Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - March 27, 2016

Good morning! Happy Easter to you all! (Unless you don't celebrate the holiday ... then it's just Happy Sunday to you!) This is my weekly off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're a fan of Survivor or The Amazing Race, please stop by during East Coast showtimes for my live blogging of the shows. We have blog parties with fans and a good time is generally had by all!

I haven't seen any rabbits yet this spring or I'd have one leading off the photos. Oh, well. Easter is coming early this year. Since it is the holiday, I'm pretty much going to go straight into the photos.

Clicking on an image with bring up a larger version ...

Easter in my Plainfield 'hood

Buds are starting to form on the larger trees. This magnolia tree across the street is the only one in full spring mode.

Wildlife at the Bridgewater Train Station

I'd rather see the garter snake than the homeless dude who's been living there despite my complaints to NJ Transit. Although, I must admit, the homeless guy slithers away like a snake when I'm surly to him. But the snake doesn't panhandle and isn't annoying.

I'm SO confused

What holiday is this? Even though it's Easter, this home on East Second Street is perpetually in a Christmas kind of mood. As long as it doesn't invite snow and I don't live there, live and let live. 

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - April 13, 2014

I hope everyone is having a great Sunday morning! The weather here today is perfect -- dry, clear skies and an expected high around 70 degrees. Now, THAT is my kind of weather! Since it is Sunday morning, it's time for my off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

Yet, I must mention a television bit first! Although I expect tonight's The Amazing Race show to be delayed due to the Master's Golf Tournament (whatever), I'll be posting the blog party post at 8pm EDT. If you watch the show, please come by and watch with us!

It finally turned spring here this past week. No winter temperatures, even the chill of the night time was no lower than the 40s. It's about time! The horrid winter this year wreaked havoc with my health. I can't believe a four-month bout with sciatica. Gah. My allergies are running rampant now. But that's a lot more bearable than sciatica and over the counter medicines actually can control it.

Spring fever seemed to affect co-workers with many calling out sick this past week. I really didn't feel well myself with the allergies and the lack of sleep caused by such. But I wasted too much of my paid time off this winter. So, I worked. And worked and worked. Sigh.

I'm not seeing the multitudes of snakes at the Bridgewater Train Station like I did when they first emerged, but there are still some hanging out. I shot a video hoping to catch the tongue flickering action. Being the curious person I am, I looked up why they do that. It turns out that garter snakes flick their red with black tips forked tongue as a sensor -- it picks up pheromones from other snakes, prey and food from the air. When they return their tongue to the mouth, they insert it in a Jacobson's organ (similar to what cats have) to "read" the results. Huh. Cool. Here I thought they flicked their tongues to look tough.

Here's the video -- no snakes or people were harmed in the filming --

How's this pose?

Perfect, Mr. Squirrel. Hold that pose for a moment, please. Thank you. You're dismissed now. Plainfield Train Station.

It's FINALLY SPRING!!

Heck, this week's spring weather made me use excess exclamation marks, something I rarely do. I don't believe we dipped below freezing not a once this past week, even in the overnight hours. Woot! The daffodils are in bloom on Berckman Street in Plainfield.

Yellow and white daffodils

Also on Berckman Street in Plainfield.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - April 6, 2014

Good morning, folks! Rise and shine! Up and at 'em! It's Sunday morning. You know what that means ... it's time for my weekly off television topic post reflecting on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

Remember -- The Amazing Race will NOT air tonight! Instead, there's a country music award show.

In other news:
This week was a bit springish at times. I've had to rotate between my lightweight spring jacket and my least winter jacket. We had a lot of rain. We had some sunshine. On the really beautiful spring days with the sunshine, it was so windy that it felt cold. So far our April showers seemed more like November showers -- cold and unforgiving.

Today is supposed to be nice. We'll see about that!

It was another week of work, home, eat, sleep and spend a lot of time being a sofa for a certain cat. The weather must have been a real aggravating trigger for the sciatica problems as I've only had a few occasional twinges as the temperatures have finally gotten above freezing on a daily basis. Mind you, the evenings still dip way down.

I heard my downstairs neighbor was burglarized once again this week while he was away. I think this makes the third, possibly the fourth, time. I tried to tell him it has to be people he knows. He's allowed riff-raff friends in his place over the years. They know when he's gone as his car is gone. I don't believe he ever learned that you're not only known by the company you keep, but that riff-raff has no loyalty. The old upstairs neighbor was the same -- he let his street-ish drinking buddies in and, next thing you know, he ended up burglarized one day.

Without a car, no one knows if I'm home or not. Well, unless I have the stereo on. I also have a habit of not responding to knocking on the door when I am indeed home. If I'm in my pajamas or it's evening and I'm not expecting people, I don't answer the door. If I haven't buzzed someone into the building, they shouldn't be knocking! Any friends I have had over are certainly not of the street or burglar ilk. Most of them are the sort I would trust with the key to my apartment. So, I have no real fears of burglaries here. I'll admit I do keep the window that leads to my fire escape locked when I'm not home. That's just common sense.

While I know that more "innocent" burglaries happen, I can't help but wonder when a person is repeatedly targeted. It has to be the company they keep. I also don't allow Vincent to hang out with cat burglars! (Heehee)

Oh, well ... onto this week's photos. If you click on an image it will open up in a Photobucket page. Clicking on the magnifying glass at the bottom of the photo will make it larger. Then there's one more magnifying glass you can click on to make it even larger. To return to the blog, just close out the Photobucket window.

Dusk at the Plainfield Train Station

With the days getting longer, it was dusk when I arrived home from work yesterday. It would certainly be nice if they fixed all the burnt out lamps there. But they have worse things they're not fixing or, at least, not timely fixing.

Let sunning snakes lie

The garter snakes at the Bridgewater Train Station continue to catch my interest (as you'll see later in this post). What cool and intriguing critters they are! I've tried to catch one for a closer photo shoot. However, they've been much too quick for me. I really must be getting old. When I was a child, I could catch garter snakes with ease.

Look! Spring is finally HERE!

Of course, it felt like I needed my winter jacket coming home from work last night and I don't think the high on Friday got above 42 degrees. But, it seems the snow and real winter is finally behind us. I took this shot on Berckman Street in Plainfield.

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