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Barbara B. Harrell

@bbharrell.bsky.social

400 followers 360 following 380 posts

Organic gardener, nature lover, habitat restorer, night protector, cook, piano player, family historian, retired Ob-Gyn MD, proud mom and grandma, and a lot of other stuff

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Barbara B. Harrell @bbharrell.bsky.social · Dec 1

Here's a little series from our back slope habitat restoration, begun Aug 2017 (71 native plant species):

1) Jun 2018 blackberries cleared; deer candy anchor plants caged; 6' deer fence
2) Apr 2019 8' fence + rabbit mesh; gate; huckleberry shades
3) Jun 2022 fence & shades gone
4) Oct 2024

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Barbara B. Harrell @bbharrell.bsky.social · 11h

Bellingham has been trying to encourage folks to plant Garry oak, even providing young saplings, but reportedly without much success. One tip: when young, it needs more summer water than you might think. 🌱 #nativeplants #habitatrestoration
See
realgardensgrownatives.com?p=1897

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Barbara B. Harrell @bbharrell.bsky.social · 1d

Garry oak (Quercus garryana) aka Oregon white oak, prime #native #habitat, used to be common in #westernWA, but the usual culprits nearly eliminated it. Some remain in San Juan Islands, eg Turtleback Mountain Preserve on Orcas, where oak seedlings are protected from deer to assist #restoration.

Tall Garry oaks with straight upright trunks and typical oak leaves, most of them still green. Garry oak can also spread wide and become quite gnarly, with twisted branches. Photo taken at Turtleback Mountain Preserve, Orcas Island, October 15, 2025.

Short, probably 3-year-old Garry oak sapling with crinkly brown and yellow leaves, growing amid dry grass. Enclosed in wire mesh to prevent browsing by deer. Photo taken at Turtleback Mountain Preserve on Orcas Island on October 15, 2025.

First-year Garry oak seedling amid fallen oak leaves, fallen madrona leaves, moss, grass, and other plant species. Madrone (locally madrona, Arbutus menziesii) is abundant in Turtleback Mountain Preserve on Orcas Island, where this photo was taken on October 15, 2025.

Our Garry oak, about two feet tall when we planted it five years ago. Now about eight feet tall and still green. The mesh surrounding it protects it from deer and rabbits. Garry oak is late to leaf out in spring; leaves turn brown and crinkly in late autumn but most remain on the tree through winter. Photo taken October 17, 2025.
Hoping for acorns next year!

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Barbara B. Harrell @bbharrell.bsky.social · 1d

Another small series from our main back slope #restoration, from 9-17-23, 11-9-24, 2-15-25, and yesterday 10-17-25. The big hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) straddles the line between our property and a City of Bellingham greenspace that includes a branch of Whatcom Creek below. 🌱 #nativeplants

Barbara B. Harrell @bbharrell.bsky.social · 2d

Back from two days on gorgeous Orcas Island with its spectacular views from Mt Constitution summit, our inn on Eastsound, various trails on protected Turtleback mountain, but there's no place like home. That's Satomi dogwood (Cornus kousa 'Satomi') at peak color on our #PacificRim side. 🌱

Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell

Lori Batchelor🇨🇦 @lorichirp.bsky.social · 3d

Since I'm in the Pacific time zone, I'm posting a video for #FlyDay a bit early. Here are some Snow Geese flying, in a somewhat organized manner, to join others for a break in Richmond, BC, Canada, along the Pacific Flyway on their migration journey south. #birds #photography #EastCoastKin

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Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell

Matt Davies @mattdaviescartoon.bsky.social · 9d

Newsday.com/matt

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Barbara B. Harrell @bbharrell.bsky.social · 8d

Memo to Future Historians: This Is Fascism, and Millions of Us See It newrepublic.com/post/201625/... via @newrepublic.com

Memo to Future Historians: This Is Fascism, and Millions of Us See It

From Chicago to Portland, James Comey to Letitia James, and so much else—this is no longer America.

newrepublic.com

Barbara B. Harrell @bbharrell.bsky.social · 17d

Decided I needed something for fall pollinators, so I added 8 Hall's asters (Symphotricum hallii) and 6 Douglas asters (Symphotricum subspicatum). Instant buzz of little native bees. I really do think our #nativeplantrestoration of the back #lawn is finished now, except for growing! 🌱

Barbara B. Harrell @bbharrell.bsky.social · 21d

Much as I am appalled by the outrageous abuse that ICE goons attempt to justify by dehumanizing their victims, I have to ask: Why is it OK to do this sort of thing to animals?

"They're animals" just doesn't cut it with me.

@christinewebb.bsky.social #animalrights #humanrights #civilrights

David Bier @davidjbier.bsky.social · 22d

To do what they are doing at this scale you have to dehumanize. It's just not possible to be this cruel and believe that these people are just like anyone else. spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-...

Man detained in Cato ICE raid wrongfully deported, separated from his family

Body camera footage released from the raid shows agents referring to immigrants as 'animals.'

spectrumlocalnews.com

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Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell

Matt Davies @mattdaviescartoon.bsky.social · Sep 18

Be Brave. newsday.com/matt

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Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell

George Conway 🇺🇸🚫👑🐸 @gtconway.bsky.social · Sep 17

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Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell

George Conway 🇺🇸🚫👑🐸 @gtconway.bsky.social · Sep 14

She also loved her kids, and Hitler loved his dog, until they killed them in the Führerbunker.

Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · Sep 13

"…and Magda Goebbels made a great strudel.”

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Barbara B. Harrell @bbharrell.bsky.social · Sep 11

💯

Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · Sep 11

It really is so striking how much The Discourse operates untethered from…what we actually know. The killer is still at large! We have no idea who did it! Seems pretty important to get that sorted.

Barbara B. Harrell @bbharrell.bsky.social · Sep 10

Chinese pink celery planted in the ground here in #Bellingham on April 27. Ready to start harvesting today. Despite its need for wet conditions, it doesn't seem to attract slugs 😊
🌱 #PNW #growingvegetables

Barbara B. Harrell @bbharrell.bsky.social · Sep 10

Welp, here it is today, after I harvested a few stalks. Very strong celery smell. Plan to try it in a Chinese stir-fry dish. 🌱

Barbara B. Harrell @bbharrell.bsky.social · Sep 10

Welp, here it is today, after I harvested a few stalks. Very strong celery smell. Plan to try it in a Chinese stir-fry dish. 🌱

Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell

Matt Davies @mattdaviescartoon.bsky.social · Sep 5

Abuse Of Power. Newsday.com/matt

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Barbara B. Harrell @bbharrell.bsky.social · Sep 7

Every once in a while, I'll glance out the window and see a nice set of antlers in our back yard. Today's blacktail bucks bent, browsed, and broke the heck out of our osoberry (Oemleria cerasiformis), but actually I believe they improved it, lol!
🌱 #nativeplants #PNW #Bellingham #wildlife

12-point buck behind yellow-blooming potentilla/dasiphora fruticosa shrub, and in front of redtwig dogwood with shiny dark green veined leaves, intermixed with delicate, light green leaf clusters of vine maple.

Same buck stepping out onto a stone patio that has clumps of moss here and there, edged by a concrete brick retaining wall with a yellowing western red currant (ribes sanguineum) behind it.

An approaching 6-point buck stopping a respectful distance from the 12-point buck, against a backdrop of western red cedar (Thuja plicata) behind the corner retaining wall of the patio.

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Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell

George Conway 🇺🇸🚫👑🐸 @gtconway.bsky.social · Sep 3

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Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell

George Conway 🇺🇸🚫👑🐸 @gtconway.bsky.social · Aug 31

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Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell

S.V. Dáte @svdate.bsky.social · Aug 31

NEW -- Exactly 10 days after taking the oath early this year, Donald Trump nearly drowned dozens, potentially hundreds, of his own citizens in California’s Central Valley.

Why?

Because he is one of the most ignorant people you will ever meet.

www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...

Maybe Rex Tillerson Was Right. Maybe Trump Really Is Just A Moron.

His lying and temper tantrums aside, evidence abounds that the president's most important, and dangerous, feature is his ignorance.

www.huffpost.com

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Barbara B. Harrell @bbharrell.bsky.social · Aug 31

Late summer 2025 from near the back edge:
1) blue elderberry (volunteer)
2) evergreen huckleberry, Douglas aster, meadow rue (volunteer), sword fern, western red cedar
3) closer view of Douglas aster intermixed with sword fern
#habitatrestoration #nativeplants #PNW #Bellingham 🌱

Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · Aug 27

The party that claims to care about law and order sends the military to pick up trash in DC but has nothing to say about the regular massacre of children in schools under than ‘thoughts and prayers.’

Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · Aug 27

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minneapolis mayor says children are dead after a shooting at a Catholic school.

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Reposted by Barbara B. Harrell

emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · Aug 27

Reup: One thing many are missing abt Social Security whistleblower complaint is this: DOGE--including Big Balls, who has ties to criminal hackers--put ALL American Social Security data on an insecure AWS site AFTER SCOTUS GOPers intervened and let them do that.

www.emptywheel.net/2025/08/26/a...

Amid Hunt for Crime in DC, Whistleblower Implicates Ed "Big Balls" Coristine and John Roberts - emptywheel

John Roberts and his Republican colleagues have granted a kid with ties to criminal hackers, Ed "Big Balls" Coristine, live access to every American's Social Security data.

www.emptywheel.net

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Barbara B. Harrell @bbharrell.bsky.social · Aug 26

Thanks!

Barbara B. Harrell @bbharrell.bsky.social · Aug 26

We planted 3, and here you can see how small they were in May 2018 (orange flowers beside fence at top of bank):