On, Jan. 30, 2017, as my wife and I walked down the alley behind Campus Ave. approaching Madison, we spotted a frisky young kitty in a window. No way could we resist stopping to say hello to this cutie, whom I nickname Kit. I shot a half-dozen quickies using iPhone 7 Plus. I little-bit blame the bright, blinding sun for obscuring my vision and obliterating the screen for the Featured Image‘s weak composition.

The second photo gives better perspective of the window. Vitals for the closeup:  f/1.8, ISO 20, 1/833 sec, 3.99mm. The other is same except for shutter: 1/791 sec. 

Oh how he has grown! My wife and I met this fine feline and his owner several years ago, when he was a spry, scurrying, skinny kitten. The setting sun so camouflaged the short-hair that, initially, I missed him while shooting Nimbus in the adjacent alley on Jan. 14, 2017. What luck! Two portraits for the time of one!

The ginger is Watson, but let’s nickname him Cherub to match the lawn decor. The Featured Image and its companion are one in the same. The first is close-cropped, and both are straightened and edited; cropping gets me out of the picture—literally! That ain’t an apparition reflecting from the window. It’s me! The reflection is creepy, considering I shot across the yard from the sidewalk. To confirm: That’s not the face of someone sitting inside. 

My wife and I are busy bees, following the death of her dad last week. We’re cleaning out his apartment, which is as much the contents of a life—for the meaning they represent. Following some chores at home, on Jan. 14, 2017, we walked down Cleveland Ave. to Van Buren to circle back on Campus to Bob’s place. Ahead on the cross-street, white fur flashed running towards us before disappearing down an alley.

Meet the frisky feline I nicknamed Shy. He rolled around like a kitty wanting attention but deliberately kept far away from getting it. I shot the Featured Image, and its companion, at 4:35 p.m. PST, using iPhone 7 Plus second camera, to zoom. Both are straightened and tweaked. Vitals for the first: f/2.8, ISO 20, 1/235 sec, 6.6mm. The other is same except for shutter: 1/257 sec. 

Happy New Year! I am surprised there are enough furballs in the neighborhood to keep this series going, but here we are—after a month break—with the eighth consecutive beastie since Christmas. Today’s find is a […]

Willow approaches me meowing, as her housemate Roman circles behind. She is the only female among owner JoAnn’s four felines, whom I met on Christmas Day 2016, while walking down Campus Ave. from my father-in-law’s apartment.

The 65 year-old accountant describes her brood as “friendly”, and I absolutely agree. She expresses dismay at the disregard of some folks moving around the animals on the sidewalk. “People walk by and ignore the cats. How can you not want to stop?” She waves her arms: “All around you is life”. 

The third cat in JoAnn’s troupe is Roman. If you missed them, Herman and Comet are the other two of the four. I met her and the friendly furballs on Christmas Day this year. They get four hours of outdoor run-around time each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. That’s regardless of weather!

The shelter called the cat something else. “Roman I thought was such a prestigious name”, she says. “Almond was such a stupid name”. I agree, and what is there almond-like about this white kitty with distinctive tiger-stripe tail? He is eldest of her brood but least in pecking order. When giving out Christmas treats, JoAnn observes that he waits until the other animals finish before eating. 

Comet (his real name) approaches Herman on Christmas Day 2016 in a courtyard off Campus Ave. Owner JoAnn named him before his white coat took on an orange tint. The energetic feline is about one year old. She adopted him from the local shelter when a four-month kitten.

I met JoAnn and her four furballs, while walking from my father-in-law’s apartment. She gives them four hours of outdoor time, regardless of weather, each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The accountant perennially keeps the same number of cats. Comet replaced another animal hit and killed by a car. 

On Christmas Day, while walking down Campus Ave. from my father-in-law’s apartment, I spotted a kitty. Then another. And another. And another. Their owner, JoAnn, lets outside her four furballs for four hours three days a week—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. She sits in the courtyard with them, as they race around chasing and playing. Look for the others tomorrow and rest of the week.

Her favorite is Herman, who may be the cat I previously featured as Frisky. He visited me on a June Saturday across the street but down the block from JoAnn’s studio apartment. She thinks it is, although there are few identifying features in my photo.