Self-Portrait? Apr 18, 2004

I should have seen it coming. Getting this close with a camera to a wild jungle cat just wasn't a good idea. Luckily this time both the camera and I escaped unscathed — barely. Other times have been... more painful.

Jenn and I are babysitting Simba — the cat who thinks he's a god. This guy will lure you into a false sense of security by rubbing against you and then — wham! — immediately transform into 'devil-cat', attempting to chew off your hand just as you begin to pet him. His bulimic tendencies aren't the most enjoyable either..

So, how is this a self-portrait? Well, look into the reflection of his eyeball and you'll see my hand holding my camera. So maybe I'm stretching the definition of a self-portrait but given the number of attacks I endured to get this close, I wasn't willing to keep trying until I got the angle perfect. The camera barely survived this shot..