Adam Trotter
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astrotter.bsky.social
Adam Trotter
@astrotter.bsky.social
730 followers 840 following 2.5K posts
North Carolinian, erstwhile astronomer, latter-day gardener. PhD in "how is it already getting dark?" Surface of last scattering. he/him 🏳️‍🌈
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astrotter.bsky.social
biblically accurate angel wing begonia
A five foot tall potted polka dot angel wing begonia (Begonia lucerna) sitting on a patio. It has many large, dark green leaves with small silver polka dots, and clusters of drooping red flowers.
July 20, 2025 at 10:23 PM
astrotter.bsky.social
We live at an apartment complex on a tributary creek/lake south of town, and it came into the apartment last night
A lake that has breached its banks at night, with rain still falling.
July 7, 2025 at 6:29 PM
astrotter.bsky.social
I hike at Occoneechee Mountain every morning, and always stop to say hi to the Twisty old Tree. It's a live and healthy sugar maple whose trunk has been hollowed out into a helix somehow. It marks the start of a particularly magical portion of the trail along the Eno River.
A photo taken from inside a hollow tree, looking up. The wood has a spiral pattern, with green leaves visible through gaps. In the center, there is an oculus-like opening to the canopy above. A photo of a sugar maple tree with a helical, hollowed out trunk. Sunlight illuminates parts of the trunk and the tree's green leaves. More trees fill the background.
June 25, 2025 at 12:17 PM
astrotter.bsky.social
The water is high, and the heron is hunting
A great blue heron, long neck extended, standing in choppy water by a grassy bank.
May 31, 2025 at 11:49 AM
astrotter.bsky.social
We planted this thyme a decade ago, I love how it's gone all bonsai
A mature flowering thyme plant growing out of a cinder block, with a gnarled, bent-over "trunk" and lush foliage with many small white flowers.
May 21, 2025 at 12:26 PM
astrotter.bsky.social
a wtf moment when I went to my car this morning. Best I can figure, the it rolled back off the jack right as they got the wheel off, and they split. So net result, I got a free jack.
A gray Honda in a parking space. The left front wheel has been taken off and is at a crazy angle, with the car resting on it. Lug nuts and a jack are littered on the ground around the scene.
February 27, 2025 at 4:53 PM
astrotter.bsky.social
It's gonna smell like an old church up in here...
A clear bottle of Murphy's Wood Soap, sitting on a wooden table that was just cleaned with said soap.
February 9, 2025 at 11:35 AM
astrotter.bsky.social
Objectively the best NPR pledge drive coffee mug. The matte black finish has a pleasant texture and provides an easy-grip handle. The glossy red interior catches the eye like the sole of a Louboutin shoe. The rounder profile and ear-shaped handle add a touch of whimsy. 10/10 superior mug, no notes.
A coffee mug with black coffee in it sitting on a wooden table. The mug is matte black on the exterior, and glossy red on the interior. White printing on the mug reads "WUNC, North Carolina Public Radio, 91.5". There is a jar of honey in the background for some reason.
January 30, 2025 at 1:45 PM
astrotter.bsky.social
Mission accomplished. I almost couldn't find them because they've changed the look of the box
A box of Post Grape-Nuts cereal
January 27, 2025 at 5:35 PM
astrotter.bsky.social
If you knew how conflict averse I am, you'd appreciate the emotional and physiological toll it took to write this note and go outside and walk upstairs and stick it on my upstairs neighbors' door.
A handwritten note: Please stop throwing cigarette butts into our garden. We've picked up a lot the past few months. Thank you.
January 16, 2025 at 10:00 PM
astrotter.bsky.social
some days I cook more for how it makes the apartment smell than for food. poaching some chicken to make curried chicken salad eventually, but enjoying the aromatics for now
A pot of water with slices of lemons and onions, garlic cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, star anise, and bay leaf, put to simmer for poaching chicken
January 16, 2025 at 8:16 PM
astrotter.bsky.social
The late Quentin Crisp, striking a somewhat suspicious pose, arms crossed, looking askance at the camera, wearing a maroon fedora, a pea green shirt under a black jacket, and a jade green ascot.
January 13, 2025 at 10:21 PM
astrotter.bsky.social
cooking glazed carrots is quite satisfying
A big pan of glazed carrots
December 22, 2024 at 11:17 PM
astrotter.bsky.social
Name a non-LOTR character that could resist the One Ring
Pinky, from Pinky and the Brain
December 22, 2024 at 8:06 PM
astrotter.bsky.social
For no reason except maybe to preserve this, because it was. My family on my father's side, Robbins, North Carolina, 1972. I'm the bean being held near the middle.
My father's side of the family, when I was a baby, the summer of 1972. I am the little baby being held by his grandmother, near the middle. While I'd love to tell you something about every single person (and dog) in this picture, I...
December 4, 2024 at 2:53 AM
astrotter.bsky.social
he carried a pug into battle cynthia!
Sir Patrick Stewart as Gurney Halleck in David Lynch's "Dune", shouting "Long Live Duke Leto Atreides!!" and carrying a very calm-looking pug dog as he charges into battle with his men.
December 4, 2024 at 12:52 AM
astrotter.bsky.social
I didn't meet him more than once, but my mother would visit him in the mountains, and he's held in general awe. My favorite is this:
Fred Chappell Narcissus and Echo Shall the water not remember Ember my hand's slow gesture, tracing above of its mirror my half-imaginary airy portrait? My only belonging longing; is my beauty, which I take ache away and then return, as love of of teasing playfully the one being unbeing. whose gratitude I treasure Is your moves me. I live apart heart from myself, yet cannot not live apart. In the water's tone, stone? that brilliant silents, a flower Hour, whispers my name with such slight light: moment, it seems filament of air, fare the world become cloudswell. well.
December 4, 2024 at 12:50 AM
astrotter.bsky.social
Something lovely from my cousin, Fred Chappell
@tomsnarsky.bsky.social
A Prayer for Slowness Let the deep valley take me over With its sundown shadow a little at a time, By little and little, as if the hourglass lay on its side and the grains leaked through one by one into the cloud of infinite separate moments. I shall enter that cloud when once I am become as slow as the brindle cow who walks the molded path along the hill to shadow of the barn darker than hill shadow, not lifting her broad head to watch the climb of spade-edge shadow on the other mountain, but steadily imprinting the dust with her divided name, going into the barn where her rich welcome is taken from her, to lie down grateful and eased. By Fred Chappell
December 4, 2024 at 12:35 AM
astrotter.bsky.social
Post the cover of a book you read way before you were ready for it (age 13)
Gravity's Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon
November 29, 2024 at 5:55 PM
astrotter.bsky.social
me today
A "Heathcliff" cartoon by Gallagher. Heathcliff sits on a couch, a satisfied expression on his face, wearing a giant pink football helmet labeled "HAM". Next to him on the couch are nine large hams. A psychiatrist sits on a chair next to him, holding a notebook, her diplomas on the wall behind her. She is saying "Let's talk about ham."
November 29, 2024 at 4:57 PM
astrotter.bsky.social
Just calculated that I'm the same age now as my grandmother was when this picture was taken. I need to lie down for a bit.
My grandmother (Ethel) holding me as a baby, with my aunt (Frankie) standing to the left, in front of the sign for their florist shop, which reads "The Flower Box & Gifts. Mrs. Harold McCaskill, Mrs Frank Trotter". My grandfather (Frank) is walking down the street behind them. Robbins, North Carolina, 1972.
November 26, 2024 at 7:18 PM
astrotter.bsky.social
He did an amazing Last Supper at a nearby church as well (I think this is the one he was working on when I was there)
"The Last Supper", a fresco by Ben Long and students, Holy Trinity Church, Glendale Springs, North Carolina. The entire wall behind the altar is filled with an image of the last supper. Jesus and the Disciples are at a table, while stairs appear to descend into the foreground, where other figures are going about their lives.
November 24, 2024 at 2:20 PM
astrotter.bsky.social
I met him once when he was painting frescoes at a small church in West Jefferson, North Carolina. Haunting images.
A small wooden chapel with three frescoes behind and to either side of the altar. In the center, "The Mystery of Faith", a crucifixion scene: Jesus hangs on a T-shaped cross while a ghostly image of him looms behind it. On the left, "Mary Great with Child", a pregnant woman stands under a sky darkened by a solar eclipse. On the right, "John the Baptist", a wild-looking man wearing an animal skin and holding a staff.
November 24, 2024 at 2:04 PM
astrotter.bsky.social
when in doubt just make Marcela Hazan's simple tomato sauce
A pan of tomato sauce, with an onion cut in half and about half a stick of butter, which will now simmer for an hour-ish
November 21, 2024 at 10:01 PM
astrotter.bsky.social
Age yourself with your first computer (I still have mine!)
An Atari 400 computer sitting on the floor, surrounded by some of its paraphernalia: the box it came it, a leatherette slipcover, an instruction book, a joystick, several game cartridges, a cassette drive, and a small television set
November 19, 2024 at 12:44 PM