Lorraine Ketzler
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lorraineketzler.bsky.social
Lorraine Ketzler
@lorraineketzler.bsky.social
110 followers 170 following 150 posts
Wildlife biologist, conservationist, public service employee, just trying to look at cool things outside while not getting snake bitten. Off work: reader, knitter, introvert, cat parent, just trying to not be a terrible person.
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lorraineketzler.bsky.social
Evening kitty snoozing is just what I needed today.
Salix has been my personal mini space heater during this Florida cold weather.
I admit: I finally turned the heater on too, more for Salix because he's still little. Typha the potato has enough fluff that he'd be totally fine, lol.
Salix, my tuxedo kitten stretched out along my legs under the blanket. Soft white belly fur - up. His white knee socks and mittens are always fashionable.
February 5, 2026 at 2:14 AM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
These guys have been sticking to me like glue even though it's 70 degrees in here lol. 🥵
Happy Caturday 😸
Knitting 🧶 = guaranteed kitty cuddles
(Salix's airplane ears are because my leg was cramping and I dared to slightly shift it)
Typha, my gray cat, and Salix, my tuxedo kitten, cuddling for warmth on this frozen day (70F) while I'm trying to knit and watching Netflix. Knitting a lap blanket with some yarn that I can't remember the name of and can't get up to look at (because it's against the law to remove a cat in your lap).
January 17, 2026 at 4:52 PM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
I can't, with the news right now. Here's an Eastern screech owl giving me the stink-eye to look at instead.
We're cutting trees to restore habitat for threatened birds and temporarily flushed this cutie, who did not appreciate the chainsaws and human proximity.
Eastern screech owls come in 2 color phases: red and gray. This one is red. It flushed from a tree near where we were cutting (but not the tree we were cutting) to perch temporarily here on this branch. After we quit for the day, I'm sure it found a safer roost for the rest of the day. They're common, but infrequently seen by people. We sometimes hear them during nighttime surveys. We have a lot of tree cavities for them to roost in. I love their little "ears" so cute 😍 It was definitely giving me the stink-eye.
January 9, 2026 at 9:34 PM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
Today both kitties were cuddle kitties for at least part of the day, but Salix wins the Velcro competition. In between cuddles, there were shenanigans (of course). 😸😼
Typha, my gray cat, and Salix, my tuxedo kitten, snoozing on the couch with me. Salix, my tuxedo kitten, snoozing while laying on my crossed feet and legs, because laying on the blanket next to me wasn't warm enough for him (I was feeling kinda sweaty though 😅).
January 3, 2026 at 1:17 AM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
It was in the 70s again 🥶 = couch cuddle kitty day. Salix is still practicing getting under the blanket, and double folding it was a lot of fun today.
New Year, but still a Heathen. 😼
I'm gonna miss lazy couch vacation days.
Salix, my tuxedo kitten, in between double-layered blanket, stretching out to claw at me because I dared to slightly adjust my leg underneath and that meant it was playtime for kitten vs monsters under the covers.
January 2, 2026 at 4:58 AM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
Having a relaxing New Year's Eve. We might stay awake till midnight, but it'll be in pj's and with a cuddle kitty. Typha's not included in the photo because he's being a turd cat.
Happy New Year's!
January 1, 2026 at 1:32 AM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
I'm sorry I woke you, your highness. How dare I shift and rustle, my sincerestapologies. Continue your nap, please.
😆
This look was so silly!
The 'tude from this dude, I tell ya.
Salix, my tuxedo kitten, was snoozing on the computer chair (and kitty blanket) with belly and hind legs up. But he woke up just a bit and looked over at me to see what I was doing (just adjusting my feet, I think). He was still sleepy and closed his eyes again to snooze some more after I didn't get up or do anything else to disturb him.
December 28, 2025 at 4:36 AM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
Merry Christmas! This year I'm staying home, watching the Great British Baking Show Christmas special, and wearing my daytime pj's. 😌
Typha and Salix snoozing. Typha is still in his green Christmas collar and Salix has only slightly chewed his red Christmas collar. Typha's on the computer chair on the kitty blanket and Salix on the couch and my striped knitted blanket. Easy, relaxing Christmas 🎄
December 25, 2025 at 4:30 PM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
My sleepy kitties. No wonder they're awake and tearing the house up at 2am... 😻😩
Being on leave this week is nice, we get to spend time introverting (like cats always do: each of us doing our own thing, independently, near each other).
Typha, my gray cat, sleeping on what we call "the kitty blanket" which was supposed to be a baby blanket made up of scrap pink and blue baby yarn knitted and crocheted together. But they really like it, so it's theirs. And for whatever reason, they really like when it's on the computer chair. Perfect cat bed, 10/10. Salix, my tuxedo kitten, snoozing on the couch next to me. With Typha hogging the kitty blanket and commuter chair, he had to settle for second best spot (whatever blanket is available).
December 23, 2025 at 5:04 AM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
So sleeeepy. I like it when Salix stretches out. He's like a slinky.
😻😴
Salix, my tuxedo kitten, snoozing on the couch, all stretched out.
December 20, 2025 at 11:45 PM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
Can't talk about nerding out about plants without some pics 🌱 We looked at multiple cool sites from scrub to wetlands and everything in between. I love the flatwoods but the scrub fascinates me (cuz it's new to me). 😎🤓
Tiny purple butterwort growing in sandy soils along the edge of a wetland. There are some grass leaves hanging over in the photo. Carnivorous plants are cool. Cutthroat grass creates these scaly root systems where annual growth adds on to the previous growth. Endangered plant! (Proper paperwork authorized) Wireweed has tiny needle-like leaves for just a short part of it's lifetime. But the barring along the stem was the coolest thing to see. Some lichen and sand along the ground help indicate the scrub ecosystem where this plant thrives. Just a few flowers not yet gone to seed on this state-protected plant. I love Liatris-relatives. This one's sticky leaves were really cool.
December 17, 2025 at 2:44 AM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
Great day today! We had a Botany Field Day, and spent ~10 hrs nerding out about plants. On the way home, stopped by the lake to get a pic of this gorgeous rainbow.
Double rainbow arching over the lake with the reflection. Cypress trees to the right, and the dock to the left help frame the photo. Some emergent aquatic veg grows in the middle of the lake.
December 17, 2025 at 2:28 AM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
And for my last trick:
Using the China coffee cups from my Great Grandma Maud
Who says you can't use your millennial inheritance for fun?
December 14, 2025 at 4:16 PM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
Ready for the 2nd annual Christmas Cookie Exchange Party!
For the first time ever (not pictured): also making homemade hot chocolate in crock pots, with a buffet of toppings for anyone with dietary restrictions. (Because last year I made mulled wine, which was good, but let's experiment eh?)
December 14, 2025 at 4:12 PM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
Salix, my tuxedo kitten, is figuring how to get underneath blankets. He's still a little bad at it, but he's getting there.
Happy Caturday 😻
Salix under my knitted blanket, on the couch.
December 13, 2025 at 9:54 PM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
Eggnog cookies from Mrs. Field's cookie recipe book that I got when I was in high school.
I usually don't tweak this recipe at all. Just don't burn them...
Also in that book that I made this year: molasses cookies (a recipe that I tweak a lot, because she puts raisins in them, and I hate raisins).
December 13, 2025 at 4:50 PM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
Just a few more indigo snake camera trap arrays to go. This one we put up today was in a pretty location, but today was actually like winter! Chilly wind and overcast. It's still weird to me to be walking around in a tshirt in December lol. Fingers crossed we get photos of snakes!
Indigo snake camera trap array with hardware cloth partially buried to help guide snakes that encounter it to go towards where the 4 wings meet in the middle with a camera in a bucket. Some snakes are really hard to find, but this helps us detect them on the landscape and doesn't hurt or stress the snakes out. We also get photos of other wildlife: spotted skunks are cute when they look at the camera to figure out what's going on. This site has nice grasses, a few palmettos, and very few pines. There's an ephemeral wetland just past the trees in this photo. This is good transiting season and winter indigo snake habitat (they don't always hang out in scrub).
December 10, 2025 at 2:53 AM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
It's sort of winter? My AC isn't running but I also def don't need the heater (S.FL). But I felt guilty about not having blankets, so I broke down and brought out one that I'd knitted out of leftover yarn when I was learning and thinking about blankets. Typha approves.
🥵🧶😻
Typha, my gray cat, snoozing on a striped (blues and greens) knitted blanket (linen stitch, quick and easy). It's small, just right for a couch lap blanket / kitty blanket.
December 9, 2025 at 1:44 AM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
Happy Caturday from Typha, the Turd Cat. I'm in his spot (my spot) on the couch, but that's ok as long as I offer chin scritches in return.
😼
Typha, my gray cat, laying across my lap and a pillow on the couch while I rub his chin.
December 6, 2025 at 3:30 PM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
Happy early Christmas to my kitties. 2nd present has arrived and they like it too. Spoiled rotten, the way they should be. 😼
Salix, my tuxedo kitten, on top of the new cat playhouse. Also sporting the Christmas collar that I bought last year and couldn't find in time for photos for this year's postcard 🤦 Typha, my gray cat, on top of the new Christmas cat playhouse. Also wearing the collar that I got last year and many to use for photos this year, but couldn't find in time.
November 30, 2025 at 11:22 PM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
Also, so very thankful that I still have my job. So many folks are gone and we're still recuperating, doing our best to fulfill our obligations. It's a struggle, but at least some of us are still here to do good work.
Florida bonneted bat roost exit survey - with an IR video camera and extra IR lamps. Monitoring endangered species on protected lands helps managers understand how land management actions affect them (for the better in many cases).
November 27, 2025 at 11:37 PM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
Thankful for these 2 hooligans. Throwback photos from when I got these guys.😻
Salix, my tuxedo kitten, in the first week when I got him. He was just a baby but already being a Heathen. Typha, my gray cat, was 9 mo when I got him, and so scared. But he opened up to become clearly a Turd Cat.
November 27, 2025 at 11:28 PM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
I spoil my cats. I got them an early Christmas gift. It's cute! And they like it.
Typha inside the elf- hat- shaped bed with Salix outside looking in.
November 25, 2025 at 2:30 AM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
Off today, so I hid inside introverting. Just me and the cats. In south-central FL, even these "cooler" temps make knitting way less sweaty, so I was making good progress today. Salix thinks every blanket is for him (it's not) so he made me take some breaks. 🧶😼
Salix, The Heathen, my tuxedo kitten, claiming my lap and the blanket I'm knitting. Sometimes I can keep working when he's on it, but only till I need to flip it. I don't know who this will go to. But it's not going to be a kitty blanket lol.
November 12, 2025 at 2:51 AM
lorraineketzler.bsky.social
Last week was busy and messy, with a lot going on and I am glad it's over with. Some things were great (Fire Fest outreach), and other things I could have done without.
But today, I went to Tampa and walked around the aquarium, so I feel better.
The big viewing window of the large fish tank, showing a lot of big fish and a stingray swimming around in the tank. I am terrible at identifying fish, so I won't try. But there's a lot of them in this tank.
November 11, 2025 at 2:47 AM