#yardtales — Public Fediverse posts

This year, I planted a blueberry, raspberry, zucchini (6x), cantaloupe (6x), two strawberries, and two mints.

The deer have not discovered any of these yet. They are all still alive.

The mints are looking kind of sad. The zucchini is starting to get its feet. I'm worried about the cantaloupes. I left them in the pot way too long, and when I planted them yesterday, they seemed to have weak roots to begin with. So I'm not betting on their survival. But I think one or two have a good chance.

All the rest are going strong! I ate five strawberries and left one berry to nature, and the plants are putting out new leaves. The blueberries are not ripe yet, but exist. The raspberry plant seems focused on making more leaves.

My last year's remaining lupine is swallowed by weeds (better to avoid deer nibbles). I'm clearing just enough grass to give it some sun and let it to it's own. Last year's lavender is sad, also swallowed by weeds, and what's left is growing a little feral. A wild little thing trying to make it's way in a crowd. I can see last year's strawberry hiding in there, but can't see the kale, which mostly didn't seem to be coming back anyway.

I have located a source for local kinnikinnick if I can get the energy to arrange pick up.

The cardboard I put down for the starter garden has fostered an ecosystem, as has the compost pile, which is crawling with wildlife.

#YardTales #Gardening #rewilding

It feels really good to be able to work hard.

#MECFS #Journal #Recovery2026 #YardTales #rewilding #solarpunk

Damn it I was gonna take before and after pictures but forgot.

Anyway, a majority of the area is covered now. Ran out of cardboard and there's some stuff I can't move myself.

#MECFS #Journal #Recovery2026 #YardTales #rewilding #solarpunk

Today I'm planning to work outside. There's so much to do out there, but I need to remember not to overextend, even if I'm having fun.

I've picked a tiny spot of land to rewild. For today I'd like to clear the junk and lay down cardboard to "solarize" the grass and burdock there, basically a month without light will kill the roots. (idk why they call it that.)

I'll be trying to figure out what to plant in the meantime, and also how to keep the deer away.

🧵

#MECFS #Journal #Recovery2026
#YardTales #rewilding #solarpunk

Ey was such a big bird! An absolute unit.

No matter how prepared I am, I'm always shocked at the size of ravens in person.

I couldn't see em the whole conversation till ey flew off. Ey was hiding in the ticket. But even eir voice was huge.

I put out peanuts while repeating whatever ey said. I'm sure I got eir attention this time. I hope ey comes back to check out the peanuts.

#YardTales #rewilding

I talked to a Raven today!

#YardTales #rewilding

I have this little ladybug that moved in with me earlier in the fall. Actually, there was another one before her that I let live in here a few days, until she started frantically bonking into the ceiling trying to get out. I felt sorry for her, not wanting to keep her against her will, and also didn't want to accidentally roll over on her in my sleep, so I took her outside to die for the winter as nature intended.

But a few weeks later, this little lady showed up. Maybe she's the same one! She also came to frantically bonk around for an escape, but I was too tired to send her back to the mercies of the outdoors, and left her to her fate.

Then she disappeared, and I forgot about her.

She's been venturing out this week. She can make it all the way across my ceiling in a few seconds if she's focused. Mostly she just meanders around. She's probably hungry, but aphids aren't in season and I didn't pickle any for the winter.

Midnight is watching her crawl today. I taught Midnight the word "bug" a long time ago, which keeps her interested. Any kind of creature with a name is worth looking at, sometimes.

We're halfway through winter today, so maybe she'll make it into a second year of life. She'll be able to tell the young larvae about what it's like being a beetle, and how to live amongst the mammals in their dens.

(Or I'll just roll over on her in my sleep.)

#YardTales #Insects #SilentSunday #solstice

While I was out there, I had a conversation with a grouse. First grouse I've seen here. At least, I think she was a grouse. She was up in a tree very interested in what I was doing with the compost pile. Maybe she's been the one digging to take kitchen snacks? I figured it was a ground rodent, but she really had some things to say.

She didn't like it when Midnight walked over. Even though I introduced the two. She complained and took off.

The woodpecker was going at it, but I couldn't see her. I did catch a glimpse of her last week. She's bigger than the ones we had in Washington. With white stripes. What's the rare one look like?

The other birds were chirping, possibly excited at the bugs I'd churn moving the debris. They always do that when I'm moving between the piles. Or maybe they do that all the time when I'm not outside to hear them.

#YardTales

Look at this little knapweed bloom I found. In November. Under a pile of yard debris that has been there since midsummer.

This is why these guys are noxious. They are the life that finds a way.

(The pile is now in compost.)

#compostodon
#CompostTheRich
#YardTales #rewilding

@NicksWorld I write about some of the things I see in the yard and forest on the #Yardtales hashtag if you ever want to keep up on the adventures.

TIL that when a baby turkey loses their mama, ey walk all over the place going "PERP PEEP PEEP!" really loudly.

I think I heard her respond. But e didn't seem to have heard her. I hope she finds em!!

#YardTales

They're back! #YardTales

Now Midnight keeps visiting the spot. Wherever I see turkeys when she's around I make a big deal of it. She was outside and probably watching them, too, because she showed up immediately after they left.

#YardTales

I do believe wild animals can identify and remember individual people if they care to.

When the flock was passing through over springtime, I talked to them a few times, even though they skedaddled. So I wonder if she remembers me from then.

#YardTales

Here are more photos. I chose the original set very quickly.

#YardTales

I first saw her today out the kitchen window while making breakfast. She climbed to the top of the gravel pile and stood there a long time. A baby followed her up and then lost footing and slid down while pecking for bugs on the way down. She could see me then too.

Then she came around behind after I ate.

idk that seems intentional.

#YardTales

I only saw four babies today. It's hard to count because my windows are so small and they do spread out. But I think there were more of them when they were puffs.

#YardTales

There's miles and miles of empty fields, meadows, and forests all around. I have to wonder why they keep coming here. Why she's camped outside my window. She knows damn well I'm in here. It's been at least ten minutes. (Just coughed with my window open, and she's unstartled.)

#YardTales

Wild turkeys have been outside my window for some time now. Mama knows I'm here, been keeping an eye on me as they preen. I'm just sending safety signals, softly letting her know what an honor it is that she trusts me. (Alt added.)

#YardTales

I managed to add some stuff to the compost pile today. It had too many sticks and long weeds in it, made burying kitchen scraps harder. There is a pile of debris someone else made that I saved from being sent to the dump that I've been slowly (weeks) adding on. But I have to sort out or break up the sticks.

A bunch of crickets and spiders made the move inside the wheelbarrow. It was for the best, because the birds started chirping while I worked and I thought maybe they were getting excited for the smorgasbord I was churning up.

I cawed at some crows circling. I haven't seen them for awhile. My attempt to befriend failed this year because I wasn't consistent and then they left for a long time.

#YardTales

The baby turkeys have been coming around a lot. Several times past my window just today. They grow really fast.

There's another wild turkey, I don't think it's their mama, who has a hurt foot 😞 came limping past this morning.

[Bringing back my #YardTales tag.]

Many years ago I saw this figurine in a Ross discount store. I was captivated by the expression on her face, in a spiritual way. I didn't buy it, and then regretted the decision, thinking I'd never see it again.

But when I went back months later, she was on the clearance shelf. I've kept her through all the moves since, outside in nature where I consider her a goddess. Her resin base has cracked and fallen off, and I fear she may not last much longer, but still she's still here.

Today I noticed something different about her....

#Yardtales

Tiny froggo!!

#Yardtales

I know you poor bug... it's not your fault. You're just looking for a place to get warm before the winter freezes you to death.

But you are SO FUCKING CREEPY. AND STINKY. AND HUGE. GET AWAY!

(The words of an enlightened person in conflict with compassion vs. the ugly bodily form of this particular specie of beings.)

(I forget what they're called, but they're about 1" long with gangly lumpy legs, and very fast, heavy, and aimed at your face when they fly. I've been told that in this area, they flood indoors in the fall through any possible crack... I have found previous year's piles of their corpses in the nooks of this trailer. It's only just begun.)

(At least they're slow when not in flight. It's my only defense.)

(I used to love insects. At age 3, when I came indoors, my mom would say, "Whatever it is, take it back out." But North Idaho has many that squick even me.)

[western conifer seed bug has entered the chat]

#entomology #Yardtales

I think I saw a legless skink in my compost.

When I opened it up to dump some kitchen waste in the wet sloppy center, a "snake" slithered out, about the size of a fat baby garter (may 5-7" long), but it looked "wet". Like frog skin instead of scales.

Took me till today to realize that legless skinks exist.

#compost #rewilding #solarpunk #Yardtales

What kind of birdo is this one?

#Yardtales

There were two crows cawing on a lamp post high above the grocery parking lot. I wondered if they recognized me from the times I've cawed at them from my yard. It is quite a distance but I know they travel far.

But I dared not call attention to myself from the humans.

Another crow joined them.

#Yardtales

These little dudes.

Anyone know what they are? They came off a tansy flower I was picking for indoors. #Yardtales

I am CRACKING UP.

I saw movement out the trailer window and looked up to see a wild turkey hen chasing Midnight!

😂

I am 100% sure Midnight instigated that fight, but I didn't see how it started.

I wish I had!

What I did see was hilarious enough.

Turkeys are like bananas — anything involving them is going to get an immediate humor upgrade. The turkey or the banana could be doing their taxes and it will be funny.

(Midnight and the turkey both seem totally ok.)

#YardTales #Idaho #Birds

I know I should go in and trim off the dead stuff. My health hasn't allowed much care for these things as it is, just a lil watering a couple times a week but not nearly enough to get established for having been planted only a month. I did finally just get the lavender planted, the last thing in a pot. It's almost dead, poor thing. Not sure if she'll make it. But at least she's got soil now. And maybe I'll be able to take more water out. There's not been enough rain here this year.

#Bloomscrolling #Idaho #rewilding #YardTales