Meet Lupe, who lives in the same home as Laramie and on the same block as Smokey and Monkey. What is it with the letter L in the household? The family also owns dog Lincoln. Hehe. One of my high school classmates had seven siblings—and all eight kids had names beginning with G. L works for me!

On some mornings, I see Lupe sleeping  on a chair in the yard. The Featured Image, captured on Dec. 3, 2017 at 9:08 a.m. PST, using iPhone X, puts him on the porch. Vitals: f/2.4, ISO 16, 1/510 sec, 6mm. The companion photo is a contrast in timing and lighting—bright sunlight versus darkening dusk. The smartphone could never have produced usable portrait. 

After days of sun and unseasonably mild (and dry) weather, clouds blanket San Diego this morning. Overcast skies are excellent photography weather, and I just had to take a cat walk (accompanied by my beautiful wife). Along Georgia Street, between Adams and Madison, Anne spotted a fluffly ginger-light—tan, if you ask me—rolling around a lawn. Just then, the owner parked his vehicle, and by the looks of dress and carry-alls, he had returned from the gym.

He told us about Reddy—a one-eyed, 10 year-old male without a tail. The family found him as a kitten, with apparent injury that later required his tail to be amputated. Reddy lost his eye years later, when wearing a collar. Something caught on a fence—and, well, let’s spare the gruesome details. But suffice to say he notched the second of two lives, and, you know, he can’t afford to lose any more body parts. 

Alabama Street serves up more felines; I discovered two more on the same block yesterday. I’ve got another two on hold, hoping to get their names from their caretakers. The first of four, therefore, is Mr. Kitty—and, yes, that’s his name. The owner and I spoke briefly as he walked out to his car. Poor Mr. Kitty was rescued from a garbage dumpster! His estimated age is eight months.

Turns out he is house/yard mate with Itchy Valentino, who sat on the sidewalk grooming when I approached. The vet says Itchy will always have the skin condition that makes his fur look a bit thin (and ragged), the owner explained. Maybe, but the medicine must be doing something, because his coat looks fuller to me; his owner agreed.