My comfortable Pets

First up is Hoppy. She’s around 13 and only has three legs but she’s a fast mover. In the past she didn’t mind the cold but now she likes to avoid it.

A cat on a bed looking at the camera

Here’s Mommy Cat. She’s Hoppy’s mom.

She’s around 16 as best we can guess, as she was around for a few years before she brought her kittens in to us.

For years, she would never come into the house, but now she spends 99% of the day inside, asleep. She doesn’t go any further than the garden now.

We can’t touch her as she’ll take a swipe at us if we do, but we still love her.

A chihuahua in a bed looking at the camera

Then there’s Diego, our chihuahua. He was 8 this year. A middle aged dog with a special diet and who absolutely loves cuddles.

The cats and him sort of ignore each other, but if the cats get a treat, Diego makes sure that we know he wants one too.

It’s so very cold outside but Hoppy, Mommy Cat and Diego are inside in the warmth and putting up with me taking photos of them.


Apertureƒ/2.8
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length24mm
ISO20000
Shutter speed1/60s

Get Tsingtao Beer in San Francisco!

Walking down a street in San Francisco and this sign for Tsingtao Beer caught my eye.

This was taken in 2007, during an Automattic meetup, which later became known as a Grand Meetup. In 2007, the company was so small, it wasn’t so Grand, but it was Great!


Apertureƒ/4
CameraCanon EOS 20D
Focal length10mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/100s

A Garda car in the rain

A Garda car speeds past with lights flashing outside Trinity in Dublin a few weeks back. Rain made the evening miserable, but I had an umbrella and there were still loads of people about.


Apertureƒ/2.8
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length24mm
ISO12800
Shutter speed1/160s

The Ferris Wheel and the Crystal Ball

The Ferris wheel on Grand Parade in Cork on a freezing December evening. The whole scene is twisted upside down in a small crystal ball.

Thanks Henry for all the help, and the crystal ball!


Apertureƒ/18
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length38mm
ISO100
Shutter speed3.2s

RIP Kirstie Alley

Kirstie Alley waiting to sign books at Borders in Chicago, surrounded by staff and security

I saw this morning that Kirstie Alley passed away last night at the age of 71. She was great in Cheers, but I barely remember Veronica’s Closet and I’m not familiar with her roles in other shows.

In 2005, my wife and I were in Chicago, and we happened to go into a Borders bookshop there. Kirstie Alley was signing copies of her book upstairs, and a pretty good crowd had gathered. I declined to buy the book but got a few photos of what happened, even though I think staff were unsure of why I was there.

This was 2005, 2 years before the iPhone, and the only other person recording the event was somebody with a big camcorder. No selfies with the celebrity, either!


Apertureƒ/5.6
CameraCanon EOS 20D
Focal length300mm
ISO1600
Shutter speed1/100s