ClockworkCanary
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clockworkcanary.bsky.social
ClockworkCanary
@clockworkcanary.bsky.social
1.2K followers 3.6K following 5.2K posts
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I repost a lot. I like to amplify.
The flower in my avatar is a cereus, or orchid cactus. The banner is my cat Madmartigan’s paw on a knitting project of mine, red and blue two color brioche.
My media tab is mostly cats and knitting.
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clockworkcanary.bsky.social
The anthologies seem fantastic hunting grounds for the term.
A faded paperback cover with art by by Dawn Wilson depicting an elaborately gowned fairy queen and her knights riding past the viewer. “COME JOURNEY THROUGH THE LANDS OF FAERY WITH THE TOP WRITERS OF MODERN FANTASY FAERY! EDITED BY TERRI WINDLING FEATURING-NEVER-BEFORE-PUBLISHED STORIES PATRICIA A MCKillip, Robin McKinley, Sheri S. Tepper, plus many fantasy classics.” Acknowledgment is made for permission to print the following material: "A Troll and Two Roses" copyright © 1985 by Patricia A. McKillip; first publication. "The Thirteenth Fey" copyright © 1985 by Jane Yolen; first publication. "Lullaby for a Changeling" by Nicholas Stuart Gray, reprinted from The Edge of Evening, copyright © 1976 by Faber & Faber, Ltd., London; first U.S. publication. "Brat" copyright © 1948 by Theodore Sturgeon, reprinted from Not Without Sorcery, Ballantine Books, New York, New York. "Wild Garlic" copyright © 1985 by William F. Wu; first publication. "The Stranger" copyright © 1979 by Shulamith Oppenheim, reprinted from Shapeshifter, edited by Jane Yolen, Clarion Books, New York, New York. "Spirit Places" copyright © 1985 by Keith Taylor; first publication. "The Box of All Possibility" copyright © 1985 by Zohra Greenstaff; first publication. "The Seekers of Dreams" copyright © 1963 by Félix Marti-Ibañez, reprinted from All the Wonders We Seek, Clarkson N. Potter, Publishers, New York, New York. "Bridge" copyright © 1985 by Steven R. Boyett; first publication. "Crowley and the Leprechaun" copyright © 1985 by Gregory Frost; first publication. "The Antrim Hills" by Mildred Downey Broxon, reprinted from Aurora: Beyond Equality, edited by Susan Rubiny Anderson and Vonda N. Mcintyre, copyright © 1976 by Fawcett Publications, Inc., New York, New York. "The Snow Fairy copyright ©) 1985 by M. Lucie Chin; first publication. "The Five Black Swans" copyright © 1977 by Sylvia Townsend Warner, reprinted from The Kingdoms of Elfin, The Viking Press, New York, New York; first appeared in The New Yorker magazine. "Prince Shadowbow" copyright © 1985 by Sheri S. Tepper; first publication. The be He er ayrilo Plyer, New York New York tim apested, Banana magazine. ara Best arrass cirie Li 979, Daw lOw Pointed From The "The Woodcutter's Daughter" by Alison Uttley, reprinted from The Faber Book of Modern Fairy Tales, edited by Sara and Stephen Corrin, copyright © 1985 by Faber & Faber, Ltd., London. "Touk's House" copyright © 1985 by Robin McKinley; first publication. "The Boy Who Dreamed of Tir nain-Og" copyright © 1979 by Michael M. McNamara, reprinted from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, December 1979.
November 20, 2025 at 4:40 PM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
Here are two of my cats to jog memory. :D
Madmartigan being a toasty loaf on a bed. A lynx point short hair with blue eyes sitting loaf style on a pale blue bedspread. Bunny on my lap. A short haired gray and white tux cat relaxed on a lap. Another view of Bunny. A short haired gray and white tux cat curled in the bottom of a gray fabric storage cube.
November 6, 2025 at 1:08 AM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
Image from quoted post with alt text:
What's the reason for this silence? As usual, I believe, it's the mainstream media's fear of appearing to sympathize or identify with those who oppose Trump. I often complain about the syndrome known as "both-sidesing" — in which unequal sides are given equal treatment in the press. But this failure of coverage is worse than that. Robert Reich, the former Labor Secretary, whom I admire, has written about a nation that's been traumatized by Trump's anti-democratic fervor. He wrote recently about the deep anxiety, even depression, that so many feel, and argued that it is "a rational response to a nation that's becoming ever more disordered." "Many of us now feel powerless and afraid. We don't recognize our nation. We're disoriented, vulnerable, anxious." If millions of Americans are feeling that — and I agree that they are — shouldn't it get some news coverage? If that feeling is driving them out to protest next Saturday, that seems like a pretty good story, too.
October 14, 2025 at 12:10 PM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
With alt text :
Statement Re: Speaker Johnson Comments on No Kings Washington, D.C. - Today, House Speaker Mike Johnson blamed the peaceful No Kings Day of Action on October 18 for the ongoing government shutdown. After a few moments of laughter, the No Kings coalition issued the following statement: "Speaker Johnson is running out of excuses for keeping the government shut down. Instead of reopening the government, preserving affordable healthcare, or lowering costs for working families, he's attacking millions of Americans who are peacefully coming together to say that America belongs to its people, not to kings. "We'll see everyone on October 18." All No Kings events adhere to a shared commitment to nonviolent protest and community safety. Organizers are trained in de-escalation and are working closely with local partners to ensure peaceful and powerful actions nationwide.
October 10, 2025 at 9:01 PM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
Image from quoted post with alt text added:
Governor Pritzker: We're continuing to do that. We want to make sure that-look, if you want to protest peacefully, we are going to protect that right. If you're not protesting peacefully, then we are not protecting you from potentially arrest if you're going to be aggressive and violent. But I want to just say what the other level of fight that we're putting up is: This is a national fight. And what's good, if we can fight this on a national level, too-if we can get people incited to protest peacefully across the country, like, for example, at the No King's rally that will happen on October 18. If we can have that happen, and we've seen a lot of spontaneous peaceful protests across the United States, I think that's a really good thing. I think it sends a signal to the rest of the public-the folks who are just trying to get to work and pay the bills— that something's going on here that they better pay attention to. That's a very important thing for us to have happen, because if we don't win the 2026 elections-those of us who want to preserve democracy... If Democrats don't win that election, Katy bar the doors. We don't know what's going to happen in the future and whether we're actually going to have elections.
October 10, 2025 at 3:36 PM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
I have seen the silk and stainless steel yarn in an online catalogue, but I haven’t ordered or tried it.
Closeup of my current two color brioche project in singles wool. An earlier picture of a bit of both sides of my current brioche project in singles wool. My other current project in sugar and cream cotton bought in the last Joann’s sale. The gray and white tux cat whose cheek I am scritching is Bunny, loafing on my turquoise and cream cotton project. She thinks it is comfy. Two sides of a recently finished piece in smooth and bouclé space dyed wool in cream, greens and purples. It wasn’t the easiest to see the stitches or fix mistakes, but only I will ever be able to spot the mistakes in this one.
September 14, 2025 at 2:34 AM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
Some various things in zone 9…ish. I need to check the updated maps.
A white cereus flower. Many long pointed petals around a long pink and yellow center. The morning sun just hit it and it was cool enough that it hadn’t started to droop yet. A blue ceramic colander, with lots of holes in a big star pattern holding about twelve purplish figs from my tree. A monarch in sunlight on a fennel flower in front of a shady honeysuckle covered fence. A monarch drinking from a pink clover flower in front of some Spanish lavender
September 14, 2025 at 12:47 AM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
Image from quoted post with alt text added:
1. When I was a pediatric resident in the 1980s we vaccinated kids vs 8 diseases: diphtheria tetanus pertussis polio measles mumps rubella and I believe influenza 2. But we were admitting sick and dying kids with 4 different causes of bacterial meningitis - Hib pneumococcus meningococcal ACWY and meningococcal B. So that brings us to 12 diseases 3. Then we added vaccines for liver cancer - hepatitis B and cervical cancer - HPV, that brings us to 14 diseases 4. Then varicella and rotavirus to get us to 16 5. So we doubled the number of diseases from 8 to 16, but then began combining them in a single injection. So that included 7 in a heptavalent: diphtheria tetanus pertussis polio Hib pneumococcus and hepatitis b, and 4 combining measles mumps rubella varicella 6. So 16 diseases, of which 11 in two shots, and separate shots for flu, HPV, meningococcal, and oral rotavirus
September 4, 2025 at 9:24 PM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
Drink 2. Paper airplane.
Two cocktails served up. Two paper plane cocktails, with bright orange nasturtium flowers as garnishes. Decorative colored lights on a home bar.
August 23, 2025 at 3:42 AM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
A mai tai at a home bar. It’s been a week.
A decorative mai tai glass with a tasty mai tai. It is decorated with a mint sprig and a bright orange nasturtium. It is on top of a cork coaster on a home bar with a pool in the out of focus background.
August 23, 2025 at 3:03 AM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
Our evening:
Tabby and white cat with his paws crossed over the wrists of a hand using a video game controller. A tabby and white cat’s head in front of a pair of hands holding a video game controller
August 11, 2025 at 4:34 AM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
Close up shot of each side of the current project:
The dark side of the two color brioche, with mostly rich purples The lighter side of the two color brioche with yellow, pale green, pink, and lavender
August 10, 2025 at 12:36 AM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
Waiting for MIL, so here’s a pic of a few of my recent two color brioche with i-cord edges projects.
I usually knot to keep my hands busy while I listen to podcasts/music/videos because otherwise I wander off. It’s an adhd hack.
Three projects draped on a bed with some of both sides visible. One in the center is a fine coral wool singles, with the opposite side a varegated peach/yellow/lavender yarn. The color is pooling in almost stripes. The second project and right most is a medium Noro wool singles in a medium green solid on one side and a boldly multicolor Noro singles yarn on the other in red, teal, blue, purple, green, and black. The third and leftmost is all greens and purples, but one side is a wool bouclé and the other is a smooth sock yarn. It is fluffy and soft.
August 5, 2025 at 5:49 PM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
Kitty is on top of the knitting bag. I must wait till she goes to play elsewhere:
An orange and white tuxie kitty on top of a cinched shut cotton batik bag and next to another cream colored cotton bag with a screen printed rainbow on it. The kitty is alert and looking for something to play with. Conditions are not safe for knitting at the moment.
August 5, 2025 at 4:22 PM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
Current status. I have managed to keep it safe from the kitten so far.
In progress two color brioche project on circulars draped on the tan recliner arm. Both sides of the knitting are partially visible, one in rich purples, and the other in green, yellow and lavender pastel colors.
August 4, 2025 at 6:58 PM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
It’s coming along nicely, but I suspect I will have it to knit for a while; the yarn is so fine.
A closeup of an in progress knitting project in two color brioche showing the tips of the needles and the scale of the fine wool yarn in relation to my hands. The colors visible are mostly yellows greens and violet. The other side of the project is mostly purple.
August 3, 2025 at 8:07 PM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
Progress photo
A strip of two color brioche in mostly purples and gold on circular needles arranged so that part of both sides are visible.
August 2, 2025 at 11:42 PM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
I have a related plant. Not Queen of the Night, not that full and gorgeous, but the blooms basically start fading as the sun rises.
A white flower with many long delicate white petals. The leaves are long and strappy with scalloped edges.
July 29, 2025 at 5:43 PM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
I may have weakened and spent money on yarn again. Here’s the two yarns, both are sock weight merino
A close up of a freshly wound cake of merino sock weight yarn in a space dyed color-way that includes greens, turquoise, violet, and just a bit of a tan brown. A close up of a freshly wound cake of merino sock weight yarn in various purples and blues
July 28, 2025 at 1:09 AM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
I finished a scarf! It has a lovely texture. Same color but different texture yarn in two color brioche turned out well.
I had a little trouble keeping the kitten from chewing the yarn to bits, but I don’t think she’ll nom on the finished scarf.
The scarf! A close up of a bit of both sides of a two color brioche knit scarf with i-cord edges. Both sides are the same green and white to purple color way but one is a smooth wool sock yarn and the other is a mossy looking wool bouclé of a similar size. On the texture side the smooth yarn is not very visible at all. Kitten tax. A ginger and white cat, leggy and no longer really a kitten, sprawls across a red fuzzy blanket spread across the top of a couch. She is very relaxed
July 10, 2025 at 2:19 PM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
Tragedy!

I thought the planter would protect against pests, but, it doesn’t work on whatever bored this hole.
First large tomato of the season, and, nope.
Entry hole on a ripe red tomato. Something entered here. Exit hole on a ripe red tomato. Whatever it was got big and exited here? Ugh.
July 2, 2025 at 2:55 PM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
I may have a few fennel plants in my yard.
The pollinators and ladybugs love them, though.
Lots and lots of fennel flowers, to the pint that the ferny green foliage is mostly obscured by long stems of bunches of tiny yellow flowers. In the top third, center of the picture is a monarch butterfly in profile, sitting with wings folded shut. It looks dark in contrast to all the sunlit yellow flowers.
June 16, 2025 at 4:16 PM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
Image from quoted post with alt text:
Mike Levin U.S. REPRESENTATIVE PROUDLY SERVING CALIFORNIA'S 49TH DISTRICT Southern California used to have nonstop smog alerts. I grew up in the 1980s, when air pollution would often make the mountains in the distance vanish behind a brown haze. That changed because leaders from both parties-Republicans like Reagan and Schwarzenegger, Democrats like Brown and Newsom-stepped up and said: clean air shouldn't be negotiable. Now Donald Trump wants to take away California's right to set our own clean air standards and undo decades of bipartisan progress. We're not going back. Not to the smog. Not to the asthma. And not to a future where polluters get to call the shots.
June 12, 2025 at 4:02 PM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
My brain is going in so many different directions this morning.

I *have* managed to get several small tasks done, and also managed to bring in flowers.

Behold, the gardenias!
A large gray flat bowl on a white table, in indirect light, from nearly directly above. The bowl is full of about ten fresh white gardenias. I am sad that I cannot also send you the rich sweet fragrance.
June 10, 2025 at 5:20 PM
clockworkcanary.bsky.social
So I got a short video of a pin tailed wydah this morning.
They are a non native species here in Southern california. This one seems to be a male displaying for a female? Maybe?
June 10, 2025 at 2:53 PM