Debra Mihalic Staples
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dmihalicstaples.bsky.social
Debra Mihalic Staples
@dmihalicstaples.bsky.social
970 followers 1.3K following 160 posts
Writer, reader, hiker, kayaker, nature journaler, all at a leisurely pace. Words in Still: The Journal, High Country News, Wild Roof Journal, Gastropoda, South Carolina Wildlife, and elsewhere.
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For #ArtAdventCalendar Day 12, my photograph of the Teton Range reflected in a lake, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, US.
Several gray granite mountain peaks reflected in a calm lake, with deep green grasses in the foreground and feathery white clouds in a deep blue sky.
December 12, 2025 at 3:21 PM
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For #ArtAdventCalendar Day 11, my photograph of a trio of bloodroot blooms, Sanguinaria canadensis. This is one of the earliest blooming wildflowers in the Eastern US.
Three white many-petaled flowers, in stages of bloom from barely open to full-blown. The center is a pale green stigma surrounded by bright yellow anthers. Each bloom rises 4" on a thick stem from a pair of rounded leaves with irregularly serrated edges. The background is sunlit leaf litter.
December 11, 2025 at 2:35 PM
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For #ArtAdventCalendar Day 10, from my nature journal: one of the Southeastern US’s native trilliums, purple toadshade, Trillium cuneatum, sketched in ink and colored pencils.
A 3-leaved plant with only 2 mottled light-green leaves showing, attached 4” up a tan-colored stem. A deep magenta-colored flower sits where the leaves join the stem, 3 petals curve down from the base while 3 others curve up and touch at their tips.
December 10, 2025 at 2:35 PM
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For Day 9 of #ArtAdventCalendar, some of my wildlife photography. American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, basking in Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Yep, I used a telephoto lens.
Side view of the head and right front leg of an alligator, resting among reeds and yellow flowers.
December 9, 2025 at 3:29 PM
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For #ArtAdventCalendar Day 8: my photograph of kudzu flowers. This introduced plant has a mythic, negative reputation due to its aggressive growth in the southern US, but artists make beautiful baskets and handmade paper from it. The flowers have an intense, grape-like fragrance and brilliant color.
A 9" flower stalk against large green leaves. At the base are open, hoodlike blooms ranging in color from lavender to fuchsia, with yellow stamens visible. Above the open blooms are lavender-colored buds, finally tapering to pale green buds with feathery tips.
December 8, 2025 at 2:48 PM
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For #ArtAdventCalendar Day 7: My ink and watercolor drawing of dimpled trout lilies, Erythronium umbilicatum, native to the Southern Appalachians. These bloom from February to April.
An ink and watercolor drawing of two gold-colored blooms hanging down from bronze-colored 6-inch stems, with upturned petals and hanging stamens. The 5 leaves at the base of the stems are large, grayish green and mottled, against a dappled pale brown background.
December 7, 2025 at 2:02 PM
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listen little sister
angels make their hope here
in these hills

-bell hooks
from her collection Appalachian Elegy: Poetry and Place
Waves of green and gold forested mountains in background and mid-ground, a path through a grassy meadow with yellow flowers in foreground, a cloud drifting across the path from the left, blue sky with clouds casting roving shadows on the slopes.
December 7, 2025 at 1:46 PM
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#ArtAdventCalendar Day 6: This is my ink and watercolor drawing of some ghost pipes, Monotropa uniflora, seen along the Appalachian Trail. Usually ghost pipes are white; I'd love to know what gave these their pale magenta coloring.
Ink and watercolor drawing of three ghost pipe plants, pale pinkish 5-inch stalks, curved down at the top and holding bell-shaped flowers, against a background of moss, sticks, and leaves.
December 6, 2025 at 3:24 PM
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#ArtAdventCalendar Day 5: Here is my watercolor from last night’s @wildwonder.bsky.social workshop with @expedart.bsky.social on how to quickly capture winter landscapes in a nature journal. (Reposted to correct hashtag)
Watercolor of three snowy mountain peaks with stands of evergreen trees in mid-ground and foreground.
December 5, 2025 at 4:15 PM
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For day four of #ArtAdventCalendar my drawing of a juvenile red-shouldered hawk, done with black and sepia inks. I made the reference photo from far away with a telephoto lens; the parents were teaching this baby to hunt, and he/she was crouching by my back fence, complaining loudly.
A drawing of a juvenile red-shouldered hawk done in black and sepia inks.
December 4, 2025 at 7:54 PM
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For the next few days of #ArtAdventCalendar I’ll share some pages from my nature journal. I love this art practice for many reasons, but especially because anyone can do it, regardless of skill level, location, income, etc. For Day Three, here is my watercolor of a Southern magnolia:
A watercolor of a magnolia tree with varied shades of green leaves, some white blossoms, and some faded copper-colored blooms.
December 3, 2025 at 2:47 PM
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For day 2 of #ArtAdventCalendar here is my watercolor of a red wolf, Canis rufus, a critically endangered species.
Face of a red wolf, turned aside. Color is mostly gray, with rust-gold fur around the eye, on the top and edges of the ears, across the muzzle, around the neck. Amber eye, black nose and whiskers.
December 2, 2025 at 1:07 PM
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🤔
A photo of oak leaves which the Seek app has mistakenly identified as a nine-banded armadillo
November 18, 2025 at 3:36 PM
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Y’all—northern lights down south, a few minutes ago.
Pink cloud against a dark sky—northern lights
November 12, 2025 at 4:04 AM
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Thanks for the “heads up”😄, saw just now from Canton.
Aurora, red cloud against dark sky
November 12, 2025 at 4:01 AM
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The Book of Atrix Wolfe remains one of my favorite novels, ever.
Image of the cover of the novel The Book of Atrix Wolfe by in B Patricia McKillip—a young woman is asleep on a field of intricate foliage and flowers.
November 6, 2025 at 9:03 PM
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I leaned in to smell a way-too-early jessamine bloom and nearly inhaled this small mantis.
Small mantis on green jessamine leaves with yellow flower bud behind it
November 6, 2025 at 6:49 PM
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Ghost pipes in a Southern Appalachian forest—usually these are a glassy-white, but this magenta color was eye-catching. #FlowerReport #Bloomscrolling
A group of seven bell-like flowers of varying height, on scaly stems, on a leafy woodland background. Ghost pipes do not photosynthesize; they don’t produce chlorophyl, so they aren’t green, but are pale magenta-to-white in color here. More commonly they are glassy white.
October 12, 2025 at 1:30 PM
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Brown sign with white letters reads “CAUTION Bears on Hiking Trails.” An inset diamond-shaped image with a yellow background shows silhouettes of a large bear walking on four feet, followed by a smaller bear walking on four feet.
October 10, 2025 at 8:39 PM
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A purple drink cup with a cotton zipped pouch resting against it. On the pouch is printed a conversation: Security Guard: Ma’am, you can’t bring outside drinks in here. Me: This is a service mimosa.
October 9, 2025 at 8:00 PM
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I celebrated the equinox early with a Sunday hike among the clouds on Black Balsam Knob in NC, one of the highest Appalachian balds.
A meadow with grasses and red and yellow flowers stretching toward slopes and higher mountain peaks, with the edge of a dirt trail and low cloud drifting out of left frame. The air smelled spicy-sweet from the flowers.
September 23, 2025 at 3:12 PM
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Beautyberry, soon to be bird buffet 🐦‍⬛
Branch with bright green toothed pointed oval leaves with clusters of small berries, ranging in color from bright green to light purple
September 4, 2025 at 2:33 PM
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Every summer solstice I photograph our pollinator garden to document the joy-giving persistence of these perennial native plants. Happy Solstice, y'all.
Purple coneflowers, pale purple stokesia, and gold coreopsis flowers, along with a bee-shaped sculpture made from horseshoes, against a weathered 3-board fence, with trees and meadow in the background.
June 20, 2025 at 6:48 PM
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Me, every morning since Wednesday, Nov. 6th:
Image is a line drawing of three children screaming, with the caption "A screaming song is good to know in case you need to scream" -- this is the first page of the children's book OPEN HOUSE FOR BUTTERFLIES by Ruth Krauss, pictures by Maurice Sendak.
November 11, 2024 at 12:42 AM