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.
For Mother’s Day, our daughter bought Baby’s Breath for Annie. The flowers often accent others and looked kind of lonely in the IKEA TILLBRINGARE pitcher. Molly’s mom has a birthday and roses to fill out the make-shift vase.
I used Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra to capture the Featured Image and companion. Vitals for the first: f/1.4, ISO 160, 1/120 sec, 23mm (film equivalent); 11:16 a.m. PDT, today.
Stop a moment and reminisce with me. This series started a decade ago and arrives at its 639th profile, including this one. This kitty is from the more recent backlog (yes, others wait in yet a longer queue). I used Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens to capture the Featured Image on April 8, 2025.
My guess on location: The cottages at Meade and Louisiana. Vitals: f/6.3, ISO 400, 1/500 sec, 200mm; 12:21 p.m. PDT. This is a close-crop that removes sunlit areas, which also explains composition choice. Drumroll. Nickname: Darling, for no particular reason.
The faith that I belong to uses the “Heavenly Calendar”, which mirrors the lunar calendar. Today is the fourth day of the fourth month of the seventeenth year.
The U.S. headquarters did not produce a calendar for 2026, but the Korean church did—or so I discovered yesterday, and a PDF was available to download for donation. I snatched one and contacted FedEx Office about printing it up. One emailed file and follow-up phone call later and the print job was set for overnight. I paid for and retrieved the thing this morning.
I really should bang out all the felines languishing in the backlog. I expect to not recall some of the oldest beasties and where they were photographed. But I am at a loss about some of the more recent kitties, like this one from Aug. 26, 2025. The Featured Image comes from Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens, and there is no companion captures from Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, which would have provided location information.
Vitals: f/8, ISO 250, 1/250 sec, 84mm; 10:04 a.m. PDT. Composed as captured. For plaid fabric collar, which might be GPS, this tabby earns nickname Fab.
I initially treated the Featured Image as a throwaway. But on reconsideration, seeing the sharp detail of the rose petals and the shift in emphasis brought by using the dehaze control in DX Studio, I present this simple shot on a busy Saturday night.
This one comes from Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens. Vitals: f/6.3, ISO 100, 1/320 sec, 62mm; 5:48 p.m. PDT, May 9, 2026. Composed as captured.
The Featured Image isn’t the first Fortnight Lilies shared with you, and I suppose no new are necessary. But as I walked past these three, the potential composition grouping piqued my interest. So, I hauled out Galaxy S26 Ultra, switched to Portrait mode, and took the shot. Vitals: f/1.4, ISO 64, 1/5000 sec, 23mm (film equivalent); 12:35 p.m. PDT, yesterday.
Putting aside a few early-on complaints, this Samsung is the best smartphone that I have ever owned. The physical balance in the hand is exceptional, and it’s comfortable to hold. I carry my phones bareback; no case, so consider me a connoisseur about physical balance.
Among the many tactile features I find beneficial on Nikon Zf, the monochrome switch is one of the most useful. In about one second, I can go from capturing color to black and white, which is super handy when street shooting—no post-production tweaking required.
On Saturday (May 9, 2026), University Heights hosted Party on Park, which was billed as a community block party, with live music, various vendors, and specials from street-side eateries. I walked through twice, first with DJI Osmo Nano—my first outing with the action camera (footage not yet processed). Later, I hauled up with the Zf and attached NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens.
I am not much of a poet, although you can count on me for song lyrics. Difference: One is more structured, set to melody, and tells a story—and I have a knack for the latter. That said, my beloved sister Annette passed away unexpectedly 10 years ago today, and I wanted to give something to her three children—who also lost their father—and to my two other sisters.
So, sitting in the back of our car, I pulled out Galaxy Tab 11 Ultra, opened Google Keep, and wrote them a poem over the next hour or so. The verse is written to be emotive for a select audience. However, thinking about Mother’s Day tomorrow, the poem could be used for any other mum.
I shot the Featured Image at 200 megapixels on Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, yesterday. I usually just stick with the default 12MP. But, considering celebration of the United States of America’s 250th anniversary is imminent, I chose to step it up. Vitals: f/1.4, ISO 10, 1/435 sec, 23mm (film equivalent); 3:28 p.m. PDT.
The neighbor who placed the lawn decoration is patriotic, and he and his wife are involved in the local Republican party. Other signs on his street are angry, and many take positions that would appear to be deliberately hostile to his own. Unusual and revealing: The—how shall I put it—large number of opposition signs per capita. Pick any house, and someone has a liberal position or cause you are supposed to know about—and accept.
I remember when Fashion Valley Mall had three tech branded boutique stores—Apple, Microsoft, and Sony. In my analysis, these digital lifestyle shops were the future of tech retail. But I was wrong. Microsoft Store opened in late June 2010 on the same day as Apple’s massive iPhone 4 launch. Microsoft shuttered all 83 stores 10 years later. Sony exited branded retail earlier, in 2014.
Fast-forward to the renewed future of digital lifestyle branded boutique stores. Tomorrow, Google joins thriving Apple Store as a Fashion Valley tech retailer. San Diego marks the 10th location, and it is well-placed, too—upper level across from the food court and in the same quadrant as Anthropologie, Banana Republic, and Oliver Peoples. That’s a high-traffic corridor.