Margaret Mills
LightNews LightNews
banner
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
Margaret Mills
@margaretgracemills.bsky.social
310 followers 260 following 600 posts
Clinical/research virologist. Knitting, dahlias, kids and pets, and lots of sportsball. Manager of Trafton Street Dahlia Farm, aka my front yard. Anti-fascist, anti-racist, pro-queer, pro-trans, anti-genocide. She/her.
Posts Replies Media Videos
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
So I have seal-point cats. And I’m a baby Gen X. And finally, tonight I realized: they’re Hypercolor Black Cats. I love my Hypercolor cats.
A seal-point cat sits primly on an envelope I was trying to finish addressing. Her face and ears and feet are very black, and her neck and chest are very cream. Some intermediate colors are visible on the top of her head and on her haunches. A young black lab sticks his nose at one of two seal point cats sitting on a lap. The cats have very black faces and black ears, and a range of paler colors varying through the tops of their heads, their necks, and their backs. Also the cats do not hate the dog’s presence at all. Three animals passed out on a rug in front of a fireplace: two labs (one red and one black) and one cat (-shaped dog). The last is seal point: black ears and face and paws and tail, with heat-sensitive body: cream neck and underarm, darker legs and back.
December 3, 2025 at 7:35 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
I may be very Irish, but there’s still a Welsh dragon on my front door, and all this Welsh-ness inside thanks to my husband. Prynhawn da! Margaret dw i.
Two British labs sitting next to a blue couch, with a Christmas tree behind them. There’s a hard bound copy of The Mabinogion (Welsh history/stories) belonging to our middle kid sitting on the couch. The dogs are named Myrddin (red lab, Welsh Merlin) and Gwyllgi (black lab, “darkness dog”, “twilight dog”, “gloaming dog”, “America’s #1 Tripping Hazard”).
December 2, 2025 at 7:01 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
Several kids very enthusiastically watching fish swim past in a wonderful big deep tank at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Point Ruston / Tacoma, WA
November 27, 2025 at 6:14 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
Here’s a tiny bit of adorable interaction between three dogs (two of whom are cat-shaped).
Gwyllgi the young black lab checking in with two seal point Thai cats, Sylvie (left) and Loki (right). Dog nose to the cat face results in giant purrs from the cats.
November 25, 2025 at 4:56 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
Dahlia update! The hybrids have all been dug; imperialis continues to grow almost unaffected by weather. 🌱
Seven plastic 5 gallon buckets on a messy grass yard, all containing bunches of dahlia tubers that are tagged with hot pink surveyor’s tape The top of one Dahlia imperialis (Imperial Tree Dahlia) cane, with a cluster of fat buds at the top illuminated against a bright blue sky The top of three Dahlia imperialis (Imperial Tree Dahlia) canes, all with fat buds at the top, illuminated against a bright blue sky. There’s also a tint commercial airplane visible flying past.
November 13, 2025 at 2:46 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
NO, you need to do this AND use the kayaks! Probably get rid of the snowboards though lol.
The bow of a Red Sea kayak in the water off Vashon Island, WA. A man in a teal sea kayak is ahead and to the right a bit looking at a floating dock anchored in the distance (to the left). The dock is almost entirely submerged by the number of seals hauled out on it.
November 13, 2025 at 2:05 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
Ok I apologize in advance for everyone who isn’t pro-spider. But we had this delightful northern wolf spider come to visit, and we were all able to enjoy its presence without our mischief gods killing it. Roughly 2” diameter including legs, small-ish by wolf spider standards, but still exciting!
A wolf spider on a canvas tote bag, hiding from a Thai cat who is very excited to eat it A wolf spider under a small plastic container on a paper towel on a coffee table, with two seal point Thai cats extremely interested. The spider is actively exploring in the direction of the cats, entirely unbothered by the hunters. A wolf spider under a small plastic container on a paper towel on a coffee table, with two seal point Thai cats extremely interested. One of the cats has a paw up to bat at the spider. The spider is actively exploring in the direction of the cats, with allll legs up to look impressive to the hunters. A tween human’s hand is coming in from the left to protect the spider from the hunters. A northern wolf spider on an outdoor potted oregano plant, looking stripey and beautiful, having survived its run-in with some murderous (but thankfully indoor) mischief god cats.
November 4, 2025 at 6:45 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
He continues to look so much like my Myrddin!
A red lab sits in front of the base of an imperial tree dahlia, looking confused because he’s normally not allowed into the dahlias.
October 31, 2025 at 8:32 PM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
I tried to lift it the first year, started digging 1.5’ out from the stem, and ran into tuber thick enough to stop the shovel. And immediately gave up. Fortunately it has overwintered fine ever since, covered with sword fern fronds. Probably could do with splitting, though.
The base of the tree (dinosaur) dahlia, Dahlia imperialis, in a garden bed surrounded by normal hybrid dahlia plants. It looks like a dozen or so bamboo canes sprouting from an area maybe 1-2’ in diameter and fanning out as they go up; the tips of some absurdly large dahlia leaves are visible at the top of the frame from higher up in the tree dahlia. A confused 55 lbs red lab (not normally allowed into the dahlias) is sitting in the foreground of the picture for rough scale.
October 30, 2025 at 1:07 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
Alert! The Dahlia imperialis now has buds! One of my neighbors referred to it delightedly as “the dinosaur dahlia” and I love that so much. (The canes are at least 15’ tall, and look like some weird dahlia-bamboo cross.) Will it bloom this year?? Stay tuned! 🌱
View of the top of one Dahlia imperialis cane. There are several round buds visible at the very top, and one visible on either side of the main stem by the first large pair of leaves below the top. View of the top of a second Dahlia imperialis cane. There are several round buds visible at the very top, and one visible on either side of the main stem by the first pair of baby leaves below the top.
October 27, 2025 at 1:26 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
It’s that time of year! Give yourself a treat, and give Bobby Kennedy Jr. a scare. Get your flu and COVID shots! (Selfie to capture the back of the other bicep is a challenge for me. Have one that shows both bandaids and the magnificent ghost earrings, and one with dahlias!)
A selfie of a smiling white woman with flexed bicep. There are two bandaids on her shoulder where she received Flu and COVID vaccines. Her brown hair is brushed back, revealing iridescent ghost earrings. A selfie of a white woman flexing one bicep. There are two bandaids on her shoulder where she received flu and COVID vaccines. Many dahlia plants with a riot of blooms are visible behind her. One ghost earring is subtle but visible.
October 17, 2025 at 2:17 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
So well. Despite the best efforts of the mischief gods in the house haha.
October 14, 2025 at 3:33 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
My kids went through a long rainbow cake phase (sparked by a kit in the super market) and I was quite sad when it ended, as much as all that food coloring was kind of horrifying haha. But our cakes were waaay simpler than that. Wonderful work!
A slice of birthday cake on a brightly colored paper plate. The cake is 2 layers with white frosting between them and on top, and each layer is rainbow: bottom is purple in the middle then blue-green-yellow-orange-red out to the edge; top is the same colors but in reverse order.
October 13, 2025 at 4:15 PM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
OMGGGG. 😍 I have two mischief gods who are both beautiful (unrelated to their mischief-god-ness, except that their breed has STRONG mischief tendencies) and they are so ridiculous and I adore them. And the calico/tortie is AMAZING. 😍
A very amused woman in a Sounders jersey holds up a seal point Thai cat. One black paw hangs over the woman’s hand and next to the cat’s right ear. The cat’s left leg hangs loosely over the woman’s arm, with a black paw below a cream/tan upper leg. The cat’s cream/tan belly (with dark patch) is visible below the woman’s arm. The cat’s black face and bright blue eyes are focused on the camera. No chance for mischief escapes this cat.
October 12, 2025 at 2:41 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
For World Octopus Day, enjoy the amazing tiles our friend Claudia at Ixia Tile Tacoma custom-made for us, featuring a giant Pacific octopus, a beautiful purple Pisaster sea star, and piles of 3D shells in the corners that she cast from real shells from Tacoma beaches.
Ceramic tiles in front of an old brick fireplace with a gas fireplace insert. There is a dark orange-red giant Pacific octopus stretched across all of the tiles, with white cup-shaped suckers visible on its legs. The background is sand-colored with celadon bubbles blown onto the glaze. There’s a purple Pisaster sea star in the upper right corner with amazingly accurate texture. In both upper corners there are piles of 3D shells (mussels, several kinds of clams, oysters, limpets, slipper limpets, even sand dollars), also attached to the brick fireplace front above the tiles, especially up into the crevices of the bricks.
October 9, 2025 at 2:30 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
These are my two favs this year. My Hero is from Swan Island, and I’ve adored it since I first saw it in the test garden at Point Defiance. Sugartown Sunrise came from the tuber swap, and it’s GREAT. So so so many petals!
My Hero, a dinner plate dahlia, informal decorative with petals that flip and curl so you can see both sides: dark purple-red on the front and silver on the back Sugartown Sunrise, a cute formal decorative dahlia with candy pink petals on the outside fading to light yellow in the center
October 8, 2025 at 3:42 PM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
Oh I LOVE IT!! I have a couple of Bloomquist varieties for the first time this year, Mandrake and Lemonade, and they’re both very nice, but that’s amazing!
Bloomquist Mandrake, an orange/rust formal decorative dahlia Bloomquist Lemonade, a light yellow semi-cactus dahlia
October 8, 2025 at 3:33 PM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
Omg I have ~70 varieties!!! And there are SO MANY GREAT ONES!!!
The front yard of a small brick house, with a wood fence at the sidewalk. The front yard is entirely dahlias, of all different colors and forms.
October 8, 2025 at 5:08 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
My kiddo would like to say: he loves Max back! And he wishes Max would have visited him in the hospital, and licked his face! Apparently therapy dogs are not supposed to lick faces??? Travesty (as far he’s concerned).
Hand-drawn sign taped to a hospital room door reads “Therapy DOG Wanted [in 3D letters] (Some type of Large Dog preferred) I’m a 12 year old boy who loves Dogs.”
September 30, 2025 at 3:48 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
Aw man. My kiddo had a week-long diagnostic inpatient stay recently, and made this sign for his door, and would have loved a visit from Chestnut. (He got one visit from a delightful mini doodle with one eye, but kiddo was sad bc she wasn’t allowed to lick his face.)
Hand-drawn sign taped to the door of a hospital room reads “Therapy DOG Wanted” in 3D letters, and below that “(Some type of Large Dog preferred) / I’m a 12 year old boy who loves Dogs.”
September 27, 2025 at 12:41 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
Our red lab thinks that he’s super cute when he “grins” aka snarls at you. It helps that he’s short (Brit lab and also tiny) and also that it’s accompanied by the most ridiculous licking and sneezing and wiggling, but it’s still intimidating to non-dog folks.
An extremely goofy red lab snarls at the camera, which he thinks is adorable and endearing. It’s a lot of teeth but the biggest threat is his tongue honestly.
September 27, 2025 at 12:32 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
Hey bsky dahlia friends! Anyone know what these varieties are? I got them in a tuber swap and they weren’t identified but I love them! 🌱
A lacinated dahlia bloom, HOT PINK. It was labeled I’m A Hottie, and the color is right but the form is totally wrong. A dahlia bloom that is somewhere between waterlily and decorative, but with distinctly pointed petals. The color is orange in the middle, fading from light orange to yellow to the outer petals. Blooms are a good 6” in diameter. A spectacular waterlily form dahlia in peachy pink. The plant is big and robust and is blooming a ton. A very nice solid red formal decorative dahlia bloom, maybe 4” in diameter. This was just labeled “Mystery 58” at the tuber swap.
September 19, 2025 at 2:38 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
Apropos of nothing I need to share the socks I’m wearing tonight. I bought this incredible rainbow yarn, tried to knit it with the always amazing Jaywalkers pattern, but NO. RAINBOWS NEED TO BE RAINBOWS. In honor of my kid who has had a f**king week, and every other LGBTQIA+ human, YOU ARE WORTH IT.
A pair of feet wearing handknit socks. The socks are made of yarn that is self-striping in beautiful rainbows alternating with cloudy-blue-grey. The socks are knit so that the rainbows are knit as actual rainbows, two across the top of each foot. It’s a homemade variant of Grumperina’s Jaywalker pattern.
September 12, 2025 at 5:19 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
It’s terribly hot but that means in part that more varieties are opening! 🌱
Bloomquist Mandrake, an autumn orange Formal Decorative dahlia bloom Myrtle’s Folly, a lacinated cactus dahlia bloom in bright purple-pink, peach, and light yellow Sonic Bloom dahlia, a wild mauve-purple informal decorative bloom I got the tuber for this white Formal Decorative dahlia in a tuber swap, it was only labeled “WF”. But it’s lovely!
August 13, 2025 at 2:41 AM
margaretgracemills.bsky.social
Additional dahlias. It’s so exciting to have this many varieties opening already! Which is an indication of how slow I am at getting my poor plants going, buuuut given that, it’s so exiting to have closing in on two dozen varieties open in the first week of August!
Pooh dahlia, a collarette with true red petals with yellow tips and light yellow collar and a yellow center. It’s cheerful as hell. Mikayla Miranda dahlia (left/top) and Bluetiful dahlia (bottom). Both are informal decorative, Mikayla Miranda is a pale lavender dinner plate (maybe 9” in diameter), and Bluetiful is a blue-toned purple (6-7” in diameter). They are perfect in combination with each other. Patches dahlia. A purple informal decorative with white tips on the petals. Brookside Snowball dahlia. This is a pure white bloom, tight ball form as implied by the name.
August 7, 2025 at 4:19 AM