Blog of Talmage 2003/5

Some people think that Bill Gates looks like me.

New pictures

Please look in the Picture Gallery for some scans of contact proof sheets from the first two rolls of T-Max 100 I ran through my new 6x9 camera last week. The scans are of poor quality in part because I didn't clean the scanner and in part because the photographer isn't consistent in exposure. He promises to get better.

Of historical interest are the pictures of Walter Brett and his wife. They came from an old, Kodak folding camera that used 620 film. They were taken in the 1950s or 1960s, I think, and they remained in the camera until a couple of years ago when I stupidly removed them from the camera. Also stupidly, I let them sit around the house until I had them developed this week. Only two pictures survived. The rest were fogged beyond repair.

Here's one of Kim from the gallery. Kim smiles

posted at 12:16:00 # comment [] trackback []

2003-05-14

New camera!

I bought my new camera on Sunday. I got the Fuji GW690 III that I mentioned a couple of months ago. (See I'm selling my gold pocket watch). It was harder to find than I expected because Fuji discontinued it about four months ago. I was lucky to find one used at ACE Photo in Sterling, VA.

I'm pretty excited about it. I hope to finish my first roll of T-MAX 100 tonight or tomorrow and take it to Black & White on Friday. Watch this space for a proof sheet.

By the way, my pocket watch is still for sale.

posted at 15:46:08 # comment [] trackback []

2003-05-13

I am the love child of Jon Bon Jovi and Mariah Carey

lovechild4
YOU ARE THE LOVECHILD OF JON BON JOVI AND MARIAH
CAREY!

Which Celebrity Lovechild Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

I blame Liz for this. She found the lovechild test. I don't know why I play these quizzes. I've found out that I am French (see Apparently, I am French.) and what kind of anime boobs I have. Some things are better not to know.

posted at 17:29:36 # comment [] trackback []

Soil conditioning

Dean asked what Kim and I did to condition the soil. Our soil in Alexandria, Virginia, is mostly clay. It's sticky and clumpy. To make it easier for our vegetables to grow, we

mixed in a bag and a bit of pine mulch
mixed in 80 pounds of humus
dug and turned
mixed in 100 pounds of topsoil
dug and turned again.

After all that, we went through it by hand with trowels and our actual hands, making the clay clumps smaller. We're putting more topsoil on tonight if it doesn't rain. We'll add another 350 pounds of it.

I wasn't too keen on the pine mulch, but Kim's mother said that a landscaper she knows mixes that into clay soil. I don't like pine mulch in the soil because it makes splinters that get into your fingers when you're playing in the dirt. OTOH, you're not supposed to play in the dirt without gloves, so I guess it's not really an issue. It sure smelled nice! Next time, we might try cocoa shell mulch. Smells like chocolate! Winky

posted at 12:19:12 # comment [] trackback []

2003-05-12

Day Zero

Kim and I started our vegetable garden yesterday. We dug and turned a plot about 5 feet by 10 feet along the fence in the back yard. Tonight, we'll condition the soil.

Pictures coming soon.

posted at 14:25:04 # comment [] trackback []

2003-05-08

Herbert Hoover Action Figure

Herbert Hoover beats up Spider Jerusalem!

I won't tell you what my 1967 G. I. Joe did with (or was it to?) Malibu Barbie in her penthouse in the 1970s. It's still not clear to my sister and me if both were of age (over 21) or if it was consensual.