……………………………………..(ignore April 30, 2017 publish date – this was published on January 30, 2024)

 

 

I’m starting to dread putting out these biannual backslaps I give myself (and maybe you are too) because they take soooooooo long to put together. I usually give myself until mid-January to post these, but I’m already a week past that as I start writing this up, so maybe I’ll get to finish this by the end of the month?

Let’s see how much I miss that by.

Of course, choosing to do the long version (day-by-day) doesn’t help, but when I get in an historical mood, it’s the only way to go.

So – without further ado – let’s get started.

 

JULY

For July 1, I have 9 shots I took of another town’s (Maywood, NJ) fireworks display that I could shoot from home, so I’ll split them into groups of three, broken up by a different 7/1 colorful shot:

Colorful Laundry Bag Day?

 

Someone got gypped on a sock.

 

 

July 3

“Now where did I put that phone?”

 

 

This pair were taken on July 4 and 3 and belong together:

 

July 4

Did a bear try to get in the back door of this Umbrella Corporation car?

 

…………….then I noticed the guy’s jacket.

 

Nice view……….

 

It looks like Hackensack might be on fire, but it’s just all the smoke from its fireworks display.

 

 

July 5

The kid looks a little big to have training wheels and since he’s already got foot rests on his front wheel and a butt rest on his handlebars, shouldn’t he be offering the umbrella person a ride?

 

July 8

 

July 13

 

This is a cicada killer wasp trying to kill a metal fence post.

 

This is an aerial cicada killer wasp killer.

 

July 15

Moving day:

 

Useless garbage receptacle:

 

 

July 16

Nasty storm approaching Manhattan:

 

July 19

Fashion plate:

 

July 20

Looking for a cicada killer wasp to eat (same fence):

 

July 22

Crossing a one-way street (and looking the wrong way………….trust me):

 

This guy………….always a variation of the same head-covering and easily-identifiable by his left wrist “jewelry”. We’ll see him again:

 

July 25

Very weird cloud………..

 

July 26

Pizza(?) lovers:

 

July 29

The western sky at sunset:

Nothing unusual about that, but look at this panoramic shot of the eastern sky taken at the same time (click all PANOs to enlarge):

 

July 31

 

This is the dreaded Spotted Lanternfly on my picture window’s screen:

 

And this is a PANO of clouds overtaking the moon (and ending the July section of this post):

 

 

AUGUST

 

August 1

Speaking of the moon, here it is the very next night as a full supermoon:

 

And here are some excited kids celebrating the full supermoon (or doing the Happy Heimlich Maneuver – you decide):

 

August 2

It’s TEMU day, as a package arrives with stuff from them:

Anybody know what this is?

 

Everybody knows what these are. 10 pair for $14 and with such detailed instructions (I think I know what two of them mean):

 

August 4

Mourning doves (as seen from my kitchen window):

 

Busy outlet:

 

August 5

Various people:

 

August 8

A hawk and a Teterboro Airport-bound private jet appear to be on a collision course until the smart one (the hawk) executes an avoidance maneuver:

 

Going up! (I think)

 

August 11

Searching for a beauty academy:

 

You’re in luck! It’s sign-up day a block away!

 

Gee – you’d think Parking Enforcement would know how to fit a little car between the lines of a parking space:

 

I have no idea what this is:

 

August 12

These pix – all PANOs taken at the scene – show the front, back and back/side of the 95 Anderson St project in Hackensack – one of two that I can also shoot from home:

 

The canine bootie adjuster:

 

Why does one balloon get a super-long string all to itself while 8 others have to fight for space on a much-shorter string? The car dealer is hoping you’ll drop in to ask that question so he can “reward” you with a great deal on a new or used car (or so I surmise):

 

I hope there’s a hole in the bottom of that bag or else this guy’s gonna get really hungry (or thirsty):

 

August 18 (busy day)

This 4-image PANO shows a lot of cormorants and a couple of gulls:

I think the bird on the right is drying his wings and then gives me a “what are YOU lookin’ at?” look:

 

This grate filters stuff from the river:

 

When I finally I got this passing helicopter in focus, I caught most of a traffic light and part of a chimney by the time I hit the shutter. I kinda like the accidental additions:

 

Waiting at the ballfield for the Cardinals/Orioles game to start:

 

I’d offer to help, but I’m busy in my living room taking pictures. Besides, it says “Best Life” on her shirt (twice!), so who am I to argue with THAT?

 

Quick trip to the grocery store for a little Symmetry Shoot in the Cereal Aisle:

 

And then it’s off to the Court St Bridge on the Hackensack River for a nice PANO shot. If you look closely, you might see a World War II submarine:

 

On the left side of the above PANO, you can see a lot of construction material, including this pipe:

 

And here’s the whole PANO’d scene:

 

Here’s a PANO of a bus waiting for customers at the cemetery. The driver passed away years ago:

 

PANOs: A block away stands the Bergen County Courthouse and the Church On The Green, where George Washington once attended the funeral of one of his generals (Enoch Poor – who’s buried in the adjoining cemetery and whose small monument is shown on the very far left of the second PANO):

 

 

August 19

Looking towards the Main St/Berry Street/State Street/Camden Street project (I call it MBSC because I haven’t heard a good name for it yet):

 

While I’m in a “looking towards” groove, here’s one aiming at the former bank – now residential – building at 210 Main. The sculpture atop it was added 5 years ago and it you’d like to see that being constructed, go here:

http://www.hackensacknow.org/index.php/topic,3648.msg13350.html#msg13350

 

Guess who?

 

August 21

This is kinda freaky. At about the same moment that I was taking the shot of of all these kids in the Hackensack Police Department Youth Academy saluting me………….uh, I mean the flag, someone from HPD took the exact reverse shot of me…….well, at least the highest window on the left that I’m behind.

 

August 23

Kids running (I think it was a race):

 

August 25

Classy fish crows:

 

August 26

Gee – I’m afraid that if I misspell bootie/booty, you might get the wrong idea……………..just look at the damn dogs’ silly-looking footwear (one dog’s already griping about it in the first picture).

 

Somebody should get these two sad-looking people together:

 

Fun with Mom while she yaks on the phone:

 

Partial side view of the MBSC project:

 

August 27

Stupid fish crow hungrily eyes a dried-tar-laden trowel:

 

August 30

Another moon shot……….

 

Aside from his regular medical practice, my primary care physician has something called “Vanity Medical Spa”. Some of his examination rooms are festooned with posters about the VMS, so it makes for an interesting shot to take while I wait to be seen:

 

August 31

Two construction sites were shot from home today. This first one shows the 95 Anderson St project as seen from my kitchen, amidst other older apartment buildings:

 

This last shot for August shows part of the top floor of the MBSC project (shot from home), what appears to be a helicopter that looks like it’s about to hit the World Trade Center in Manhattan (about 10-12 miles away), and some kind of unusual cart near the edge of the MBSC roof:

 

 

SEPTEMBER

 

September 2

Where’s the baby?

 

September 4

It appears that this mourning dove has left a little gift for me as it prepares to fly away:

 

September 5

The sun sets between two Hackensack high-rises:

 

September 6

Next-door neighbor’s driveway gets torn up before replacement (PANO):

 

September 7

At the 95 Anderson St Project, a worker throws something into an odd-looking wooden receptacle (shot from my kitchen):

 

September 8

New Driveway Day!

 

September 9

Sheriff’s officers surround one of their own (I think):

 

Storms move south along Manhattan:

 

Guess who again?

 

September 10

I see this elderly gentleman from my living room every Sunday when he parks for church. His door doesn’t fully shut and neither does his window, yet rain or snow, he’s here every week:

I know the church’s pastor and spoke with him about what I saw. The pastor was ready to offer to have someone come in and fix the door/window while the man was attending services, but he’s refused any and all offers of assistance.

Sometimes, he has a towel over the open space when it rains or snows, but that just cuts down visibility to the side.

Pride is all well and good, but his might get him into a serious accident.

 

On a happier note, there’s these two:

 

September 11

Big delivery…………….I think I know where this piece goes:

…………..and remember – this scene is 4 blocks away and I took it from my living room.

 

Well, this guy DID stop, as the sign suggests. I don’t know what his problem was, but I’m very curious as to how that box of Pampers helped get him going again:

 

I’ve shot the September 11 Memorial lights many times before, but never with a construction project in the way. I don’t think the MBSC project will go any higher, but it’ll always be partially in the way from now on:

 

September 12

This was a nice gathering to see from my living room:

 

September 15

This was the first time that a TV weather illustration/satellite image looked pretty much like what I saw from my window:

The clouds of Tropical Storm Lee – which had been a hurricane – was shown coming into NJ just as the actual clouds showed up against a completely clear blue sky.

 

And here’s a wider PANO version:

 

A dead Spotted Lanternfly! I’m gonna have to immobilize one somehow to get better shots of those interesting wings:

 

September 16

Finally – a dog with no booties on!

 

September 19

This is the base of that huge crane inside the MBSC project with 12 of those super-heavy weights holding it in place (the top part of the crane itself has 3 of these weights in its tail section):

 

This was weird. I’m walking down a street and suddenly see all these clothes – some quite colorful – hanging from a building’s fire escape:

I took a shot and then zoomed in to see them closer. I combined the two to make a PANO, so click away!

 

Selective sun reflections in Manhattan:

 

September 20

Not sure who this chopper belongs to, but it appears to banking towards a Teterboro Airport landing:

 

September 21

Two joined pix of some of the 95 Anderson woodwork:

 

Two well-placed – between the snack aisle and the soda aisle – balloons at the ShopRite:

 

September 22

This looks posed…………..and almost one-legged:

 

This also looks a little stiff………….but patriotic (it should – it’s the Hackensack War Memorial):

 

I wonder if this is a father-son pair (I hope so):

 

Another delivery of……………..something:

 

 

September 27

What good is a heavily-seeded loaf of bread if half of it falls off? This is what was left in the bag when the loaf was finished (yeah, I know you can eat it, but it’s supposed to be part off the bread when you eat a sandwich – not its droppings):

 

Two views of a craned piece of wood at the MBSC project against  the 210 Main sculpture (which has yet another – and larger – project behind it, called “The Brick” on the corner of Main and Mercer). Got all that?

 

A subsequent – and rather anti-climactic – delivery at MBSC:

 

Manhattan and MBSC at sunset (PANO):

 

That sunset turned a bit more dramatic a little later:

 

This is a PANO of the moon and clouds taken 3 minutes apart:

 

 

September 28

Side window delivery:

 

 

OCTOBER

 

October 2

Two guys hanging out on the roof of the church next door:

 

What ARE these things?

 

 

October 5

Fish crow formal dinner:

 

Wheely? Are you kidding?

 

 

October 9

Two views of the First Presbyterian Church of Hackensack:

 

Given the amount of rust, I’m guessing that this was a removal and not an installation:

 

A nice, colorful view of the MBSC project on the Main St side:

 

A view of the State St side:

 

A delivery on the Berry St side:

 

Another happy subject posing with junk:

 

I haven’t researched it – it just looks odd at face value:

 

October 10

Awww…………..is this a cute PANO or what?

 

Two more NYC sun reflections:

(BTW – the two strings of lights in the lower right are on top of new apartment buildings in Hackensack.)

 

And two later sunset shots that evening:

 

 

October 11

You know when you see a fly on your window and you instinctively swat at it with your hand and you always miss? This time, I didn’t miss.

 

Sidewalk sit ‘n dribble:

 

Closer cuteness PANO:

 

Two 95 Anderson shots – one taken on the 11th and the other on the 12th (PANO):

 

October 12

I don’t know what plant this is, but it looks really nice close up and the evil-looking bug atop it provides interesting contrast:

 

Talk about contrast! The words “Shamrock” and “Komatsu” are connected with opposite ends of the planet and having the US flag above it all is the cherry, white and blue atop this small PANO:

 

October 13

Remember that fly from two days ago? This guy didn’t do much better:

 

Here are a bunch of shots of that evening’s sunset that the little bugger never got to see, including 3 leftovers at the end (the last two are PANOs):

 

October 14

The 210 Main sculpture at night:

(BTW – that streak running almost halfway through it is an airplane going by while the shutter was open)

 

This triptych shows a large crane bringing something – I’m guessing an A/C unit – to the roof of the First Baptist Church across the street from my building. The far right panel shows a man on the roof directing that it be deposited in his hand (you know what I mean):

 

This two-image PANO was taken on October 14 and 28 and shows the latest in canine clothing and footwear:

 

October 15

This PANO shows the Rothman Center on the campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University in Hackensack, NJ. If you follow college basketball, you know that last March, FDU took down Purdue to become just the second #16 seed to knock off a #1 seed in the NCAA  tournament. The Rothman Center is the FDU Knights’ home court and this is a view toward the back of the arena (I needed the sun illuminating the unique roof):

This just in…………FDU has just sold the naming rights for this building. The Rothman Center is now the Bogota Savings Bank Center (oy!).

 

The Hackensack River Walkway runs through the FDU campus. While I was there, I also took the following 4 shots.

I took this pair right behind the Rothman Center:

 

I found this interesting-looking boat in one of FDU’s parking lots:

 

I took this PANO pair swimming in the river:

 

Anyone up for some river volleyball?

 

This threesome was shot on three consecutive Sundays: October 15, 22, and 29. From top to bottom they appear to show: young kids flag football, older kids FF, and Rainy FF:

 

We finish off the day with an unusual beginning to the sunset:

I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before.

 

Here’s how it ends:

 

 

October 16

Variations on a theme: the “clouds” (except for the long one) come from a PSE&G plant in Ridgefield, NJ, by the New Jersey Turnpike. The buildings, of course, are in midtown Manhattan:

 

This commuter train looks like it’s about to enter the being-built 95 Anderson project (it’s actually between that project and the white building):

 

 

October 17

Artificially-connected clouds:

 

The birds are circling – it must be a load of garbage:

 

 

October 18

This HAS to be the most mysterious cloud shot I’ve ever taken. It’s coming out of a non-tornadic-looking sky that appears to have an eyeball looking at you (and an eyebrow!). There was no rotation involved………….it was just there. I have a 6-picture sequence of it and there doesn’t appear to be anything unusual except for this one (the third of six, if you’re interested). And no other one has the eye.

Any meteorologists out there with a clue?

 

What better way is there to wind up a weird day like this than getting side-by-side COVID and Flu shots (which I labeled…………you didn’t think Walgreens did that, did you? And why doesn’t WalGREENS have GREEN bandages?):

 

 

October 19

I was walking on a sidewalk and under a tree with very low-hanging fruit (I’ve always heard that expression, but had never encountered any on a public sidewalk before). A bird had just landed and seemed to grab a couple of stems. I don’t know what happened to the top part of his head – I’m not usually known for photographic semi-decapitation – so I guess I just took the shot quickly before he booked with his fruit. I still like the shot for some reason:

 

This is Anderson St – 2 blocks from where I live – with its old little shops and an overwhelmingly-huge newcomer. There was some discussion beforehand about whether such a behemoth would fit in with the chacter of the neighborhood. I never heard anyone say, “Yeah – great idea!” (including me), but before I knew it, it was being built, so I took a couple of pictures of the block and combined them into a PANO:

The top left shows the whole block, beginning with the corner of Anderson and Park St. Bottom left shows a couple of houses on Park St and the side (towards the back) of 95 Anderson. Off the top of my head, the only possible benefit that I can think of for those homeowners is that they might be somewhat shielded from train whistles (on the other side of 95 Anderson) as trains approach the Anderson St station.

On the right, the differences are achitectural. Good match? Bad match? Depends on which century you prefer.

 

October 21

This lady appears to be marveling at someone taking a selfie:

 

What do I marvel at? The fact that this old, beat-up Canon camera sitting in my pocket can still take pictures that clearly show individual craters on the surface of the moon:

 

October 22

PLUS, I can take pictures that show all of midtown Manhattan while also including cars in parking garages in Hackensack!

 

October 23

A worker at the top of the MBSC project admires the World Trade Center from a rather precarious perch:

 

As much as I would like to claim that I took a closeup shot of a bee on the face of a very calm older woman………….well, I sorta did, but it’s actually a poster-sized image of her in a store window and the bee landed on the window when I was standing right there. I think he was very disappointed that he was fooled (“Hey – this skin is hard and slippery and I broke my stinger…….WTF?”:

 

“Fly me to (or near) the moon”:

 

Blazing Empire State Building (and neighbors):

 

One PANO = two projects, two deliveries on two consecutive days – courtesy of my living room picture window (left, on October 23) and my kitchen window (right, on October 24):

 

 

October 24

Today’s wider Manhattan view of yesterday’s blazing ESB (the sun only passes this way twice a year):

 

October 26

Sunrise on an east-facing building west of me:

 

This structure is on Cedar Lane in Teneck, just east of River Road in the historic district. I’m not sure, but I think this building may go back to Revolutionary War days (corrections always welcome). Currently, there’s a School of Real Estate Studies behind one of the doors. I hope it’s not the door with a Christmas wreath on it before Halloween:

 

YIKES!

 

Um, I don’t see where there would be a place to park facing the sign’s direction. Maybe they were just trying to keep Selfie Girl away:

 

 

Nice Fall colors on Pomander Walk in Teaneck:

 

This is the giant crane at the MBSC project in Hackensack. From my living room, I took two shots of it as planes went by:

 

These are two shots of the 95 Anderson project, taken from my kitchen on October 26 (3 columns on the left) and 30 (one column on the right):

The far left and far right columns are of the same hallways.

 

October 27

Hand-Me-Ups PANO on two different projects on 2 consecutive days – October 27 (left) and 28 (right):

 

Back by lukewarm demand:

 

October 28

More Fall colors:

 

She’s b-a-a-a-c-k! We saw her on August 18 in the same position and wearing a “Best Life” t-shirt:

How “best” can it be when your left shoulder is a source of constant pain?

 

(PANO)  Pick up pizza, pick up demanding kid who appears to be holding a pencil to the man’s neck (but it’s not the pencil’s point):

“Give me a ride or I’ll erase you!”

 

Next-to-last Saturn/Moon pic:

 

October 30

All flights arrive at the airport at the same time:

………….and all land safely.

 

And the lights slowly come on in more of 95 Anderson:

 

October 31

(PANO)  Dual deliveries at dual sites:

(Getting sick of this yet?)

 

NOVEMBER

November 1 – PARKING LOT SPORTS

Two friends play all sorts of games in this PANO………and some of them have to do with sports:

 

What’s the sport in the bottom half of this called – “Where are My Glasses”?

 

 

The left side of this PANO is pretty interesting. Simultaneously, they each throw a different type of ball to each other. I think the goal is to concentrate on catching the incoming ball. MY goal was to capture the balls in mid-air as close as possible to each other. I think I almost captured a collision!

In the right half, the kid has just thrown the basketball and his eyes are focused on catching the football:

 

 

November 2

This is a 4-picture synopsis of the dismantling of the giant MBSC project crane that’s dominated the Hackensack skyline over the previous 6 months:

(I’m amazed that I could capture what looks like fingertip control from 4 blocks away)

 

If you’d like to see extended version of the takedown, go here: https://iaintjustmusic.bobleafe.com/?p=19425

 

 

November 3

These two shots were taken on 11/3 and 11/23. I thought they made an interesting pairing:

 

(11/3, 4) More fun and games on the roof of the First Presbyterian Church (first one is a PANO):

 

November 4

(PANO) Hammering, contemplating and sticking the blue stuff to the exterior of the 95 Anderson project (with blue glue/goo?)

 

On the phone (and on one foot):

 

(PANO) This is next to the church (First Baptist Church) that’s across the street from my building:

 

November 6

The next 3 disparate pictures were all taken from the exact same spot………..I just faced different directions.

This was in a store window and I had nothing to do with the placement of the top name (though I’m hardly in disagreement):

 

Turning from the store to the street, I thought this guy was trying to warn me about something, but he continued smiling after I took the picture – apparently, he just wanted to have a nice picture taken of him at work:

 

Turning toward the oncoming traffic, I saw this very unusual sight and shot fast (the car was moving):

I wonder how long ago he hit that person (let’s see…………at the rate of human decomposition………….)

 

 

November 8

You couldn’t pay me enough to wear this outfit in public…………

 

November 11

A fun Veterans Day shoot at the George Washington Bridge with my visiting sister, Geri. Although we shot lots of other things, these were my 3 favorite shots of the GWB (the first two are PANOs).

This one was taken on a road under the GWB (you can see it in the bottom left) where you’re not supposed to stop and DEFINITELY not supposed to get out and take a picture, but who could resist this pic – especially since there was no vehicle behind me:

 

This is a little-known ramp next to the GWB where you can back a boat that’s connected to your car into the Hudson River. Normally, the lot on the far left is not for general parking, but no one else was present, so my car (way in the distance) is the only one there:

 

Has anyone here ever seen this view of the GWB?

If you like to see the whole shoot……….

https://iaintjustmusic.bobleafe.com/?p=19515

 

A nice colorful shot of the Empire State Building taken from my living room 10 miles away to end the day:

 

November 15

These are 7 shots taken on one of my photowalks around Hackensack:

A new juice bar complete with a tall, skinny dancing girl:

 

I tried to get a nice shot of her face, but she moved too quickly (maybe she’s just bashful):

 

So I went a little overboard on the green on this PANO……….I think it looks cool (and ya gotta love the submarine):

 

Speaking of the WWII sub USS Ling, this gull contorts himself in front of it on one leg to draw your attention to the terribly-disrespectful display of the US flag and then puts on a “Well, what are you gonna do about it?” look of disgust in this PANO:

 

Two blocks away, I came across a happier sight (PANO) when I saw 4 trucks with men in the trees on The Green. If you want to know the whole story behind that, go here: https://iaintjustmusic.bobleafe.com/?p=19777

 

Interesting sky PANO:

 

We saw the “Hurt” billboard elsewhere, but how is this placement on a barber shop good for business?

 

November 17

Don’t tell my cardiologist, but at least one of these is always in my freezer:

 

 

November 18

So why did I pair these two people together in this 4-picture PANO?

 

Oh, I don’t know………….just a hunch, I guess:

 

Dad climbs into the engine for a quick nap (I hope it’s his truck):

 

Steeplemoon:

 

 

November 20

They sure have a lot of this stuff……….I wonder what it is:

And if they run out space to store it, they can always stick a few on the WTC spire.

 

PANO images all taken on the morning of 11/20:

I love the bubble cloud……..

 

November 21

I happened to see some new construction activity from home, but only a little, so I took a 3-block walk and these 3 pictures:

 

November 22

Different project, same “stuff” as 2 days ago:

 

November 23

Useless information……….PANO pix were taken about 3 minutes apart:

 

November 24

Not my sharpest shot, but interesting sun reflections over a dozen miles away:

 

Meanwhile, in the opposite direction:

 

November 25

Various and sundry shots (the first and the fourth are PANOs):

“A Total Of Savings And Funs!”? If you say so. And look at that funs-loving crowd in the parking lot!

 

 

Hey! Free soda behind the Hackensack Market! Funs galore!

 

Why? Because its there?  (PANO)

 

 

For the first time, what I shot matches up with official information in this PANO:

 

November 27

Geese and The Modern in Fort Lee (We’ll see this again – maybe they rent condos there.)

 

Something was hanging on the wall in the doctor’s office, so I stuck my camera under it:

 

November 28

Planes are attracted to magnetic construction sites:

 

PANO of two different HFD shots from home during November (29th and 4th):

 

November 30 (Happy Birthday, Ed!)

The First Presbyterian Church points the way to Newark Airport:

 

The suns sets on November:

 

 

DECEMBER

 

December 1

Three shots from the 95 Anderson project………..

1. On the west side of the building with my next-door neighbor steeple in the background:

 

2,3. From my kitchen……….these boarded-up locations are where I first saw interior night lighting a couple of months ago:

 

December 2

More well-dressed canines:

 

Well, if it’s heavy, drink a few!

 

The balloons are from a Hackensack car dealership and the church is in Teaneck:

 

(PANO) Christmas scene at the Bergen County Courthouse Plaza:

 

 

December 4

Two days later and just up the street from the above scene is Iconic Coffee. I don’t drink the stuff, so the thought of coffee being iconic seems strange to me:

 

Nearby is a military recruiting center. The Marine section has their slogan scrolling, so I took 3 quick shots and put them together in the PANO:

If you look carefully, you can see me in each of the images.

 

I was in the neighborhood to cover the Hackensack Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at The Green (see link in November 15 section). A block away, I saw Engine 2 and took this PANO:

 

Gotta stick in a shot from that Green Ceremony:

 

 

December 6

My computer sits next to my east-facing LR picture window. It’s always quite bright in the morning, so I block out half of the window. But in the Fall/Winter, the sun is further south and the light reaches the back of my head. I saw this image on my dark computer screen and took this shot:

 

December 7

The next morning, I woke up early and could see that my living room was lit up bright red and Manhattan was in silhouette. I don’t see that very often, so I took this shot at 6:52am:

 

Things looked interesting upriver, so I took this shot 17 minutes later. But the two towers of The Modern in Fort Lee aren’t the star of this shot. Look along the tree line right in the middle. You can see a rectangular structure behind them. That’s the NJ tower of the George Washington Bridge:

Shooting the GWB from my living room 6 miles away is only possible when the trees are foliage-free.

 

I looked in the other direction for an interesting reflection of this eastern-sky event and found it at Hackensack Hospital (HUMC):

 

Three hours after that first shot, the sky became incredibly dull – except for nearly 60 geese:

 

December 9

Time to go for a short (5 photos-worth) walk.

Next to the car dealership by the river is a tree with about 40 fish crows in it. Most of them appear to be oriented in the direction of lot’s biggest attraction (hint: they’re inflatable):

 

So, which car do you want to buy? Nobody wants a car with only 1 or 3 balloons on it, right? You want to drive off the lot with TEN balloons trailing you! (and 40 fish crows dive-bombing and popping them):

 

Across the street from those cars (and right where I’ve been standing to take the previous 2 pictures) is Patriot Row Used Cars*

(* – got a better name?)

 

Meanwhile, one block west at the MBSC project on Main St, someone’s going window to window trying to sell postcards from the Tall & Pink Line. (You buying that? No, seriously……you wanna buy some?)

 

And on the final shot of the stroll, one block west, I tried to do one of those stretch shots with the ‘Vette, but only the initial part of the shot came out. The shot would have been out of balance, but I think the steeple fixed that:

 

Back home, I took the top HFD shot on the 9th and the other two on the 14th and 31st:

 

December 11

This snooty gaggle is flying past The Modern………….must be from ritzy Englewood Cliffs or Alpine:

 

December 13

These two are consecutive pictures of the sunset and selective reflection in Manhattan:

 

This is the MBSC project with a few interior lights, but mostly exterior reflections as the WTC oversees it all:

 

December 16

Is this lady taking my picture as I’m taking hers? She looks happy about it. Maybe she got the better end of the deal? (he asks semi-modestly)

 

Another angle (and PANO) of the First Presbyterian Church with its gorgeous steeple AND my watermarked apartment:

 

A whole bunch of mourning doves outside my kitchen window. I purposely made a noise and they all immediately straightened up and turned an eye and ear in my direction. Click!

 

December 17

Rainstorm reflection in the parking lot:

 

December 20

These are my favorite 7 shots (first one is a PANO) from my favorite shoot during this period, but if you want to know all the details and see everything (it’s worth it), go here: https://iaintjustmusic.bobleafe.com/?p=19875

 

 

So when I got home and was editing the pix, I heard a little noise by my picture window. I turned around and it was this guy:

 

 

December 22

If you needed to hire a good security guy, would this one be your first choice?

 

December 23

In my living room, it looks like these geese are coming right at me:

 

Last-minute Christmas shoppers:

 

 

December 24

This is the same shot – one with the actual color and one without:

 

December 25

Hackensack should really empty all trash cans around town on Christmas Eve so we don’t have to see this everywhere on Christmas morning (PANO):

 

 

I’ll second that:

 

December 30

What’s in my vegetable crisper drawer:

Some of that film goes back to the late ’70s

 

Hudson Yards in Manhattan from my living room:

 

 

And now I get to start it all over again. Look for the first half highlights of 2024 in late July…………………or early December.

 

(Did anyone make it all the way through?)