Kristine Smith
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ksmithsf.bsky.social
Kristine Smith
@ksmithsf.bsky.social
1.7K followers 580 following 1.6K posts
Spec fic writer (the Jani Kilian SF series and more). Joiner of coffee clubs. She/ her. BJ jackal. Book View Café member. https://www.kristine-smith.com
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ksmithsf.bsky.social
Tried a teak bathmat. Didn't care for it—too hard.

Snoopy and Woodstock it is!
A bathmat featuring Snoopy and Woodstock. It's white with a black inner frame around a dancing Snoopy and a not-dancing Woodstock, both of which/whom are rendered as black-on-white sketches.
October 20, 2025 at 8:36 PM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
Post something random and have a great October
A calm Lake Michigan on a sunny day, rocks in the foreground, a single sailboat in the distance.
September 30, 2025 at 11:49 PM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
Guess it's turtle hatching season. Carried this little widget to the side of the road yesterday (baby snapping turtle).
Close-up of a baby snapping turtle. Pretty sure it was newly-hatched. It was only about 2 inches long and the shell felt a little soft when I lifted it to carry it across the road. The baby snapping turtle in the grass. It's sooo tiny it looks like it's walking through a forest.
August 30, 2025 at 7:01 PM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
On Aug 14th, I noticed a Monarch chrysalis attached to the siding of my house.

This past Sunday, the little guy emerged (note the dot on the right hindwing—that means it's a boy). #nature #monarch
A Monarch chrysalis attached to the siding of my house of all places. It's a beautiful jade green color dotted along the bottom and the upper third with what appear to be gold dots. According to one source I found, it's light reflected and refracted by the materials making up the chrysalis. A black tip, called a cremaster, extends out the top—it is attached to the silk pad that in turn has secured the whole kit and kaboodle to my house. A male Monarch butterfly. Males have dots on the hindwings (the left dot is hidden in the photo). A few hours ago, he was packed into a chrysalis. Now his wings are hardened, and he's ready to take a few short test flights around my deck before flying off for good.
August 26, 2025 at 10:04 PM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
It was Monarch Sunday today. I have lots of common milkweed, and they had many visitors. But when I checked for signs of caterpillars, nothing.

I have three small butterfly weed plants on my deck that I've yet to plant. They had visitors, too. I assumed just to feed, but nope.

Last count: 7 🐛
three Monarch caterpillars dining on butterfly weed leaves and flowers. The flowers are brilliant orange; the caterpillars are striped yellow/black/white. the head of a Monarch caterpillar poking out amidst a cluster of brilliant orange butterfly weed flowers and yellow buds.
July 27, 2025 at 11:59 PM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
I've always loved chicory flowers. The most beautiful color.
close-up of chicory flowers.
July 26, 2025 at 3:26 AM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
This monarch really likes to rest on this plant stand. I accidentally spooked it when it was resting there earlier, and after I came back inside, it returned.
A monarch butterfly resting atop a wooden plant stand. Its wings are outstretched. In the background are deck railings and blooming common milkweed.
July 8, 2025 at 9:55 PM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
FIRST MONARCH LANDING!

I have a bumper crop of common milkweed this year, and that little flutter hit a number of them.
A Monarch butterfly settled in amid a cluster of common milkweed.
July 4, 2025 at 5:25 PM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
I need to eliminate the junk from my life.

I also needed these two owl doorstops.
Two owl doorstops sitting on a stack of papers. They are like stuffed animals, with dark brown heads, backs, and wings and tan chests, beaks, feet, and rings around their brown eyes. The cloths they're made from both have herringbone patterns. The way they are posed, they look like they're walking along in single file.
June 21, 2025 at 8:01 PM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
Haven’t seen any turtles lately but the nearby state park has painted turtle crossing signs on some of the roads.
A painting of a turtle on a road at Illinois Beach State Park. A little farther up the road is the word “x-ing” (crossing).
June 21, 2025 at 4:45 AM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
Blooming ninebark, the common variety and a "Li'l Devil" cultivar.

The bees and hover flies are loving them.
Close-up image of a common ninebark flower cluster, tiny, white, five-petaled flowers centered with yellow ovules and so many stamens. It's like a bouquet, but only an inch or so across. They seem to be lightly-scented as well. Li'l Devil ninebark flower clusters; one is opening while the other is still closed. The flowers are pale-pink with five petals and yellow stamens. The leaves are toothed (ragged-edged) and are a dark greenish-red.
June 11, 2025 at 4:24 PM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
First irises of not-quite-summer.

A couple of weeks later than last year since Spring has been so cold and cloudy.
a pair of iris blooms. Pretty sure they're the variety "Alcazar." Pale lavender on top shading downward into gold and then to rich purple. There are several more buds on the stalk still to open.
May 27, 2025 at 3:39 PM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
Every time I watch the final battle in Thor: Ragnarok
A city waterfront at night during a thunderstorm. Six lightning strikes hit the water at the same time. The text reads: "Fuck these 6 fish in particular"
May 18, 2025 at 1:49 AM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
I almost bought this wine yesterday just for the label.
Close-up of the label of a bottle of Tooth & Nail wine. IIRC it's a Cab. The label is all shades of red and purple trimmed in black and features a woman wearing a red t-shirt with fishnet sleeves and gloves, dogtags, and a helmet complete with faceplate. The helmet has a daisy taped to it and the designation XX10. There has to be a story here that I am not aware of.
May 5, 2025 at 1:21 AM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
I have a tiny patch by my driveway. I’m always afraid someone will accidentally run over them, so I will need to move them.
Small patch of spring beauty flowers growing in a lawn. They are small pale pink stars streaked with brighter pink.
April 26, 2025 at 4:44 PM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
As I posted the covers of 20 books that had stayed with or influenced me over the years...

...how could I have forgotten this one?
The cover of Edward Gorey's "The Unstrung Harp; or, Mr. Earbrass Writes a Novel." Drawn by Gorey in in 1920ish style. A man is sitting at an unstrung harp; he is wearing formal black, including a tailcoat. He looks worried. The upper part of the cover contains a valance of dark red fabric, implying he is on a stage. Simply one of the best books ever written about the writing process.
March 9, 2025 at 8:41 PM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
Little Robot wants you to know that Book View Café is giving away THREE books just for signing up for our newsletter. Sign up today! #IndieAuthor #IndieBookstore

bookviewcafe.com/newsletter/
[ALT text: the viewer is looking down on at the top of a desk. Atop the desk are a computer keyboard, a cup of black coffee, a silver pen, and other items. In the middle is a phone displaying a short video of a little robot gesturing and speaking to the viewer—instead of words, the dialogue balloon shows three dots. The robot is very cute—it is silvery-blue and smiling. The verbiage is an offer of three free e-books if you sign up for BVC's newsletter.]
March 3, 2025 at 4:11 AM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
Oops—skipped a few days again.

Anyway, it's the last one.

Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day, for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers 20/20
A copy of "Wodehouse on Crime," a collection of short stories by P.G. Wodehouse. The cover illustration is a drawing of six men in what appears to be an English men's club—the chairs are large and comfy-looking and the fireplace is stone with a wooden mantle. There is a fish in an oval frame hanging above the mantle—I assume it's been stuffed. Five of them are staring at the sixth man, who stands with his back to the reader. He is holding a smoking gun; the smoke rises up to form the place on the cover containing the title, author's name, and "Forewaod by Isaac Asimov."
March 2, 2025 at 6:02 PM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day, for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers 19/20
The cover of the centennial edition of The Merck Manual. It's a black hardcover with the title etc etched in gold.
February 27, 2025 at 9:10 PM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
Entering the home stretch.

Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day, for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers 18/20
A cover of the Lord Peter Wimsey mystery Gaudy Night by Dorothy L Sayers. It takes place mostly at Oxford—the cover is "Oxford blue," a medium blue-grey, with the image of an Oxford sweater (oatmeal shade with red and Oxford blue horizontal striping), the collar of a white shirt and blue tie showing beneath. The title, in an Art Deco-ish font, is centered above the collar . A stylized monocle loops from the shirt collar to the place above the title where a person's eye would be.
February 26, 2025 at 5:00 PM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day, for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers 17/20
The cover of Stephen King's Danse Macabre. A plain black background with King's name in dull pink and the book's title in orange. The K in King has a swooping loop at the bottom that looks like a devil's barbed tail. Below the title is King's face, heavily shadowed, His eyes glow orange.
February 25, 2025 at 4:57 PM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day, for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers 16/20
The cover of White Stallion of Lipizza by Marguerite Henry. It shows a white horse reared up on its hind legs and executing one of the "Airs Above the Ground," the dressage maneuvers that Lipizzans are famous for. This one appears to be the courbette, during which the horse hops on its hind legs. A red-jacketed rider sits astride.
February 24, 2025 at 4:07 AM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
Banana pecan chocolate chunk muffins, fresh out of the oven. The house smells so good.
A muffin tin filled with banana pecan chocolate chunk muffins
February 24, 2025 at 1:27 AM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day, for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers 15/20
The cover of the first Dangerous Visions anthology edited by Harlan Ellison. The book was released in 1967, and the cover mirrors the times: psychedelic swirls in green and black frame the interior view of an eyeball rendered in the same colors. The only item with a different color is the lens of the eye, which is shaded orange. Faint arrows depict light entering the eye. The interior of the eyeball contains a sharded figure composed of smaller figures: a woman's face, a man's face, smaller figures that could be birds or lizards or nothing at all. The title and byline are printed in a black, 60s-style font.
February 22, 2025 at 3:58 PM
ksmithsf.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day, for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers 14/20
The cover of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carré. It's a collection of images of a crowd people against a silhouetted background of London England done in red and orange. Most of the people are shaded in dark and medium olive green, but two figures are different. One is a man colored in red; the other is a man wearing glasses and colored in black. The red man has just walked past the man in glasses, who is looking back at him.
February 21, 2025 at 8:44 PM