Kitty picture Sunday :)

You can see my pics of kitties on the petfinder page here.
Specifically, I did Prince, Plum, Raven, Rosa, Belle, Wilma, Gina, Alicia, and Onyx. I obviously took Ansel's pictures, too, since he's my foster ;)
Some of them still have their old photos in addition to the new ones, but not all. :)

Sunday Kitty Love

I took a ton of photos today at the adoption clinic. I wanted to have photos that really captured the cats' personalities for the petfinder page. I know some of these aren't my best work, but I was trying to be quick, and while I was in the middle of it, some people came in and crowded me out of the room for a while so they could put a ridiculous collar on Trump that looked like a tie, and take pictures of him. He was uncooperative, because he has some dignity.

Jeeves is a fairly serious cat:




Plum is sweet and playful:


Rosa is dignified and calm:




Karma is a bitch (not kidding):


Trump is VERY sweet and innocent. He's gentle and cuddly--he is declawed on all four paws, and was picked up as a STRAY. He deserves better than that:

Etsy update

I just noticed that a huge number of my items had expired listings. That has been corrected, and I have added the two fully framed items to the shop as well.

If you looked already, you might find it worth your while to take another peek and see if something else strikes your fancy. :)

Donations

I would like to remind readers of the Paypal donation button in my sidebar. I'm bringing this up because I have acquired (at no cost to me) some gorgeous postcards that I'd love to send to anyone who donates at least $2 (and who includes their address in the paypal information).

Additionally, anyone who purchases an item from My Etsy Shop will have one of these postcards tucked into their order! I would actually prefer that you purchase an item than just donate, so that you get something for your money. If there is a particular subject you would like to see photographed and in my shop (no nudes of me, folks, sorry), please let me know; I love doing commissions! I also have the photo of me in my profile matted and ready to sell, so if someone's actually interested in it, I'll be happy to put it in the shop.

Those who donated in the past received a handwritten thank you note; the note will be written on the back of the postcard for future donations, while supplies last. I am really excited about the cards, and I am eager to share them with others!

For those who are unaware, I am currently not able to work a "regular" job. I do occasional reptile shows for classrooms and birthday parties, but I have not had enough appointments to make ends meet. My husband makes almost enough to pay our bills, but I have a difficult time getting enough to pay for things like medication.

Thank you for your support, those who have already donated; I appreciate the help so very much.

Reduced price: Lortab print!

Now discounted to $15; was previously $18!

Generic Lortab, pretty pink happy pills! They're matted to 11x14, which is a standard frame size.

I will also be posting a couple of special items soon, hopefully tomorrow!

Bio-geekery: The Giant Isopods

I had no idea this group even existed until today, but here they are!

The Giant Isopods!


Here's a photo I took of some small, terrestrial isopods (you know them as pillbugs):

Meet Calvin, our latest foster kitten!

Meet Calvin, a male kitten who is about 3 or 4 months old. Calvin was trapped and neutered by the SCRUFF (Spaying Capital Region’s Unowned Feral Felines) program, which clips the tip of the cats' ears to help distinguish altered animals from unaltered ones. Calvin stands a chance at life as an indoor pet if he can become comfortable with human contact, and that is where I come in.

Calvin and his two siblings, as it turns out, were trapped in our neighborhood, at the Bonfare, a small market within walking distance. After being altered, they came into the care of Robin's Nest. Since Owl had just been adopted, Robin thought it would be good to split up the three so that they would become habituated to people more readily. I was sent the least friendly kitten, while his more pliable sister and brother went to other foster homes.

Brian and I went to pick Calvin up during the adoption clinic at Petsmart on Monday night; the hours are typically 6-8 on weeknights, and we got there around 7pm. After chatting with the volunteers on duty that night, both of whom I'd worked with previously, and cuddling some of the adult cats up for adoption, we put our little guy into a pet carrier and drove him home (inconveniently forgetting the food that we were supposed to pick up as well, but that's another story).

That evening, I managed to trim his front nails without much trouble, but he slashed us pretty deeply with some agilely executed hind leg kicks before I was able to have Brian properly restrain him for trimming those as well. He seems to know that they're no longer deadly, so he hasn't attempted to maim us with those claws since. We talked to him gently, gave him some food and water, and left him alone for the night.

The next day, which is of course Tuesday (yesterday, as I write this), Brian and I went to see him separately in the morning. In the evening, after we'd returned from a trip to Albany, we went in together to interact with him. Since our foster room has also become our library (and a fine library it is, I must say), Brian and I were chatting about books while I gently stroked Calvin. He was sitting in the box pictured above, which had made Owl feel very secure because it was closed in on all but one side. I figured Calvin felt the same way, so I was trying to put him in the box while I petted him. Anyway, I was just gently stroking his side, and he went from giving me a death glare to repositioning himself into a comfortable, relaxed pose.

I felt a little thrill of progress, but did not react other than to keep my voice the same and told Brian what was going on in the box. We continued our conversation, and Calvin's eyes became half-closed. He sighed gently, and I heard a very faint sound coming from him. I hushed Brian, and kept petting the little kitty, and before long, his purr was loud enough for Brian to hear! I kept petting him, and after a little bit, I asked Brian if he wanted a turn. Brian took over the petting, and I very stealthily left the room so I could get some stuff done. Brian spent a little while petting him, and eventually Calvin decided that he was done, and just relaxed without purring.

This morning, I went in to say hello and give cuddles. I had to pull him out of a hidey hole, but once I had him in my arms, he cuddled against me readily. I petted him and kissed him for a little bit, and then needed to go to the other room to get the book I was reading (as well as some to put away). I leaned down to let him jump out of my arms and back into his hidey hole, but he leaned into me and stayed put, so I had to carry him with me to get the items I needed. He stayed nestled in my arms while I did that, quite content to be held. Once I was reading in the library, he curled up and purring against me for a bit, then crawled into the security box, allowing me to pet him some more while he purred and I read. At that point, I took my camera and made a little video, complete with a close up shot that captured the sound of his purr.

I think he's going to be just fine!

When the video is finished processing, it will be located here. It was a large file, and youtube wouldn't let me upload it, so I had to use Google. I love my camera for photography, but it's not the best for videography.

Consider helping out

We are currently not doing very well financially. If you enjoy reading my blog, and you would like to help our family out a little, I have a couple of options available to help.

The first one is a Paypal donation button:

Everyone who donates will get a handwritten thank you note from me, as long as an address is provided.

The second way you can help us out is my Etsy shop, to the right, which has photography for sale. If there is a photo you have seen that is not in the shop, let me know, and I will get a print made and matted for you to purchase.

I gave up on doing "sponsored posts", partly because I didn't want to write such fake garbage, and partly because the Pay-per-post seemed to be looking for any excuse to not pay people. I would, however, be more than happy to tackle a requested topic in return for a reasonable donation.

Thank you, everyone.

Friday

It's Friday, so instead of writing something, I'm just going to post some pictures I've taken recently.

My festivum cichlid:


Aakhu, my ebony ticked silver ocicat:


Gumballs!


Ptera (white) and Anya (ginger), my kittens:


Steel-cut oats:


Brian cuddling with foster kitten Owl:


Awesome tofu stir fry I made the other day:


Ptera and Anya's paws--Ptera has extra toes!

Etsy update

I have updated my shop with lots of goodies, including a lovely pair of peafowl prints!

While supplies last, every order until Dec. 24th will receive a free postcard print (5x7). You never know which one you might get, so it'll be a surprise :)

http://rioiriri.etsy.com

I also wanted to link to Mama V's Soap*. She had the booth next to mine at the craft festival this weekend, and I had to buy one of her oatmeal scrubbies. They are awesome! I had itchy feet that night from wearing nylons, and the scrubbie made them feel so much better. It also made my skin all smooth and silky.

* No, this is NOT the same Mama V of the eating disorder blog. I knew someone would be wondering.

KITTENS!

I haven't been posting lately. Instead of staying inside with the blinds down like a good little fatty, sparing the fragile eyesight of fat-haters, I've been BUSY!

I have been volunteering with a local cat rescue. I participated in their craft fair ("Holiday Furry Frenzy"! Cute!) and have been fostering kittens. Kittens have attracted guests, so I've entertained company many days this past week, spending a lot of time cooking, making tea, baking things for guests to have with tea, and enjoying life (how dare I).

I also had seven more snakes land in my lap this weekend. Long story, to be told later, with pictures.

But, the best reason for this post is, KITTENS! Kittens are good for the soul. They're entertaining, endearing, warm, purry, furry, appreciative of love, and, most of all, in need of help. I was more than happy to open my home to these fuzzy, cute passers-through, and they have provided many photo ops! So, onward with the pictures!

Ptera with her extra toeses:






Charlotte, fluffy and cuuuute and sweet as pie:



(she's such a little princess)

Anya on top of Charlotte; Charlotte tends to let everybody pile on. Anya doesn't have many pics because she is the super active one, and she is a blur most of the time:


My beautiful, wonderful, cat-loving, sweet, cuddly, uber-hawt husband with all three:


A man who loves cats is a man worth keeping.

Photography

I've added some items to my shop; specifically, I'm showing the very nice matting on the photos. The two fish are in standard sizes that can be popped into a ready-made frame. Check them out, and if you think you know someone who would like them, pass along the link? :)

Photography - Metals Series

I'm still busy putting my new home in order, but I thought I'd share this photo gallery. It's my "Metals Series". I have a thing for taking pictures of metal objects. I hope you enjoy it!
Metal Series Slideshow

He can't be this old!

My best friend and soulmate turned nine today. Aakhu, my beloved ocicat, is the best companion a girl could ever want. He has been there for me through thick and thin, and my life would have been crap without him in it.

I had to take some photos to mark his special day!

Art Fair in Albany, NY

I am going to be selling photography at a booth at this art fair on Wednesday, August 8! If you are in the area, stop by on your lunch break. It's a good location if you're a state worker :)
http://www.albanyevents.org/more_events/index.cfm?ID=33

Summer in the City Art Fair 2007

Wednesdays: August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Academy Park (across from City Hall)

11:30 am to 2:30 pm

Art exhibits by local artists Musical entertainment Artwork available for purchase

August 1 - Musicians of Ma'alwyck

August 8 - Larry Stevens

August 15 - Sara & Weston Raab

August 22 - Spiral Tango

August 29 - Gravikord Duo

Today at the Farmers Market!

Click thumbs for full size pics :)

Help a poor girl out

Some folks know that I recently was laid off. I was injured at my job through no fault of my own, and when I reported it as required, they very quickly laid me off with a lame excuse.

Right now, I'm hurting a lot in the financial arena, and I'm actually considering trying to go on disability because my chronic pain seems to be getting worse, despite trying all of the standard treatments. Most medications don't work on me the way they do on normal people. For example, Benadryl does a fantastic job of calming my allergies, but it does not cause me a bit of drowsiness.

So, I'm trying to be creative about finding ways to keep my head above water. I do a little petsitting when it's available, I clean aquariums occasionally, and I am looking into modeling for non-photographic art.

With this in mind, I also just lowered some of the prices on my photography in my Etsy shop, and I will be adding more pictures if I sell some. If you like animal pictures, just take a peek at the shop and see if there's anything that catches your eye. I also have a couple of drawings in there, but they aren't too good! They're originals, though :)

Picture Post

My husband and I took a friend to the Landis arboretum this past weekend. I managed to photograph a kingbird and a northern water snake! They are taken from pretty far away, so forgive the blurriness.

Click the thumbnails to see the larger images: