iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

My groups' Valheim server got to the Fader boss fight tonight. The difficulty scaling is painful with 6 people on the server. But it went fine. Really. #videogames #valheim

Portions of a map colored red. There is a boss icon, and 12 skull and bones death locations marked just for 1 of the players.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I have two cats literally trying to kill each other. I've been trying to rehome one for 6 months while we juggle who's getting human time. Apparently this did not stop me from adopting a cat getting bullied herself to be added to the juggle. I am not smart. Meet Mae Mae for #caturday

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Temple B'nai Sholom, Huntsville Alabama. Built c. 1898 #photography

A temple with turrets lies behind a tree flush with leaves.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Suggestions requested. I picked this mostly complete silk organza saree at a thrift store a couple of years ago. I've had this idea to use the border (flatlined) lining for a jacket. After spending hours with it, I'm thinking it's too rough for that. Opinions? Ideas? #fabric #sewing

Swirl of silk organza that is dyed with brown and white.

A wide woven border on a silk organza saree. The woven design is black and shows tiny palm trees, clouds, hills and jungle.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Chipmunks are the bane of my landscaping, but they are pretty cute. #chipmunk #naturephotography

A chipmunk curled up sleeping in a dirt hollow.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

I've been working on this one for a while. It's like an onion... so many layers. #miniaturepainting #diorama There are things I wish I had done differently, but I'd basically have to start over. Eventually you just have to decide something is done. Wait I was going to put props on the deck...

A 3D diorama of a huge white tree. A spiral staircase winds around the tree leading to a large blue treehouse on top. It all sits in a large red glazed flower pot with forest undergrowth and a smaller tree with green foliage.

Looking down on a 3D diorama of a huge white tree, showing a birds nest and the top of the roof with small branches and leaves. A spiral staircase winds around the tree leading to a large blue treehouse on top. It all sits in a large red glazed flower pot with forest undergrowth and a smaller tree with green foliage.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Tons. For base sets I am very fond of the Devon Jones/Masterwork Tools collection. And using his blank bases all you need to do is design the top layer if you want something custom. Because your players deserve a good arena for that BBEG.

A TTRPG battle board using 3D printed terrain. It is a top-down view of the top of a castle tower. In the center is a glowing pool on a pedestal. The corner stairwell towers are lit from within in an orange glow reminiscent of torchlight. The battle is in progress with figurines and markers.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

"Did somebody hit y'alls mailboxes?" Yeah, what gave it away?

A roadside, showing several belt metal poles and next to them are two mailboxes on a plank perched on top of two sawhorses.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

Repot day for my Echeveria 'Trumpet Pinky' I've never been able to tell if it's crested or if the stems had just grown together before I owned it. I haven't had the heart to pull it apart to find out. #succulents #echeveria

A large cluster of succulent rosettes. They have tubular leaves in a pale green blue with pink rims on the tips. It is sitting in the center of an orange clay pot surrounded by rocky bonsai soil.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

📷🐛For some reason I haven't seen many ladybugs (Coccinellidae sp.) this year. This one appears to be the native species here in North America, which means I won't be seeing it as part of the fall invasion clustered in every corner this winter. #insects #beetles #naturephotography

An orange beetle with a black face with white dots. It has black dots on its back. The ladybug beetle is facing forward while balanced on a blade of grass with dew.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

I love the plain jane orange daylilies just the way they are, but the hybrids bred for color can be amazingly vibrant. #flowers #gardening #photography

Two bright pink daylily bulbs open toward the camera. They have yellow throats from which pink filaments curve upward showing their black tips.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

I did not wiggle out of my harness and catch a chipmunk today. I was framed. #caturday (The chipmunk was rescued and is presumably recovering. And it seems I need a better cat harness.)

A grey tabby cat has stuffed herself into a small box. Her neck and head lean over the edge.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

I've been mostly offline because of a range of things. But here's a couple of quick cell phone photos of our last trip to Portugal, neighborhood hunting. Lagos overlooking the marina, and looking up to the castle at Silves.

Rooftops and apartment buildings on a sunny day with a deep blue marina in the distance.

A cobblestone square with small townhomes facing it. The trees are just beginning to leaf out. Above and behind them a reddish brown castle with crenelated battlements spreads across the hill.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

#caturday No, you are not allowed to go without me!

A gray tabby perches primly on the top of a beige suitcase, looking dejected.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

A critter I haven't seen in my back yard before. The closest match I can find for salamanders in this range is Ambystoma talpoideum, but I am skeptical of that identification. #herpetology

A shiny black salamander with large glossy eyes crawls toward the camera on a bed of moss.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Early spring and the boaters are ready at the marina. Ditto Landing, Huntsville, Alabama #photography

A marina showing rows of different kinds of boats, some under shelter and others not, all reflected in the calm water. In the background is a metal girder bridge.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

It was a lovely day to get some sanding in for the mini treehouse project. It should be nice enough tomorrow to finish smoothing out those joins. #miniatures #crafting

A carving of a tree trunk about 24" tall. The tree has a wide flate base and several partial branches.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

An old textile mill, repurposed as an art and entertainment center #photography

View down a long porch in an old industrial factor. The building has been repurposed and shows hanging lights and a cafe sign. At the far end is a large door labelled "Elevator."

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

📷🌱 Broomsedge - Andropogon glomeratus I think but could also be A. virginicus #naturephotograpy

A cone of dry stems facing upward. The stems are light orange at the bottom turning yellow at the ends. Among the cluster are the feathery white heads of seeds.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

I'm remixing a lovely piece I found on thingiverse. Opinions wanted: 1 story or two? #ttrpg #miniatures

A tall brown stylized tree truck with branches and a tree house. There is a small deck near the bottom with a staircase leading up to a two story house.

A tall brown stylized tree truck with branches and a tree house. There is a small deck near the bottom with a staircase leading up to a single story house with a short conical roof

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Alabama snowstorm! Someone got a head start yesterday, slid down a steep hill and into my woods yesterday. Their car didn't look too banged up so I guess they were okay. We're cold but the sun is out and ice will probably be melted by the afternoon. But tonight will be the coldest.

View of a yard with trees in the background from a back door. It is overlooking a deck with a dusting of snow.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

Another #caturday with the cat that would only let me touch her with the tip of one finger two years ago. Things have changed.

A gray tabby with a white chest lays on her back begging for belly rubs.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

I don't get presents very often. Pretty much at all. But my sister in law knocked it out of the park with this one. #dnd #ttrpg

The front cover of the book: The Game Master's Book of Traps, Puzzles and Dungeons.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

Catkins of a hazelnut shrub, Corylus sp., probably Corylus americana. My 4 little plants have grown into a formidable but unfortunately I've never had a single nut. #pentax K3-III D-FA 100mm macro #gardening #shrubs #naturephotography

Three pale green catkins that are about 2 inches long hang down from a thin brown stem. To the left is an old and damaged leaf.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

🌱📷 Hoary Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum incanum) plus photo bomber. I transplanted to my garden from a small division in the wild. It grow about 1 meter tall, lingers until the first hard freeze, and like most mints requires ruthless destruction to keep in check. #gardening #wildlfowers

Two unopened flower buds with tight, dense florets. Leaves off to each side are green with a dusting of white farina. A small grasshopper isn't quite in focus on one of the leaves.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

📷 Hopefully the toe will heal soon and I can get back out taking photos. In the meantime I've been scrolling through last year's. Sweetgum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) branches. #naturephotography #trees

Trunk of a small sapling. The skin is green, while the branch is covered with sheets of tan projections spiraling around the trunk.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

A local farms getting in those last peppers before winter. #gardening #harvest

Two buckets of green bell peppers in front of a muddy tractor wheel.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 02/11/2025

📷 Black and white #photography #pentax #monochrome is not something I do often, but it's humbling to be reminded the process is about light, not color.

A fence curves away along a sidewalk. It has metal posts with more than a dozen thin wires running between metal posts. The fence leads to a metal bridge that arches away in the opposite direction.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

A shy little waterlily bud. #Pentax K3-iii with D FA macro 100mm #naturephotography #photography

Dark water covered with reddish purple lily pad leaves. Among them, a single yellow bud with magenta edge peeks out of the water.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

I couldn't resist this perfect bloom. We're expecting frost next week, so we may be saying good-bye to fall flowers soon. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) #Pentax K3-iii and D FA 100mm macro #naturephotography #macromonday #bloomscrolling

A round bloom with perfect yellow petals and a textured dark brown heart. The heart has a tiny stamens covered with yellow pollen.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 19/10/2025

📷 Small's Goldenrod (Solidago pinetorum). Probably. Pentax K3-iii Pentax D FA 100mm macro #bloomscrolling #naturephotography #flowers

Macro photo of a spray of tiny yellow blooms, hanging downward.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 18/10/2025

PSA: If you have a mechanical keyboard, you should pull all the keycaps and pull off the cat hair wrapped around your switches. Sincerely, someone who just spent an hour to return to a lovely responsive keyboard. The not-guilty party for #caturday

A tabby cat lounges on a bed of packing paper surrounded by toys. She looks innocently up at the camera, green eyes shining.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 18/10/2025

📷 Huntsville Botanical Garden, Huntsville, Alabama. #pentax K3-iii #photography

A serene man-made pond, showing the reflections of a heron statue and a patch of white water lilies in bloom.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

The streams are running low since it has been a really dry summer, but there is still enough for the wildlife. #naturephotography #fall

A small stream moving through boulders with trees just turning into fall colors in the background. You can see that the stream usually has a lot more water in it.

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Nicole Brookus @nbrookus.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

📷 The feed corn harvested for fall. Next year this field will be cotton. #photography #fall

A golden field with straight rows of the dried stumps of corn stalks. In the distance is a green bad showing wooded forest.

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