"The last spring," New Jersey, April 2011

Spring, finally, originally uploaded by DC Products.

I took this photo in the spring on my walk to the train. The tree in full bloom with the cloud-dusted sky and the church steeple -- not to mention the late-afternoon light -- just caught my eye. It was a beautiful sight, a wonderful opening to spring and the promise of the weather to come.

On my walk today, I neared the church and felt something was amiss ... and then I saw it. Or, rather, didn't see it. The tree; it's gone. It's the second tree from in front of the church that has disappeared since we moved to the block, the first one cut down after half of it was damaged in a wind storm. I hadn't noticed any recent problems with this one, so I hope it was some sort of hidden disease or another problem not noticeable to casual passers-by and not simply because someone didn't want it there anymore.

"Fiery sky," New Jersey, November 2007

View from Clifton

So often, I find myself walking to the train station in the late afternoon or evening just as the sky is putting on a hell of a light show.

"Shed in the snow," New Jersey, February 2010

Snow shed

Yeah, so we're having a little weather here today. I took these photos this afternoon, when my wife and I went out to shovel the 5-6 inches we had. I usually prefer to wait until the snow stops falling, but because that's projected to be tomorrow morning -- giving us pretty much 24 hours' worth of snowfall -- I figured our muscles and backs would be better off tomorrow if we tackled some of it today. In the five hours since then, we've had about another 4-5 inches. And there's more to come.

Day 363 of 365

We're getting a new streetlight!

Oh, the excitement of Day 363! This was it, as far as unexpected happenings today. Well, I suppose there was the downed wires north of here that delayed Casey's train into the city this morning, so I drove her to Secaucus so that she could get to work on time (or close to it) rather than waiting for the delayed train. And then she got out earlier than expected, but still would've had to wait for the same train back home, departing Hoboken at 10 p.m., so I went back to Secaucus to pick her up. In between, it was a few more errands consisting of an exchange at Staples and some groceries at Whole Foods. Other than that, I stayed inside on this frigid, windy winter day.

Day 357 of 365

Park between the candy canes

This house is just a few blocks from another Griswoldian effort in the neighborhood. Imagine if they'd been next-door neighbors. The main difference -- other than the 10-foot candy canes flanking the driveway of this house -- is that this house has a speaker on the lawn playing Christmas music, while the other one has a sign telling drivers to tune their radios to 94.1. That's some dedication right there.

Day 353 of 365

Winter still life

Winter came down heavily today. Only two days after I heard we might get some snow this weekend, the flakes started falling lightly around 1 p.m. By 8 o'clock, street lights were obscured behind the white curtain and the roads melded with the curbs, the lawns, the sidewalks.

Every hour or so, Casey or I would peek at the view from a window to monitor the progress. No point in shoveling to keep ahead of it, I thought, because all that work would be erased by morning. Besides, I'm happy to give the two neighbors with snow blowers a chance to go an extra few feet to clear our sidewalks, as they've done in winters past without a request.

Winter has arrived in earnest a few days before it arrives on the calendar. The days may soon start getting longer, but spring has never seemed so far away.

Day 349 of 365

Streaks in the night

On my way into the city for the company Christmas party, I paused on the overpass while waiting for the train to get some tail lights on the road below, with a house decorated for the holidays in the background, of course.

Day 347 of 365

Full-on display

I run by this house often and when I noticed the Christmas decorations up, I made a point to go back at night, with my camera. It was raining steadily tonight, so I didn't get out of my car, but you can see the Griswoldian influence on this one.

So much of the lights blink, including the blue ones dangling from the gutters, and "run," as if they're chasing one another. I wonder what the neighbors think. The lights aren't on all night, but I don't know what time they are turned off.

Day 341 of 365

Clifton's big tree

I'm a sucker for big trees and big displays and colored lights at Christmas. Our municipal complex pretty much has it all for the holidays, so I enjoy driving by it at night. For this shoot, I walked over to it and strolled around the grounds to take it all in.

Day 334 of 365

Framed by the porch

I allowed myself to put the lights up before Thanksgiving this year, just by one day. That day was Nov. 25 -- so 30 days before Christmas -- and I wanted the extended family coming to the house for Thanksgiving (some seeing our place for the first time) to get the full-on holiday experience.

And I wasn't the only one. The white tree in the middle distance and the lights at the end of the block were up before mine, and the closest neighbor turned his on today.

Day 329 of 365

New arrangement on the gate

When I realized that Thanksgiving was Nov. 26, I decided that one month before Christmas was an acceptable first day to put up the lights. The main reason was that I wanted everyone who came over on Thanksgiving to see them -- and they loved 'em.

The blue light in the attic window is a new snowflake I bought this week.

Day 274 of 365

Looking out my back door

I love those moments when you look up from what you're doing and see a moment worthy of a photograph, and that's what I got when I looked out the back to see the lowering sun shining on and through the leaves -- some of which have just started their autumn changeover.

Day 233 of 365

The opposite of HA

Was too drunk to care if I got a good shot, so I just moved on. But I took it to note that it would've been funny if the lights that were out were the only ones lit -- then it would say HA!

Day 202 of 365

After the fire

Friday, as we're on the way to Cleveland, I get a text alert from NJ Transit saying the Clifton station is closed indefinitely because of a significant fire. The SMS cut off before I received the part about how train service would be unaffected, but until I found that info, we panicked a little. We also pictured the station as a pile of rubble, but it's not. It's this -- a hole in the roof covered by a blue tarp.

Day 197 of 365

In the process of painting

This is what the house looked just before I started for the day. My dad came by and we finished nearly all of that left side, so it's pretty much halfway finished. We have the back and the other long side to go.

But then there will be the posts of the front porch and the back porch and deck -- and those last two are made of wood and painted gray like the house, meaning everything has to be done. But I'm mostly concerned with finishing off the house itself; the porches and deck are less detailed and won't involve ladders.

Day 187 of 365

Home of the penguins

Spotted this house while trying a new route on my run, so I just had to go back with the camera. That entire bay window is filled with stuffed penguins and penguin figurines.

Day 132 of 365

Home office

Not so much a home office as a laptop set up on the dining room table with the Mets game on the TV in the background.

Day 130 of 365

Bleeding hearts

Got up in the morning to sweep the porch for our Mother's Day grilling and took a moment to shoot the flowers that have been blooming for more than a week. Alas, they'll soon be gone.

Day 128 of 365

Once was 22

Beneath this stained-glass house number on a building near the train station, the door has a different number, 18. (You can't see it in that photo, but it's above the triangle window.)

Day 113 of 365

Suburban afternoon

Here's hoping this is the last chilly afternoon until October.