Luna

Weekend Cat Blogging and Photo Hunt: Stripes

I had been planning to post these very cute photos of Luna in her perch at the top of the stairs for Weekend Cat Blogging, and the just happen to be perfect for this week’s Photo Hunt theme of stripes:

No need to say much here. I think Luna speaks for herself quite well through these images:

Weekend Cat Blogging #279 is being hosted by Kashim, Othello and Salome at PaulChens FoodBlog?! The are going PINK this weekend for breast cancer awareness.

Photo Hunt #234 is hosted by tnchick. This week’s theme is stripes.

The Carnival of the Cats will be up this Sunday at Mind of Mog.

And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging #278: Going Yellow

For Weekend Cat Blogging #278, we at CatSynth are GOING YELLOW in honor of Livestrong Day.

Livestrong Day sponsored by the Lance Armstrong Foundation to bring awareness of cancer and support to cancer patients and survivors across the globe.  We at CatSynth have been strangely fortunate, cancer does not seem to be common in our family.  But we are aware that it can affect anyone, and are thinking of our many friends who have lost loved ones to cancer.  There are also our close friends who have survived, and we want to think of them as well.

Yellow is not a common color here at CatSynth HQ (it really isn’t), but Luna does have at least one yellow toy in her collection, which she demonstrates for the occasion in these photos.

Several of our online cat friends, including The Cats of Wildcat Woods, Zoolatry, Life from a Cats Perspective, Ozark Mountain Cats and the Cat Blogosphere are hosting events.

The Weekend Cat Blogging #278 round-up this week is at Mind of Mog.

The Carnival of the Cats will be up this Sunday at One Cat’s Nip.

The monthly Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos will be hosted by Samantha and Clementine at Life from a Cat’s Perspective.

And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging and Photo Hunt: Natural

The theme for our combined Weekend Cat Blogging and Photo Hunt this weekend is natural. This complements a theme from a year ago, artificial. At that time, we explored the interplay of Luna’s natural beauty with her artificial surroundings. Especially in light of my recent experience with New Topographics, it seems like an appropriate subject to revisit. We often explore the interplay between Luna’s naturally curving biological body and the straight lines that dominate the art and architecture of her surrounding environment.

The patio is really our landscape. It is an artificially constructed one, but it is a space claimed by natural elements, such as the plants, Luna, the bugs she likes to hunt, the grass she tries to eat out of the flower pot…

Another bit of nature this morning, this time one that is not so welcome.

These snails were a menace in our garden when I lived in Santa Cruz where they seemed to arrive in swarms. This is the first one I have seen in our patio in San Francisco in over two years. Removing it from a cactus is not a simple task. On the plus side, it was opportunity to practice with macro shot, which is not something I usually do.

A sad note. Our friend Nirmanakaya’s Viandra (aka “Sniffie”) passed away last week. “Sniffie and Florida Furkids” have often visited and shared their thoughts with us on topics far beyond feline, and in turn we got to know a little about them. Sniffie will be missed, and our thoughts go out to her family.

Weekend Cat Blogging #277 will be hosted by Othello (with some assist from Astrid) at Paulchens FoodBlog?!

Photo Hunt #232 is hosted by tnchick.

The Carnival of the Cats will be hosted this Sunday by Nikita and Elvira at Meowsings of an Opinionated Pussycat.

And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging #276: A quiet morning

It’s a quiet, rainy morning here.  So we are just relaxing a bit.  Luna was sitting quietly on the carpet for an extended period of time, which gave me an opportunity to play with the cameras.  First, a detailed black-and-white portrait (36mm):

Next, it’s over to the iPhone camera for more fun with the Hipstamatic app:

I think both the green lens effect and the monochrome of the first image capture qualities of this morning.  So does this nice big yawn:

A quiet, moody and gray morning like this is actually welcome.  It’s an opportunity to rest and turn inward.

Weekend Cat Blogging #276 is being hosted by Patchouli and Pam at Sidewalk Shoes.

The Carnival of the Cats will be up this Sunday at When Cats Attack!

And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Preparing for tonight’s performance

I have been busily preparing for tonight’s solo performance at the Luggage Store Gallery.

Because of all the other things going on in my life and the limited time to prepare, I had to scale back a bit and keep things simple.

On the bottom row is a custom analog noise synth with chaotic elements created by Travis Johns, the iPad running Smule Magic Piano, and the monome. Above this row, there is the Dave Smith Instruments Evolver, one of my Chinese metal bells, the iPhone running a looping app that I often use called TTW2, and the MacBook running “mlr2” and other programs with the monome. I am using a few other apps that are not in the photo, including the Smule Ocarina on the iPhone, and SoundThingy and a guzheng simulator on the iPad. This may still sound complex, but each device is small and self contained, and the interconnectivity is kept to a minimum. I can pick each one up and play it while others run independently.

I am organizing the set into three major pieces. The first mixes purely electronic sounds with an old NBC broadcast of Count Basie from the 1950s. The second features the guzheng simulator with some rhythmic elements and sample loops, set against the Indian string instruments (ektar and gopichand). The third mixes the Evolver with the Ocarina on the iPhone.

One thing that I have revived after not using them for a while is the “Big Band Remotes” recordings from the Internet Music Archive. I still have a recording project I want to finish that uses them, but it also “felt right” to incorporate them into this performance.

As she often does, Luna sat down on the beanbag chair to supervise the goings on.

At night, she tends to be even more camouflaged than usual. The beanbag chair seems to slowly roll over itself over the course of time in a geological manner. The label from the bottom is starting to show at the top.

For those in the area who wish to attend the show tonight, it is at 8PM at the Luggage Store Gallery, 1007 Market Street (near 6th) in San Francisco.

Weekend Cat Blogging #275

For Weekend Cat Blogging, some more photos:

Here we see Luna in mid-step in her favorite area for morning sunshine.  I like capturing her in mid motion.  The lines and curves of her limbs match the chrome bars on the chairs.

The extreme hours at my new job have been continuing, including this weekend.  And while I like the work I’m doing, the prolonged intensity is taking its toll.  But I am noticing that it is taking a toll on Luna as well.  She is a bit more stressed, although from her relaxed poses it would be hard to notice:

Spending time with Luna and working with these images, even if only for a few minutes, is a form of relief.

As mentioned in the previous article, the Peninsula Human Society and SPCA is working to help the animal victims and their human companions who were affected by the devastating fire in the nearby town of San Bruno this Thursday. Please visit their website to find out more.

Weekend Cat Blogging #275 will be hosted by LB and Breadchick at The Sour Dough.

The Carnival of the Cats will be up this Sunday at Mind of Mog.

And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

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It is a beautiful harsh sun this morning. Sitting out the patio with coffee, reading and writing.
As I contemplate whether to go on a sort trip, Maybe for photography or highway spotting, I realize I have everything I need right here. Our industrial and concrete surroundings. The geometric shapes from the structures and the artwork. The sounds from the nearby freeway like a gentle wind or waves along the ocean. The cadence of the trains coming to a stop.

Luna provides a bit of the wild and nature. The little black panther hunting in her native habitat.

I just read an article where the author derided cats for being so close to their natural cousins and thus I’ll suited to bring pets. I instead chose to celebrate how a creature can retain parts if her wild heritage and perfectly reflect the design of artificial surroundings.

And since it is Labor Day, it seems appropriate to reflect on the recent month I spent unemployed. I already had a new job lined up for August, and I had things pretty well mapped out with a combination of music, photography, time at home, and time just taking in the city.
The first Monday, I did one of my long walks through Chinatown, North Beach and along the Embarcadero feeling far more positive and optimistic than I had in a long time. I got sick that night. I am convinced it was all the toxic aspects of my previous job leaving my body. By the next evening it had passed I was feeling as healthy as i had all year. This coincided with the start of a yoga and meditation routine for prosperity and opportunity. And those did come. Lots of musical opportunities. Three different opportunities to do collaborate on photography. I rarely left the city during this period, preferring to take in everything i could by foot or by transit until the new job would force a new routine with a daily commute and sense of bring cut off from the things that make me feel most myself.

Which brings us back to today. My body needs a break from driving. It’s more important to edit and review and select from the photos I already have than make new ones. For music, i just need to spend time playing and exploring.

So staying here seems like the right choice.

Weekend Cat Blogging #274 and Photo Hunt: Heatwave

Summer has finally arrived with a heatwave that brought even San Francisco into the mid 90s F (30s C).  And our apartment tends to get even warmer:

Luna was a bit uncomfortable in the heat, but it was a good excuse to nap (as if cats need an excuse for that).  And a napping cat is a good excuse for experimenting with the camera (such as fun with low f-stop settings):

It’s been another busy week – yes, that is a familiar phrase here at CatSynth – and I haven’t been home very much.  So I left fans running for Luna, and even a small ice pad out for her on the hottest day. I think we’re both a little tired out, physically and mentally.  But it’s a long three-day weekend, and the fog has once again returned with its calming and creative influence.  I think we will enjoy it.

Weekend Cat Blogging #274 is hosted by the handsome pair Jules and Vincent at Judi’s Mind over Matter. Jules, the black cat, often appears when we host WCB, so we’re returning the favor this week.

Photo Hunt 229 is hosted by tnchick, with the apropos theme of Hot.

The Carnival of the Cats will be hosted this Sunday by Kashim, Othello and Salome.

The monthly Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos will be hosted by Nikita and Elvira at Meowings of an Opinionated Pussycat.

And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.