A massive backlog of unpublished putty-tats should be good reason not to neglect them. But, alas, call me guilty of ignoring these fine felines. There are so many, going back so far in time, careful review is required—or one might appear twice.
This lovely Calico isn’t the oldest kitty in the queue, but she is aways back. I used Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra to capture the Featured Image, on Jan. 13, 2024. Vitals: f/4.9, ISO 50, 1/800 sec, 230mm (film equivalent); 2:01 p.m. PST.
They buried my father’s body, today, at a cemetery in Woodland, Maine. Mourners moved on to the local church that he attended, for a service celebrating his life. The event was broadcast live to a members-only Facebook group. My account is self-suspended, thankfully. I didn’t watch.
Before posting, I decided to remove the remaining paragraphs of this missive that explain the last sentence of the previous paragraph. Let the dead, or their memory, rest in peace.
I am uncertain how far into the past the backlog goes, but today’s putty-tat could be oldest in queue. I used Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra to shoot the Featured Image and companions on Oct. 23, 2023. Vitals: f/4.9, ISO 50, 1/800 sec, 230mm (film equivalent); 5:12 p.m. PDT. Initially, I delayed sharing, hoping to get a name for the Calico. Waiting is over.
You are looking at the one-hundredth-one kitty seen along Alabama Street, somewhere between boundaries Adams and Lincoln, since the series‘ start in October 2016. That would be out of 581 profiles, including this one.
Last night, I noticed that Microsoft had updated the Windows 11 Photos app, adding some artificial intelligence chops. I used some of these capabilities to modify the Featured Image, which is composed as shot.
Before continuing that discussion, an editorial note: Finally we return to the kitty backlog; Dec. 17, 2023. Okay, resuming the topic: An object to the left would have identified location, so I used Photos’ new Generative Erase to remove the thing; three tries, by the way. I then used the Background Brush Tool to blur the left pane, which juxtaposes the sharp glass reflection to the right that somewhat obscures the cat.
What about this one apartment that it attracts owners of ginger/orange putty-tats? Before Guy (real name), August called the place home and Penny before her. The newer resident is the the one-hundred-twenty-eighth feline found behind door or window, since the series‘ start in October 2016.
Unless I miscounted, Guy is the one-hundredth kitty from Alabama Street, somewhere between boundaries Adams and Lincoln. While the number is high compared to anywhere else in the neighborhood, it increases much slower than, say, 12 to 18 months ago. Residential turnover in that part of the neighborhood favors Bay Area and Los Angeles transplants, who tend to be dog owners.
What a Leap Day treat: Two of the squawkers that flap around the neighborhood perched atop the building next door. I pulled out Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and captured the Featured Image and companion. Both are pseudo-10x zoom; the camera combines 5x-optical lens and digital wizardry to mimic what the S23 Ultra could achieve totally optically.
Vitals: f/3.4, ISO 32, 1/320 sec, (synthetic) 230mm (digital and optical zoom); 5:10 p.m. PST, today. The other is same but 1/310 sec. Both photos are composed as shot. I must admit that the 10x renders are as good as or better than what would come from Galaxy S23 Ultra.
I don’t know why, but this thing gives me the willies. Nov. 5, 2023, while walking along El Cajon in the University Heights, I passed a mounted photo lying on the sidewalk beside ill-named BLVD North Park. Presumably, that’s a shadow selfie shot somewhere else.
The Featured Image comes from Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Vitals: f/2.4, ISO 800, 1/30 sec, 70mm (film equivalent); 7:39 p.m. PST. The sun set at 4:54 p.m., and evening’s darkness had fully arrived. This photo benefits from ambient building light and the smartphone’s night shooting capabilities.
As part of the settlement of a class-action lawsuit, San Diego will no longer enforce overnight parking laws that restrict where some vehicles can park. The prohibition has burdened people sleeping in RVs and vans, particularly, with costly tickets or tows.
Section 86.0139 of the San Diego Municipal Code states: “It is unlawful for any person to park or leave standing upon any public street, park road, or parking lot, any oversized vehicle, non-motorized vehicle, or recreational vehicle between the hours of 2:00 am and 6:00 am”.
On just one walk over the weekend, I added three more putty-tats to the backlog of the unpublished. If I rightly recall, the queue reaches back to at least June of last year. This fine feline was more recently photographed: Jan. 9, 2024.
The Featured Image comes from Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Vitals: f/4.9, ISO 50, 1/1800 sec, 230mm (film equivalent); 1:28 p.m. PST; somewhere along Howard Ave. For commanding presence and basking in the sun, this stout tabby earns nickname Blaze. He (or she) is the the one-hundred-twenty-sixth kitty found behind door or window.
I first photographed today’s feline on Jan. 7, 2023, using Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. But on examination, some guy’s beefy arm could be seen inside the window behind, left of the animal. I thought best not to use that one until remembering Samsung’s Generative AI photo editing, which is available in the Gallery app on S24 Ultra.
The results are scary remarkable. I selected the full frame of the window pane to the left of the cat and let the tool do its thing. Result: Perfectly placed full reflection of the car. Whoa. Wonderful. Icky. Vitals, for the Featured Image: f/4.9, ISO 40, 1/640 sec, 230mm (film equivalent); 11:10 a.m. PST.
The backlog of unpublished cats bulges, so we need to spit them out. We start with one that I refrained from posting because he possibly is a second-sighting, but I am not certain—and the portrait is a good one.
I spotted this fine feline somewhere on Campus, Oct. 17, 2023, and used Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra to capture the Featured Image, which is presented as shot; no edits, no crop. Vitals: f/4.9, ISO 50, 1/400 sec, 230mm (film equivalent); 12:34 p.m. PDT.
Time is way overdue for me to return to a topic started Dec. 23, 2021, when ordering lightbulbs. The Philips LEDs could not be shipped to California by Amazon. Apparently some bulbs are state sanctioned, while others are considered to be hazardous to human health (what isn’t in the Golden State) and thus prohibited.
I eventually found approved Philips LEDs and ordered two variations from separate sellers. Opening the boxes, the 14-watters stated that they were “certified to California Title 20”. As for the others, please take a close look at the Featured Image: “Not for sale in California”. Yikes! I was an unintentional lawbreaker.