Carolyn

@caslon

Hobbies: conservation gardening, soft-core birding, painting, knitting, hiking. Interested in green infrastructure, urban ecology, and adult art camps. Ecoregion 65: Southeastern Plains, ALX, Acidic oak hickory forest. Unprofessional account. she/her.

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Bluesky

Ist das dein Profil?Übernimm es — dann gehört dir caslon.dirty.social.Profil übernehmen

Carolyn@caslon· 2d

Molly did not want me to work this morning, and she definitely did not want me to work with the office door closed.

Carolyn@caslon· 3d

I spent a goos chunk of the weekend out in the heat (first birding at Bombay Hook, then paddling/birding at Prime Hook) and yet today I cannot stand to be outside for more than 10 minutes because it is too hot. 🥵

A mylar balloon that says “Happy Birthday” on a colorful background floats on still water in a marsh behind me and my kayak. I found it floating on the water in the wildlife refuge. Balloons don’t want to be free.

The front of a white kayak in still water looking at a line of trees on a sunny day.

Hyssop-leaved boneset, a plant with multiple vertical stems and very narrow leaves, topped with small white flowers, as seen in the wild at Bombay Hook.

Carolyn@caslon· 20d

Fancy fly from a few days ago.

A small, iridescent orange fly with black spots on its clear wings sits on a common blue violet leaf. The leaf has a couple small
holes chewed into it about the same size as the fly. I don’t think the fly chewed the holes, but it makes for a pleasing visual repetition within the frame.

Carolyn@caslon· 22d

We sometimes have to wipe between her toesies with medicated wipes and she does not like it.

A brown brindle hound stands on the chaise end of a sofa. I am holding her collar so she doesn’t run while my spouse is bent over her, holding up her rear paw and wiping between her toes with a small cotton pad. She had the biggest, saddest eyes and the saddest, furthest backiest ears a dog has ever had.

Carolyn@caslon· 25d

When you want some alone time in the bath but your kid is RIGHT THERE.

Carolyn@caslon· 26d

Summer in the chaos garden (pics from Thursday). I’m posting the second as an “in progress” pic for the patio garden. I planted a bunch of native grasses (and some perennials) in this area this spring but they haven’t fully grown in yet. Will be interesting to compare later.

Spikes of Liatris Spicata (common name: blazing star or gayfeather) with pinkish-purple blooms emerge from behind pale green stems of Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia, you’ll be shocked at the disclaimer that this is non-native). In the background is the rest of the garden, blurred by slight bokeh, but including the late flowers of hydrangea “Endless Summer,” (Asclepias incarnata), black-eyed susans (Rudbeckia sp.), among others. It’s a mix of native and non-native plant species.

A view from a patio area of a naturalistic garden, with a number of intermingling plants, both native and non-native. Beyond the patio the garden rises along a short, steep slope before a wooden fence. In the background is the neighbor’s house and a cloudy sky.

Carolyn@caslon· 28d

Girl, same.

Carolyn@caslon· Jul 12

Found this giant snail shell in my yard and this can’t be from a native snail, can it?

A large dark brown snail shell sits on a blue outdoor table next to a bottle of seltzer water. The shell is probably around 2 inches by 3 inches.

Carolyn@caslon· Jul 11

I was an hour early at the giant parking lot at the Fairfax Gov. Ctr. – or rather – the Scout camp bus was an hour late, but I noticed a number of walkers heading towards the corner of the lot. Turns out there’s a whole network of trails back there. Ended up a great way to kill an hour.

A newish meadow planting with the lavender flowers of wild bergamot in the foreground, and a line of trees in the background.

A shady path through the woods bordered by a typical mix of native and invasive plants.

A view through trees towards muddy pond and stream flowing from it, cascading over artificial rock berms.

Carolyn@caslon· Jul 11

This is going to be a fun mid-July project.

A dryer vent hood, not yet installed. It is to replace the existing dryer vent hood in the exterior brick wall that faces west and gets full sun.

Carolyn@caslon· Jul 5

Nobody here but us pillows.

A brown, brindled hound is curled up amongst an obscene number of throw pillows on a couch. She is significantly obscured by said pillows.

Carolyn@caslon· Jul 4

More crow content to please the masses! When the little birds bath they make a delicate splishy noise. Then there’s this gal.

Carolyn@caslon· Jul 3

This might be the derpiest crow.

Carolyn@caslon· Jul 2

Aww bebe.

Carolyn@caslon· Jul 1

Me: I’m worried about the birds in the heat wave so I’m going to lovingly clean and sanitize the bird baths… Birds:

Triumph the comic dog in a giant gold bowtie and with cigar with the caption “For me to poop on!”

Carolyn@caslon· Jun 30

I am enjoying my new gardening tool for trimming the weeds that grow between the patio pavers. Coincidentally I am announcing my new budget amputation service for small digits!

My hand holding some grass shears, like pruners but with straight blades about 6” in length. In the background are patio pavers with 2” gaps in between that are now mostly weed free.

Carolyn@caslon· Jun 27

I did it! (fixed the toilet)

The last step of an installation manual with an image of a toilet being flushed and the text, “STEP 8: FLUSH THE TOILET
A: FLUSH THE TOILET
If you're satisfied with the flush, YOU'RE DONE!
YOU DID IT!
We knew you could!
Share your success story with friends and family!”

Carolyn@caslon· Jun 27

Also update:

the top of a liatris stalk with the top purple flowers in bloom – they have a very fluffy appearance. There is a bumblebee in flight just to the left of the flowers.

Carolyn@caslon· Jun 26

Sometimes they look very bedraggled when they finish their bath.

Carolyn@caslon· Jun 26

FINE. Here’s my omomus megastructure.

A concrete floodwall with the words, “Welcome to Parkersburg, W.Va” painted on in white letters, followed by the phrase “Let’s be friends” in scare quotes.

Carolyn@caslon· Jun 24

🎆

A cluster of small pink flowers of nodding onion (Allium cernuum) shot from below and backlit by the sun such that the outermost flowers seem to glow. The sky is a cloudless blue and the edge of a tree is visible along the lower edge of the frame.

Carolyn@caslon· Jun 21

I have not mastered the art of taking a cell phone pic through the spotting scope, but if you squint you can see a parent osprey and baby.

a round black, blurry vortex with some magenta lens flair on the left. in the center is a circular image of an osprey aerie, with an adult and child osprey. Taken at Dyke Marsh.

Carolyn@caslon· Jun 15

I've been trying to get liatris to succeed in my garden for several years now, without much success. This year it's gonna happen. Or at least it's gonna bloom. Whether it survives is another story.

Looking straight down at a tall stalk of Liatris – blazing star – with narrow leaves pointing out in all directions. At the top are green flower buds, the one pointed upwards is just barely hinting at the purple flowers inside.

Carolyn@caslon· Jun 14

This kayak is crap it doesn’t go anywhere.

My feet, resting on the foot bar of a new foldable kayak, which is sitting on my wooden deck, not going anywhere.

Carolyn@caslon· Jun 12

Enjoying the typo here as if the @capitalweather.bsky.social meteorologist was carried away by winds before they could finish this update.

Screenshot of a storm update that says, “7:25 p.m.: Similar to the storms last night, expect a wall of wind as these storms arrive. It should hit downtown DC and areas around Nationals Park between 7:45 and 8 p.m. Gusts could reach 60+ mph in a few areas, bringing down treees.” Trees is spelled with three Es.

Carolyn@caslon· Jun 9

Someone ate onions and got to go to the emergency vet. We induced vomiting within an hour so hopefully she’ll be fine.

A brown hound stands on a pee pad in the lobby of an emergency vet. Her face looks very sad.

Carolyn@caslon· Jun 1

After waiting for this volunteer sedge to flower, grabbing my Flora of VA dichotomous key, my plant identification term glossary, my loupe, my pocket microscope (not pictured) and some sustenance, I can confidently say I have no idea what kind of sedge this is.

A seed stem from a sedge sits on a wooden outdoor table alongside a magnifying loupe, a book titled “Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Guide” by James G. Harris and Melinda Woolf Harris, and a piece of taffy and an empty taffy wrapper. Not pictured is my pocket microscope, which also came into play.

A close up of the inflorescent spikes of the sedge. There are three pistillate spikes and one staminate spike.

Carolyn@caslon· May 31

I caught this dove doing the same thing earlier this spring. My best guess is they’re sunning themselves but I am not entirely sure.

A mourning dove, behind some branches, lying on the ground with its wings laying out to the side. It seems calm and uninjured, just doing weird stuff.

Carolyn@caslon· May 29

Picture of me in a coral hoodie and navy tee. The tee has a picture of an opossum curled into a circle and baring its teeth. The text above it says “They mostly come out at night. Mostly.” I have cropped out my own head because it’s “midlife late” and I’m tired.

Carolyn@caslon· May 28

Aphids maybe?