Tag: San Diego

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 26, 20249:44 pm

Lily Pads No More

What makes a place historical? I ask because of the Featured Image, showing a sign which you can read and then try to answer. If the frog pond still existed, still stocked more than 120 years later, now that would be noteworthy. But, as you can see, stone wall is all that really remains—dirt filled, covered with grass. Remove the signage and who would ever guess what was?

Often enough, I have walked by this thing, here in my neighborhood of University Heights, and had assumed it to be a deliberately designed structure to slow traffic along a very residential street. I never imagined that the thing predated cars and had other meaning.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 25, 20249:38 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Aurora

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.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 21, 20249:27 pm

Pretty Poppy

The calendar hanging on our refrigerator correctly designates April 22 as Earth Day. I consider the celebration to be a year-long event. Our celestial home deserves more than 24 hours out of the 8,760 during a typical year.

So, commemorating today before you do tomorrow, I present the Featured Image, taken because of the California Poppy’s color. Unfortunately, breeze blew by just as I clicked the camera’s shutter, so point of focus isn’t exactly where intended but close enough.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 20, 20249:58 pm

This is No Fairy Tale

Third weekend of the month means the book sale room is open at my local San Diego Public Library branch (University Heights). My wife and I stopped briefly by, but we didn’t stay long. The crazies, as I call them, are all over the place on Saturday mornings, loading up massive amounts of books into bags and boxes.

Based on the choices, such as physical condition, the early birds appear to be buying books to resell. (Can you say Amazon?) We checked out with two DVDs for Annie and one Aesop’s Fables for me behind some dude paying more than $90—at standard price of buck-a-book, the number is obvious.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 18, 20249:51 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Jux

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.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 15, 20249:32 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Jot

This isn’t the way to clear up the beastie backlog—sharing a feline find from yesterday. My wife spotted the grey as we walked along the Cleveland Ave. overlook towards Campus. The shorthair is neither Blue nor Blue Too, both of which lived nearby and who joined the series in November 2016.

The Featured Image comes from Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Vitals: f/3.4, ISO 64, 1/120 sec, (synthetic) 230mm (digital and optical zoom); 10:16 a.m. PDT. Composed as shot.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 14, 20249:39 pm

Fortnight Lilies

Being bored while our ginger Neko explored the apartment building courtyard late afternoon, I pulled out Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and turned it to some of the fortnight lilies lounging in the center space. The Featured Image and companion are among a total of seven captures.

Vitals: f/2.2, ISO 50, 1/240 sec, 13mm (film equivalent); 4:59 p.m. PDT. The other is same but 1/300 sec, one-minute earlier. Both photos are composed as shot and straight from the smartphone; no edits.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 13, 20249:08 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Guy

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.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 12, 20248:57 pm

He Delivers

If the Featured Image confuses you, don’t despair. Explanation is necessary, but also see if you can capture the gist of the illusion: That little Big Boy is delivering a juicy burger to a parked car.

This technically is a failed photo, but one I refused to abandon. On March 20, 2024, I walked by a closed barber shop on Park Blvd in San Diego neighborhood Hillcrest. Big Boy, and a Magic 8 Ball next to him, could be seen inside. That restaurant symbol is iconic; I pulled out Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for two quick shots.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 11, 202411:18 pm

The Festive Palm

We return to “The Menacing Palm” for what should have been a festive visit. His other guises include: “Be Mine“, “Hungry Bunny“, and “The Patriotic Palm“. But when attempting to write this post, I couldn’t access my website, for reason to be determined.

Chrome and Edge served up error: “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN”, which is a fancy way of saying that the domain cannot be resolved. The problem can be generated locally on the computer or elsewhere. Online, at my provider’s admin site, I found no apparent problems with hosting, so I presumed the problem must be with my laptop. But the obvious thing wasn’t the cause.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 10, 202410:01 pm

Mutt Masterpiece(s)

This afternoon, while walking along an alley in our neighborhood of University Heights, my wife expressed delight seeing some dog art hanging from a fence door. I initially passed by the display, then thought that her reaction deserved acknowledgement.

So I pulled out Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and took four quickies of varying compositions. The Featured Image is the best for presenting singly. Vitals: f/1.7, ISO 12, 1/1050 sec, 23mm (film equivalent); 2:18 p.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 9, 20249:23 pm

Mail Heist in University Heights

Crime is on the rise in San Diego. News reports, social media posts, and street talk among neighbors all spotlight an increasing trend. Porch pirates are commonplace. Shoplifters compel retailers to lock up sundry staples like batteries and toothpaste. Armed robberies, burglaries, and debit card skimming also appear to be on the rise.

So I suppose today’s incident here in University Heights shouldn’t surprise anyone. Late morning, my wife and I walked over to a parallel street, where we came upon a police car and our mail carrier speaking with someone who turned out to be his supervisor. Busted window and glass on the pavement revealed what happened.