Well, that’s what Google Image search claims are the pinkish flowers. Also known as the chandelier plant, or Kalanchoe delagoensis, the succulent is native to Madagascar.
I used Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens to capture the Featured Image, on April 4, 2026. Vitals: f/6.7, ISO 140, 1/250 sec, 105mm; 1:04 p.m. PDT. Location: Panorama Drive, in San Diego neighborhood University Heights.
You may not like the Featured Image, but I do. On April 4, 2026, as I prepared to go out on a photo walk I pointed Nikon Zf with NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens attached towards the Kit-Cat to check the battery level. The moody lighting unexpectedly appealed to me, so I clicked the shutter button.
The clock hangs to the left of the Casabelle Mail Center that I purchased from Pier 1 Imports 17 years ago. The retailer went out of business during the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 lockdowns, closing the last stores in October 2020. But the desk remains and is back in full service. Our daughter is staying with us, and I abandoned my home office for her to use as a bedroom. Cluttered and cramped best describes our 772-square-foot apartment right now. But we’re glad to have her here, and using the Casabelle is small sacrifice.
The same day I photographed Queen, March 26, 2026, my attention turned to a mural promoting Normal Heights (where our car was in the shop for a small repair). I don’t recall ever seeing the street art on any earlier visit. One or two parked cars impeding the view would be enough to keep me walking instead of stopping.
But this day was different, and I took advantage of the unobstructive view to shoot the Featured Image using Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. Vitals: f/1.4, ISO 64, 1/2500 sec, 23mm (film equivalent); 8:18 a.m. PDT.
For Easter Sunday, let’s use modern tech to compare and contrast. Today is supposed to be the celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection and the hope human beings can receive spiritual salvation. Physical redemption is the responsibility of the Second Coming.
Easter also celebrates the bunny—a rapidly breeding animal that aligns more with ancient, pagan fertility rights. Candy and sweets are all about enjoyment of the flesh, as is the worship of fertility practices of the gods of Spring. Christian teaching emphasizes the spirit and dominion over the flesh. Materialistic cultures and religions promote physical joy, from simple pleasures to hedonism.
The questions: Why now? Who benefits?
For as long as I can remember, a massage parlor has quietly beckoned customers from the corner of Adams and Georgia here in the otherwise quaint village of University Heights. My wife and I have occasionally discussed its odd presence, with the presumption being the place peddles sex as much as massage.
Here’s a simple photo for a Good Friday evening that has nothing to do with the commemoration. The celebration of Jesus Christ’s brutal murder—execution as insurrectionist (He claimed to be a king)—never feels right to me. Let’s talk about meaning, and what matters about his life and death, on Easter Sunday. The resurrection is by far more meaningful, although it was purchased at incredible cost.
As for Sonny’s Pizza, the place first opened for business around the time I shot the Featured Image, May 6, 2025. The eatery is located where was Florabella, on Madison just off Park Blvd, here in the village of University Heights. The florist closed at the end of June 2018 in response to tripling of the rent. Maybe the landlord was hasty and greedy, because the retail space stayed mostly unoccupied for nearly 7 years.
Every year before Easter, I listen to the original Jesus Christ Superstar recording from October 1970. My parents gave me the double album for Christmas 1971 and regretted it. Mom begged me to stop playing the rock opera over and over again. I obstinately continued. (She preferred Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, and other well-known Country Music artists of the time.)
JCS is the background music for this post, but in different fashion than more recent years. Rather than listen to the digital download, I dug out the two-set CD that I purchased decades ago. Physical media is all the rage, suddenly, and we still have all the accumulated discs—thankfully.
I should have known. San Diego Zoo names its animals. But I wouldn’t expect identifying tags. As you can see from the Featured Image, this Penguin is Malloy. In a less-than-clear, unpublished photo, one of his companions is Mac. I wonder: Do they all these birds have “M” names, or is it a coincidence?
I used Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens for this one, which is close-cropped. Vitals: f/6.3, ISO 110, 1/500 sec, 200mm; 10:20 a.m. PDT. I chose the Zf for many reasons, and effective resolution is one of them: 24.5 megapixels, which is the sweet spot, in my humble opinion. File sizes aren’t overly large and burdensome, while the sharp 6048 x 4032 photos can be cropped to effectively enlarge the subject.
Get clean laundry and, as a bonus, teeth cleaned at the same time. Put in a load of clothes, climb into the dentist chair, and vroom. While the washer does the final rinse, you will get the final rinse of your mouth. Remember to spit! There’s debris to expel and fluoride grit, too.
Honestly, I laughed when seeing the store signage along Adams Avenue in San Diego neighborhood Normal Heights on March 26, 2026, and then connecting how someone like me would read the thing. Regardless the intentions, what a concept!
You needn’t ask. Kitty Puppy is this fine feline’s real name, although I am uncertain about whether or not to hyphenate. The 16-year-old is housemate to Stormy, who is a relative newcomer to his residence. I have seen them greet one another, nose to nose, outdoors.
Seen where? Meet the series‘ one-hundred tenth Alabama Street cat—that’s out of 635 profiles, including this one. Some streets pack in more apartments and condominiums. Along Alabama, many single-structure homeowners add so-called Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). I suspect that increased population density explains the cat concentration.
Cats are full of surprises. As I opened a package of CAT-branded straps purchased at Costo, Cali noodled her way into the activity, eventually settling onto the empty box; May 5, 2025. She used it as a bed for the next four or five days, until she put her attention elsewhere; then I removed the box from the dining table.
The Featured Image displays the unusual photographic opportunity: A living cat sleeping on a CAT box with a stuffed cat behind. I couldn’t have set up the shot any better than what naturally occurred. Vitals: f/6.3, ISO 3200, 1/80 sec, 98mm; 3:22 p.m. PDT.
One of the more unusual attractions here in the village of University Heights is the Hsi Fang Buddhist temple. The impressive structure, which includes a bookstore and residences, is located in the San Diego community’s main commercial area.
For no other reason than habit, I typically walk on the East side of Park Blvd. But today that way was blocked, and I was directed across the street, where I stopped to see some of the Temple’s inspirational marketing materials and decor. (I should go by more often.)