They Came from Boston to Dance

What do I know about anything? Third weekend of the month is the book sale at the local library, from which I walked home via Park Blvd. Where Meade and Mission meet the street in a quasi-triangle, there is the University Heights pillar. Approaching, I observed a group gathered and milling about; well, that piqued my curiosity.

Passing through them, I could see from the men’s T-Shirts that they were members of a dance company. I wondered if a public demonstration might be coming or perhaps people were being trained to dance; meaning, everything was educational. Observation led me to presume that they were publicly practicing (and maybe teaching), deliberately outdoors on an absolutely gorgeous, unseasonably warm day; high temperature topped 25 degrees Celsius (78 Fahrenheit).

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 17, 202610:10 pm

An Iris for Your Troubles?

All I wanted was to share the Featured Image, converted to JPG from RAW. More than an hour after I started said process, progress was zero. The photo was pixeled in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and editing option was greyed out. No online search, even with Artificial Intelligence insight, revealed any discernable solution.

I worked on ARM-based Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge, running native Lightroom. I eventually abandoned the effort, because the night waned away; I don’t like to give up without solving something. I instead processed the NEF file on Intel-based Microsoft Laptop Studio, which is older and considerably slower—and with atrociously disappointing battery life.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 16, 20269:54 pm

That’s not a Citrus Tree, It’s a Grove!

To commemorate the (so far) unceasingly unseasonably warm weather, I present the Featured Image and companion, which communicate something about living in Southern California. Look at the tree, which, unless my eyes are mistaken, presents several different citrus fruits.

Yesterday was the hottest day during this protracted summer-like period here in San Diego. Temperature reached 26 degrees Celsius (80 Fahrenheit). Today marked a slight cooling trend: 25 C (77 F). We can expect about the same air temperature tomorrow.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 15, 202610:05 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Pretty Kitty

I simply cannot believe the weather we are having here in San Diego. High temperature tipped 26 degrees Celsius (80 Fahrenheit). That kept the kitties in the shade or indoors, like the one from the Featured Image, which was shot on Oct. 14, 2025, using Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Vitals: f/3.4, ISO 80, 1/400 sec, (synthetic) 230mm (digital and optical zoom); 8:08 a.m. PST.

I came upon the pretty kitty along Lincoln, which marks the neighborhood’s boundary with North Park. She is the one-hundred-forty-third feline found behind door or window.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 14, 202610:24 pm

We Three Cousins

If you wondered what native, rustic Aroostook County, Maine men looked like in 1978 (or thereabouts), I present the Featured Image taken by my Uncle Glenn. Cousin Dan (left) used an HP film scanner to digitize the photo from an original slide. He emailed the portrait, and two other photos, this afternoon. The scary dude in the middle is me; my arm listlessly hangs over my younger cousin’s shoulder—and holds what looks like a rock; why would that be?

Since I haven’t spoken to the cousin on the right for more than two years, and I know he is a somewhat private, I withhold his name out of respect. Dan, on the other hand, is easier going— as am I—and his identity was revealed in other posts.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 13, 202610:52 am

In Memory of Scott Adams

Creator of the Dilbert comic strip passed away today, at age 68, following a protracted battle with prostate cancer. Scott Adams was, and perhaps will continue to be, a cultural and social enigma. He charmed people of all ages and persuasions with Dilbert, which started its syndication run in April 1989 (officially ending in March 2023).

But during Donald Trump’s first presidential campaign, he took on a different role: Political and societal agitator, for his sharp wit and astute analysis that antagonized many on the Left and galvanized others on the Right. For example, he astutely identified how “The Donald” chose not to play by the rules of political norms during debates with his Republican rivals, many of whom he reduced to demeaning nicknames.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 12, 20269:34 pm

Alabama Alley Freebees

San Diego weather is unseasonably mild this week. For example, today’s high was 22 degrees Celsius (72 Fahrenheit). Forecast is 23 C (74 F) tomorrow, with no measurable cooling for the remainder of the week; what a treat, or would be, if not for the flu.

I find sunlight—heat, more so—to be therapeutic. That makes reading in the car appealing right now, and I walk when temperature is highest. But I don’t want to directly infect anyone, so I traverse the alleys, like we Wilcoxes did during the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 lockdowns. There are many fewer face-to-face encounters.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 11, 20269:14 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Brier

My wife spotted this shorthair crossing Georgia street, as we walked on Dec. 14, 2025. Normally, I would have nabbed a full body shot. But instead of Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, I carried Pixel 10 Pro XL, for which I am less familiar. Yeah, I bungled getting the camera ready fast enough, and the cat settled behind shrubs.

Something else: I couldn’t see the screen so well in the blinding sunlight while wearing sunglasses. That’s strange, since the Google screen has greater peak brightness but lacks reflective coating that makes the Samsung smartphone shine outside.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 10, 202610:12 pm

December Dusk

My wife entered full flu today, while mine continues marginally diminished. Friends popped up everywhere wanting to help. One special friend sent lemon soup via Uber Eats; we wouldn’t let her come by to prevent viral exposure. At a distance another friend dropped by a walnut cake with cute cats card inside. Bianca and Jennifer, we are humbled and grateful.

That brief introduction brings us to another quick and easy Featured Image—once again from Pixel 10 Pro XL. Annie pointed out the incredible setting-sun sky on Dec. 29, 2025. I chose the Google smartphone over Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra because it more accurately renders colors—and without oversaturating them. Vitals: f1.7, ISO 32, 1/120 sec, 24mm (film equivalent), 5:09 p.m. PST.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 9, 20268:34 pm

Was He Naughty or Nice?

This flu holds on tenaciously, and seemingly everyone around here has it. My wife started her decline late morning. I am three days in and feeling almost as crappy tonight as the first evening. As such, I present another sickly post; something easy before early bedtime overtakes me.

Granted, Christmas is behind us. Ho. Ho. Ho. I neglected to share a special stocking for Rick, who appeared in my “Cat’s of University Heights” series in August 2021. He relocated himself from a home in an alley to a house on the street, where he is treated lavishly by the new owners and garners massive amounts of petting by passersby.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 8, 20268:42 pm

Shadow Selfie and Friend

Last night’s post is a testament to perseverance. Some variety of virus overwhelmed my immune system. Sick is an understatement—and for the first time since Christmas 2017. Today, I slept in three hours until 7:30 a.m. PST and conked out for several hours this afternoon.

Sleep sure is therapeutic. I feel better this evening, although far from normal state. I don’t take cold medicine or pain killers, choosing to let the body’s defensive mechanisms work without interference. Besides, if over-the-counter anything makes you feel better when not, the tendency is to do too much when the body needs you to slow down and rest.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 7, 20269:47 pm

Room 8 Class Antics

Yesterday, in my news feed an odd story popped up: A cat wandered into an elementary school and made himself comfortable with the kids. He returned every school day from 1952 to 1968, delighting teachers and students. They named him Room 8, because that’s where he consistently went.

One commenter to the story flagged it as Artificial Intelligence fraud because of how it was written and Room 8 nomenclature. Not even kids would choose that name, he asserted, but AI would. I must admit that the story’s sentence structure was juvenile, which could suggest AI fakery—of which there is too much.