Jenifer 🌻 plants wildflowers for fun and profit
@jtidwell.bsky.social
Landscape designer doing restorative ecology. Author of YA+MG novels and DESIGNING INTERFACES; former UXer. She/her. Ecoregion 59b Boston Basin 🌱
The takeaway from all this, I guess, is that in the second-growth Eastern US forests, there are vanishingly few *mammals* that will hurt you, but plenty of plants that will make your life hell.
Also ticks and mosquitos.
Also ticks and mosquitos.
November 11, 2025 at 2:15 AM
The takeaway from all this, I guess, is that in the second-growth Eastern US forests, there are vanishingly few *mammals* that will hurt you, but plenty of plants that will make your life hell.
Also ticks and mosquitos.
Also ticks and mosquitos.
Yiiiiikes.
November 11, 2025 at 2:11 AM
Yiiiiikes.
Personally I like it even better the way you originally wrote it.
November 10, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Personally I like it even better the way you originally wrote it.
Oh God, stinging nettles. No thank!
A weeding volunteer in our local pocket forest accidentally grabbed one of these (a big one) to pull it out. She was in real pain, very quickly. We had to ID the plant and diagnose it as fast as we could - sent her running to the nearest barnyard sink. Ugh.
A weeding volunteer in our local pocket forest accidentally grabbed one of these (a big one) to pull it out. She was in real pain, very quickly. We had to ID the plant and diagnose it as fast as we could - sent her running to the nearest barnyard sink. Ugh.
November 10, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Oh God, stinging nettles. No thank!
A weeding volunteer in our local pocket forest accidentally grabbed one of these (a big one) to pull it out. She was in real pain, very quickly. We had to ID the plant and diagnose it as fast as we could - sent her running to the nearest barnyard sink. Ugh.
A weeding volunteer in our local pocket forest accidentally grabbed one of these (a big one) to pull it out. She was in real pain, very quickly. We had to ID the plant and diagnose it as fast as we could - sent her running to the nearest barnyard sink. Ugh.
And nowadays, it's the overpopulation of deer that keep a lot of forests clear of underbrush. Which is a real problem for forest ecology. There aren't enough deer predators, which means there aren't many human predators either.
(Except poison ivy. I'm terrified of that stuff. Weeks of misery.)
(Except poison ivy. I'm terrified of that stuff. Weeks of misery.)
November 10, 2025 at 4:42 PM
And nowadays, it's the overpopulation of deer that keep a lot of forests clear of underbrush. Which is a real problem for forest ecology. There aren't enough deer predators, which means there aren't many human predators either.
(Except poison ivy. I'm terrified of that stuff. Weeks of misery.)
(Except poison ivy. I'm terrified of that stuff. Weeks of misery.)
The spruce forests of the mountainous Northeast US - moose habitat - are as thick and dense as you describe. Impossible to run through! Lots of hiding places for predators.
But the friendly lowland forests? Many are clear enough to run around easily. Indigenous ppls kept underbrush clear w/ fire.
But the friendly lowland forests? Many are clear enough to run around easily. Indigenous ppls kept underbrush clear w/ fire.
November 10, 2025 at 4:37 PM
The spruce forests of the mountainous Northeast US - moose habitat - are as thick and dense as you describe. Impossible to run through! Lots of hiding places for predators.
But the friendly lowland forests? Many are clear enough to run around easily. Indigenous ppls kept underbrush clear w/ fire.
But the friendly lowland forests? Many are clear enough to run around easily. Indigenous ppls kept underbrush clear w/ fire.
100%. Nothing beats looking down on the earth from that height.
November 7, 2025 at 12:07 AM
100%. Nothing beats looking down on the earth from that height.
The typographical sins committed here are giving me a headache. JFC
November 6, 2025 at 1:01 AM
The typographical sins committed here are giving me a headache. JFC
Which video? Would love to see it!
November 5, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Which video? Would love to see it!
Just did the same, with three new white pine trees I just planted.
November 5, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Just did the same, with three new white pine trees I just planted.
Pretty sure I have almost identical photos of my grey... hold on...
Yep.
Yep.
November 5, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Pretty sure I have almost identical photos of my grey... hold on...
Yep.
Yep.
Double yellowhead Amazon! 💚 Yours, I take it?
November 5, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Double yellowhead Amazon! 💚 Yours, I take it?
That's skimboarding, no?
(Not trying to erase slip'n'slides, which are their own category of fun)
(Not trying to erase slip'n'slides, which are their own category of fun)
November 5, 2025 at 5:12 PM
That's skimboarding, no?
(Not trying to erase slip'n'slides, which are their own category of fun)
(Not trying to erase slip'n'slides, which are their own category of fun)
Not to mention the air traffic controllers.
Last Friday the NYC metro area was down to 20% of their ATCs actually working shifts. Don't see it getting much better as we approach Thanksgiving.
Last Friday the NYC metro area was down to 20% of their ATCs actually working shifts. Don't see it getting much better as we approach Thanksgiving.
November 4, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Not to mention the air traffic controllers.
Last Friday the NYC metro area was down to 20% of their ATCs actually working shifts. Don't see it getting much better as we approach Thanksgiving.
Last Friday the NYC metro area was down to 20% of their ATCs actually working shifts. Don't see it getting much better as we approach Thanksgiving.
Love to see high participation! And thanks for doing the poll work.
November 4, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Love to see high participation! And thanks for doing the poll work.
Chicken Creole:
2-3 lb chicken pieces - brown in heavy pot
3 28oz cans diced tomato - add to pot
Add salt, pepper, thyme, bay, etc
Dice onion, celery, sweet pepper, garlic - saute in separate pan, squirt ketchup (!) on it, stir, cook ~2min more
Scrape veggies into pot, cook ~30 min
Serve over rice
2-3 lb chicken pieces - brown in heavy pot
3 28oz cans diced tomato - add to pot
Add salt, pepper, thyme, bay, etc
Dice onion, celery, sweet pepper, garlic - saute in separate pan, squirt ketchup (!) on it, stir, cook ~2min more
Scrape veggies into pot, cook ~30 min
Serve over rice
November 4, 2025 at 3:43 AM
Chicken Creole:
2-3 lb chicken pieces - brown in heavy pot
3 28oz cans diced tomato - add to pot
Add salt, pepper, thyme, bay, etc
Dice onion, celery, sweet pepper, garlic - saute in separate pan, squirt ketchup (!) on it, stir, cook ~2min more
Scrape veggies into pot, cook ~30 min
Serve over rice
2-3 lb chicken pieces - brown in heavy pot
3 28oz cans diced tomato - add to pot
Add salt, pepper, thyme, bay, etc
Dice onion, celery, sweet pepper, garlic - saute in separate pan, squirt ketchup (!) on it, stir, cook ~2min more
Scrape veggies into pot, cook ~30 min
Serve over rice