What’s not to like about this photo, which makes me laugh? The animals’ expressions set against opposing foreground and background angles is priceless. Hindrik Sijens used Sony Alpha SLT-A57 to shoot self-titled “Favorite Sheep”, on Aug. 9, […]
Category: Critters
Flickr a Day 51: ‘Happy Fence Friday’
If you like cat photos—really like them—spend some quality meow time with Kerri Lee Smith. She will satisfy your Internet hunger for fearless felines. Somewhere here there is the makings of a movie script, with […]
Flickr a Day 48: ‘In for the Kill’
I picked today’s pic for three reasons: Photographer Andrew Stawarz uses the Fujifilm X-T1, and I want to draw attention to this fabulous, mirrorless camera; his photostream demands your investigation; and my wife loves red […]
Cries by Day, Cries by Night
For Valentine’s Day, I present a sad song of lost love written in early 1979. Lyrics are same, but I made an alternative melody in 2014 that is lighter than the original’s more somber tone.
I wrote this song back in my cat-despising youth. If you asked why, I could present no answer for the attitude. Regardless, it is what inspired the verse, to which I soon after put to melody. I knew little about romantic love and nothing about loss then.
“Cries by Day, Cries by Night” is the fifth lyric posted since the new year. The others: “Dank Deep Eyes the Darkness“, “Disco Queen“, “Empire State“, and “Surrealistic Pillow“. More will follow.
Remembering Kuma
This date, three years ago, was a Sunday. Kuma loudly meowed, demanding to go outdoors, earlier than usual. He was untypically agitated, pacing around the front door and sliding glass that opened onto a small balcony. I usually let him out after first light—sometimes as early as 6:30 but usually not before 7, and I started the trek with him into the back alley.
But this day, I broke routine, letting him out at six, into darkness. He went alone. I vividly recall the majestic Maine Coon looking up at me, making eye contact—as if to say “You’re not coming with me today?”—before slipping out our apartment complex’s back gate. I never saw him again.
Cali Wonders
Our Tortoiseshell cat watches my wife cook breakfast today. Can you say bacon? The kitty sits where little Lou Lou did after our big Maine Coon Kuma disappeared three years ago on Thursday. The neighbor’s […]
Our Cat Cali gets Fixed
This morning, my wife and I took our daughter’s Tortoiseshell kitty Cali to San Diego Humane Society, where she will have her operation today. I don’t feel good about taking away the cat’s motherhood, or changing her personality in the process. But I feel obliged by circumstance.
Cali came to live with us in October 2014, after one of my daughter’s four housemates insist the cat go. She and we endured two heat cycles in the last month, while we waited for our appointment date. This morning in Cali’s absence, Neko is unsettled. As am I. She comes home late-day.
Yesterday I posted a poll asking: “Is your cat fixed?” The results and comments are worth calling out.
Nothing But Trouble
Cali nestles into the kitchen IKEA rack. Happy Caturday!
Cali Poses
In the daylight, I got a couple good snaps of Cali, in another off-the-cuff X100T test. One shot is from the perch and the other from the fridge. The first is Macro, by accident, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO 2500. The other (right) is f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO 1250. Full-size shots are available from my X100T Flickr set, or, separately, here and here.
I am a bit grumbly about choosing the X100T over the X-T1 this morning. Fuji will release on December 18 a firmware update that adds most of the features that swayed me to choose the X100T, which arrived about 21 hours ago. This is good customer service, though, for existing owners, and I won’t forget the benefit. I complain today, but long term it’s way to go, Fuji.
Neko and Cali Perch
Peace is possible in our time.
The Cats are Better Together
Sharing the cat tree is a huge breakthrough for Cali and Neko.
Maine Decides Whether to Shoot Bear Like Ducks in a Barrel
On this election day, I long to be back in Maine, so that I could vote on the initiative to ban bear barrels. It’s a practice unfamiliar to me. I grew up in a family of hunters, which killed for sport and food. They tracked the animals, not lured them with sweet throwaways.
I only learned about the referendum this morning, from a news story in my RSS feeds. National Geographic violates Betteridge’s Law of Headlines by asking question: “Should We Bait Black Bears With Doughnuts?” I am embarrassed for being so out of touch with important issues and politics in the Pine Tree State—they matter to family there, and to me. I may be long-time removed, but Maine will always be home. I identity myself as a Mainer, more than by any other measure.