I’m sorry that we’re not around as much. Life is a case of hurry up and wait. I’m still busily going through stuff and donating or dumping and we still don’t know how long we’ll be in this apartment. At this rate it could be one month or another year (I hope not).
The NWS is predicting rain for Easter. While I don’t want the egg hunts rained out, we desperately need it. Our governor has imposed strict water regulations on us. This is great and much needed. However, he managed to leave agriculture unregulated along with the water bottlers. All the regulations in the world won’t help unless they are included. No matter. Lastech and I are doing our share and cutting every gallon that we can manage. We’re hoping for rain in spite of Easter.
Grace commented in our last post asking about photo editors. I decided to include a couple of links. The one I used last week was BeFunky. I used “underpainting” with a few adjustments. Another one that I like a lot is Pixlr Express. It has some fun settings to work with. Last, but not least is iPiccy. I use this one mostly for adding text to my photos. The text section is easier to work with than on the other two. All three are free to use. You can pay to upgrade and get more options, but I’m content to stick with the free stuff.
Now for the pointy eared people. I didn’t use any of the above programs this week as Lastech got some good shots.
Tito hunting for a toyMiss Jenny looking so very lovelyTitanescu with a somewhat relaxed stinkeye
As you know, I’m constantly complaining about the housing crisis here in San Francisco. Every so often some joker posts a funny Craigslist ad in response to it. I’m usually late to the party, but I found this one this morning while I was researching apartment listings. I’m posting the screenshot as the post will wind up being pulled anyway. Have a giggle. Click on the pic for the larger version.
Ok, it’s not that artistic. However, this is what you do when the pics are substandard or the backgrounds just really suck.
I found it hard to get enthusiastic this week as the the news was just awful. First there’s a plane crash and then Indiana makes their attempt at taking us back to the Jim Crow era. I’m happy to see the blow back on Indiana. Warning to all bigots: I believe in equal rights for EVERYONE. Yep, I mean everyone. If you operate a business in order to serve the public, then you should NOT get to choose which public you serve. I may not be fond of Mayor Lee, but I was happy to see our city announce a boycott. I hope it sends a message to other states trying the same thing.
Ok, now that I’m done ranting, it’s time for the pointy eared people to shine. 🙂
The poor kitties. I’m glad we have Feliway. I’ve been moving furniture. Most of the furniture is going away, but I’m doing it in stages. The pointy eared people are not amused. However, they ARE happy that I put the cat tower by the window.
As for Lastech and I, our 11th anniversary was on Thursday. Due to his work hours and my thrashing about the apartment, we snuck out on Wednesday evening to celebrate with some good diner food. I had a burger, fries and a real milkshake. Lastech had a Reuben. Then we went to Sutro Heights Park to walk it off.
That was our week. Now it’s time for the pointy eared people to shine.
Miss Jenny looking lovelyTito getting scritches from dadTitanescu watching over his domain
Lastech posted this vid on my Facebook wall. I love it so much I have to post it here. There are quite a few versions of this dancing bird out there, but this is my favorite. The Brazilian music is perfect.
I’m still working furiously to get rid of all unnecessary “stuff”. However, we succumbed and got the kitties a new blankie that came with a stuffed sheep. The pointy eared people like it. 🙂
Tito with the sheep. He’s making biscuits on the new blankieThis is Tito after the excitement hiding in the blanket fortMiss Jenny testing the blanket and the sheepMiss Jenny likes it! Do take note of that stinkeye that is attempting a photobomb.This is Titanescu on the doll bed and he’s not giving us the stinkeye…for once.
And now, here’s some regrettably vertical video of an adorable husky puppy.
One of the creepiest places I ever set foot in, other than Alcatraz, was an abandoned animal research facility on the Peninsula. Besides the stainless steel surfaces and sinks, the scarred tiles and dissection room drains, it was the smell which made some guys’ hair stand on their neck. Nowadays, the place is loaned to Bay Area police departments to practice room clearing with blank ammunition. As to Alcatraz itself, much of its creepiness has to do with the location I think, sitting as it does between San Francisco’s touristic waterfront and Angel Island State Park. The notion of keeping people in tiny concrete cages in the midst of paradise.
On a lighter note, one of the first things we discovered upon arrival was jellybeans.
Understandably, the parts of Alcatraz we were most interested in were closed off to the public, such as the old military parade grounds, taken over by migratory birds. From where we stood, however, we could only see and hear the ubiquitous Seagulls, permanent squatters in more and more places around the bay. Starting at the dock where visitors get dropped off, the ascent towards the main prison building is relatively steep, but worth walking, rather than riding up in the wagons shuttling people to and from.
Building 64 is the oldest building on the Alcatraz. It was housing that was built over the top of the army barracks which had been there since the 1860s.
Provided you come on the earliest tour, before 9 am, walking enables you to take in sights more fully and take the occasional picture without getting photo bombed as the island gets pretty crowded with tourists before noon. Most buildings on Alcatraz share much of their visual appeal with other local examples of 19th century institutional architecture found at the Presidio, on Angel Island and Fort Point, to name a few.
The old Post Exchange burned during the Native American occupation of Alcatraz in the 70s.Broken window in the New Industries buildingThe morgue
The prison’s buildings also appear more dilapidated, enhancing the haunted feeling many visitors feel. The warden’s house only retains four walls and the fireplace, for instance, but is positively cheerful, compared to the cell blocks, and especially the few cells dedicated to solitary confinement. The only time these cells were lit was when they were unoccupied.
The prison as seen from the exercise yardPrison windowBill Baker, a former inmate was there selling his book. If you click on his name, it will take you to an interesting article about him.
There is currently an art exhibit offered for free on Alcatraz, by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. Part of the exhibit is on display in the prison’s hospital which is usually closed to the public.
With Wind by Ai Weiwei
This means we got to see more on this trip than most visitors usually get to take in.
An audio tour is available once you enter the main prison building: a recorder is handed to you free of charge, with headphones. Sadly, this means people walk about following the recording’s directions, sometimes stopping abruptly in groups, by this cell, or that, blocking doors and hallways.
Solitary, in cell block DThe hospital, normally closed to visitorsThe hospitalWheelchair in the hospital
At some point in the near future, we will return to the Island, this time for a night tour of Alcatraz, in hopes to experience and capture something different.
Meanwhile we hope you enjoy these images…
The Prison. We didn’t take as many pics inside the prison as it was so awfully crowded.
@Large, is the name of the Weiwei exhibition. The link will take you the website with great descriptions and meanings of the various exhibits.
@Large turns Alcatraz into a space for dialogue about how we define liberty and justice, individual rights and personal responsibility. In artworks that balance political impact with aesthetic grace, the exhibition directly and imaginatively addresses the situation of people around the world who have been deprived of their freedom for speaking out about their beliefs — people like Ai himself.
These are the photos taken everywhere else on the island. The gardens have been lovingly restored by scores of volunteers. The bulk of the garden photos are from the prisoner’s garden adjacent to the exercise yard.
Well, another Caturday has rolled around and the pointy eared people have exhibited weirdness. Ok, they’re cats. Cats always exhibit weirdness. 🙂
Titanescu trying to mix a stinkeye with a hypnotic stareTito calling the mother ship
Now here is a vid from my favorite animal shelter, Best Friends in Kanab, Utah.
I STILL don’t have the Alcatraz pics up. Today, that will be my mission. Instead of getting rid of stuff today, I’m going to finish sorting photos. In my defense, there are a LOT of photos. I’ll post our favorites and the rest will be put into a couple of slideshows. I’m hoping to have the post up by tomorrow evening at the latest.
Yes, it’s Caturday and I’m surprised I even have some pictures to post. Given the fact that we are reducing the amount of “stuff” in the apartment and getting rid of furniture too, it’s hard to get nice pics of the kitties. The bookcases are mostly empty with the books either donated or packed away. I have boxes everywhere. I’m making great headway though. 🙂 I’m going to add some sunrise pics to the mix today as I’m still working on the Alcatraz post.
Soooooooo, since it’s Caturday, here are the pointy eared people. Hopefully none of the these are repeats.
The amazing Miss JennyTitanescu on the doll bedTito with his mousie toySleeping beauties
Now for a few sunrise pics. We went out to Aquatic Park and it turned out to be a rather nice morning. I used the Canon and got the vivid orange photos. Lastech used his phone and got the more delicate colors. As before, I really love both.
View of the Transamerica building from a hilltop by Rudha-anCloseup of Coit Tower by Rudha-anCoit Tower by Rudha-anCoit, bird and boat by Rudha-anPastels by LastechShip by LastechMore pastels by Lastech
This week, our trail of jellybeans stretched over the water to Alcatraz, and beyond, to Mars and the Moon. Well, as close as we could get that is, the Nasa Ames research center in Mountain View.
The old parade ground on Alcatraz. There are no people permitted there as it’s seabird nesting seasonModel of the milky way at the Nasa Ames visitor center.
More on these adventures later, as we’ll be spending this Caturday out of town again, this time to look at travel trailers, alternate, mobile ways of reducing our footprint while increasing our reach.
Meanwhile, here are the furry heroes once more…
Titanescu using Tito as a pillow. Tito didn’t mind.Titanescu using Miss Jenny as a pillow. She didn’t mind either
And here’s a good vid from Simon’s Cat that I should have posted last week.
Yes, it’s Valentines Day. For us, it’s just Caturday. Lastech will go to work (12 hr shift) and I’ll thrash my way through the kitchen getting rid of more “stuff”. Oh, but we did well this week: we hauled a very large load to Goodwill and I’ll have another large load soon. The food processor and bread machine went away. I prefer to make my bread by hand anyway. 🙂
Tito is being his usual enthusiastic love bug while Jenny has been coming out of her shell a bit more. As to Titanescu, despite the rise in temperatures, he spends most of his nights with us, hugging a leg or an arm tightly. We’ve started to nickname him Cuddles. Out of earshot, naturally.
Next week, we will be heading across the Golden Gate to check out trailers, take an early morning trip to Alcatraz, and drive down to Mountain View’s Shoreline bird sanctuary.
Now it’s time for the pointy eared people. We may not be celebrating Valentine’s, but the furkids have some love in their eyes.
Tito looking loveyMiss Jenny and her baby bluesEven Titan gave his stinkeye a rest for once.
Just another day at the park…
We were at the park recently and the girls were out
Our fur friend, Henry Hobson (left) and his littermate Chloe de Chanel (right) are celebrating their 7th birthday today. Henry gave us all a terrible scare last year when he managed to get out of the house. He was missing for days and days and was finally spotted wayyyyyyy up a tree. When he came down, his mom was finally able to coax him out of the bushes and take him home. He was a tad thin and skinned up from the tree, but otherwise he was ok. Now he spends his time indoors with his beloved toy, Mr. Snakels. Henry’s sister Chloe is a real beauty. Note to Henry’s mom: If you click on the photo, it will take you to the full size and you can copy it from there easily. Thank you for letting me play with their pics. 🙂
Happy Birthday to Henry Hobson and Chloe!
As for the pointy eared people, their pics have more of a Noir feel about them.
Titan without a stinkeye. Amazing.Miss Jenny in a calm momentTito looking downright silly
Now for something a bit absurd. Last July we wrote about the rare and elusive Golden Gate Bawk-Bawk in a post titled Cock up at the park. Given that there is a coyote den nearby, we didn’t think they would last long. We were wrong. In July there were two. Now there are four.
I couldn’t get all four birds in the frame, but here are two of themHere’s a closeup. They are remarkably healthy and roosting in the shrubbery.
Sadly, I can’t read the word “shrubbery” with hearing the voice of the Knights who say Ni.
Final note: If you scroll down past this post, you will see some sunrise photos from earlier in the week.
