C.M.Pettitt
LightNews LightNews
cmpettitt.bsky.social
C.M.Pettitt
@cmpettitt.bsky.social
300 followers 350 following 420 posts
Californian. Interests: history, especially military history; journalism/politics/muckraking; typography; books; growing aggressive native plants to combat aggressive non-native plants. Also: fuck the gender police.
Posts Replies Media Videos
cmpettitt.bsky.social
What is up with the massive grills on everything now? Giving me Edsel flashbacks.
A white Edsel convertible with turquoise trim. Front of car is a giant straight up-and-down chrome grill.
December 4, 2025 at 6:08 PM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
New plant for me, Siskiyou Oregon Sunshine, Eriophyllum lanatum 'Siskiyou'. Going to plant it among persistent Smooth Brome grass, an invasive. Yellow flowers will look good by the purple flowers of salvia amistad, pozo blue sage, and pinkish seaside daisy.
🌱 #nativeplants #californianativeplants
Close-up photo of a potted plant, 1 gallon size. Nothing to see but dense gray-green foliage. Pot label reads "Mother Natives" and "Eriophyllum lanatum Siskiyou."
December 3, 2025 at 3:00 PM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
Made it to the non-profit Mother's Natives plant sale, also happening tomorrow, 9am-2pm, 11/29/25. It's near Sacramento City College on 24th Street. I have my Texas Purple Sage! 🌱 #nativeplants #californianativeplants
Outdoor green painted shelves and redwood arbor holding around 80 potted native plants for sale.
November 28, 2025 at 7:03 PM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
A wild turkey is hanging out near Marie's Donuts on Freeport. This morning it cooed for half an hour at a water treatment business van. When the van drove off, the turkey chased after it into the road. Send good thoughts for this fellow. #wildlife #wildturkeys
A large wild turkey in a parking lot stares amorously at a white and black cargo van. Its feathers are brown, tan, cream, and black. Its face looks almost blue. It has a red thing, called a snood, hanging from its face above the beak. The snood indicates this is a male turkey.
November 26, 2025 at 7:44 PM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
Screenshot of chat conversation bubbles. 1st person: Would you like to join my religion? 2nd person: What's your religion? 1st person: responds with photo of a cat on its hind legs, forelegs stretched skyward toward a palm frond. Anorher cat observes in lower foreground. 2nd person: I'm interested. Image is signed "shitheadsteve."
November 25, 2025 at 10:26 PM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
A #nativeplants treat for this Thursday.
#food #rice #wildrice #minnesota
A plastic bag containing light brown grains. Label reads "Ball Club Chippewa Wild Rice Co. 100% Genuine Wild Rice. Hand harvested by people in a canoe, sun & air dried, then hand processed in Deer River, Minnesota. Cooks in 25 minutes. Weight 12 ounces."
November 25, 2025 at 8:57 PM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
Transplanting hummingbird sage plant babies is easy. Pull them straight out of rain-softened ground. Set the roots in a pot of muddy water until ready to plant. A hole 3 inches wide is plenty. Yesterday, I moved 10 in 2 hours. 🌱 #nativeplants #californianativeplants
Leafy green bunches of plants arranged in a dark plant pot with a few inches of muddy water.
November 20, 2025 at 2:02 AM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
If you like plants that have babies, Hummingbird Sage is ideal. Salvia Spathacea has huge magenta/red flower spikes, grows in partial shade, and smells like pineapples. 🌱 #nativeplants #californianativeplants #salvias
A large clump of low, long-leafed hummingbird sage plants are in the center. Below them a few tiny hummingbird sage plants nestle in a gap in wood logs bordering a path.
November 19, 2025 at 3:33 PM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
Phacelia is sprouting in the former English Ivy Patch of Doom! 🌱 #nativeplants #californianativeplants #phacelia
Slightly threatened by Elmleaf Blackberry, over a dozen Phacelia seedlings emerge from the soil, showing their first true leaves, which are ferny/feathery.
November 19, 2025 at 2:05 AM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
Plants I need: Texas Purple Sage, Leucophyllum frutescens. This specimen is flourishing on the edge of a vast, roasting parking lot. 🌱 #nativeplants
A large shrub with silver green leaves blanketed with small light purple flowers.
November 18, 2025 at 2:26 AM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
lap cat
A white and tabby longhair cat with green eyes looks at you upside down.
November 14, 2025 at 9:45 PM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
This summer arborists removed a gigantic invasive privet covered with invasive english ivy, so I sowed poppy, lupine, and phacelia seeds in the new sunny area just before our first serious rain. Old hummingbird sage already taking off. A newly planted white sage will anchor the area. 🌱 #nativeplants
A rather spidery red cherry picker holds a chainsaw-wielding arborist about 30 feet up. The focus of his attention is a tall invasive privet tree with an ivy covered trunk.
November 13, 2025 at 11:42 PM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
The cat has a tufty fluffy left eyebrow.
#cats #fivcats
A tabby and white longhaired cat nestled among canvas tarps and faux sheepskin. Over her left eye is a big tuft of white hair.
November 13, 2025 at 1:17 AM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
A fluffy tabby and white cat relaxes on empty plant shelves at a plant nursery. Her eyes are a nearly solid gold color, pupils closed to tiny black specks in the Fall sunlight.
November 12, 2025 at 1:45 AM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
Cat in residence at the Plant Foundry plant nursery. #cats #catswithjobs
A very fluffy tabby with fur that is tabby/calico/tortoiseshell plus a bit of white. She lies on empty plant shelves. Her eyes are nearly closed and her head is raised up to enjoy the fast dimming Fall sunlight.
November 12, 2025 at 1:45 AM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
The new matilija poppy in the former english ivy patch is doing OK. But after I removed the decades-old ivy thatch, the most persistent weeds appeared. Now elmleaf blackberry looms. Hope the matilija poppy rhizomes can kick its butt. 🌱 #nativeplants #californianativeplants #blackberry #matilijapoppy
A small Matilija Poppy grows in brown loamy soil. Behind it seven elmleaf blackberry sprouts are emerging.
November 11, 2025 at 4:17 PM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
1981. Reagan puts air traffic control strike leaders in chains.
Steven Wallaert, president of local 291 of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO), right, chained to another unidentified prisoner, leaves a courthouse in Alexandria, Va. on Friday, August 7, 1981 following a hearing on contempt charges stemming from the PATCO strike. Photo and text from: https://www.flickriver.com/photos/washington_area_spark/34787063903/
November 10, 2025 at 5:46 PM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
Neighbor's cat came over to eat long grass. 🌱 🐈‍⬛ #cats #blackcats #voidcats
A black cat in long grass surrounded by salvia amistad, pozo blue sage, purple haze aster turning brown, and a few burgundy amaranth stalks going to seed. Leafy fig trees in the background.
November 10, 2025 at 3:58 PM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
Cat having a Tamara de Lempicka moment.

#fivcats #cats
A fluffy white and tabby cat relaxes amid canvas tarps in sharp folds. The cat's green eyes are lined with black, and she has the aloof yet beguiling manner of the painter Tamara de Lempicki's Art Deco beauties.
November 9, 2025 at 8:46 PM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
My FIV former street kitty says hello!
A white and striped fluffy cat looks up from inside a cardboard box. Her eyes are very green.
November 8, 2025 at 3:14 AM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
#pumpkin #possum #opossum #halloween #plushtoy
A large pumpkin carved with a door and windows. A plush toy possum is coming out of the pumpkin door. Its long tail casually drapes out of a window. Night shot taken with flash. Pumpkin interior lit with LED candles.
October 31, 2025 at 5:44 PM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
Current "Halloween/everything else" reading.
#colsonwhitehead #zombies #halloween #books #tryingtimes #toputitmildly
Bookcover of "Zone One" by Colson Whitehead. Shows a New York City skyline in bright magenta against a vibrant orange.
October 30, 2025 at 7:44 PM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
Used to be hundreds of pokeweeds in the yard during 20 years of neglect. It was one of the few native plants that could stand up to the invasive privet, English ivy, and wisteria. I allowed two survivors this year.

#pokeweed #pokeberry
A small green pokeweed plant with still immature yet very toxic red berries.
October 28, 2025 at 6:21 PM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
After clearing a large area of English ivy (took months), I wondered what would first appear in the newly exposed soil. You all know the answer already: pokeweed! 🌱 #nativeplants
Brown loamy soil punctuated by small green seedlings with red stems.
October 28, 2025 at 6:21 PM
cmpettitt.bsky.social
Not a native, but look at the fractal beauty of this plant growing in the neighborhood. Known as Woolly Grevillea, Grevillea lanigira, and Australian Rosemary. 🌱
#gardening #australianativeplants #groundcover
Dense green branches spread in all directions in a pleasing symmetrical pattern. The branches have small rosemary like leaves. Some branches end in small light pink flowers.
October 28, 2025 at 1:16 PM