iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

It really is a great spot for a daybed, I should dust mine off

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

One of these days, I’m going to steal his favorite spot just to see his head explode 😂

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

And even if not, his hearing is getting worse, poor guy! The lady we trained with paired a hand signal with verbal command, so we can still communicate if he’s looking at me. The funniest part is, I really think I’m starting to go a little deaf too, maybe in sympathy 🤷🏽‍♀️🙂

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

I think he may have won this summer, they are not active at all!

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Happy Sunday, everyone! I hope all your overlords are as comfortable as Mal! I swear he’s enjoying his nap harder for seeing me sitting here working 😄 #UglyDogs

Malone is stretched out completely flat on a fluffy grey sheepskin rug in the middle of the turf in our backyard, surrounded by scattered sticks and fallen leaves, fast asleep in the dappled sunlight under the spreading branches of our oak tree. Sigh… why can’t I be a dog…

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Why do you say you can’t communicate with a dog? This is a serious question although my first instinct was to be like you clearly don’t know dogs

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

4 days left to vote in the MN Primary! I voted early this week and if you haven’t done so yet, this is a reminder to help get @peggyflanagan.bsky.social to our U.S. Senate 🙂 Let’s go!

A campaign graphic for Peggy Flanagan for U.S. Senate, showing her in a striped top and glasses shaking hands and greeting supporters at a campaign event. Bold text overlaid on the image reads “4 DAYS — VOTE BY AUG. 11.“

Selfie of me smiling, holding up a red “I Voted” sticker in front of a decorative embroidered quilt map of Eden Prairie Township, Hennepin County, State of Minnesota, 1858. I am, as usual, wearing a gray ball cap over my pink highlighted hair.

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Mal gets phenobarbital every day. We had to cut his dose in half because the original dosage was too much for him, and the vet reevaluated. On the lower dosage his seizures are down to one or two a year as opposed to every three months. Hoping they find the right balance for King 🤞🏽

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

OMG I’m so sorry 😞 I didn’t realize… thank you for the info on VEG, they sound interesting.

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Sorry, what’s a VEG ER clinic? And I hope Mocha is doing better! 🙂

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Try a cold pack for relief? I think I know the nasties you are talking about and the itch is horrible! Fades away in a couple days for me, hoping yours is the same!

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

A few weeks ago, I took him in for what felt like a cross between a persistent cough and clearing his throat… after a few dozen tests and much patience from our amazing vet, he was diagnosed with old man syndrome or “that’s just his new normal” 🤦🏽‍♀️ he’s doing amazing for almost 14 though!

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Yeah our vet, founder of the OG practice, retired and they sold to some chain. Luckily, the main vet now was someone he hired before he retired and she stayed on, she’s our main doc and is wonderful! Couple of the vet techs are still there, ppl we’ve known for 20+ yrs. It’s all changing though…

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Thank you! He’s been having nausea and diarrhea, but this morning was the worst with him unable to lift his hind leg and “knuckling” when he tries to walk… we’ve seen spinal issues with our Saint many many years ago, so not total panic but still… why are their lives so short (or ours so long) 😭

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Effing private equity ruins everything worth having

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Thank you! He’s catching up on all the lost snoozes right now, and he was begging for food from us earlier so he’s definitely feeling better 😄

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

It’s the weekend or as pet stewards everywhere know, it’s time for… an emergency! [he’s fine] He’s been off since he got back from boarding, and it all culminated in a scary looking seizure today. Good news, nothing wrong otherwise, just old age. He was given a fluid lump and sent home 🙂 #UglyDogs

Malone, viewed from directly above, stands facing a baseboard heater, wearing his floral collar and leather leash.. His tail is tucked in and he is generally not a happy camper right now.

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Yep, I think you’re right! Thanks!

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Thank you! 🙂 I found a pic with more of its surroundings if that helps. They are from the Prairie section of Cambo Gardens. Given that, your guess of some kind of hyacinth definitely makes sense. I looked up images of dried hyacinth seed pods and they do look similar.

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Ending the thread with a few of my pics of the hover flies that were everywhere, busy pollinating 🙂 Thanks for any help with the ids! #CamboGardens #Scotland

Close-up of fluffy, powder-puff flower clusters made up of masses of fine yellow stamens and white filaments with no distinct petals, giving a soft, feathery appearance. A orange-and-brown banded hoverfly feeds on one of the clusters. The stems are slender and green, with the flowers arranged in loose clusters.

Large, flat-topped white umbel flower heads composed of hundreds of tiny white florets. A hoverfly forages on the lower flower head. The stems are thick, ridged, and bright green. A second flower head in the upper right shows developing green seed clusters where flowers have finished.

A single large, vivid blue-purple flower with five broad, rounded petals showing fine radiating veins toward a white center, with dark purple stamens. A banded orange-and-brown hoverfly rests on the lower petals. Round green buds on hairy reddish stems are visible around the open bloom.

California poppies (vivid orange-yellow flowers with four broad, silky petals and a deeper orange center) shown with two small hover flies foraging in one of the lower blooms. The petals shade from rich orange at the center to bright yellow at the edges. Finely divided blue-green foliage is visible in the blurred background.

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

A dense, low-growing mat of a ground-cover plant covered in thousands of tiny, rounded, cone-like seed heads or buds in muted green, brown, and reddish tones, spilling over the edge of a concrete path. A few small yellow flowers are still visible among the spent heads. 6/7 #CamboGardens #Scotland

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

A dried seed stalk bearing numerous papery, inflated seed capsules in pale tan, each split open at the top to reveal some shiny black seeds inside. The capsules are ovoid with a distinctly ribbed or veined surface texture, arranged alternately up a stiff central stem. 5/7 #CamboGardens #Scotland

A dried seed stalk bearing numerous papery, inflated seed capsules in pale tan, each split open at the top to reveal one or two shiny black seeds inside. The capsules are ovoid with a distinctly ribbed or veined surface texture, arranged alternately up a stiff central stem. Some capsules are still closed, others fully open and emptying. The papery inflated capsules with persistent black seeds on a tall dried stalk are consistent with a wild blue indigo (Baptisia) species, likely Baptisia australis or a close relative — common in native prairie and woodland edge habitats.

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

A single flower head with a spiky star-burst arrangement of pink-purple bracts surrounding small white tubular florets, and a yellow-and-black banded hoverfly. The stem is dark purple-black, square in cross-section, with serrated, lance-shaped leaves arranged in opposite pairs. 4/7 #CamboGardens

A single flower head with a spiky star-burst arrangement of pink-purple bracts surrounding small white tubular florets, visited by a yellow-and-black banded hoverfly. The stem is dark purple-black, square in cross-section, with serrated, lance-shaped leaves arranged in opposite pairs.

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

A single white funnel-shaped flower with gently ruffled, fused petals and a cream-colored center, visited by a small hoverfly. Two distinctive reddish-purple, pointed buds are visible on twining stems below the open bloom. 3/7 #CamboGardens #Scotland

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

A tall flowering spike with tubular, bell-shaped blooms in pale lavender-blue with pink-purple streaking and dark markings inside the throat. The flowers are arranged in whorls up the stem, with buds at the top still opening. The stem is hairy and green, with lance-shaped leaves. 2/7 #CamboGardens

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

#PlantSky need help identifying these plants I saw at the Cambo Gardens near St Andrews, Scotland. I didn’t get their labels and image searches are not very conclusive. I’m including best guess in description. Pano of walled garden below. 1/7 www.cambogardens.org.uk

A panoramic view of a large naturalistic garden in full summer bloom under a bright blue sky with dramatic white clouds. Gravel paths wind through densely planted borders featuring a rich mix of perennials including lavender, salvia, pink campion, and ornamental grasses in soft purples, pinks, and whites. A mass of deep burgundy-red shrubs, possibly dark-leaved cotinus or similar, forms a dramatic focal point in the center background. A glasshouse is visible on the right edge, and a stone wall with climbing plants frames the left. The overall style is informal and meadow-like, consistent with a British walled or kitchen garden designed in the naturalistic tradition.

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Maybe this is the year 🙂 I looked up the website to see what else I don’t know and found that they need volunteers for 2-3 hour shifts at various places. So I’ll probably do that this time!

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Sounds like you’re going to have to visit us! btw, lived here for 20-something years and never knew there was a special corn variety just for our great Minnesota get together

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Congratulations!!! 🎉🎊🍾 and yes, treats all around ofc!

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

thanks for the ear worm(s) 😂

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

I didn’t notice the tag and was all like ⁉️

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

They were hilarious and there were so many of them! I guess it must be baby season for the gulls 🙂

A group of adult and juvenile seagulls stand, wade, and mill about on St Andrews West Sands - a wide, flat sandy beach seen here at low tide along the Scottish coast. One adult gull is caught mid-flight in the foreground, wings spread. The North Sea stretches to the horizon under a partly cloudy sky.

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

I had no idea juvenile gulls looked or sounded this way 😂 (sound up)

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Happy 4th to my US friends! 🇺🇸 It’s hot but still a lot of fun at the Taste of Minnesota today 🙂

It is the Fourth of July and I am a short woman with pink highlighted hair wearing red tall boots, a white buttoned vest, and blue denim shorts standing holding a plate of food and a canned drink. In the background you can see the main stage of Taste of Minnesota with a food truck or two, and people relaxing. It is a hot sunny day. I also have on sunglasses and an olive distressed ball cap that says Minnesota on the front in larger letters with United States of America in smaller font under it.

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

That’s good to hear! Well if you need silly distractions, I’m sure the ugly dogs will deliver 🙂

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Oh no! Hoping they find you a room soon 🫂 how often do they check on you if you are in a holding pattern, so to speak?

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

The broader theme seemed to be that the progressive wing seems to be gaining ground here. And everyone is energized and pissed. I can’t wait to see what happens in Nov! This post is not an invitation to dogpile on Witt or promote doom and gloom for Nov. Leave our hopes alone. /end

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

DFLers, at the convention today to endorse county attorney and sheriff, Witt withdrew her name from consideration after the delegates failed to reach a 60% majority for endorsement after 5 rounds of voting. Cedrick Frazier secured the endorsement for county attorney. Solid choice! 1/ #MNDFL

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Ahh Minnesota always throwing white stuff at us (I like trees, love them even, but cottonwood… cottonwood can go to Tartarus and stay there)

A yellow Shar Pei mix in a red harness stands on a suburban sidewalk, surveying a landscape blanketed in cottonwood fluff that has settled on every surface like a deeply committed, allergy-inducing imitation of snow.

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

This dog hates my Mini so I got one that doesn’t

Yellow Shar Pei pit mix is doing the “stop mom you’re embarrassing me and your car is so lame” face at daycare pickup. He hates riding in this car, poor ignorant baby!

A little great and white corduroy plush toy of the Mini Cooper’s English Bulldog mascot is sitting perched on the backseat of the car, wedged between a headrest and the side of the car. He is facing backwards towards the trunk. The pic was taken with the trunk open, showing part of a messy interior.

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Tractive (got a free replacement for Whistle when they acquired and shut them down) works fine but looks bulkier on the collar

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Next time, get both!!! No decision needed!

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

This is my full gear. And I have an armored base layer under that fun jacket 🙂 drivers are enough of a challenge without me adding to it!

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Riding season is finally here for me 🎉 (it’s been a minute since I was on a bike) #StartSeeingMotorcycles

I am walking towards my black cruiser parked in a sunny suburban driveway, wearing a dark blue leather jacket with white stars on the back and subtle red collar accents inspired by the Stars and Stripes. I have my back to the camera and am looking at my orange Mini Cooper S parked on the driveway, throwing it a reassuring glance that says “don’t worry, I still love you, I just need to take this old friend out for a spin first.“

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Starting on my surprisingly convoluted journey back home. I am hanging out at Hamburg waiting for the counters to open at 3am (about 4 hours away)… trying not to fall asleep… not sure this glass of Prosecco was a good idea 😄🥂

A small bottle of Scavi & Ray Prosecco Frizzante sits on an airport desk beside a tangle of cables and a European power outlet, the kind of single-serving wine that says “I have four hours until check-in, absolutely no regrets, and a very flexible definition of breakfast.“

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

when Mal and I were in training once, the group was working on down+stay. Mal stayed but cowed in terror and bolted to the open door when I tried to leash him… he is a pit mix, I am brown, only one of either of our kind in the class… 🤦🏽‍♀️ I was traumatized and he acted like nothing happened after 😡

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Or a portal to a treatless and Nikki-less world 😱

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meencat @meencat.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

One of my regular stops these days is r/liberalgunowners on Reddit. Does bluesky has something similar??? libgunsky?? And if you are a current or future Dem pol, I absolutely urge you to visit the sub to understand a fast growing cohort of voters right here in MN that can help educate you #2A

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