Bird Watching

I really am not obsessed with cats, contrary to impressions the last couple months of posts might suggest. I just needed a breather from tech writing and the stress caused by American politics—or better stated, the news media’s apocalyptic reporting. Besides, we share living space with two felines. Neko, the over-eating ginger, gets playtime in the apartment complex’s courtyard. Cali, our daughter’s tortoiseshell, stays indoors and never sees the other’s romps. We’re fairly confident he wouldn’t escape, supervised. She would be under the gate at sight of the first flash of feathers and wings.

Last night, while Neko (meaning “cat” in Japanese) watched birds, his face fit finely in the squares of the outdoor chair in the courtyard. By the time I pulled out iPhone 7 Plus, the moment and angle had gone. Patience paid off—somewhat. He looked up again, and I clicked off a single shot. Ideally, his face would be point of focus, but this works well enough. Vitals: f/1.8, ISO 160, 1/4 sed, 3.99mm; 7:15 p.m. PDT, which was 11 minutes after sunset.