Climate positivity 🌈🌺

People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

Was the agricultural revolution and the explosion of civilizations that came from it an overall good thing for humans or a negative? In other words, would it have been better or worse for people to stay in small tribes?

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Today was unseasonably warm and sunny, so I took pictures around the yard. The first few are from indoors, then the rest are the house yard. (See the savanna.)

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Water bears on Mars: Tardiguardians of the Galaxy?

Tardigrades – also known as water bears – are tiny animals about 1 mm or less in size. They’re known for being able to survive in extreme environments.
Tardigrades can survive in simulated Martian regolith, researchers found … if you rinse it with water first.
Future astronauts could use tardigrades to help grow plants and survive in habitats on Mars.


Tardigrades are interesting little extremophiles. They can survive a wide array of harsh conditions, such as radiation and starvation. Some live in desolate conditions; others live in warm, green places hence their nickname "moss bears." This implies that they excel at colonizing harsh terrain, but they can also take advantage of better conditions. They're about as close to indestructible as life on Earth has gotten. So it makes sense to take them along for space exploration.

This month is the marchmetamatterschallenge, where folks are encouraged to archive their old meta so it doesn't get lost and/or post new meta. In honor of that, today's theme is Meta. So this month, save your meta, make some new meta, and crosspost to meta communities to keep them active. \o/ See my Follow Friday Master Post for more topics.

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Recently Charles de Lint shared the story "ICE Out," from his urban fantasy setting Newford. So I decided to write one of my own, from the world of Monster House.

Warning: Here there be monsters.

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"ICE Out" by Charles de Lint (free PDF version)

ICE came to Newford. Big mistake.


For:
Luis Gustavo Núñez Cáceres
Geraldo Lunas Campos
Víctor Manuel Díaz
Parady La
Renee Nicole Good
Luis Beltrán Yáñez–Cruz
Heber Sánchez Domínguez
Alex Pretti
murdered by ICE


I've been an activist for decades. I've done marches and letter campaigns and all the usual stuff. The technique I've found with the highest throughput of people saying, "I did the thing!" is plain old storytelling. Stories are part of what makes us human. Stories bind the past, explain the present, and imagine the future.

For bards, this is our fight. This is how we fight. Pass it on.


EDIT 3/5/26 -- My contribution is "The Express Bus to Crazy-ass Death Land."

Today is cloudy, mild, and wet. It rained on and off yesterday, then stormed last night. Everything is still soaked.

I fed the birds. I've seen a small mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

More crocuses are blooming -- lavender, purple, white, and pale yellow. :D The grass, which in recent years has retained bits of green through the winter, is suddenly much more green with growing tips visible.

EDIT 3/5/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

It's mizzling rain again.

EDIT 3/5/26 -- I did a bit of work around the yard.

Many more flowers are blooming! :D There are buds of purple-and-white crocus in the rain garden and orange in the goddess garden. The first miniature irises are blooming periwinkle and red-violet in the tulip bed.

EDIT 3/5/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

I've seen a female cardinal at the hopper feeder.

I am done for the night.

Today is cloudy, cool, and damp. Yesterday it rained on and off all day, then stormed in the evening. As everything is still soaked, I gather that the intermittent rain has continued, and indeed there are chances of rain for the next several days.

I fed the birds. I've seen a small flock of sparrows and several house finches. I heard a killdeer calling in the fields but didn't see it.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 3/4/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I put out a fresh cake of peanut suet.

It's raining again. I'm hearing faint rumbles of thunder in the distance. It's supposed to storm again tonight.

EDIT 3/4/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

It's still raining on and off, with more storms predicted for tonight.

I heard a mourning dove calling but didn't see it.

I am done for the night.

EDIT 3/4/36 -- I did some indoor planting with my new seed-starting kit. I potted up sprouting seeds of Ambrosia apple, Ginger Gold apple, Pink apple, and yellow pear. I put 2 sprouts in each cell, 3 cells per variety, so 6 of each variety and 24 total. I don't expect them all to live, but that's okay; I have plenty.

The dibble that came with the seed-sprouting kit works quite well to make holes in the small space available. The tiny shovel on the other end is just the right size for the little cells; tedious to fill, but effective. If I wanted to do them all at once, I'd probably lay out all six trays and just dump seed-starting mix over the top, then brush it into the cells. I am less pleased with the Back to the Roots seed-starting mix. It's way too chunky for tiny seeds. I can still use it to pot up things like wildflowers, and the squash seeds will probably be fine too, but I want to look for a different brand.