
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| The 59 with a bike |
This is the style of bus that NJ Transit runs from town to town within the state. It can only transport two bicycles at a time. If you're the third bike, you're outta luck! I often take the 59 back and forth from near my apartment to the train station when my commute schedule and the bus/train schedules work out well. My monthly train pass is good for that jaunt, so it's free for me. Well, I paid for it, I guess. I just don't pay any more for it! I also will take the 59 into neighboring towns of Westfield and Scotch Plains. I've never taken it all the way into Newark. I keep telling myself that some day I will so I can photo stomp the downtown areas of Newark.
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| The 113S to Manhattan |
It's always tempting to jump aboard this bus as I wait at the Plainfield Train Station to head to work. Yeah, I'd rather roam the streets of NYC than go to work in New Jersey! That's a given. I've never really taken this bus into the city -- the 113N bus goes right by my apartment and I take that one back and forth to the city or sometimes into neighboring Westfield. I have, on occasion, taken the 113S bus home as its last run is an hour later than the 113N and I missed the 113N. When I've done that, I've had to walk a good five blocks or so home, though -- I almost might as well take the train which has its last run at about 2:30am! The last 113S bus from the city goes through here at about 1am. The last 113N is about midnight, but stops right across the street from my apartment. I usually try to catch that one! The NJ Transit commuter buses going in and out of Manhattan are more comfy than are the buses they use town to town within the state. They're kind of like Greyhound sans the bathroom.
**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**
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| NJ State Trooper 'copter |
On Thursday, as I waited for my train home at the Bridgewater Train Station, this NJ State Trooper helicopter kept circling overhead. They were definitely looking for something or somebody. However, I never did find out what it was all about. The last time they were circling overhead there that I've seen, it was a murder at the Bound Brook Train Station, about a mile and a half away. But that one was rather obvious as the trains got canceled and it was a two hour wait until they ran again.
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| A hint of autumn! |
While some tree leaves have gone brown and died due to the lack of rain, others are just starting to get a touch of color here. I don't know how colorful the foliage will be this season between the too often heat waves and the quasi-drought situation. Unlike where I grew up and the trees were barren before Halloween, ours generally peak just before then and are still around for the most part. Already I'm hearing the rustle of dead dry leaves as the breezes blow them across the parking lot. (I love being able to have my windows open and not have to keep paying to air condition my apartment!)
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| Undivided attention? |
Yeah, it looks like he's texting or doing something with his phone. But I think he's really watching the girls who are crossing the street! Watchung and North Avenues in downtown Plainfield.
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| A little blue flower |
Growing at the bottom of a hedge on Berckman Street in Plainfield. There was only one. And now it's gone as someone did a butcher job on the whole hedge. Grr.
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| Tuesday morning's moon |
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| Porta-religion at it again |
Oh my gosh. They have their wheelie Portable Religion racks. They're on foot going up on the Plainfield Train Station platforms ... they're everywhere! No, I don't want a Watchtower pamphlet. Please don't come to my apartment building, either. No offense; you all seem like very nice people. But I don't get into people peddling faith. If I want to change my own beliefs, I'll follow other avenues, thankyouverymuch.
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| Led a rough life? |
This Plainfield city pigeon looks like some kind of grizzled old bird. I don't know if he's had it rough or he's aged. He was panhandling at the train station.
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| Oh, you've gone dotty! |
The starlings have gone dotty with the season! As you can see from the dead grass, we probably really need rain. The only green lawns I'm seeing lately are the ones with sprinkler systems.
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| Not as cooperative as the ladybug |
This bee just didn't want to stay still for the photo shoot!
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| Where's Tippi Hedron? |
Thousands of starlings, more than a murmur of starlings ... more like a cacophony of them ... invaded the downtown Plainfield area the other day while I was downtown. They gathered in the trees on both sides of Park Avenue at Front Streets (East and West) and along top of the neighboring buildings. They were so noisy that you had to shout over them if you wanted to hold a conversation. People driving by were pausing and looking up out of their car windows. It was a bit eerie, especially if you grew up on Alfred Hitchcock movies! Then, as if guided by some mystery from above, they all flew away at once to terrorize some other place. This photo is just a few of them atop the old Tepper's building (now apartments).
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| Don't do it! |
As I walked along one day, I saw a squirrel on one of the power lines. He kept stopping and was obviously contemplating jumping to trees nearby. They weren't near enough! Stop that, silly squirrel! It's a death trap, a suicide rap! I don't want to see you miss and leap to your tiny little furry death! I kept making noise to scare him along until he came to where a tree was actually growing around the wires. He jumped into that tree and I breathed a sigh of relief.
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| Vincent, King of the Couch |
He is such a great cat! My best friend, my shadow wherever I am at home, often my entertainment. If you're wanting a cat, I really recommend getting an older cat -- he was thought to be around five years old when I adopted him from a shelter. I think they know, more so than a kitten would, when life is good for them!
7 comments:
I would say that the pigeon knows the truth of old age... It's a shame that you could not interview him/her... I think we all could have learned a number of valuable lessons from that bird...
Jane Pauley is the new host!
Your pictures and quips are a trip today!
Yup, couldn't help notice that guy's eyes aren't even looking at his cell phone!! ha
The Birds...I wonder how many people remember that old Hitchock movie? So many scenes scared the pud outta me, but fortunately, I also have a rather sick sense of humor and some things you never forget, like: right as "Tippi" climbs to the top of the stairs and sees the dead guy with his eyes plucked out? yup... that's when the theater scrolled (at the bottom of the screen), "The Snack Bar closes in 10 minutes."
I was probably the only person in the theater busting up laughing!! LMAO
Wonderful pictures, as usual. But my big laugh was reading Sharon's ""Tippi" climbs to the top of the stairs and sees the dead guy with his eyes plucked out? yup... that's when the theater scrolled (at the bottom of the screen), "The Snack Bar closes in 10 minutes." I would have laughed with you.
The Birds.... when I saw this movie I realized that I am afraid of birds. I like to watch them - from a distance. But up close and personal, nope, no way. I traced my fear back to when, as a child, my older brother would take my mother's parrot and throw it at me. It was a mean bird and would fly straight for your face. One summer we went to the Houston Zoo. My husband insisted that I go with him and our children into the aviary, where birds flew about you. The first bird that flew past my face set me off. I started running, pushing the elderly, the young, the pregnant, anyone in my pathway aside until I reached outside. He never suggested anything so stupid again!
I so relate, Becky. I love to look at beautiful birds.... from a distance.
Maybe it's The Birds influence, but I still cringe when phone lines are covered with birds... even if it's just some little sparrows!! LMAO
The thought of birds flying in my face... right there with you on that one too.
Actually, anything flying at my face brings panic: birds, moths, bees... whatever.
The pictures are really beautiful. I like the one of the lady bug. So glad to hear your foot is doing better. Maybe you should take the bus till your foot gets better. I sure do miss everyone's comments on BB. I stay up late at nights and now I really miss BBAD. I would like to know what happens with Nicole and Corey. Also James and Natalie. I hope James leaves Nalalie alone. Shes not the girl for him. Is there a way we or I can keep up with all them?
I'll post whatever I see in my travels about them. Most have Twitter accounts, too.
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