dana-martinez

Ah, a three-day weekend, and it's looking like almost wall-to-wall sunshine. Yeah! Well, yeah except that I am still caring for the baby starling, so I can't go off for a three-hour walk at my favorite reservation or beach or woods. He's growing and getting better at flying, so I'm hoping he may be off by Monday... not that I don't love my little Poopsqueak. He just needs to go be a wild bird. When he's ready, of course.

I've had the camera about a month and have taken just over 1,400 photos with it already. Not kept, mind you. I only kept a little over 300 of them. I did the math, and it's about 22%. So, if I take 100 pictures, I throw out 78 of them. Which leads to a question for you fellow photographers - what percentage of your photos would you say you keep?

Not to rush things - I like the spring and hate heat and humidity - but I was in the mood for a summer feature. Everything here is so green, from all of the rain, that even though it's coolish, it almost feels like summer.  So, I went searching for art that reminded me of summer - bikinis, bees, beaches. Fairs. Flowers. Classic cars. Oh, and green.

I spent the weekend looking after my little guy (I assume - who knows?) - he is quite the eater! (And the pooper. There is no lag time, man. He eats, he poops. Immediately. Messy messy!) I am continuing to be guided by him, and to feed him every 15-20 minutes or so, from sunup to sundown. He wakes me with his squawking at about 5 a.m. and then I put him down for the night at about 8. Unlike a human baby, he actually doesn't need to be fed during the night, or else I really wouldn't be able to hack it. I hear him scuffling now and then, but other than that, no cries for food. I went out a few times this weekend and took him with me, leaving him in the car for brief periods of time, and once actually taking him into a Chinese restaurant with me. I got some peculiar looks as I was leaving, what with the racket coming from the bag I was carrying! He's also going to work with me every day this week. I will simply tuck the cage under my desk and continue to feed him every time he pipes up. I got no choice, man - he has to eat!

Anyhow... I got my Takara Blythe doll I was waiting for from Japan on Friday, and finally got the chance to take some pictures of her today. I've been trying to make some outfits for her. I'm getting closer - they're cute and all, but don't fit her quite right.

The backstory:

When I was a kid, Blythe was my very favorite doll. She was similar to a Barbie, only her body was a bit smaller, and her head was a lot bigger. This was to accommodate her eye mechanism: When you pull the string in back of Blythe's head, her eyes click closed and open in four different colors. The original colors were pink and orange (forward) and green and blue (left and right). Blythe didn't really catch on, so Kenner only made them the one year (1972). But, like mood rings, she's made a comeback, or is at least enjoying cult status with those of us who aren't wigged out by giant eyes that change colors. Photographer Gina Garan put out a book, "This Is Blythe," of photos she took of her Blythe dolls in various settings. I am sure she is a big part of Blythe's renewed popularity. (You can check out the official This is Blythe Web site here.)

Blythe is huge in Japan and China. If you look up "Blythe" on eBay, she goes for big bucks. The originals, especially, or ones that have been skillfully "customized" by artists (special eye colors and effects, sanded faces - to reduce the shine - and custom makeup, new hair, etc., etc., etc.). My Blythe was thrown away by my mother, because I wouldn't clean out the drawer she was in - something I will never let her live down. I got "my" Blythe again some years back, but then sold her (for $700 to someone in China) because my ferret needed surgery. I just got this new Blythe, made by Takara, which go for waaaaay less than the original Kenners do. She's called "Enchanted Petal," although clearly I gotta name her something else. She's a present to myself with a piece of my stimulus check. I don't have any plans right now to customize her, but just to photograph her. I love how "expressive" these dolls are, because of their eyes. Y'all may get sick of the pictures at first (new toy! new toy!), but it's also a good opportunity to "play" with my new Sony Digital SLR A200. I joined and may make some stamps, etc.

Between the baby starling, the new doll and the first season of "Dexter" that I just bought on DVD (good God, I love that sick, twisted !), I feel like I have no life outside of my apartment!

To for featuring Emergence in her journal

... and to for featuring Soft Spring Spiral with her Favorite Fractals

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The new arrival slept through the night, then woke me up around 5 a.m. or so for a feeding. We've fallen into a comfortable routine - I keep him near me, so as to protect him from Hootie, and he rests quietly most of the time, but then will let me know when it's time for him to eat, rather than my trying to force food on him. I got some baby bird formula at the pet store, which is the easiest thing on earth to mix up, and he really likes it. He sucks down one or two eyedroppersful of the stuff and then settles back down again. I am encouraged.

To mistywisp for featuring Emergence in her journal

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I know some of you have raised baby birds you found around this time of year, so I could use your experience/advice. I have a baby starling in my car (I am about to leave work and go to a pet shop for some formula and meal worms) that I "rescued" this morning - twice. Once, from the building (they must squeeze through an opening somewhere in the roof, I caught and released an adult Wednesday), and then again, from the middle of the street, where he'd wandered off to after I left him in some bushes near where I believe his nest is. The only way he stands a chance is with me trying to feed him, but he's not liking the mush I made him. Hopefully the pet store stuff will be more to his liking. I assume I have to hang onto him until his flying feathers grow in. Any thoughts? Tips? Thank you!!

To mistywisp for featuring Emergence in her journal

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I was visitor 16,001, so I'm not sure who #16,000 was - but yay!

I had a day off today and did a lot of walking and took a lot of flower pics with the big honkin' lens (75-300mm). Jeez, I am lovin' the new camera! How ever did I live without a SLR before?? Now I just need my Blythe doll to come and I will be in heaven! (If you don't know what a Blythe doll is, you are not alone. I'll be posting some pics of her, though, when I get her, but if you can't wait, just go type in "Blythe" on eBay and you'll see what I'm talking about. They can go for big, big bucks! )

To mistywisp for featuring Emergence in her journal

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