Tag: Galaxy S25 Ultra

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 22, 20269:43 pm

A Total Loss

A series of squatter fires has culminated in the near destruction of the last house among the derelict cottages located on Georgia Street across from Kindred Hospital. In June 2021, Georgy joined my “Cats of University Heights” series. She lived with her owners in one of the residences—before being rehomed, following their renoviction.

Later becoming what I called squatter villas, the buildings burned partially here and there over the course of several years. Yesterday morning, another fire gutted the front building that had been the most intact. Presumably, homeless folk seeking to stay warm or cook food started all the blazes.

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 20, 20268:56 pm

Adventures in Girl Scouting

You choose. Is it the law of unintended consequences or some adult’s backhanded commentary? Take a long, hard look at the Featured Image—enlarge it! That is a skeleton selling Girl Scout Cookies.

One purposeful or unintended interpretation: The Girl Scouts are dead. Several scandals have tarnished the image, as have accusations against the cookies. For sure, someone could argue that Girl Scouts is dead to what it was.

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 19, 20268:26 pm

When Trouble Rains, It Pours

San Diego County is wet again as would be typical for this time of year. The unseasonably dry, pleasant weather disappeared this week. As recently as February 9, the high temperature in my neighborhood of University Heights reached 28 degrees Celsius (82 Fahrenheit). Today: 14 C (58 F). Some sun early day surrendered to torrential rainfall by mid-afternoon.

The turnaround caused hardship for one of my neighbors, who rang the doorbell around 3:30 p.m. PST. He asked for a ride to his car, which spun out of control on the slick asphalt into a ditch. He expected a tow truck in about 45 minutes (yeah AAA). What perplexed me: Why wasn’t he with the vehicle? Meaning: How did he get home?

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 13, 202610:45 pm

I See a Lucky Day

Some people are superstitious about Friday the 13th; they see an unlucky day. I juxtapose them, by regarding it the luckiest day of the year. Two-thousand-twenty-six is the harbinger of good fortune: Three, count them, three Friday the 13ths—one in March and another in November.

That’s one of the ways I see the world. For years my personal motto was “Why not?” It’s the question to ask whenever someone stops because of perceived barrier. For example, “I can’t go to school today”. Well, why not?

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 12, 20269:09 pm

Cali on My Knee

What’s a good cure for clutter? Bokeh! Tortoiseshell Cali sits on my lap in a quickie portrait made yesterday using Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. In the blurred background is my makeshift workspace, with Casabelle Mail Center as a desk alongside six-tier bookcase. I purchased the Casabelle from the now defunct Pier 1 Imports in early 2016. Our daughter may visit soon, compelling self-eviction from my home office for her. The new space is messy, and I am relieved you can make out only the kitty. She is quite the lap cat, and demanding about it, too.

I first encountered Cali on June 4, 2014, shortly after moving our daughter into a house she rented with other coeds nearby San Diego State University. Overnight, Cali would squeeze through an open sliding door and crawl into Molly’s bed. The tortie’s ownership would be disputed over the summer months that followed, and she somehow came to belong to our daughter.

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 6, 20269:38 pm

Grandby Gone Bye-Bye

On Jan. 26, 2026, as I walked along the alley separating Louisiana and Mississippi, while talking to one of my sisters on the phone, a man asked if I had a forklift. He smiled big, indicating the question was rhetorical and serious.

I briefly interrupted the conversation with Nanette to engage him, and the woman working with him. I assumed they were married or otherwise coupled. He explained the need: Removal of a camper top from the back of a pickup truck. Alternate plan: Tie ropes to the topper and pull off the contraption.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 29, 20269:04 pm

Getting Good Graffiti

Last Summer, I started seeing sophisticated graffiti splash upon utility boxes across University Heights. My mistake. The San Diego village commissioned local artists to dress up the boxes, and so they did to about 51 of them.

The Featured Image and first companion catch artists at work on a box located near the intersection of Florida Street and El Cajon Blvd. Both photos come from Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, on Aug. 17, 2025. Vitals, first: f/3.4, ISO 32, 1/500 sec, (synthetic) 230mm (digital and optical zoom); 3:02 p.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 26, 20269:45 pm

A Simple Sentiment

The last week marks a visible atmospheric mood change here in University Heights. For example, some of the more obviously patriotic homes have turned their flying flags upside down, joining this one seen in March of 2025 that hasn’t changed direction. These are people who had appeared to support Donald Trump, but who oppose his administration’s immigration enforcement tactics, among other things.

But there is something else going on locally that has residents complaining and protesting. Earlier this month, San Diego implemented paid parking at Balboa Park, which is widely unpopular among the locals and has dramatically reduced attendance to the destination and the museums within. According to San Diego Union-Tribune, museum attendance is down 20 percent to 50 percent. Annual revenue declines are projected to be between $20 million to $50 million, which is far greater than what the city hoped to generate from paid parking.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 25, 20269:37 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Mau

I was ready to accept this tabby as Donuts, who I hadn’t seen for years. But soon after I shot the Featured Image, someone opened a door and stepped out onto a landing. Without being called, the cat raced up the stairs to a second-floor apartment—not the house a few doors down where Donuts lived.

I used Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra to shoot this portrait, today. Vitals: f/3.4, ISO 32, 1/320 sec, (synthetic) 230mm (digital and optical zoom); 3:11 p.m. PST. The shorthair’s pose makes me think stone sculptures from an ancient Egypt. So I chose the nickname accordingly: Mau, which is Egyptian for cat.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 24, 20269:24 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Teacup

Happy Caturday! We take another break from the backlog to present the one-hundred-forty-fourth feline found behind door or window since the series‘ start in October 2016.

The Featured Image comes from Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra on Dec. 7, 2025. Vitals: f/3.4, ISO 50, 1/800 sec, (synthetic) 230mm (digital and optical zoom); 10:29 a.m. PST. Location: Unknown because GPS metadata mysteriously wasn’t collected. Nickname Teacup was chosen for no particular reason.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 23, 20268:38 pm

When Less is More

When Twiggs shuttered both locations—Park Blvd in University Heights, Adams Ave in North Park—in October 2023, many locals, me included, were blindsided. The coffee shops operated for about three decades successfully—granted, changing owners several times and more recently a few years before the sudden end.

New shops replaced both storefronts. The one on Park simply took over the space, with so little changes that one might not realize that Twiggs ever went away. But over on Adams, the new coffee shop is a complete makeover. The change isn’t just dramatic; the place stands apart from every other coffee shop in the five-community locales of Kensington, Hillcrest, Normal Heights, North Park, and University Heights.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 22, 20267:13 pm

Little Library for Justice

This post is not a commentary on immigration enforcement, ICE raids, or the troubles in Minnesota. Emotions are so piqued and polarized, any meaningful discussion seems pointless. I observe that people either oppose or support ICE actions—vehemently, with little middle ground for meaningful discussion.

However, the Featured Image is meant to present passive resistance as manifested in my San Diego neighborhood of University Heights. The sign on the Little Free Library speaks for itself. Look lower left and you will see hanging the last whistle. Half a minute earlier, ahead of me, a woman walking her dog took the second-to-last one.