Michelle Cloud-Hughes
@cmdobotanist.bsky.social
Commando Botanist & Queen of Cylindropuntia
My first morning out roaming the desert this autumn, and I'm immediately greeted by this excellent bit of desert weirdness.
October 13, 2025 at 4:41 PM
My first morning out roaming the desert this autumn, and I'm immediately greeted by this excellent bit of desert weirdness.
Did I need a pretty, cactiform hummingbird feeder? No. Did I get it anyway? Duh.
I promise, I'm coming out of my delightful summer hibernation and attempting to be more social. This format annoys me, but I can at least show off my nascent native garden as it slowly progresses.
I promise, I'm coming out of my delightful summer hibernation and attempting to be more social. This format annoys me, but I can at least show off my nascent native garden as it slowly progresses.
October 9, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Did I need a pretty, cactiform hummingbird feeder? No. Did I get it anyway? Duh.
I promise, I'm coming out of my delightful summer hibernation and attempting to be more social. This format annoys me, but I can at least show off my nascent native garden as it slowly progresses.
I promise, I'm coming out of my delightful summer hibernation and attempting to be more social. This format annoys me, but I can at least show off my nascent native garden as it slowly progresses.
Nothing like rain in the desert to make a field bio feel good! Especially when it's summer, and you expected to be roasting.
September 3, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Nothing like rain in the desert to make a field bio feel good! Especially when it's summer, and you expected to be roasting.
I enjoyed this review for a collapsible water jug very much. Corvids gonna corvid.
August 22, 2025 at 7:53 PM
I enjoyed this review for a collapsible water jug very much. Corvids gonna corvid.
The sanest of my cousins got a new puppy, and I figured we can all use a cute puppy photo.
July 27, 2025 at 4:30 PM
The sanest of my cousins got a new puppy, and I figured we can all use a cute puppy photo.
My narrow-leaved milkweed finally took off once I started neglecting it, and I've had a gratifying number of caterpillar and adult monarchs this season. I'll be curious to see how this plays out.
July 19, 2025 at 4:20 PM
My narrow-leaved milkweed finally took off once I started neglecting it, and I've had a gratifying number of caterpillar and adult monarchs this season. I'll be curious to see how this plays out.
Invasive juvenile scaly-breasted munia munching away on invasive grass (Erharta erecta) and aster (Erigeron canadensis) in my ecology. I suppose that's a type of balance.
July 10, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Invasive juvenile scaly-breasted munia munching away on invasive grass (Erharta erecta) and aster (Erigeron canadensis) in my ecology. I suppose that's a type of balance.
I performed an unexpected magic trick this morning in the ecology. I unfolded a bit of my makeshift tablecloth and *poof* baby Sceloporus occidentalis! I'm glad I found them before I set my teapot there. 😬 I'm not sure if this is one of the two(!) I rescued from one of my pots yesterday afternoon.
July 9, 2025 at 3:20 PM
I performed an unexpected magic trick this morning in the ecology. I unfolded a bit of my makeshift tablecloth and *poof* baby Sceloporus occidentalis! I'm glad I found them before I set my teapot there. 😬 I'm not sure if this is one of the two(!) I rescued from one of my pots yesterday afternoon.
I've spent the most recent part of the morning attempting to rehab a wonky-winged monarch. We shall see how she fares.
July 6, 2025 at 5:20 PM
I've spent the most recent part of the morning attempting to rehab a wonky-winged monarch. We shall see how she fares.
The trolley from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood went into the witness protection program and is hiding out north of Bishop.
July 5, 2025 at 3:38 AM
The trolley from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood went into the witness protection program and is hiding out north of Bishop.
Happy solstice, all. Things have been mostly good. I recently decided to semi-retire. So, obviously, I've spent the last two days working in the blast furnace of southern Nevada. But now I'm off to re-emphasize the retirement part of semi-retirement. I've missed y'all.
June 21, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Happy solstice, all. Things have been mostly good. I recently decided to semi-retire. So, obviously, I've spent the last two days working in the blast furnace of southern Nevada. But now I'm off to re-emphasize the retirement part of semi-retirement. I've missed y'all.
Yeah, screw all y'all kids' accomplishment of graduating from high school in spite of living in a burnt-out, run-down, poison-aired ag-town. It's actually all about Jesus. 🙄
May 10, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Yeah, screw all y'all kids' accomplishment of graduating from high school in spite of living in a burnt-out, run-down, poison-aired ag-town. It's actually all about Jesus. 🙄
Surprising me immensely, I won an award at the CSSA conference last night!
April 27, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Surprising me immensely, I won an award at the CSSA conference last night!
To my list of small desert towns in which I've done laundry, I can now add Adelanto.
March 30, 2025 at 7:23 PM
To my list of small desert towns in which I've done laundry, I can now add Adelanto.
A new-to-me snake species yesterday, thanks to my colleague Aliana's lightning-fast, mad herp-diving skillz: Glossy snake!
The scientific name is Arizona elegans, and yes, it's very annoying to have a state name as a genus name. (Side-eyeing you, California macrophylla.)
The scientific name is Arizona elegans, and yes, it's very annoying to have a state name as a genus name. (Side-eyeing you, California macrophylla.)
March 27, 2025 at 12:59 PM
A new-to-me snake species yesterday, thanks to my colleague Aliana's lightning-fast, mad herp-diving skillz: Glossy snake!
The scientific name is Arizona elegans, and yes, it's very annoying to have a state name as a genus name. (Side-eyeing you, California macrophylla.)
The scientific name is Arizona elegans, and yes, it's very annoying to have a state name as a genus name. (Side-eyeing you, California macrophylla.)
Good morning!
March 26, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Good morning!
Today's office.
March 25, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Today's office.
Cheap motel art is so weird. I'm out in the high desert, surrounded by beautiful Joshua Tree woodlands. So obviously the artwork should involve... a bunch of rich British gents racing their horses and dogs through the English countryside? Modification for amusement purposes.
March 19, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Cheap motel art is so weird. I'm out in the high desert, surrounded by beautiful Joshua Tree woodlands. So obviously the artwork should involve... a bunch of rich British gents racing their horses and dogs through the English countryside? Modification for amusement purposes.
The blues I'm trying to concentrate on in these utterly insane times. #betterlivingthroughbotany
March 4, 2025 at 4:40 AM
The blues I'm trying to concentrate on in these utterly insane times. #betterlivingthroughbotany
"How do you do, fellow songbirds?"
February 28, 2025 at 12:49 AM
"How do you do, fellow songbirds?"
Third species to flower in my ecology this spring: Phacelia campanularia* (desert bluebells)
*Or maybe Phacelia minor. There's a reason it's a thing among California botanists to sing "Phaceeelia, you're breakin' my heart. You're shakin' my confidence daily...." to the tune of "Cecilia."
*Or maybe Phacelia minor. There's a reason it's a thing among California botanists to sing "Phaceeelia, you're breakin' my heart. You're shakin' my confidence daily...." to the tune of "Cecilia."
February 26, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Third species to flower in my ecology this spring: Phacelia campanularia* (desert bluebells)
*Or maybe Phacelia minor. There's a reason it's a thing among California botanists to sing "Phaceeelia, you're breakin' my heart. You're shakin' my confidence daily...." to the tune of "Cecilia."
*Or maybe Phacelia minor. There's a reason it's a thing among California botanists to sing "Phaceeelia, you're breakin' my heart. You're shakin' my confidence daily...." to the tune of "Cecilia."
Nemophila menziesii (baby blue eyes) flowering in my wildflower patch as of yesterday.
February 24, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Nemophila menziesii (baby blue eyes) flowering in my wildflower patch as of yesterday.
Incoming flood of Wisteria floribunda!
February 22, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Incoming flood of Wisteria floribunda!