Nostr notes by Mar

wow, nice job! I gave up when my kid started asking for fade ...

2026-08-31T18:45:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…dnaw
_________________________

wow, nice job! I gave up when my kid started asking for fade cuts. It seems difficult!

#SilentSunday #bloomscrolling ...

2026-08-30T16:03:37Z

#SilentSunday
#bloomscrolling

Q3: Given impending Climate Crisis - What are you trying to do in ...

2026-08-27T19:52:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…nywy
_________________________

Q3: Given impending Climate Crisis - What are you trying to do in your making to mitigate its potential negative environmental impact & resource usage?

A3: I'm doing crafts with leftover plant material from my garden, thinking of ways of making as much of it compostable at the end of it's lifecycle (and that the non-compostable parts be easy to separate). For instance, these wreaths from pruned wisteria and grape vines.

We were out for three days and the squirrels made use of the ...

2026-08-24T21:26:49Z

We were out for three days and the squirrels made use of the human-free time to nibble on the apples (they are figuring out how to open up the protective boxes), nibble on the grapes, nibble on the zucchini and ... yes, nibble on the one pumpkin that did not have a protective cage.

Tagging Y⃒̸̷̝̜̙ͥͥͥngmar (npub1hz2…xhm6) and
Dash (npub1dnh…pj4e) to let them know how lucky they are that their squirrels don't eat their squashes. The ones in my yard eat all sort of things. Even tulips and camellias.

#gardening

#SilentSunday #lighthouse #pnw ...

2026-08-23T15:01:54Z

#SilentSunday
#lighthouse
#pnw

To counteract some of my negative thinking in previous posts, ...

2026-08-19T14:42:10Z

To counteract some of my negative thinking in previous posts, here is a view of Puget Sound from the Sounder train. This is when the train is approaching Everett.

If you have never taken the Sounder train from Seattle to Everett in the summer, I highly recommend it (assuming you figure out a way to fit it in your schedule, since the train only runs 4 times South in the mornings and 4 times North in the afternoon). It departs from a place with lots of transit and arrives to a place with lots of transit, so you can combine train / bus for a round trip.

#pnw
#Seattle
#Everett
#meermittwoch

First time ever growing pumpkins and after impatiently waiting ...

2026-08-15T21:00:26Z

First time ever growing pumpkins and after impatiently waiting for weeks I finally I see orange!

:blobcataww: Excitement intensifies :blobcataww:

#gardening
#pumpkins

Hey everyone, look! my little backyard patch of corn worked after ...

2026-08-13T00:12:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…ktvv
_________________________

Hey everyone, look! my little backyard patch of corn worked after all! :blobcataww:

#gardening
#corn

Hey gardeners of the #pnw interested in pollinators.. I have a ...

2026-08-08T15:18:16Z

Hey gardeners of the #pnw interested in pollinators.. I have a few seeds of what I'm almost sure is Phacelia nemoralis, a native plant great for bumblebees, specially early in the season. It came with a package of native wildflowers I got a while back and has grown ever since in my yard.

It grows very well in dry, shaded areas. It is not particularly visually appealing, looks like a weed and it does spread a bit. But it's easy to pull out of places you don't want it, and it doesn't need any care. The bumblebees love it.

If you are in OR /WA and would like some seeds, and you're ok sharing your address, send me a DM and I'll mail it. The seeds are tiny, so I'm hoping just a normal envelope should suffice (but I cannot guarantee viability, etc).

#NativePlants #gardening

The goldenrod is blooming and it's a joy seeing so many ...

2026-07-30T20:21:29Z

The goldenrod is blooming and it's a joy seeing so many pollinators. These are only some of the many types that frequent it.

Look at the pollen baskets in that little bee! The big wasps are kind of funny, they bump into each other, not aggressively, more as if they were too focused on the flowers.

We got the goldenrod a couple of years ago. The Kid and I, we were reading together Nature's Best Hope, and the author recommended this plant. It is delivering.

#pollinators
#NativePlants
#gardening
#bees
#wasps

Standing tall! I took the picture while standing, with the phone ...

2026-07-24T14:17:16Z

Standing tall!
I took the picture while standing, with the phone above my head. The tassels are basically as tall as my house.

I didn't know corn could grow that tall. It's amazing, it's providing shade, and.. it's requiring some reevaluation of my initial plan of "I'll just grab some of the pollen and help with pollination" 😅

#gardening

Folks! The neighbor was getting rid of a couple of these planter ...

2026-07-22T01:54:44Z

Folks! The neighbor was getting rid of a couple of these planter boxes and gave them to me instead 😀

They are shallow (9 in / 23 cm). I'm in the Seattle area (USDA zone 9a). I have room for it in an area with morning sun (7am to 1pm). Would you do a fall planting? If so, what would you plant in it? Ideas welcomed! Boosts ok 🙂

#gardening

Zucchini and green bean season has started :blobcatuwu: This is ...

2026-07-21T16:44:01Z

Zucchini and green bean season has started :blobcatuwu:

This is from the past week or so.

#gardening
#GrowYourOwn

Nostr event nevent1qqs2lzn4at0wngxkyw9y6zr3u3phhl5m6zryj5r8tv7zpdp64a05v6czyzhmt2v7da8sreupjquhhmy3au20zg6r4pueerm2lvjg8yjuauery9q5spx

2026-07-12T16:04:47Z

#SilentSunday

ha, yes, 3 sisters planting, more foolishness or more ...

2026-07-07T22:23:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…60fw
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ha, yes, 3 sisters planting, more foolishness or more experimenting, I don't know 😆

There are 4 green bean plants, and they are growing nicely in their own stakes, higher than the corn right now. I was surprised how well they grew in spite of the shade from the corn. All have flowers and some have started to produce green beans.

There is one "Amish pie pumpkin" on each side of the corn bed. The one on the East side (what you see on the previous post) is slowly growing but it may be too shaded. We'll see. It may grow onto the concrete path and get better light.

The pumpkin on the west is growing much better. It has sun starting in midday, all through the evening. Here is a picture.

#gardening
#3sisters

This is probably foolish given the limited space I have, but ...

2026-07-06T18:40:18Z

This is probably foolish given the limited space I have, but I'm growing backyard corn.

I used the Richard Rollinson (npub1fqf…ajkk) method of planting them in clusters, and the plants are doing very well so far.

We spotted the first flower yesterday. Wish me luck!

#gardening

Has anyone here tried to dry raspberry leaves for herbal tea? If ...

2026-06-23T04:25:17Z

Has anyone here tried to dry raspberry leaves for herbal tea? If so, how do you do it? Do they keep the flavor?

I've been mixing freshly cut raspberry leaves to prepare tea mixed with other herbs (mostly mint). As I just thinned my raspberry bed, I was wondering if I could save the leaves...

#gardening
#tea
#herbs
#GrowYourOwn

this is neat! Can I share it with #SolarPunkSunday ?

2026-06-14T22:50:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…7x25
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this is neat! Can I share it with #SolarPunkSunday ?

ah, bummer... if it is only some clusters and not others it does ...

2026-06-09T13:41:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…q783
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ah, bummer... if it is only some clusters and not others it does fit the description.

Have you considered pruning the diseased branches?

This is possibly too much for a home garden problem, but I found it interesting that they are now recommending bacteria applications to fight off fungal diseases, in combination with traditional approaches (scroll down in the link below).

https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/blueberry-vaccinium-corymbosum-botrytis-blight

Blueberries do have specialist pollinators! 😀 Other bees can ...

2026-06-09T04:13:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…3qkv
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Blueberries do have specialist pollinators! 😀

Other bees can pollinate them too, but they are not so good as the specialists.

This is quite comprehensive, albeit for North Carolina:
https://pollinators.ces.ncsu.edu/news/blueberry-pollination-the-role-of-specialist-bees/

As for stresses... they might also be reflecting stresses that happened on the prior year.

this page has some pictures of frost damage, as well as other ...

2026-06-09T04:02:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…78gh
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this page has some pictures of frost damage, as well as other flower-specific fungal diseases of blueberries. Yours, though, don't look diseased.

https://blogs.cornell.edu/berrytool/blueberries/blueberries-flowers-turn-brown/

do you have other bushes, and if so, do they flower at the same ...

2026-06-09T03:39:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…ufaa
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do you have other bushes, and if so, do they flower at the same time?

I have early and late bushes. Some get better pollination than others depending on the year (e.g. if we have or not a warm / cold spell). I have the impression that when a bush is not well pollinated, at least a few berries manage to form.

Could it be frost damage? This may be more likely for early-season plants.

Look at these beauties growing in the hugelkulture :blobcatcool: ...

2026-05-24T22:54:50Z

Look at these beauties growing in the hugelkulture :blobcatcool:

#gardening
#GrowYourOwn
#hugelkulture

ha! they come up with so many different things. It's making ...

2026-05-24T15:18:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…6dv0
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ha! they come up with so many different things.

It's making me laugh. I looked at it suspiciously.. why would you make sticky straw?? .. but then I imagined trying to keep straw in place over a newly seeded area... straw can be so annoying when it's windy. I can totally see someone thinking "if I could just glue it in place" 😆

It's useful to know that such thing exists!

I may not use it this year as I don't know if the sticky stuff is edible. It says it's safe for children, but I have a little kid with eagle-eye for ripe strawberries, and I'm not always fast enough to wash the fruit before they eat it. He knows he ought to wash them... but a strawberry is sometimes too much for him to resist.

thank you! I have experienced the "don't let the ...

2026-05-24T15:07:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…3v3v
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thank you!

I have experienced the "don't let the strawberry touch the ground" issue. It ruins perfectly good sttawberries! Some of my plants already have large strawberries touching the ground, so I need to do something before they get damaged. I'll explore the other options.

I've used dry leaves in other areas of the garden, but for me they seem to attract slugs 😑

Hey @npub13t8…2ksn what do you think of the mulch in the ...

2026-05-23T21:26:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…f3vt
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Hey Yvan (npub13t8…2ksn) what do you think of the mulch in the picture above, but using it for strawberries? Is it similar at all to what you use?
(that specific mulch comes from a local nursery, so it's a good point of reference for me)

📖🍅 natalie 🪻🎮 (npub1xqf…3e8f)

thanks for the explanation! I actually didn't know the ...

2026-05-23T16:52:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…mxgp
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thanks for the explanation! I actually didn't know the difference.

.. hmm the bark /woodchip idea is interesting. It would also get rid of the problem of herbicides (or so I'd hope!).

Ah. I don't know. I had one year at the community garden when we had *so many* strawberries. I counted them in pounds. It was incredible. We had used mulching that year, so maybe I'm just trying to replicate something that may have been just pure luck!

Fellow gardeners, especially those in the #Seattle area, what is ...

2026-05-23T16:24:20Z

Fellow gardeners, especially those in the #Seattle area, what is your experience with buying hay for the garden? I want to put some on my strawberry plants and I've had mixed experiences in the past.

The best results were with hay shared when I was at the community garden, but I didn't ask the origin.

Hay bought at the farm coop has had mixed results. There are many types (e.g. animal feed, regular hay, loose, baled, etc), all with very different prices and results. One year, I got one bag that I suspect had pesticide residue as the plants got really sad soon after I placed it.

#gardening

The circled tag refers to the zucchini I just planted. I have not ...

2026-05-03T19:21:42Z

The circled tag refers to the zucchini I just planted. I have not decided if it's wise or foolish. Either way, wish me luck.

#gardening
#zucchini

Well, the self-sown baby cilantro plants that I transplanted ...

2026-05-03T16:05:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…r8xj
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Well, the self-sown baby cilantro plants that I transplanted barely a week before we got a big dip in temperature and some snow... survived and have taken over the veggie box!

I'll save some of it for seed. I'll do this for seed-saving reasons, to use as coriander .... and because I seem to be the only one in my household that is enthusiastic about cilantro 😂

I'm not sure if cilantro can be dried. Anyone knows? I' ve just never seen it.

#gardening
#herbs

Update on the bubble wrap spiral seed-starting method: it makes ...

2026-04-25T16:03:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…50pn
_________________________

Update on the bubble wrap spiral seed-starting method: it makes transplanting very easy. Look at those roots! Minimal entanglement.

I had to be careful with overwatering, as it does keep moisture much better than just putting it in small containers.

Seed germination was not uniform throughout the spiral, though. Seeds in the center tended to do consistently better. Some of those in the outer layer rotted.

I transplanted the first batch of starters (peas and spinach) a couple of weeks back, and they are doing great.

#SeedStarting
#gardening

Has anyone in zone 9a planted feijoa (Feijoa sellowiana/ ...

2026-04-13T00:34:36Z

Has anyone in zone 9a planted feijoa (Feijoa sellowiana/ pineapple guava)?

I was visiting a nursery and saw they had the plant and recommended it for the pnw. It surprised me, as I'd never seen it outside the tropics.

#gardening
#pnw
#GrowYourOwn

I'm positively impressed at how some of the storm water ...

2026-04-07T02:53:01Z

I'm positively impressed at how some of the storm water management areas get to be designed for multiple purposes, including water management, but also trails for waking and wildlife habitat.

This is Meadowbrook Pond, in Seattle. In a short time there we saw two types of ducks, a heron, Canadian geese (some fighting for territory), a kingfisher, a few crows and an eagle. A small oasis in the city.

#StormWater #pnw #Seattle

Here is a picture of the science center. Which, by the way, has ...

2026-04-05T03:30:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…5c8f
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Here is a picture of the science center. Which, by the way, has now a sensory room, which I definitely used a couple of times.

#Seattle
#pnw

The thing about today's visit to the spider exhibit is that ...

2026-04-05T03:20:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…4lkj
_________________________

The thing about today's visit to the spider exhibit is that it was not the real spiders the ones that set me the most off. Those were, after all, safely encased in their enclosures.

It was the giant demonstrative resin spiders, the artsy spider shadows on the walls, the amplified electron microscope pictures of spider parts, the spider noises and the virtual reality games where you could pretend to be a spider. It was very well done, but directly touching an irrational fear at core level.

I guess I ought to have believed the warning at the door (which I read but ignored).

#spiders

I seem to have survived my 10 min of shock therapy and have ...

2026-04-04T18:57:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…r9hd
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I seem to have survived my 10 min of shock therapy and have convinced Kid and his friend to go some other exhibit.

Pats on my back.👍

Oh hey, look at me, I generally fear spiders very much and ...

2026-04-04T18:35:59Z

Oh hey, look at me, I generally fear spiders very much and somehow I'm in charge by myself of two kids at a spider exhibit. With real spiders and giant replica spiders and

Deep breaths deep breaths deep breaths deep breaths

inspired by these older posts, I want to try the pot-o-carrots ...

2026-03-15T05:39:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…mdty
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inspired by these older posts, I want to try the pot-o-carrots this year!

How much do you spread the seeds? Do you put them in rows or just all over?

Look at those baby plants :blobcataww: Excitement intensifies ...

2026-03-12T20:58:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…qdyx
_________________________

Look at those baby plants :blobcataww:

*Excitement intensifies*

#gardening #SeedStarting

I probably brought this to my self by transplanting last week ...

2026-03-10T14:19:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…uruc
_________________________

I probably brought this to my self by transplanting last week some baby cilantro plants that had survived the very mild winter. If any of those plants survive I should save All The Seeds.

#gardening

I woke up to find the garden blanketed in snow. Very little but ...

2026-03-10T14:17:36Z

I woke up to find the garden blanketed in snow. Very little but very snowy.

#WAwx

To counter my clock-change grumpiness, I'll share my current ...

2026-03-08T17:37:55Z

To counter my clock-change grumpiness, I'll share my current project.

I like to experimenting with re-purposed containers to start seeds indoors. So far, my winner was strawberry boxes placed on top of to-go plastic boxes.

This year, I saw -somewhere around here- this video showing how to grow seeds in rolls (like a sushi roll) of bubble wrap and dirt. It looked fun, so I'm trying it out. Making the rolls was, indeed, fun to do. We'll see if the plants grow and transplant as easy as they say. When I finished the first roll, I noticed I made it a bit too large (I have no sense of proportion 😅) but that should not be a problem. I made one of the rolls half the size to compare.

As a side note, the guy in the video is so happy and enthusiastic.

#gardening #SeedStarting

https://hackaday.com/2026/02/28/the-only-snail-you-want-in-your-garden-is-a-seed-starting-hack/

I just had a call about a Complicated matter of a Thing I've ...

2026-01-29T17:33:07Z

I just had a call about a Complicated matter of a Thing I've neglected. I was quite nervous (hello social anxiety).

The person on the line also looked a little nervous. Their day hadn't been so good. On top of that, they didn't know the answer to my problem. We need more calls.

But they were also very kind.

The feeling I have now is, everyone has many problems, we are all here just trying our best. And within that context, kindness helps so much.

#kindness

Friends, with this picture I announce the #bloomscrolling season ...

2026-01-23T18:55:19Z

Friends, with this picture I announce the #bloomscrolling season open in my garden.

Sending peace to all of you that need it.

Nostr event nevent1qqs29yduxvfq6nztqvsmgzeukjskck66rh5cl2mve2leaskjrp4ml8czyzhmt2v7da8sreupjquhhmy3au20zg6r4pueerm2lvjg8yjuaueryhp0cna

2026-01-18T17:17:07Z

#SilentSunday

... and best of all, in the sunny locations the radishes grew ...

2026-01-10T21:37:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…52av
_________________________

... and best of all, in the sunny locations the radishes grew quite a lot! As you can see, the variety that made it was the Daikon type. We've been having many tasty soups these winter. The roots are quite strong, but the leaves are so good. Even Little Kid (who is not very adventurous in trying new flavors) gave them a try.

I don't know. The thought that came to me was, maybe give your seeds a chance, the real ones and the metaphorical ones.

#gardening.
#seeds

Against common advice for root plants like radish, I transplanted ...

2026-01-10T21:34:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…rlrx
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Against common advice for root plants like radish, I transplanted the sprouts to the best of my ability. I have limited garden space now, but every potential space received a radish sprout. I didn't have high expectations, but, again, I gave them a chance.

They grew.

Most of them had only leaves. I thinned those and made delicious radish leaf soup. Others started to form actual radishes.

#gardening

I've been wanting to share this. Last year I found some ...

2026-01-10T21:31:47Z

I've been wanting to share this.

Last year I found some 2020/2021 radish seeds while doing some cleanup. Yes, they were bought as lockdown-inspired gardening. The radishes were varieties I was not familiar with, and both Crumbee (npub1h20…yt3h) and I had tried to grow them with no success.

I decided to give them one last chance and dumped them all in the ground at the same time.

In an incredible stroke of good #ChaosGardening luck, all of the seeds from one of the two varieties germinated.

#gardening

During our short trip to Tacoma, WA, we fortuitously ran across ...

2025-12-31T00:56:20Z

During our short trip to Tacoma, WA, we fortuitously ran across this view.

May the skies be blue and your paths filled with unexpected beauty in the coming year.

#pnw
#tahoma

Now I'm hearing of bringing back MTV, what is this, are we ...

2025-12-28T20:28:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…exaz
_________________________

Now I'm hearing of bringing back MTV, what is this, are we going back to the 90's? (quietly cheering while eyeballing the cassette player)

https://topspicy.social/@meljoann/115796849396089863
nostr:note123s8pdaeecpuvmx8lv97djyhnz9hhmart547nk528kgyyymf5k8qv8ax7w

I'm dusting off the very old laptop to access the CD reader ...

2025-12-28T16:37:19Z

I'm dusting off the very old laptop to access the CD reader to rip some CDs

What is going on, is this the 2000's?

With the major floods in Washington State, I'm thinking of ...

2025-12-12T17:04:08Z

With the major floods in Washington State, I'm thinking of the incredible relevance that third places, the places that are not home and not work, have in emergency response.

Schools and churches serving as shelters. The State Fair grounds hosting evacuated farm animals. Community Colleges hosting the coordinating and logistics teams of the Red Cross.

Preserving third places is seeming very important for #ClimateAdaptation.

This is the Snohomish River at the Lowell Riverfront Trail. The ...

2025-12-11T04:05:07Z

This is the Snohomish River at the Lowell Riverfront Trail. The water is almost to the edge of the bank, which is at the same level of the trail. The rail line sits only a few feet above.

Water was moving really fast and carrying quite a few logs.

When I took this picture, the river was at 27' based on measurements a bit upstream. The river is predicted to reach 32' tomorrow.

#WAwx
#flood
#rivers

Light train to catch the One-track train to go check out Mini ...

2025-12-06T03:01:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…gc85
_________________________

Light train to catch the
One-track train to go check out
Mini trains
To cheer little ones

#Seattle
#trains
#ModelTrain

Grading is done, homeschool completed, other appointments taken ...

2025-12-05T22:46:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…x3kv
_________________________

Grading is done, homeschool completed, other appointments taken care of, and now we follow the blackbird into the forest.

Today is the kid's turn, so it is not so much a forest but an afternoon filled with trains. Small and big, the trains await for us.

I have to sit down for work, but what I really want to do is to ...

2025-12-05T15:49:44Z

I have to sit down for work, but what I really want to do is to follow the yellow-beaked black bird into the forest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9NAm-ZPEIk

Hahaha I didn't know this book existed. I just got it at one ...

2025-12-03T02:18:20Z

Hahaha I didn't know this book existed. I just got it at one of the little libraries. That's awesome.

If you have not seen these books before, they are board books meant for little kids, where the authors use beautiful felt figures to reproduce classic books or movies, reducing them to the most essential by using only one word per page.

Every now and then I get obsessed with Jane Austen, so the book is going right in my collection.

#JaneAusten
#bookstodon

The grafted apple trees are ready for winter! The tree-guard ...

2025-11-23T04:48:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…nqnf
_________________________

The grafted apple trees are ready for winter!

The tree-guard covers are meant to prevent grazing from squirrels. I'm glad to have these put in place as I already saw a squirrel eating the tips of the branches from the established trees.

#gardening #apples #grafting

#WaterfallWednesday This is an urban waterfall that collects ...

2025-11-13T00:34:52Z

#WaterfallWednesday

This is an urban waterfall that collects street runoff water in Everett and diverts it to a wetland where the water can slow down and get filtered before entering the Snohomish River. I took this picture shortly after a heavy downpour.
The waterfall structure is part of a pedestrian bridge over the railroad.

#pnw
#UrbanRunoff

you saw them life?! :blobaww: Lucky indeed! I hear you, I was ...

2025-11-12T04:20:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…3fsy
_________________________

you saw them life?! :blobaww: Lucky indeed! I hear you, I was quite sad when he passed.

I was living in South America at the time so my chances to ever see them were nil.

Here is the picture. An incredibly peaceful beach at the Kukutali ...

2025-11-12T02:25:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…3xgg
_________________________

Here is the picture. An incredibly peaceful beach at the Kukutali preserve, in the Swinomish reservation. According to their website, it is the first park in the US that is co-owned and jointly managed by a tribe and a state.

We saw lots of native plant restoration, and the most protected areas were closed to the public. At dusk, we heard one (or more?) owls.

#pnw

We were in a relatively remote area today, and a bit late getting ...

2025-11-12T02:13:41Z

We were in a relatively remote area today, and a bit late getting out of the trail. Being late is usual for us: the other day we ended up walking like a mile after dark, with flashlights. We didn't want to repeat that so we hustled the kids and managed to get out before it was fully dark. Yay!

Later I came here to upload a picture of the hike, and saw all the excited talk about the aurora forecasted for tonight 🙃

We were so close to being in a good place to watch it! Oh well.

#TuneTuesday #IsThisEmo In Spite of Me -by Morphine From an album ...

2025-11-11T06:51:59Z

#TuneTuesday #IsThisEmo

In Spite of Me -by Morphine

From an album called Cure for Pain, so yeah, pretty sad all around.

"For a long time, I thought that you'd be coming back to me,
Those kind of thoughts can be so cruel, so cruel"

https://youtu.be/jJX6tQ9DRtw

Update: final harvest from the squirrel-proofed apple trees. We ...

2025-10-18T17:25:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…3se8
_________________________

Update: final harvest from the squirrel-proofed apple trees. We got 4.5 kg (~9lb). It's incredible :blobcataww:

The Kid, who grew up knowing our trees would produce a max of 5 apples, has been exclaiming in disbelief every time he looks at them.

Besides the intense grazing pressure from the squirrels, the trees are small, as they were planted by the previous owners in a not-great location (by a fence, in a semi-shaded area). And yet. Look at how much they can do!

#gardening
#apples

Sometimes I look around the world and despair a little. But I ...

2025-10-11T16:14:43Z

Sometimes I look around the world and despair a little. But I also make a point not to let small things go unnoticed. Or the decades-long changes.

When I moved to Seattle in the mid 2000's, there was no train, no protected bike lanes, no pedestrian streets. Now there are some.

Yesterday I dropped some food at a food pantry -it was fully stocked. Same with the Little Libraries, on a constant rotation of books.

Like Cohen said. It's through the cracks that light gets in.

#LightGetsIn

We're taking the ferry today, a small adventure as a reward ...

2025-10-04T21:26:01Z

We're taking the ferry today, a small adventure as a reward from having our flu shots, and I was happily reminded that kids ride the WA state ferries for free. In fact, kids have been riding all public transport for free since 2021.

I take the bus often and it's great to see packs of middle schoolers happily getting on the bus. I just forget ferries are also public transit.

https://wsdot.wa.gov/about/news/2024/fare-free-transit-programs-boost-youth-ridership-public-transportation-statewide

#ClimateAction
#PublicTransportation
#pnw

The Kid invented and built this space vehicle in LEGO and he ...

2025-10-03T01:42:17Z

The Kid invented and built this space vehicle in LEGO and he wanted me to share it. He tells me it's a Space Scooter that has everything to support a person's life, including food, water, a cyanobacteria tank to provide air, a wastewater recycling system, solar panels, a battery, an antenna and a space probe launching system. He wants to know if anyone knowledgeable in #SpaceTravel has ideas on how to improve its life support systems. He also wants to know what you think. 🙂

#lego

For reference, this is how I protected them: ...

2025-09-24T23:10:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…xsjm
_________________________

For reference, this is how I protected them:

https://social.coop/@marsiposa/115158484343611203

Now, time to enjoy them!

4/end

I also got some ugly ones. Some of the plastic covers didn't ...

2025-09-24T23:08:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…3dw3
_________________________

I also got some ugly ones.

Some of the plastic covers didn't ventilate well, sometimes collecting water from the rain and leading to rot. It was also more difficult to do daily checks to monitor for ripeness. One of the apples fell from the branch into the plastic cover, and I didn't notice until today.

Strawberry containers kept being the most useful to protect apples while maintaining ventilation.

All in all, I think it was a successful experiment.

#apples
#gardening
#UrbanGarden

3/

This was the Most Beautiful winner. I instinctively polished the ...

2025-09-24T22:57:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…j4hw
_________________________

This was the Most Beautiful winner.

I instinctively polished the apples while telling my son that my mom had learned to polish them from her mom.

2/

#apples
#heritage

Oh my gosh, look at this year's apples from my trees! ...

2025-09-24T22:52:13Z

Oh my gosh, look at this year's apples from my trees! :blobcataww:

I've successfully tricked the squirrels. :blobcatgoogly:

The last two years we'd gotten zero apples, maybe one. The year prior to that 2 tiny meager and green apples that were hiding in a shaded spot. This is a dream.

1/
#apples
#gardening
#UrbanGarden

I recently finished this course from Penn State Extension on ...

2025-09-18T00:43:46Z

I recently finished this course from Penn State Extension on Water Bath Canning.

I had already some knowledge, but it was nice to learn the science behind many of the "must do" of the recipes. The course format includes many short videos illustrating how to handle the jars during the different parts of the process. This would have been very helpful when I was a beginner, but it was still great as a refresher.

https://extension.psu.edu/home-food-preservation-water-bath-canning-online

#canning
#FoodPreservation

Jeez, now even backyard fruit comes wrapped in plastic 😒 Just ...

2025-09-06T17:17:01Z

Jeez, now even backyard fruit comes wrapped in plastic 😒

Just kidding! It's my squirrel-proofed tree, and it's working 😀

I used all sort of containers, and the top winners are strawberry containers and clear-plastic cherry bags. With those, there is no need to make holes for ventilation and they can be easily closed around branches. They also work where there is a cluster with more than one apple.

1/2

#gardening
#apples
#UrbanGarden

Update to the apple tree grafting class I took earlier in the ...

2025-09-04T14:10:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…pesk
_________________________

Update to the apple tree grafting class I took earlier in the year: all trees survived the summer and put in some length!
(The arrow in the picture marks the place where the grafting took place).

They are for now in the garden, waiting for the follow-up class to learn how to keep them for the winter and transplant them to a more permanent location.

I love apple trees 💜

#apples
#grafting
#gardening

I've just been biten in a toe by a ladybug larvae that had ...

2025-09-03T01:29:58Z

I've just been biten in a toe by a ladybug larvae that had sneaked in the house with some farm produce 😳

It actually hurts a little.

Cetraria (npub1ttk…q03v) now I know it's not only the adult ones :blobcatscared: 😅

#NatureIsLit

So many huckleberries! I got the plant at a native plant sale 9 ...

2025-08-24T16:42:58Z

So many huckleberries!

I got the plant at a native plant sale 9 years ago. It barely measured 2 in (5 cm). I honestly forgot about it, until years later the Kid read about the existence of huckleberry pie.

While figuring out where to go picking... I recalled I had one plant in the backyard! We got a handful of berries that year. I could not see how to get enough for a pie!

The plant has since then put a couple feet in height... and many many more berries 😊

#gardening
#NativePlants

:blobcataww: I had never seen baby cacti! They are adorable!

2025-08-24T00:19:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…8kml
_________________________

:blobcataww: I had never seen baby cacti! They are adorable!

🙁 oh no, I see. Lots of work and not the joyful type. Glad you ...

2025-08-23T18:51:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…amne
_________________________

🙁 oh no, I see.

Lots of work and not the joyful type. Glad you were able to get it all done.

oh no... I missed this, what happened? 😬

2025-08-23T18:31:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…74xv
_________________________

oh no... I missed this, what happened? 😬

I had never been to Hood Canal and it's such a beautiful and ...

2025-08-19T20:26:52Z

I had never been to Hood Canal and it's such a beautiful and peaceful place. I also learned it's not a canal, but a fjord of the Salish sea.

It's original name was Tuwaduq sidaqʷ, "the Twana people's saltwater".

#pnw
#sunset
#fjord

I was having a conversation with the Kid which reminded me of ...

2025-08-16T16:25:48Z

I was having a conversation with the Kid which reminded me of this.. when we go on urban-industrial "hikes", I really put faith on trains doing what they are meant to do, that is: staying on their tracks.

I have no idea what Hot Molten Sulfur is, but I'm pretty sure I don't want it spilling out of that tank.

And yes, the picture was taken from a trail that goes just next to the track, a favorite trail among the train enthusiasts of the family.

#pnw
#trains

this is neat! Thanks! 😀 The LEGO and wooden-train enthusiasts ...

2025-08-10T16:27:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…npk9
_________________________

this is neat! Thanks! 😀

The LEGO and wooden-train enthusiasts in my house are very happy to learn this.

And yes, we still have Duplos!

woah you can run blocks on BRIO track? Awesome. What blocks are ...

2025-08-10T15:21:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…lrwc
_________________________

woah you can run blocks on BRIO track? Awesome. What blocks are those?
As soon as my kids are up, I'll show them this 😃

Being able to run block-built trains on wooden-train track would actually solve some of my parenting problems 😅

Continuing from last week, more river talk! This time thinking ...

2025-08-09T20:56:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…2glt
_________________________

Continuing from last week, more river talk! This time thinking about flooding in general, not only in the context of a tsunami.

This thread started because the tsunami alert for the Skagit River showed a risk extending further inland than the risk for the Snohomish River. But the Skagit river itself floods periodically, and what I find interesting is the response from Mount Vernon to address the flood risk. This response may be worth considering in the context of #ClimateAdaptation. #pnw

6/n

.. and here are the pictures of the rivers, first the Snohomish, ...

2025-08-03T23:14:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…y3gr
_________________________

.. and here are the pictures of the rivers, first the Snohomish, as seen from the Langus Riverfront trail, just behind Everett. Then, the Skagit, as seen from the Skagit Riverwalk in Mount Vernon.

5/n

#pnw
#rivers

While I'm not sure if the size of the rivers is relevant for ...

2025-08-03T21:26:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…sm68
_________________________

While I'm not sure if the size of the rivers is relevant for what happens during a tsunami, I think it's worth noting the differences in size. I knew the Skagit River was larger, but I had not realized how much. According to the video I posted, the Skagit delivers half of all the fresh water in the Puget Sound! 😮

Wikipedia tells me the Skagit discharges an average of 468 m3/s of water, whereas the Snohomish only does 273 m3/s.

Pictures to follow in a bit, to see how this looks irl!

#pnw
4/n

pointed out it might be a problem of topography, and they were ...

2025-08-03T20:56:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…r9vx
_________________________

pointed out it might be a problem of topography, and they were onto something. These topographic pictures show how the area around the mouth of the Skagit is much lower in elevation than around the mouth of the Snohomish. In fact, I5 lays at only ~20 ft above sea level between Mount Vernon and Burlington! Much of the surrounding area is equally low (or lower).

#pnw

3/n

First, what I got wrong. I thought maybe more water was entering ...

2025-08-03T20:33:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…05f9
_________________________

First, what I got wrong.

I thought maybe more water was entering from the ocean through Deception pass, which is closer to the Skagit river.

But I was mistaken. Even though water enters Deception Pass *very fast*, most of the ocean water enters through the South, through Posession Sound, which is closer to the Snohomish river.

The video linked shows this using the Puget Sound model (which is a really cool model to check out in real life):

https://youtu.be/OEQP5BwVh7A?t=181

#PugetSound
2/n

With the tsunami advisory a few days back, I got interested in ...

2025-08-03T20:21:02Z

With the tsunami advisory a few days back, I got interested in the differences between two nearby rivers: the Skagit and the Snohomish.

Both rivers end in Puget Sound, in the Whidbey basin, but the Skagit had a tsunami risk that went much more inland than the Snohomish. I was curious about that, and in trying to understand the reason, I learned a few things.

#pnw

1/n

New thing I'm trying to deter squirrels, as suggested by ...

2025-08-02T17:12:52Z

New thing I'm trying to deter squirrels, as suggested by Cetraria (npub1ttk…q03v)

So far it's working!

I don't buy much prepackaged food, so I've slowly been adding these to the tree. I have 7 protected apples right now, which, if they make it to the end of the season, it would be 7 times more apples than what the squirrels left untouched the past two years!

#gardening

I found an old picture that illustrates how much bigger and ...

2025-07-12T17:55:07Z

I found an old picture that illustrates how much bigger and interesting an area becomes once you plant other things instead of lawn. Besides the vertical layers, you also get nooks with different environments, and so much color!

We started de-lawning this area on the spring of 2015. Now I have lavender, blueberries, lingonberries, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, sage, lovage, curry-herb, parsley and others (and lots of pollinators).

This is one of my happy places.

#gardening #noLawn

haha yes!! I also wanted to ID it, but the problem is that I ran ...

2025-07-12T00:05:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…840z
_________________________

haha yes!! I also wanted to ID it, but the problem is that I ran very quickly inside, and didn't want to go outside again to check out the wasp closer 😂 but yes, the behavior and color pointed to a mud dauber, and I was able to confirm it a couple of days later when I saw it again. Ours is black, though!

I saw something like that in my yard two years ago, and honest, I ...

2025-07-11T19:26:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…5k0t
_________________________

I saw something like that in my yard two years ago, and honest, I was scared for hours.

I'm [irrationally] afraid of spiders, and the way my brain interpreted the situation was: "spiders are the scariest thing, this entity downed a spider of its own size and it's carrying it away in its jaw :blobcatscared: this entity must have utmost power". 😅

After half day of work, the June produce is picked and most of ...

2025-07-04T21:22:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…yyn3
_________________________

After half day of work, the June produce is picked and most of the overgrowth under control.

There were some losses in areas that needed more watering than what I instructed my helper while I was away (RIP salad veggies and squashes).

Seeing together what I'd otherwise picked little by little makes me happy. And hopeful. All of this considering that, foreseeing my trip, I had planted fewer plants, and none of them got any care beyond watering.

#gardening
#GrowYourOwn

Look what my garden did while I was away! :blobcataww: #gardening ...

2025-07-04T18:53:30Z

Look what my garden did while I was away! :blobcataww:

#gardening

I had not been in my garden for a month, and I just peeked out ...

2025-07-04T13:19:00Z

I had not been in my garden for a month, and I just peeked out the window and everything is so... oversized...? :blobcatscared:
I have a lot of work 😅

Also, I had never seen a celery go to flower, it's actually pretty (and also as tall as me).

oof ☹️ I feel bad for the kids. How are you holding up? I ...

2025-06-07T02:38:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…nl8a
_________________________

oof ☹️
I feel bad for the kids.

How are you holding up? I start feeling bad at 150.

😟 that does not sound good at all. What level of bad air ...

2025-06-07T01:36:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…lmxl
_________________________

😟 that does not sound good at all.

What level of bad air quality are you at?

thanks! Ours grew upright the first year, but this year is all ...

2025-05-30T15:25:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…2078
_________________________

thanks! Ours grew upright the first year, but this year is all splattered! I wonder if it will have new growth at the center 🤔

oh, nice! 🙂 It's so exciting when new plantings start ...

2025-05-30T13:47:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…7fpx
_________________________

oh, nice! 🙂
It's so exciting when new plantings start flowering.

Do you know if they need to be prunned? I've been meaning to look into that... Ours is growing in a funny way, and I'm wondering if I'm supposed to trim it at the end of the season.