Barbara B. Harrell
@bbharrell.bsky.social
Organic gardener, nature lover, habitat restorer, night protector, cook, piano player, family historian, retired Ob-Gyn MD, proud mom and grandma, and a lot of other stuff
Pinned
Here's a little series from our back slope habitat restoration, begun Aug 2017 (71 native plant species):
1) Jun 2018 blackberries cleared; deer candy anchor plants caged; 6' deer fence
2) Apr 2019 8' fence + rabbit mesh; gate; huckleberry shades
3) Jun 2022 fence & shades gone
4) Oct 2024
1) Jun 2018 blackberries cleared; deer candy anchor plants caged; 6' deer fence
2) Apr 2019 8' fence + rabbit mesh; gate; huckleberry shades
3) Jun 2022 fence & shades gone
4) Oct 2024
Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell
November 6, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell
Elon Musk’s new pay package would feed all forty million Americans on SNAP for the next ten years. He wouldn’t notice the difference but the country would.
November 8, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Elon Musk’s new pay package would feed all forty million Americans on SNAP for the next ten years. He wouldn’t notice the difference but the country would.
Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell
A man collapsed in the Oval Office yesterday. The internet got the story wrong.
My experience struggling to correct the record — including on Bluesky! — and the warning signs as AI, aggregation, and social media increasingly drive our news consumption.
My experience struggling to correct the record — including on Bluesky! — and the warning signs as AI, aggregation, and social media increasingly drive our news consumption.
A man collapsed in the Oval Office. The internet got the story wrong.
A case study in how bad information can spread — and how hard it is to correct it.
dandiamond.substack.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:27 PM
A man collapsed in the Oval Office yesterday. The internet got the story wrong.
My experience struggling to correct the record — including on Bluesky! — and the warning signs as AI, aggregation, and social media increasingly drive our news consumption.
My experience struggling to correct the record — including on Bluesky! — and the warning signs as AI, aggregation, and social media increasingly drive our news consumption.
Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell
Here's another bit of conventional wisdom Zohran completely blew away: His speech was at well above a 10th-grade level. It was complex, erudite, punctuated by deep and fluent references. You don't have to condescend to voters with baby talk! Part of re-establishing norms is speaking like an adult.
November 5, 2025 at 5:14 AM
Here's another bit of conventional wisdom Zohran completely blew away: His speech was at well above a 10th-grade level. It was complex, erudite, punctuated by deep and fluent references. You don't have to condescend to voters with baby talk! Part of re-establishing norms is speaking like an adult.
Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell
This is what they did at one of my mother's dementia facilities, so that residents are less likely to get lost.
November 5, 2025 at 3:55 PM
This is what they did at one of my mother's dementia facilities, so that residents are less likely to get lost.
Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell
Bat and Moon — Yamada Hōgyoku, c. 1830
October 22, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Bat and Moon — Yamada Hōgyoku, c. 1830
October 30, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell
Time for Seiryu maple (Acer palmatum dissectum 'Seiryu') to shine. Just getting going, now that the neighboring dogwood has lost most of its leaves. We're in a lull between storms, and flocks of bushtits have been visiting Seiryu daily, feeding on something. Not sure what. 🌱 #Japanesemaples #PNW
October 27, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Time for Seiryu maple (Acer palmatum dissectum 'Seiryu') to shine. Just getting going, now that the neighboring dogwood has lost most of its leaves. We're in a lull between storms, and flocks of bushtits have been visiting Seiryu daily, feeding on something. Not sure what. 🌱 #Japanesemaples #PNW
I was wrong. That wasn't peak color yet. Maybe this is 🌱
October 22, 2025 at 2:41 PM
I was wrong. That wasn't peak color yet. Maybe this is 🌱
Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell
Graduate seminar did a deep dive on Thomas Paine’s Common Sense yesterday. At the line, “in America the law is king,” they (14 students from 6 countries) burst out laughing. I've been doing this for 35 years and this is the first time that was a laugh line.
October 22, 2025 at 10:21 AM
Graduate seminar did a deep dive on Thomas Paine’s Common Sense yesterday. At the line, “in America the law is king,” they (14 students from 6 countries) burst out laughing. I've been doing this for 35 years and this is the first time that was a laugh line.
Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell
Bellingham has been trying to encourage folks to plant Garry oak, even providing young saplings, but reportedly without much success. One tip: when young, it needs more summer water than you might think. 🌱 #nativeplants #habitatrestoration
See
realgardensgrownatives.com?p=1897
See
realgardensgrownatives.com?p=1897
October 19, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Bellingham has been trying to encourage folks to plant Garry oak, even providing young saplings, but reportedly without much success. One tip: when young, it needs more summer water than you might think. 🌱 #nativeplants #habitatrestoration
See
realgardensgrownatives.com?p=1897
See
realgardensgrownatives.com?p=1897
Garry oak (Quercus garryana) aka Oregon white oak, prime #native #habitat, used to be common in #westernWA, but the usual culprits nearly eliminated it. Some remain in San Juan Islands, eg Turtleback Mountain Preserve on Orcas, where oak seedlings are protected from deer to assist #restoration.
October 18, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Garry oak (Quercus garryana) aka Oregon white oak, prime #native #habitat, used to be common in #westernWA, but the usual culprits nearly eliminated it. Some remain in San Juan Islands, eg Turtleback Mountain Preserve on Orcas, where oak seedlings are protected from deer to assist #restoration.
Another small series from our main back slope #restoration, from 9-17-23, 11-9-24, 2-15-25, and yesterday 10-17-25. The big hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) straddles the line between our property and a City of Bellingham greenspace that includes a branch of Whatcom Creek below. 🌱 #nativeplants
October 18, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Another small series from our main back slope #restoration, from 9-17-23, 11-9-24, 2-15-25, and yesterday 10-17-25. The big hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) straddles the line between our property and a City of Bellingham greenspace that includes a branch of Whatcom Creek below. 🌱 #nativeplants
Back from two days on gorgeous Orcas Island with its spectacular views from Mt Constitution summit, our inn on Eastsound, various trails on protected Turtleback mountain, but there's no place like home. That's Satomi dogwood (Cornus kousa 'Satomi') at peak color on our #PacificRim side. 🌱
October 17, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Back from two days on gorgeous Orcas Island with its spectacular views from Mt Constitution summit, our inn on Eastsound, various trails on protected Turtleback mountain, but there's no place like home. That's Satomi dogwood (Cornus kousa 'Satomi') at peak color on our #PacificRim side. 🌱
Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell
Since I'm in the Pacific time zone, I'm posting a video for #FlyDay a bit early. Here are some Snow Geese flying, in a somewhat organized manner, to join others for a break in Richmond, BC, Canada, along the Pacific Flyway on their migration journey south. #birds #photography #EastCoastKin
October 17, 2025 at 3:34 AM
Since I'm in the Pacific time zone, I'm posting a video for #FlyDay a bit early. Here are some Snow Geese flying, in a somewhat organized manner, to join others for a break in Richmond, BC, Canada, along the Pacific Flyway on their migration journey south. #birds #photography #EastCoastKin
Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell
October 10, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Memo to Future Historians: This Is Fascism, and Millions of Us See It newrepublic.com/post/201625/... via @newrepublic.com
Memo to Future Historians: This Is Fascism, and Millions of Us See It
From Chicago to Portland, James Comey to Letitia James, and so much else—this is no longer America.
newrepublic.com
October 11, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Memo to Future Historians: This Is Fascism, and Millions of Us See It newrepublic.com/post/201625/... via @newrepublic.com
Decided I needed something for fall pollinators, so I added 8 Hall's asters (Symphotricum hallii) and 6 Douglas asters (Symphotricum subspicatum). Instant buzz of little native bees. I really do think our #nativeplantrestoration of the back #lawn is finished now, except for growing! 🌱
October 2, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Decided I needed something for fall pollinators, so I added 8 Hall's asters (Symphotricum hallii) and 6 Douglas asters (Symphotricum subspicatum). Instant buzz of little native bees. I really do think our #nativeplantrestoration of the back #lawn is finished now, except for growing! 🌱
Much as I am appalled by the outrageous abuse that ICE goons attempt to justify by dehumanizing their victims, I have to ask: Why is it OK to do this sort of thing to animals?
"They're animals" just doesn't cut it with me.
@christinewebb.bsky.social #animalrights #humanrights #civilrights
"They're animals" just doesn't cut it with me.
@christinewebb.bsky.social #animalrights #humanrights #civilrights
To do what they are doing at this scale you have to dehumanize. It's just not possible to be this cruel and believe that these people are just like anyone else. spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-...
Man detained in Cato ICE raid wrongfully deported, separated from his family
Body camera footage released from the raid shows agents referring to immigrants as 'animals.'
spectrumlocalnews.com
September 28, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Much as I am appalled by the outrageous abuse that ICE goons attempt to justify by dehumanizing their victims, I have to ask: Why is it OK to do this sort of thing to animals?
"They're animals" just doesn't cut it with me.
@christinewebb.bsky.social #animalrights #humanrights #civilrights
"They're animals" just doesn't cut it with me.
@christinewebb.bsky.social #animalrights #humanrights #civilrights
Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell
Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell
Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell
She also loved her kids, and Hitler loved his dog, until they killed them in the Führerbunker.
September 14, 2025 at 10:15 AM
She also loved her kids, and Hitler loved his dog, until they killed them in the Führerbunker.
💯
It really is so striking how much The Discourse operates untethered from…what we actually know. The killer is still at large! We have no idea who did it! Seems pretty important to get that sorted.
September 11, 2025 at 4:29 AM
💯