iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 8h

Never own a mule. Never buy a mule. Never let a mule worm her way into your heart and train you never to ride her or make any demands on her.

2 Images. the top one shows a man riding a draft mule. The lower image is of a dinosaur called a styracosaurus which bears a resemblance to the mule in girth and heft and poor attitude!

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Even The Grauniad can't bring itself to say the words "climate chaos". We're about to run out of drinking water in Haute Vienne. That's really going to put the performance of my investments* in perspective. (*I don't have any of course. I worked in nature conservation.)

Headline from Larry Elliott in The Guardian which talks about another financial crash coming citing AI and war and global stresses but doesn't mention climate once.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Chuffed to have hosted Dr Erica McAlister — entomologist, author & Natural History Museum fly curator — at Le Moulin. 🪰 She gave us a brilliant talk, explored our rewilding project… and loved it. ❤️ We want this to be a place where serious naturalists come to visit. Felt like a bit of a milestone. 🦋

Dr Erica McAlister, with Nik and Heidi Smith on the bridge at Le Moulin de Pensol.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Heartburn much? 🔥🐸 Its all going on down at the pond this morning. #holidaysinfrance #natureholidays #lemoulindepensol

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Reposted by Heidi Smith

Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received - and that consequently, this country is at war with Piddington.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

We have the fabulous Erica McAlister staying next week and she will be giving a talk at Le Moulin on invertebrates and then we're all walking to a resto for Sunday lunch. I guess you are all too far away to come but I just wanted to show off a little. 🪰 #nature #diptera #LifeinFrance

A collage of various colourful inveterbrates taken at Le Moulin de Pensol by Nik Smith.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Calling motorcycle bluesky. Does anyone know what this bike is? This photo is of my parents. ❤️ The pic was in the local newspaper. #motorbike #nortonbikes #velocette

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Prunella. ❤️ 17 and still living her best life.

Shows a Romanian rescue dog lying by some flowers in tall grass with a big smile on her beautiful face.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Goodness gracious...... Great banded grayling!

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

French traditional music appears to have a strangely calming effect on animals. 🎶 Vladimir here hates having his feet trimmed. But put on some pipes and hurdy-gurdy and he’ll stand there and put up with it - just about. #donkey #VielleARoue #MusiqueTraditionnelle

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

There is still water in our big pond. But we desperately need some rain. 🐸💦 #frogs #naturephotography #LivinginFrance

Pool frog taken at Le Moulin de Pensol. Just loafing around in the water.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Classic 🇫🇷 apero dilemma ce soir. Invited for 6pm. Food not mentioned. Do I: 1. eat first then be presented with a banquet of lovingly cooked food? Or 2. Go hungry and be flat out drunk and starving by 9pm? #France #apero #LifeinFrance

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Me finding out the Notaire's is shut on Tuesday morning, having waited all weekend and Monday to get a tiny but important thing done. #France #FrenchLife #LivinginFrance

Volodymyr Zelensky looking exhausted but grimly determined.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Hosting a community showing of the Natuonal Emergency Briefing at Le Moulin de Pensol this evening. In English, in France (where we live) but excitingly we will have some Germans and Dutch attending too. Imagine discussing a subject this complex in your second language. 💪🌿

Screenshot from the NEB website, showing a quote from Professor Michael Mann calling for a NEB in each country.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Goodbye to my strange little dog. You were never a good boy. Often quite the opposite. But you loved us and we loved you for 14 years. 💔

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

New puzzling question of the day from my phone.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

A violet dropwing - about an hour from us in southwest France. Nature really went to town on that paint job. 💜 We are hoping we'll get them at Le Moulin one day. #dragonflies

Photo shows a red, pink and purple drangonfly. It is sitting in an unusual posture with its wings forward instead of out to the sides hence its name - violet dropwing. Even the transparent wings are shot through with pinky purple. It has a red tip to its tail. If you put these colours together on, say a shirt, it would be disgusting - but this boy is rocking the look.

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Reposted by Heidi Smith

Emma Mitchell @silverpebble2.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Not sure why but my mental health's really deteriorated-it's a struggle to work/move,my self esteem's fallen down the🚽& self hatred's LOUD. If my posts make your day a little better/you've saved one of my 📷s,maybe buy me the equiv. of some teabags on ko-fi.No obligation obvs: ko-fi.com/emmamitchell

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

@wildflowerhour.bsky.social Devil's beggarticks. Bidens frondosa. Not UK but SW France. Naturalised, sometimes classified as invasive but we find it's very well behaved (unlike the H balsam behind it). #Wildflowerhour #CommonNames

Photo shows dense green vegetation on the edge of a river at Le Moulin de Pensol in France. The plant in the foreground is devils beggarticks

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Got dragged out of a restaurant last night as the second fire in 2 weeks was knocking on our door. Worth a televised National Emergency Briefing yet Andy Burnham? #Climatechange

Smoke over pine plantation trees. Limousin France.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Apparently Britain's record wildfires are the fault of… rewilding. 🌿 This level of tossery crossed a line even for the Daily Mail, so I've submitted an IPSO complaint for breach of Clause 1 (lying through billionaire oil-covered teeth). Anyone else complained? #ClimateChange

Photo shows front page of the Daily Mail 13th August 2026 with the massive headline REWILDING LINK TO RECORD FIRES. This is under a smaller headline about the eclipse that says "Britain finally gets a break from the sun (for a few minutes).

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Good old BBC - takes some balls to segue without comment from a VT with a farmer who mentions climate change 12 times and explains he can't grow many root crops anymore and the harvest will be awful, to a piece on GDP growing by 0.4% - which they then examine in detail. 😱 @georgemonbiot.bsky.social

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

In place for l'eclipse. This is going to be so embarrassing for science if it doesn't happen. 😬🤞

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

If you watched Threads when you were a kid and couldn't sleep for a month, I suggest you dont read this. But also - everyone should read this.

Screenshot shows cover of audio version of the book If Anyone Builds it, Everyone Dies, by Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares. Published by Penguin.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

The great enthickification continues. 😠

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Me feeling crippling climate guilt for flying back to France on Thursday (my Dad just died) when Flight radar looks like this. Do you think some things can't be solved by consumer action but only by Government policy? 🤔

Screenshot shows a map of southern UK and France completely covered in small aeroplanes. These represent all the live passenger flights in the air at the moment (tuesday 4th August 2026 at 7.20pm UK time.) Not sure me refusing to fly to comfort my Mum and Dad's friends and make all the arrangements would make much of a dent in this climate breakdown madness. The train is 5 times the cost and takes twice as long. I could drive but it would take 24 hours and I'd probably have to do it in 2 sections, leaving husband without a car for over a week. 😕

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Ooh its Chinook day at Farnborough. Does anyone want me to pick them up any hardware? I hear there's a sale on?

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

The insanity of living in Farnborough when the airshow is on. Some guy is throwing an F-35 around like he just stole it, and everyone is loving it. Probably alot less fun if you're an Iranian being bombed 😕 Private jets coming into the airport every 2 minutes. #allthefunofthearmsfair

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Although watching his wife, white with nerves and visibly shaking in her best dress, makes me want to preemptively tell the Daily Mail to leave her the hell alone. You just know they're going to be vile to her.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Well that was all very hopeful - allow me to feel briefly more cheerful for a moment. #AndyBurnham

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Palfrey - Noun, archaic. A docile horse used for ordinary riding, especially by women. Eg "he don't like pigs and go like hot shit off a shovel, but most of the time 'es a right ol palfrey".

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Rosebank and Jackdaw really are a crucial test for Burnham. If he permits them, then all hope for Labour being different under a new leader is gone, and it will be the Green Party all the way for me. Christ, my appalling rescue dog has had fewer 2nd chances than this lot. 🙄

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

@bbcnews-world-rss.bsky.social EXPLAIN why this is ridiculous. Don't just parrot his absurd words. Mention the words climate chaos. Tell the public why "cleaning all the woods" won't work. Be a journalist not just a mouthpiece. www.bbc.com/news/article...

bbc.com

Trump threatens new Canada tariffs over wildfire smoke in US cities

Canadian leader Mark Carney says both the US and Canada have an equal responsibility to fight climate change, which experts say are worsening wildfire conditions.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Sooty copper on St John's wort 💚

Photo shows a brown and orange butterfly on a yellow flower. Its a sooty copper taken at Le Moulin de Pensol.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

I just read this. Everyone should read it. Even though it will enrage and terrify you. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Picture shows the audible version of the book Regime Change - Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump. By Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. The cover has a picture of Trump behind a microphone looking smug, fat and pompous. Like he always does.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

We moved from Norfolk — where the old world swallowtail is a rare treat — to southwest France, where we also get Le Flambé, the scarce swallowtail. It's the 1st design in our new organic t-shirt range. Profits fund our rewilding work. Shop: le-moulin-de-pensol.teemill.com

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

We've made something new. 🦋 Organic cotton t-shirts, each a species that actually lives here on the reserve. Every penny of profit going straight back into the rewilding work. First up: the scarce swallowtail. Shop: le-moulin-de-pensol.teemill.com More on the thinking behind it tomorrow.

Woman wearing a sage green t-shirt printed with a scarce swallowtail butterfly and the words "Le Moulin de Pensol, Iphiclides podalirius, Le Flambé," sitting on a moss-covered stone wall in dappled woodland light, wearing a straw hat and denim shorts.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Red-tipped clearwing moth, Le Moulin de Pensol, southwest France. Photo by @niksmith.bsky.social

Photo shows a large red and black insect feeding on a pink flower, taken at Le Moulin de Pensol, southwest France. It has translucent wings with red patterns and a mostly black body with a bright red stripe. Its clear wings make it look more like a dragonfly than a moth. It is drop-dead gorgeous!

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Is everyone at the Daily Mail quite well? 🤔 Even my Dad thinks this is funny and ridiculous.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Weird wildlife reactions to this bonkers heat. Garden full of purple hairstreaks forced down to ground level by the heat. Normally they live at the top of oak trees. Like little fallen gods. Warning us of the coming coming apocalypse. Anyhoo, Happy Friday!

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Red underwing - just evicted from the kitchen as it was drawing attention to all the cobweby corners with its panicking flapping.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Intermittent WiFi is worse than no WiFi. Sit down, start a task, no WiFi. Start something else, WiFi back on. Repeat all day then lie on floor beating hands and feet and crying. Orange won't connect us to fibre. And are simultaneously running down the copper wire network. I do not like Orange.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

So... we have a T-shirt emporium.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

For anyone who has followed me recently and doesn't know who we are - Le Moulin de Pensol is a rewilded nature reserve with self catering accommodation attached (gites). We are in the Limousin near Limoges 🇫🇷 Guests have described us as a "small-scale Knepp". Lots more information on our website.

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Heidi Smith @heidi-lemoulin.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Micromata viriscens - green huntsman. Yeah yeah yeah but look at its little face!

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