Category: Living

Photo by Joe WilcoxJun 8, 20188:50 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Smokie

Here’s the continuation of an unexpected story. In late January 2018, I met Lola, as her owner returned home with groceries. When the cat came outdoors, she spooked another kitty that neither of us humans had seen. The little grey returned, continuing to do so over the months since—or so I would learn.

Walking to my daughter’s apartment today, I observed that same frisky feline sitting in Lola’s yard. I snapped the Featured Image, using iPhone X, at 8:43 a.m. PDT, along Polk approaching Park. Late afternoon, when returning home, I saw Lola’s caretaker working in the yard and asked about the visitor.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJun 7, 20188:16 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Stripe

Because my website has unintentionally become a cat blog, I’ve slowed down posting new profiles, which has caused a backlog of beasties photographed but not presented. So we begin bit of catchup with—if my count […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxJun 2, 20186:12 am

The Cats of University Heights: Vivienne

Our first feline of June is Vivienne, who adornes this fine Caturday with her loveliness. We met on May 31, 2018 along Meade between Campus and Cleveland. Coincidentally, she resides in the same house as Sophie, who moved away with her owner around Sept. 1, 2017.

In the adjacent property, feral kittens and their Momma briefly lived before being trapped by neighborhood teens and taken to the local animal shelter for adoption. They joined the series in mid-August 2017.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJun 1, 201811:56 am

Neko Nestles Sleeping Bag

The Wilcox family fluffy ginger cat Neko caught some late-afternoon sun today. I pulled out Leica M10 and Summarit-M 1:2.4/50 lens, looking to take advantage of the natural light. The Featured Image is composed as shot. […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 28, 20186:12 am

The (Honorary) Cats of University Heights: Envy

The one-hundred eighty-first profile in the series is the fifth where we take liberties with the neighborhood’s boundaries. One-half block beyond, along Mississippi between Lincoln and University, the juxtaposition of squirrel outside taunting its freedom before an indoor kitty was just too timely to resist. So here we be, with a shorthair I dub Envy. The rodent remains nameless.

I shot the Featured Image with iPhone X on May 22, 2018 at 4:06 p.m. PDT. Vitals: f/2.4, ISO 16, 1/417 sec, 6mm. The companion comes from Leica M10 and Summarit-M 1:2.4/50 lens, one minute later. Vitals: f/8 or f/11, ISO 100, 1/45 sec, 50mm. The original camera capture is more color accurate than the handset; however, I changed contrast and hues to make the animals more obvious.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 26, 20183:30 pm

Panorama Fire

This morning, someone posted to the NextDoor social network about an overnight fire and explosion in a garage behind a house on Panorama Drive, which is along one of my regular walking routes. My wife and I were going that way anyway, so we joined other University Heights rubberneckers taking a peek at the dramatic aftermath.

For the record: I have never seen so many residents roaming that part of the neighborhood on a Saturday morning. We’re talking exponential increases, folks.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 22, 20189:14 pm

What the Ofo?

Three days ago, my wife and I spotted a meeting of Ofo bikes, at the medium triangle where Alabama, Mission, and Monroe intersect in San Diego’s University Heights neighborhood. Today, walking past, we saw them […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 22, 20186:09 am

The Cats of University Heights: Donuts

Eleven days ago, I spotted for the first time a handsome, and lanky, tiger tabby resting in the driveway of a home on Louisiana between Adams and Madison. While we greeted one another on other days, he presented best profile opportunity—and our Featured Image—during that first meeting.

I wanted to immediately add the shorthair to the series but waited, hoping to get his name. For the next week, I purposely walked by the property in search of an owner, whose acquaintance I finally made on May 15, 2018. The eleven year-old cat is Donuts—yes, plural, which makes sense to me, strangely. Donuts’ dad also is from Maine, but down south in Bethel (I grew up in Caribou). It’s a cultural thing. Your sweet thing isn’t singular but in abundance.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 21, 20186:17 am

The Cats of University Heights: Sweet Pea

Since April 4, 2018, I have sought a close-quarters portrait of a massive light-grey longhair that lives in the yard of a house along Florida Street near Adams Ave. The kitty earns nickname Ghost, by appearing for one meaningful moment—on the 12th, along with the kitty that I call Coon—and not since. I delayed profiling both furfalls, and companion Tigger, waiting for another opportunity. I haven’t seen Ghost since.

I used Leica M10 and Summarit-M 1:2.4/50 lens to shoot the Featured Image. Vitals: f/5.6 or f/8, ISO 100, 1/60 sec, 50mm; 8:13 a.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 18, 20186:17 am

The Cats of University Heights: Mimi

Along Florida Street, near Adams Ave., is a house with spacious yard where live at least three fairly large felines—and quite possibly, from reviewing photos, four, if not more. Two days ago, we met the tiger tabby Tigger. The second, I call Coon. If not a Maine Coon, the longhair is size of one.

Among the three different confirmed cats, Coon is the most frequently seen round about the yard. I have stalked the kitty for more than a month, seeking the right portrait—a task that distance and reach of the Leica Summarit-M 1:2.4/50 lens hampers.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 16, 20186:24 am

The Cats of University Heights: Tigger

For more than a month, I have stalked what looked like one large feline but turned out to be three in a lush yard near where Florida meets Adams. Finally, you will meet them, as they are presented consecutively.

We begin with the one seen first, crossing an alley around April 2, 2018. Two days later, I returned to the area, discovered the nearby lovely kitty habitat, and started shooting portraits of his compatriots. The Featured Image and companion were taken on the 28th, using Leica M10 and Summarit-M 1:2.4/50 lens. I nickname the kitty Wily, for avoiding my camera for so long and posing on his (or her) terms.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 15, 20188:12 am

The Cats of University Heights: Stella

The next four featured felines are those for which I shot passible portraits that were held back with hope of making something better. Time is come to let them loose, like we did with Abby the Bengal, who was profiled one week ago. First among them is Stella—and that is her real name—whose likeness I captured with Leica Q on March 6, 2018 at 11:35 a.m. PST.

On other occasions, I had seen Stella looking out the screen door of a house on Monroe near Alabama but unsuccessfully captured the moment. On this morning, her owner was inside with her, and I asked about taking her photo. “Everyone does”, he answered, opening the door and trying to coax the fluffball outside. She wouldn’t budge.