Vanessa Tobias
@marshprincess.bsky.social
Scientist. Wetlands & estuaries ecologist, mud enthusiast, fish monitoring data nerd, statistical analyst, open data advocate, R user, working in San Francisco Bay. PhD in wildlife & fisheries science. she/her
I’m gone too much during the week so weekends look like this. I know they think the situation is dire when Penzey (the dog) tolerates Atcha (the cat).
November 16, 2025 at 9:56 PM
I’m gone too much during the week so weekends look like this. I know they think the situation is dire when Penzey (the dog) tolerates Atcha (the cat).
Happy Halloween from Penzey the Pooh
November 1, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Happy Halloween from Penzey the Pooh
It’s Saturday. We deserve a little doggo on our feeds as a treat.
October 25, 2025 at 10:37 PM
It’s Saturday. We deserve a little doggo on our feeds as a treat.
Infrognito mode.
October 18, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Infrognito mode.
I didn’t take any pictures of the protest today, but here’s a recreation using things people gave me.
October 18, 2025 at 9:38 PM
I didn’t take any pictures of the protest today, but here’s a recreation using things people gave me.
One more sick day for me. If you get this cold, please try harder not to share it than the person who shared it with me did. It’s miserable.
Miscus with her cheese toy to brighten up your feed.
Miscus with her cheese toy to brighten up your feed.
October 8, 2025 at 1:51 PM
One more sick day for me. If you get this cold, please try harder not to share it than the person who shared it with me did. It’s miserable.
Miscus with her cheese toy to brighten up your feed.
Miscus with her cheese toy to brighten up your feed.
I’m hanging out on the couch with this guy today because RTO with no telework is only really good policy for viruses.
October 7, 2025 at 9:46 PM
I’m hanging out on the couch with this guy today because RTO with no telework is only really good policy for viruses.
Yesterday was awesome.
Morning: took a tap workshop class at my dance studio.
Evening: saw &Juliet on tour.
I highly recommend both for a break from doing science in ::waives hands around:: all this.
Morning: took a tap workshop class at my dance studio.
Evening: saw &Juliet on tour.
I highly recommend both for a break from doing science in ::waives hands around:: all this.
October 5, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Yesterday was awesome.
Morning: took a tap workshop class at my dance studio.
Evening: saw &Juliet on tour.
I highly recommend both for a break from doing science in ::waives hands around:: all this.
Morning: took a tap workshop class at my dance studio.
Evening: saw &Juliet on tour.
I highly recommend both for a break from doing science in ::waives hands around:: all this.
I’m grateful for being exempt & knowing I’ll get paid on time, but it is really hard to just keep working through a shutdown. It’s like we’re being gaslit into thinking everything is normal and not total chaos around us.
Penzey being stressed out with pumpkins for my fellow feds.
Penzey being stressed out with pumpkins for my fellow feds.
October 4, 2025 at 3:46 AM
I’m grateful for being exempt & knowing I’ll get paid on time, but it is really hard to just keep working through a shutdown. It’s like we’re being gaslit into thinking everything is normal and not total chaos around us.
Penzey being stressed out with pumpkins for my fellow feds.
Penzey being stressed out with pumpkins for my fellow feds.
Confirmed- we’re exempt from furloughs & working through. The good part is that we get regular pay checks. (Exempt =/= excepted, which means working but not getting paid till the end.) The bad part is everything else.
Pic of Penzey rearranging a blanket for maximum coziness for my fellow feds.
Pic of Penzey rearranging a blanket for maximum coziness for my fellow feds.
October 1, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Confirmed- we’re exempt from furloughs & working through. The good part is that we get regular pay checks. (Exempt =/= excepted, which means working but not getting paid till the end.) The bad part is everything else.
Pic of Penzey rearranging a blanket for maximum coziness for my fellow feds.
Pic of Penzey rearranging a blanket for maximum coziness for my fellow feds.
My office is funded by interagency agreements so we usually keep working through shutdowns. We’ll find out tomorrow morning if that’s the case again this time.
Here’s a cute picture of Penzey the dog for my fellow Feds on this shutdown eve.
Here’s a cute picture of Penzey the dog for my fellow Feds on this shutdown eve.
October 1, 2025 at 4:54 AM
My office is funded by interagency agreements so we usually keep working through shutdowns. We’ll find out tomorrow morning if that’s the case again this time.
Here’s a cute picture of Penzey the dog for my fellow Feds on this shutdown eve.
Here’s a cute picture of Penzey the dog for my fellow Feds on this shutdown eve.
Celebration photo in the party aisle for getting my covid and flu shots today!
September 11, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Celebration photo in the party aisle for getting my covid and flu shots today!
Happy caturday! Atcha’s technique for getting inaccessible things is consistent, yet entirely ineffective. (She does this to her water bowl, too.) The praying mantis on the screen seemed pretty entertained.
August 9, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Happy caturday! Atcha’s technique for getting inaccessible things is consistent, yet entirely ineffective. (She does this to her water bowl, too.) The praying mantis on the screen seemed pretty entertained.
It’s tomato canning season! This weekend I picked about 25 pounds of roma tomatoes from four plants in my yard. Now they’re pizza sauce and salsa. There are still tons more tomatoes left, but I hit my limit for how much cooking and canning I can do in one weekend.
July 28, 2025 at 7:12 PM
It’s tomato canning season! This weekend I picked about 25 pounds of roma tomatoes from four plants in my yard. Now they’re pizza sauce and salsa. There are still tons more tomatoes left, but I hit my limit for how much cooking and canning I can do in one weekend.
Today work was stressful.
Here’s a picture of Atcha lounging on a giant beanbag chair.
Here’s a picture of Atcha lounging on a giant beanbag chair.
July 25, 2025 at 2:53 AM
Today work was stressful.
Here’s a picture of Atcha lounging on a giant beanbag chair.
Here’s a picture of Atcha lounging on a giant beanbag chair.
I never get tired of the view flying in to LA. Just here for an hour to change planes on the way to somewhere else, though.
July 18, 2025 at 2:48 PM
I never get tired of the view flying in to LA. Just here for an hour to change planes on the way to somewhere else, though.
Sunday scaries time is here again. Hoping this Care Bear stare can scare away the weekday gremlins.
July 14, 2025 at 3:51 AM
Sunday scaries time is here again. Hoping this Care Bear stare can scare away the weekday gremlins.
Long boy who is also a short boy got high-centered on a piled of blankets.
July 13, 2025 at 4:18 AM
Long boy who is also a short boy got high-centered on a piled of blankets.
A new feral mint plant in my yard. I think it’s a Mexican mint because it has wide leaves and smells like oregano and instead of normal mint. (And a very scientific apple image search and wikipedia.)
July 2, 2025 at 12:19 AM
A new feral mint plant in my yard. I think it’s a Mexican mint because it has wide leaves and smells like oregano and instead of normal mint. (And a very scientific apple image search and wikipedia.)
My dog is ridiculous when we stay in a hotel with him.
June 26, 2025 at 4:13 PM
My dog is ridiculous when we stay in a hotel with him.
Another beautiful day for a crowd-sourced art show in Sacramento. Here are my contributions.
No kings. Kick out the clowns.
No kings. Kick out the clowns.
June 14, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Another beautiful day for a crowd-sourced art show in Sacramento. Here are my contributions.
No kings. Kick out the clowns.
No kings. Kick out the clowns.
This guy knows how to do a lazy Saturday morning.
Yes, he got under the blanket like that all by himself. He takes being cozy very seriously.
Yes, he got under the blanket like that all by himself. He takes being cozy very seriously.
June 7, 2025 at 4:11 PM
This guy knows how to do a lazy Saturday morning.
Yes, he got under the blanket like that all by himself. He takes being cozy very seriously.
Yes, he got under the blanket like that all by himself. He takes being cozy very seriously.
This is what retail therapy looks like when you’re having a bad week and most of your commute is through agricultural areas.
May 3, 2025 at 3:29 AM
This is what retail therapy looks like when you’re having a bad week and most of your commute is through agricultural areas.
I’m glad I didn’t bring Penzey to the protest today because there were so many people. I couldn’t resist making protest signs for him anyway. Here he is doing a one-dog sit-in in the kitchen.
#HandsOff
#HandsOff
April 6, 2025 at 3:46 AM
I’m glad I didn’t bring Penzey to the protest today because there were so many people. I couldn’t resist making protest signs for him anyway. Here he is doing a one-dog sit-in in the kitchen.
#HandsOff
#HandsOff
April 5, 2025 at 9:35 PM