I am a big fan of repurposing. Take that thing and use it another way. Even when buying something new, I look first for multi-purpose uses. What else can this thang be used for?
But I don’t know about this! I see the rationale, though, and can’t argue with it. One of my neighbors repurposed his Halloween decorations for Christmas. The Featured Image and companion tell the story.
Not every first photo is a winner. This one is more of a loser but nevertheless is worthy enough to be the Featured Image. The companion capture is much better, albeit still somewhat lacking. Both pics come from Pixel 10 Pro XL, which replaces the still functional and charming Pixel 2 XL. But, alas, Google stopped supporting the smartphone at Android 11 (current version is 16).
For today’s morning walk, I left behind Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra for chance to get a first shot with the Pixel. Opportunity presented on Arizona Street, which is one block beyond the neighborhood boundary. Hence, the honorary designation. My wife spotted the blackie that paid little attention to us as it stalked birdies.
FedEx delivered quite the prize yesterday afternoon: a phone I have long contemplated trying out. As you can see from the Featured Image: Google Pixel 10 Pro XL. Testing starts tomorrow; I dedicated today to setup.
By the way, manufacturers and retailers are offering some surprising enticing deals on the device, for the holidays—and most expire soon. Full selling price is $1,199 for the 256GB variant. Best Buy and Google currently discount to $899 and Amazon to $849. AT&T and Verizon claim $0 per month, based on bill credits spread out over three years. But there are conditions, like trade-in device, new line of service, or correct rate plan. What’s that saying? If it’s too good to be true…
Meet the last remaining member of a small community cat colony. The oldest two, an abandoned bonded pair living in the alley for at least six years, are absent. Floyd found his way to foster care about a year ago for health reasons. He was adopted earlier this month.
Jingle was left behind with Pops, who was also recently adopted, a sadly emotional debonding. Turns out that Floyd’s new owner would like a second cat, which could be Jingle. Problem: He hasn’t been seen since November 8. One possible reason: The property that the cats claimed as territory is in the early stages of a disruptive renovation, following the death of the homeowner.
On Oct. 14, 2025, Comic-Con International sent email that Open Registration for the 2026 San Diego event would commence today, at 9 a.m. PST. It’s a wickedly wet day here in Southern California, which put me uncharacteristically inside. So, I pulled out the laptop, meandered over to the badge sale webpage, and joined the queue—where I was warned my wait would be more than an hour.
I puttered about my office, while waiting to see if maybe my chance for a Golden Ticket would come. The passes sell out fast, and I haven’t attended the Con since 2017, I did secure a pass for San Diego Comic-Can Special Edition during Thanksgiving 2021. But I couldn’t attend, for not meeting SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)/COVID-19 requirements. Seriously?
According to the Camelot Climate Index, San Diego has the best weather in the United States. San Francisco and Los Angeles follow close behind. But even with three seasons of Summer, October can prove to be unpredictable. Cooler, cloudier days are common enough to spoil outdoor public events.
Organizers of the University Heights Fall Festival, and all the locals attending, lucked out on Oct. 18, 2025. Blue skies, drier air, and pleasant 28 degrees Celsius (83 Fahrenheit) made the annual gathering the outdoor destination of the area. Families abounded, and I wondered where hide all these young parents and kids. I don’t see many about otherwise.
I do hope that you like felines. My “Cats of University Heights” series languishes, and the backlog of photographed but unpublished kitties goes back a couple of years. That’s in part because my posting overall is in a lull that needs to be culled.
So, I make a half-promise to pick up the pace, which must include more furballs than you could ever want to see. If fulfilled, overall posting should uptick significantly. Get ready!
This series started exactly nine years ago—Oct. 17, 2016, with a kitty nicknamed Scruffy. Living in a dog neighborhood, I expected to wrap up in about a month. How many cats could there be? Nearly a decade later, there are 613 profiles, including this one, and a backlog of photographed but unpublished kitties.
The problem with procrastinating posting putties: I don’t recall shooting some of their portraits, and I must look closely to ensure the animal hasn’t already been published. Oh, my aching aged memory.
According to Sperling’s Best Places, San Diego “has a mild and pleasant Mediterranean climate…The summers are warm and dry, with temperatures usually reaching the mid-70s Fahrenheit (25 Celsius)”. Rainfall: About 12 inches annually. Such an environment practically preserves Volkswagen cars and minivans, which are spared the otherwise audacious expansion of rust.
Hence, old Volkswagen Beetle and minivan sightings are not uncommon. But black ragtop and red body? With two aged mutts that look like they could be as old or older than the vehicle?
I stepped out of the ophthalmologist’s office into cloud covered defused light that passed pain through my dilated pupils. Squinting, I stumbled down the stairs to the sidewalk, where a smiling gent walked up and asked for a “favor”. My apologetic tone conveyed clear response: No cash. I meant to bring a five-dollar bill, in case somebody asked, but left it behind when rushing out the door to walk to the doctor’s office.
But he didn’t ask for money. He wanted me to bless him. To wish him happy birthday. He is 37 years-old today. I did both. We separated, and I regretted not asking to take his photo. How often does something so straightforward occur? He wasn’t grifting or panhandling. The fellow simply sought birthday wishes.
Around the village of University Heights, one can see logos, murals, paintings, signs, and statues all depicting ostriches. At the turn of the last century, Bentley Ostrich Farm relocated to the neighborhood—and it brought visitors from across Southern California.
But the place closed in 1929. The feathers were less in demand as a luxury, and economic crisis began its grip on the nation. Many, but not all, of the birds were relocated to San Diego Zoo.
How unexpected. According to Google Circle to Search, the vehicle in the Featured Image is a 1929 Ford Model A. My wife and I passed it today while walking West on Madison Avenue in our San Diego neighborhood of University Heights.
I used Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra for this one. Vitals: f/3.4, ISO 64, 1/1250 sec, 115mm (film equivalent); 11:59 a.m. PDT. The camera continues to satisfy, which is one of three benefits keeping me from taking advantage of massive trade-in discounts for Galaxy Z Fold7. For example, this shot is 5x zoom; the Fold tops out at 3x.