Tag: San Diego

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 WilcoxFeb 1, 20269:53 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Chestnut

The owner of Bruce either spotted him or his doppelgänger the other night. He vanished over Memorial Day weekend 2023, and she and others have sought him since. He was an extremely popular cat, who was best known for his quirky personality, bowties, and walks with his caretaker and her dog.

Could Bruce really be alive and living a few blocks from his home territory? The supposed sighting occurred on historically-designated Shirley Ann Place—a street I loathe and generally avoid. There is a perpetual cultural/political war over there that manifests in the signage and other yard accouterments. As such, the street has a negative vibe. I see it, feel it, and am repulsed by it.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 30, 20269:45 pm

The (Honorary) Cats of University Heights: Whimsy

I often wish for the simpler days of Leica Q or Q2. One camera and one great lens. Versatile, compatible RAW files (DNG). Image quality so sharp that close-cropping substitutes for telephoto lens. But in December 2024, I switched platforms and returned to the world of swappable lenses.

I seriously considered holding out for the then rumored Fujifilm GFX100RF. Like the Q series, the digicam is built around a single lens with leaf shutter—and it’s medium format, which I came to really love when shooting the Fujifilm GFX 50R. Everything about the rangefinder’s ergonomics and high IQ checked my benefits boxes. But the 50R was so big that it scared off animals and people, so I let it go. The 100RF should have been the ideal follow-on, but it shipped later than I needed and the massive file sizes are logistically unappealing.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 28, 20269:19 pm

The Golden Arches

Let’s stay a day longer on the food theme. The University Heights McDonald’s is located at El Cajon Blvd and Texas Street. While walking along the Boulevard this afternoon, I looked back to see the Golden Arches framed by nearby trees—and I happened to be carrying along Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens.

I took two shots, being concerned that the first suffered from shutter shock. This is a new problem that fresh habits will fix over time. I had previously used Fuji X100 series cameras and more recently Leica Q and Q2—all of which rely on leaf shutters that are virtually silent and vibration-free. As such, I am too quick pressing the shutter and moving along.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 27, 20269:12 pm

You can Resist!

I don’t long for sweets like days gone by. Thirteen years ago in July, I radically changed my diet by vastly cutting carbohydrates and reducing added sugars to a nearly immeasurable amount. My health improved, my weight dropped, and I avoided diabetes; my doctor had been ready to put me on an insulin regime. Not necessary.

Discipline and self-control are possible, and I say that to everyone who wants a lifestyle of having your cake and eating it, too. You can’t have both. Eat your cake, or donut, and there will be consequences to your health. I love pasta, for example, and consumed it heartedly. I gave it up. You can, too.

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 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.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 19, 202610:09 pm

Bodacious Bather

Sometimes you can’t let a bad photo go. Focal point is not on the bird, because of my clumsiness handling the autofocus. I was rushed after seeing the predator swoop down for a refreshing dip and drink at the water puddle.

I used some of Lightroom’s detail editing tech to recover as much clarity as the tools and my skills could accomplish; no AI fakery. The close-cropped Featured Image comes from Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens on Dec. 16, 2025. Vitals: f/6.3, ISO 200, 1/500 sec, 200mm; 10:45 p.m. PST.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 18, 20269:48 pm

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.