Michele Tobias, PhD
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micheletobias.bsky.social
Michele Tobias, PhD
@micheletobias.bsky.social
4.1K followers 2.7K following 1.7K posts
California Beach Biogeography & Geomorphology, Geospatial Data Science, Cartography, Open Source, Library Employee, and definitely some cats.
OSGeo - FOSS4G - #gischat - #maptimeDavis
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micheletobias.bsky.social
It's stuff like this that makes it hard for me to explain exactly what I do for my job.

I think the data structure for Medieval Murder Maps might be a useful starting point for a new database design project. medievalmurdermap.co.uk
A Slack notification that reads you asked me to notify you about this: English death maps
November 20, 2025 at 6:23 PM
micheletobias.bsky.social
How do I recover from three intense conference days bookended by long flights? Do something completely creative and not analytical (and doesn't involve people)! This is a vegetarian pot pie - roasted vegetables (turnips, rutabaga, parsnips, acorn squash) and an onion and garlic bechamel.
A pie in a white enamel pie plate sits on a black stovetop . The top crust is covered in leafy cut outs so the top looks like a fluffy flower.
November 8, 2025 at 1:34 AM
micheletobias.bsky.social
I'm prepping for tomorrow's FOSS4GNA version of Hand Drawn Maps, making sure the camera works with this computer. Join me tomorrow for some map fun!

#gischat
An overhead document camera films a pile of papers and the nearby computer shows the image.
November 5, 2025 at 1:30 AM
micheletobias.bsky.social
Sometimes my job looks like I'm just screwing around. Prepping for the Hand Drawn Maps workshop on Friday. I'll do a less Halloween version at @foss4gna.bsky.social next week.
A hand holds a piece of paper in front of a laptop with an old map of Davis, CA in QGIS. On the paper are line drawings in black ink of map elements like parcels and roads as well as cartoon monsters and an elaborate Halloween themed cartouche.
October 29, 2025 at 9:44 PM
micheletobias.bsky.social
I'm doing a version of my Hand Drawn Maps workshop (as a double talk session) at FOSS4G North America on Wednesday 11/5 1:30-2:00! Bring some paper and stuff to write with and we'll draw some maps! #gischat

Register: www.foss4gna.org
The text in the middle of the image says "Let's draw maps! Hand Drwan Maps 1-hour mini workshop (no additional registration required) taught by Michele Tobias, PhD, 11/05/2025 1:30-2:30 - FOSS4GNA - Reston, VA - Register at FOSS4GNA.org . The background image is a cartoony black and white line drawing of the arboretum portion of the UC Davis campus showing Lake Spafford, paths, buildings, and trees.
October 24, 2025 at 6:07 PM
micheletobias.bsky.social
The estimate of the Davis, CA #NoKings protest was over 4,500! #DavisCA
People holding signs fill a four lane wide street lined with trees.
October 18, 2025 at 11:07 PM
micheletobias.bsky.social
The Sacramento #NoKings rally was packed!
Someone gave me two tiny plastic frogs and someone else gave me a frog resist sticker! And so many people were dressed up in costumes, inflatable or otherwise. This is how you do it!
A white woman wears a headband with frog eyes and a yellow bandana on her neck. In her hand is two small plastic frogs holding up a sticker with a frog image.
October 18, 2025 at 8:54 PM
micheletobias.bsky.social
The completed look:
#nokings
A white woman sits in front of signs depicting the Statue of Liberty. On one sign , Liberty kicks an orange wearing a crown and text says no kings. She wears a headband with frog eyes on her head and a yellow bandana around her neck.
October 18, 2025 at 4:08 PM
micheletobias.bsky.social
Getting crafty in the fight for ribberty!
A hand holds white felt with a pattern pinned to it in the foreground. In the background is a bunch of craft supplies. Two headbands with felt frog eyes attached to them.
October 18, 2025 at 3:06 AM
micheletobias.bsky.social
Making good maps is hard. Learn a workflow to make maps that communicate well! Join my workshop "Cartography for Professional Quality Maps in QGIS" at FOSS4G North America! @foss4gna.bsky.social #gischat

www.foss4gna.org/schedule
Text over a gray, white and light blue map of the southeast US with a photo of a white woman with brown hair. Text says "Make better maps. Cartography for professional quality maps in QGIS workshop. Taught by Michele Tobias, PhD 11/03/2025 9:00-12:00 FOSS4GNA Reston, VA Register at FOSS4GNA.org
October 15, 2025 at 6:24 PM
micheletobias.bsky.social
The California Voter Information Guide has never had so many maps! This is for the Statewide Special Election to temporarily change our congressional voting districts. There are 6 pages of maps! I wonder if the data is available somewhere... #gischat
The California voter information guide booklet is open to pages showing the current and proposed congressional districts.
October 8, 2025 at 7:27 PM
micheletobias.bsky.social
My cat stole my new sweatshirt and climbed inside. Please enjoy that new sweatshirt fuzz, little guy.
A black cat's head sticks out of the bottom of a blue sweatshirt.
September 12, 2025 at 4:39 PM
micheletobias.bsky.social
I got my covid shot this morning at CVS and it was quick and easy. Bonus: you get a $10 off coupon from the pharmacist and another staff member gave me a sticker when he saw my bandaid.
A white woman wearing a black mask and navy blue tank top with a red CVS bandaid on her arm stands in front of party supplies on display in the store aisle.
September 11, 2025 at 5:14 PM
micheletobias.bsky.social
I updated my one-pager proposal description for funding LiteratureMapper and sent it off the the program officers for the solicitation the first program officer suggested. This one is more complicated (lots of directorates involved) & I have no idea what I'm doing!

Image: www.nathanwpyle.art
A being who resembles a blue alien with a big head, large eyes, and lacking other details runs while wearing a pick backpack, papers trailing behind. Text on the page says wildly unprepared for the day.
August 28, 2025 at 8:17 PM
micheletobias.bsky.social
OMG you guys! It looks so much better! Gotta wait a few hours to decide if it needs another coat (I'm rooting for no). Then we unmask and install the mid mod light that goes better with the style of the house!
A wall masked with orange painters tape and a mirror covered in garden center newsprint ads. Notably missing is the unpainted wall texture spray to the left of the mirror.
August 23, 2025 at 9:56 PM
micheletobias.bsky.social
Today we're finally painting the bathroom! Years ago we had an exhaust fan installed in our mid century modern house's bathroom but never fixed the holes the electrician made in the walls. BTW a scrub brush makes short work of setting masking tape!
A hand uses a kitchen scrub brush to smooth orange painters tape on a wall above tile. A wall masked with orange painters tape and a mirror covered in garden center newsprint ads.
August 23, 2025 at 7:53 PM
micheletobias.bsky.social
In November, this one figured out how to pull the biopsy stitches out of her ear while wearing a cone even longer than this one.
A calico cat wearing a veterinary e collar sits on a bed glaring over the edge of the cone.
August 23, 2025 at 2:53 AM
micheletobias.bsky.social
Sometimes you just need a break from the world.

#caturday
A black cat has tried to hide in a gray purse, but only half of him fits in.
August 9, 2025 at 9:41 PM
micheletobias.bsky.social
I submitted this design to the @foss4gna.bsky.social design contest. (We're having a hootenanny instead of the traditional gala this year because we're not really gala people.) Don't you want this as a sticker?

You can submit a design too! www.foss4gna.org/contest

#gischat
A black line drawing of an owl is on the left. On the right is text that says hootenanny FOSS4G North America 2025 Reston, VA. The hoot part of hootenanny is emphasized with larger text.
July 30, 2025 at 6:58 PM
micheletobias.bsky.social
This is Distraction "helping" make a quilt. This cat is pure chaos. In case you need some motivation today, Distraction advises that you just keep trying because the more you practice the better you'll get at being a menace.

#cathelp #quiltinspector
A pastel calico cat sits on a postage stamp quilt made of black, white, and colorful squares. She has the end of a cloth measuring tape in her teeth and squints are the strain of trying to pull it away from the person holding it out of frame.
July 14, 2025 at 7:37 PM
micheletobias.bsky.social
Cadmius has a tendency to absorb things as he gets comfortable... today it's a pack of highlighters and my hand.
An overhead shot of a black cat reclining on a gray couch cushion, a pack of highlighters, and a human arm.
July 12, 2025 at 12:10 AM
micheletobias.bsky.social
It's the perfect day to work on the Doom Quilt. This wholesome American craft reduces my ability to doom scroll. I started it in January. It's all hand cut and sewn, with help from Cadmius, of course. #quilt #CatHelp
70 9-patch quilt squares are laid out on a wood floor. The squares are made of smaller white and dark fabric squares alternating like a checker board. One dark square is replaced by a bright color square. Eight larger blocks composed of 4 9-patch squares and two composed of two blocks each are laid out on a wood floor. A black cat sleeps on a gray couch on a pile of quilt blocks, relaxed and legs sprawling. Larger assembled blocks are piled on a pillow behind him.
July 4, 2025 at 6:16 PM
micheletobias.bsky.social
Down in LA for family stuff. No trip is complete without a drive down PCH and lunch at Neptune's Net.
Neptune's Net sign stands next to Pacific Coast Highway.
June 24, 2025 at 11:36 PM
micheletobias.bsky.social
This photo pretty much sums up me trying to get anything done lately.
#quilt #quilting #CatHelp #QuiltInspector
A black cat wraps his front and back legs around his favorite human's hand as she tries to sew fabric squares together for a quilt block.
June 20, 2025 at 12:14 AM
micheletobias.bsky.social
My scrub-jay-planted sunflower is about 9 feet tall and has more than a dozen flower buds on it. It's a cross between a mammoth gray stripe and a bush variety. It's going to be magnificent when more flowers open. #bloomscroll #sunflower
A yellow sunflower faces a deep blue sky. A tall sunflower stalk topped with one medium flower surrounded by buds stands in the middle of a vegetable garden and is almost as tall as a nearby Myrtle tree.
June 18, 2025 at 5:10 PM