iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Cindy Crosby @phrelanzer.bsky.social · 7h

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! When this issue of Mother kicked off with a Mary Oliver quote I was hooked. Enjoy reading it while sipping a “dirty soda” (Limoncello LaCroix, cream, vanilla, cherry,& whipped cream) &have a great week! #mocktails #dirtysoda @motherearthnews.bsky.social #garden

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prairieguy2017.bsky.social @prairieguy2017.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Woke up. Can’t sleep. Might as well post your Wildflower Wednesday. The beauty of the bright green & the soft pastel blue of Smooth Blue Aster out on the Iowa prairie. www.prairiewanderlust.etsy.com #photography #nature #wildflowers #iowa #prairie

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Kay on the Prairie @kayontheprairie.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Painted Lady on Aster, looking very autumnal 🧡 #butterflies #nativeplants

A butterfly with orange, black and white markings and a fuzzy brown body perches on an aster plant with small white flowers

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JB | Native Plant Gardener (WI) @jbtheexplorer.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Got a little bit more of my lawn removed. Can't wait to finish this addition and then fill it with native plant seeds this winter! #nativeplants #garden #gardening #Wisconsin

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prairieguy2017.bsky.social @prairieguy2017.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Two’fer Tuesday! Two different Monarchs, on two different Cup Plant, in two different Tallgrass Prairies, in two different states. www.prairiewanderlust.etsy.com #photography #nature #butterflies #wildflowers #monarch #iowa #minnesota #pollinators #fall #prairie

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Cindy Crosby @phrelanzer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

So pretty!!!!!!🌸🌸🦋🦋

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Cindy Crosby @phrelanzer.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Flying over Chicago in the fog earlier this week. #fog #chicago #photography

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Cindy Crosby @phrelanzer.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! A fascinating read we can learn from today. Get vaccinated and treat yourself to a frothy cappuccino. Enjoy the week! #books #vaccination #history #coffee @penguinbooksusa.bsky.social

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Cindy Crosby @phrelanzer.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! We lost one of the greats—farmer, poet, philosopher, novelist—what a legacy. Read his poem”The Peace of Wild Things” with a “dirty soda” (mine is Dr. Pepper, whipped cream, coconut syrup, and lime.) Cheers! We will miss you, Wendell. #books #dirtysoda #nature #poetry

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Cindy Crosby @phrelanzer.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

She was an inspiration! Thank you for reposting. 📚

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Cindy Crosby @phrelanzer.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! Annie Dillard’s passing is a loss for all who love literature &the natural world. Her “Pilgrim”& “Writing Life” are inspirational. Re-read favorites while sipping a mug of hot java, topped with whipped cream & cinnamon. Thanks, Annie. You will be missed. #books #coffee

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Cindy Crosby @phrelanzer.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! A must-have guide for prairie lovers (this edition has almost twice as many pages as the 1st.) Top your coffee w/whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, & chocolate-covered espresso beans & go for a prairie hike this week. @oxfordunipress.bsky.social #hiking #prairie #nature

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Cindy Crosby @phrelanzer.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! Thoughtful ideas found here that make a difference. Pair your read with a cranberry mocktail (don’t forget the whipped cream and mint!) and stay cool this week. #mocktails #gardening #books #climatechange #sustainability #nature

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Cindy Crosby @phrelanzer.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Amazing find!! 🎉👏👏👏

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Kay on the Prairie @kayontheprairie.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Feeling so fortunate that I was able to see and capture this Striped Saddlebag dragonfly on Sunday. I was hesitant on the ID because it is extremely rare for NW Illinois (zero observations on Odonata Central or Inaturalist), but a few experts have confirmed! ☺️ #odonata #dragonfly #RedWed #illinois

A side view of a bright red dragonfly perched on a dried stem

A more frontal view of a bright red dragonfly perched on a dried stem

A frontal view of a bright red dragonfly perched on a dried stem.

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Cindy Crosby @phrelanzer.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday!! Sustainability, how-to gardening wisdom, and more. Just started this—-lots of interesting info here to think about. Pair it with a skim cappuccino (don’t forget the creamy stuff!) and have a great week. @timberpress.bsky.social #gardening #books #nature

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Cindy Crosby @phrelanzer.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! A quirky classic about hiking the length of the Grand Canyon below the rim. Pair it with a strawberry lemonade (don’t forget the whipped cream!) and enjoy the week. #hiking @randomhouse.bsky.social #grandcanyon #books #nature

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Kay on the Prairie @kayontheprairie.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

A few Monarchs seen crawling around the prairie garden this morning. Good luck little ones 💚 🐛 #nativeplants #monarch #gardening

Fourth instar (i believe) monarch larva on prairie milkweed

Second instar monarch larva on prairie milkweed

First instar monarch larva on prairie milkweed

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Cindy Crosby @phrelanzer.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Ours in the Chicago region really suffered from drought then too much rain at once! Those look amazing!

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Kay on the Prairie @kayontheprairie.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Goldenrod Soldier Beetle on Joe Pye Weed #nativeplants #gardening #insects

An orange goldenrod soldier beetle climbs across the fluffy pink blossoms of a Joe pye weed plant

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Kay on the Prairie @kayontheprairie.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Helen says today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #NoBranchWood any bird on wood, that is not a branch! 🪶 Eastern Meadowlark, with breakfast, on a fence post #birds #nature

An eastern meadowlark with brown and white wings and a bright yellow chest sits on a wooden fence post with a worm in its beak

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Cindy Crosby @phrelanzer.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! A beautiful memoir about paying attention to the life you find yourself living. Pair it with an iced coffee, topped with chocolate-covered espresso beans and plenty of the good stuff, and have a great week! @milkweededitions.bsky.social #naturebooks #books #coffee

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Kay on the Prairie @kayontheprairie.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

This Eastern Giant Swallowtail made my whole week 💚 #butterflies #nativeplants #nature

Side view of an eastern giant swallowtail nectaring on wild bergamot

A large black eastern giant swallowtail hangs on a flower.

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Cindy Crosby @phrelanzer.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

#20 in our “26 in 2026” hikes:Spring Grove Cemetery Nature Preserve in Warren County, IL. These last fragments of Illinois’ original landscape are so poignant. #prairie #nativeplants #prairies #restoration #midwest #nature #travel #illinois

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Cindy Crosby @phrelanzer.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! I am a longtime Mary Oliver devotee and Jeff gifted me with her latest for my birthday. It is wonderful, as expected. Enjoy it with a toasted coconut cream cold brew and have a great week! #maryoliver #poetry #prose #books @grandcentralpub.bsky.social #nature

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Cindy Crosby @phrelanzer.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

#19 in our “26 in 2026” hikes: Brownlee Cemetery Prairie (Alexis, IL, Mercer County). Beautiful remnant tallgrass; poignant to think our last vestiges of original prairie are in these out-of-the-way rural places. Thanks to everyone who cares for them!#nativeplants #prairie #conservation #nature

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Cindy Crosby @phrelanzer.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Correction: Third oldest! Greene Prairie is #2 in Madison WI.

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Breezie @breeze420.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

“Nature is not a backdrop to your life. It is the very stage, the script, and the breath behind your lines.” ― Lawrence Nault

Sunset at the river with grasses in the foreground, trees along it on the right and mountains in the background.

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Cindy Crosby @phrelanzer.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

#18 in our “26 in 2026” hikes: Shepard Prairie at Knox College’s Green Oaks Research area (Victoria, IL -Knox County). Second oldest institutionally planted prairie in the world (1950s). Beautiful! #prairie #hiking #nature #illinois #midwest

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