What better way to celebrate Flag Day (tomorrow) than with a parade of Old Glories. The Featured Image is part of a collection of photos taken on April 14, 2007, during the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade in Washington, D.C.
I used Canon 20D and EF 135mm f/2 USM lens for the street shot, which is composed as captured. Vitals: f/5.6, ISO 200, 1/500 sec, 135mm; 9:32 a.m. EDT.
For nearly all of my publicly-facing online identities, my name is the handle. Consider, for example, Flickr and X, which I joined in October 2005 and December 2006 (when Twitter), respectively. I set up Facebook in October 2006, long before the service allowed anyone to choose a handle.
On June 13, 2009, at 12:01 a.m. EST, Facebook opened up the landgrab to claim a personalized username. That worked out to 9:01 p.m. on the 12th for we Westcoasters. Unfortunately, I was nowhere near a computer, waiting with our daughter for her flight from Long Beach, Calif. to one of three major Washington, D.C.-area airports (I don’t recall which).
The United States of America’s 250th birthday is weeks away. But you wouldn’t have an itsy-bitsy inkling in my San Diego neighborhood of University Heights. The measure of patriotism here is support for the next No Kings protests on June 14, 2026 or the number of paraded pride flags, which outnumber another symbol: Upside-down American flags.
So, tonight, I was delighted to pass this classic Craftsman decked out with American bunting decor and string lights. Finally, someone prepares for the Fourth of July—unless their objective is Flag Day on the Fourteenth.
I install few apps on my phone or tablet, not trusting how intrusively nosey and tracking they can be. But a few exceptions are notable, one being Too Good to Go. The Wilcox family uses the app almost daily now, for finding good food made available at substantial discount.
The stuff might otherwise be trashed, particularly because of local regulations that restrict fresh, produced goods’ salability after set time period. Freshness is another consideration. Both could apply to baked goods, such as bagels or donuts. Over-production is an additional factor. Maybe the pizzeria has too many slices leftover at the end of day.
My daughter needed a ride to meet someone in Ocean Beach today. Planned sixty minutes turned into three-and-a-half hours, and after visiting friends I had a whole lot of time to kill off. I started wandering around Robb Field, which was jam-packed with sporting events and outdoor recreating of every imaginable variety.
I scratched my head in dismay, because the 77-acre recreational complex is on the mayor’s list of potential closures. Reason: Budget cuts. I counted thousands upon thousands of reasons to keep the facility open and operating at full funding.
The Wilcox family’s San Diego Zoo membership may be expired, but unpublished photos remain—and there are still experiences for us to share together. For example: This lovely giraffe gazelle obscured by the foliage it eats.
What makes the Featured Image work for me, and may or may not for you, is the illusion of being in the wild—helped by the blurred leaf across the eye.
Meet the one-hundred twelfth kitty—out 642 profiled, including this one—seen on Alabama between boundaries Adams and Lincoln. Cosmo is the eighty-fifth feline found behind door or window.
The Featured Image comes from Samsung Galaxy s25 Ultra. Vitals: f/3.4, ISO 125, 1/100 sec, 230mm; 6:28 p.m. EDT. Cosmo is companion to Comet, whom we shared yesterday.
We reach into the more recent backlog for two in a row. First up: Comet, and, yes, that is his real name. He is the one-hundred eleventh kitty—out 641 profiled, including this one—seen on Alabama between boundaries Adams and Lincoln. Why so many? Population density. The street has more multi-unit dwellings than single-family homes.
The Featured Image comes from Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Vitals: f/3.4, ISO 32, 1/120 sec, 230mm (film equivalent); 3:53 p.m. PDT, Oct. 9, 2025. Composed as shot.
At least a couple of times a week, I am surprised by what neighbors will deposit for someone else to take. Some of this stuff is quite nice and could be put up for sale.
Over the years, we’ve gleaned some valuables of significance, ranging from kitchen utensils to furniture. You never know what will turn up—from whom and why and who the takers might be.
Ishould have shared this Memorial Day flag on the holiday but for no particular reason held it back. The Featured Image isn’t a provocative Old Glory but it nevertheless captures a moment.
Vitals: F/2.4, ISO 25, 1/1218 sec, 69mm (film equivalent); 4:38 p.m. PDT, May 25, 2036; Samsung Galaxy s26 Ultra.
I don’t doubt that this kitty’s owners call it something other than my choice of nickname. How could I resist for the series‘ first Scottish Fold, and what a looker it is, too.
The Featured Image comes from Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, today. Vitals: f/2.9, ISO 25, 1/294 sec, 230mm (film equivalent); 12:39 p.m. PDT. Scotty is the eighty-fourth feline found behind door or window out of 640 profiles, including this one.
This is supposed to be Dr. King—Martin Luther, Jr.—yes? I came upon the face mural on May 11, 2026, when walking through San Diego neighborhood South Park. GPS and Google Maps puts the location as along 30th Street between Redwood and Thorn streets.
I really like South Park, which chirps community charm. Small businesses tuck in everywhere, and many are located in what otherwise would be single-family homes. Few structures are taller than two-stories. The atmosphere is other-worldly small town, punctuated by an eclectic mix of bungalows, cottages, Craftsmans, and other vintage single-family homes. Estimated population is a few hundred short of 6,000.