iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Val in Real Life @valinreallife.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Happy Saturday, #BlueskyArtShow! This week I'd like to advocate for curiosity of #Minimal environments. There's a lot more going on in #desert landscapes than they get credit for. The rest of the story👇 valinreallife.com/postcards-fr... 📸The Racetrack, Death Valley National Park (2013)

Seven rocks spread out into the distance on Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park with a mountain face in the background.

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Val in Real Life @valinreallife.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Happy Saturday, #BlueskyArtShow! Undulating/rocking is a great way to soothe our nervous systems, physically. But can images of #undulating landscapes soothe the emotional beast? I think so 👍 🔗 valinreallife.com/postcards-fr... 📸 Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, #DeathValley National Park (2013)

A vast, undulating sand dune field with a pink glow from the sunrise spreads out before jagged mountains in the background.

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Val Weston NM @valwestonnm.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

My Abandoned Homestead received an honorable mention in the 46th Annual Tombstone Art Show. And two of my three prints in the show have already sold. I'd call that a successful show. 🤩 Be sure to check out all the great work in the show before it closes on Sep 27th! #VisitTombstone #TombstoneAZ

Close up of a vintage truck with cabins in the distance in color and the moody sky and landscape in black and white.

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Wilderness Watch @wildernesswatch.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Help end livestock damage to Wilderness! Urge your Rep to co-sponsor and pass the Voluntary Grazing Permit Retirement Act (H.R. 5785). wildernesswatch.salsalabs.org/vgpra-hr5785...

wildernesswatch.salsalabs.org

Urge Congress to pass the Voluntary Grazing Permit Retirement Act

Raise your voice to protect Wilderness, watersheds, and native wildlife.

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Propane and Bourbon @propaneandbourbon.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Go have some Wild West fun in #TombstoneAZ. And while you're there, check out Val's artwork under the Tombstone Art Gallery show. Until Sep. 27th anyway. #VisitTombstone

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Propane and Bourbon @propaneandbourbon.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

We were gettin' all artsy the last couple of days on our trip to Tombstone.

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Propane and Bourbon @propaneandbourbon.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

"The Shoshone National Forest Supervisor and project lead should hear from you. Though they have not sought public involvement, the public should involve itself."

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Propane and Bourbon @propaneandbourbon.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

It's a good thing we like to travel slowly. Otherwise Val wouldn't have time to get her #paredoilia shots. 😅

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Sierra Mountain Passes @sierrapasses.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Sonora Pass lies at 9,624 feet on CA 108 which stretches between between Sonora, CA and US 395 north of Bridgeport. 🧵👇 sierramountainpasses.com/listings/son... #SierraPasses #SierraMountainPasses #SonoraPass #CA108

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Southwest Art Towns @southwestarttowns.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Are you Southwest Art Towns curious? Mark your calendars to join us for this combo meetup/workshop on Sept. 10th from 5–7 pm in Silver City. Space is limited so register today! southwestarttowns.com/meetup #SouthwestArtTowns #Meetup

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Val Weston NM @valwestonnm.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

On behalf of the 6K+ species of lizards, my little lizard friend and I want to wish everyone a very happy #WorldLizardDay! Gila Lagarto here is from last year's Creatures of the Gila show that the Grant County Art Guild puts on every year. art.valinreallife.com/gila-lagarto/

Photographic art of a new mexico crevice spiny lizard, Sceloporus poinsettii poinsettii, on a rock.

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Val Weston NM @valwestonnm.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

We should have a 🤬 choice. This is theft. Biggest heist in history.

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Val in Real Life @valinreallife.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Happy Saturday, #BlueskyArtShow! This week's #Earth theme reminded me of my favorite scale solar system. 📸 Baker, #Nevada (2015) The rest of the story 👇 valinreallife.com/postcards-fr... #ValinRealLife #ThisWasNotInTheBrochure #DontFenceMeIn

A small hand-painted sign that reads "earth" with a small globe dangling from it hangs on a barbed wire fence in a vast valley of sagebrush.

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Val in Real Life @valinreallife.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

True dat.

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Sierra Mountain Passes @sierrapasses.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

This Throwback Thursday brought to you by cruising Yuba Pass with style. #SierraPasses #SierraMountainPasses #YubaPass #TBT

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Val in Real Life @valinreallife.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Happy Saturday, #BlueskyArtShow! Some places that have #Big features also hold big places in our hearts. This place is very, very big for me. 📸 Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, CO (2014) The rest of the story 👇 valinreallife.com/postcards-fr...

Large sand dunes stretch towards the sky dwarfing the landscape in the foreground.

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Val Weston NM @valwestonnm.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Now that I've left the Grant County Art Guild gallery, what's next? For the artist part of me, it's weird to not have a physical gallery to call home. But, alongside my partner-in-crime (J.), I'm repurposing my energy into my entrepreneurial efforts online across... art.valinreallife.com/newsletter/

Man and woman posing in front of a large, menacing dinosaur statue.

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Val in Real Life @valinreallife.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Happy Belated National Blogger Day! I'm a little late sharing to Bluesky. But it still seems like a good day to remind you I still think you should start your own personal blog, too... valinreallife.com/digital-sanc... #NationalBloggerDay #BloggerLife

Woman sitting on dune dune with hiking poles by her side and a snow-capped mountain in the background.

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Val in Real Life @valinreallife.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Happy Saturday, #BlueskyArtShow! Obviously #water is hella important in all kinds of ways. But its role in shaping our landscape gets my inner #geomorphology dork *very* excited. The rest of the story 👇 valinreallife.com/postcards-fr... 📸 Multnomah Falls, Columbia River Gorge, OR (2014)

A waterfall nourishes moss on a cliff face in the Columbia River Gorge.

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Val in Real Life @valinreallife.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

🫲 Happy National Lefthanders Day! 🤪 Shout out to all the natural lefties out there. I'm a righty learning to be more of a lefty out of necessity. The struggle is real. 🔗 valinreallife.com/learning-to-... #ValinRealLife #ThisWasNotInTheBrochure #NationalLefthandersDay

Woman in baseball cap holding up her left hand in a "thumbs up" position.

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Propane and Bourbon @propaneandbourbon.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

We're having a decent monsoon season finally this year. That means the fly invasion should be happening soon. We better dust off our fly swatting doubles game now though. Even though our house is small, it's still way bigger than the trailer. Time to train up! propaneandbourbon.com/gear/how-to-...

Woman in baseball cap and tank top holding an electric fly swatter in a tennis-player stance.

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Propane and Bourbon @propaneandbourbon.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

What places are big for you? For Val, Great Sand Dunes is very big.

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Southwest Art Towns @southwestarttowns.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

“People hate email marketing” is a common objection we hear. What people actually hate is *bad* email marketing. Spam, overly frequent messages, aggressive sales pitches. They don’t hate valuable, relevant messages from sources they chose to hear from. southwestarttowns.com/why-email-ma...

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Val in Real Life @valinreallife.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Happy Saturday, #BlueskyArtShow! Not only is #Glass a wonderful invention in general, how much you have in your house can impact your quality of life. The rest of the story 👇 valinreallife.com/postcards-fr... 📸 Elkmont, Great Smoky Mountains National Park (2018) #HomeRenovation

Abstract angle view of the windows of a sunroom in black and white.

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Val Weston NM @valwestonnm.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Given my feeling about my blog "niche", it won't surprise you that I have similar feelings about my photography "niche" as well. I don't want to be stuck doing one style, y'all. It's that simple. I go where the muse takes me.

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Val in Real Life @valinreallife.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Ah, Monitor Pass! What great ride! Side note: That #BikerWave image is one of my most stolen shots. 🤬 #CopyrightInfringement

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Propane and Bourbon @propaneandbourbon.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

🥳 Woot! It's National Hammock Day! 👍 Just thought you should know in case you love hammocks too. 💯 We're fans of hammock camping off the motos in particular. #IsItHappyHourYet #NationalHammockDay

Man standing in campsite by lake with hammocks in the foreground.

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Propane and Bourbon @propaneandbourbon.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

DYK our little digital publishing company started with Val's cussy blog?

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Val in Real Life @valinreallife.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Happy Saturday, #BlueskyArtShow! Today's note of encouragement is that #Growing isn't just for youngsters. We adults need to keep at it too. 💪 📸 Rancho Meling, Baja, Mexico (2017) The rest of the story 👇 valinreallife.com/postcards-fr...

Four puppies nursing with their tired-looking mother.

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Southwest Art Towns @southwestarttowns.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

We just got back from another blast to El Paso. And we *finally* got to stop into the Photographer's Collaborative gallery. We've been trying to make the timing work for ages... #SouthwestArtTowns #ConnectionCommunityCollaboration #PhotgraphersCollective

Four smiling people taking an usie with a photography gallery in the background.

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Val in Real Life @valinreallife.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Happy Saturday, #BlueskyArtShow! I had quite the trip down memory lane this week looking at shots from the #Quiet places I've been. Eventually I landed on sharing this image. 📸 Seven Devils, Idaho (2014) The rest of the story 👇 valinreallife.com/postcards-fr... #NoiseVacation

An alpine lake covered in lily pads surrounded by a wildfire meadow with conifers and rock outcrops in the background in the Seven Devils of Idaho, USA.

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Val Weston NM @valwestonnm.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

This is a good read about the Ai turmoil the past week with some broader insights.

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Val Weston NM @valwestonnm.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

It's #NationalBlueberryDay! Raise your hand if you love blueberries. I love them, too! But I think the blueberry-loving award goes to a little girl who dropped by my art booth one time who flipped over my Bowl of Blueberries piece... #ValWestonNM #DigitalPhotographicArt

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Propane and Bourbon @propaneandbourbon.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Also, J's Dogs Playing Poker shirt is always a big hit at these events. 😁 Look for it in the video.

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isonope.bsky.social @isonope.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

The forest disservice is now infiltrated with grifters and climate deniers, oil barons, mineral kingpins…

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Val in Real Life @valinreallife.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Happy Saturday, #BlueskyArtShow! Open #Wide! My gator statue friend here loves showing off his teeth. 📸 Plaza of the Alligators statue – San Jacinto Plaza – #ElPaso (2026) The rest of the story 👇 valinreallife.com/postcards-fr...

Close up of a portion of the Plaza of the Alligators statue in San Jacinto Plaza in El Paso showing an alligator with its mouth wide open.

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Propane and Bourbon @propaneandbourbon.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

🥳 We'd just celebrated our independence from COVID lockdown in 2020 and were headed towards Idaho. 🐴 We ended up at Wild Horse State Recreation Area in northern NV instead. 💯 And it was great. 😔 Until it wasn't. 🔗 propaneandbourbon.com/places/wonde... #RVlife #RVliving #NVStateParks

Setting suns sends rays of soft warm light over a meadow as it begins to set behind mountains in the distance.

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Organ Mountain News @organmountainnews.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

New Mexico’s attorney general is demanding federal records tied to DEA fentanyl operations from 2022 to 2025, after reports alleged agents allowed large shipments to move through the state instead of seizing the drugs.

organmountainnews.com

New Mexico DOJ demands federal records on DEA fentanyl operations

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez’s office is demanding federal records tied to DEA fentanyl investigations in New Mexico from 2022 to 2025.

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Historical Marker Ahead @historicalmarker.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

West Virginia, in 1863, became the only U.S. state to secede from another state. The Civil War wasn’t the chief complaint. It was not enough attention from the rest of the state. Confederates sat out the process as not legitimate. Then they took power back quickly, 5 years after the war ended.

First State Constitution historical marker in Wheeling, West Virginia. It reads:

From November 26, 1861, to February 18. 1862, and February 12-20, 1863, delegates met in Wheeling to draft West Virginia's first constitution. Members debated the state's name and boundaries, as well as whether slavery would remain. On March 26, 1863, voters ratified the document. This first constitution governed WV until ex-Confederates gained power in 1870 and replaced it in 1872.

Erected 2019 by West Virginia Archives & History.

Old Custom House historical marker in Wheeling, West Virginia. It reads:

Designed by federal architect Ammi B. Young for use as Custom House, Post Office and Federal Court. Constructed 1856-9 at cost of $96,918. Convention here in 1861 helped set stage for West Virginia Statehood. State’s first constitution approved here in 1862. Arthur Boreman, first Governor, and other officials, had offices here through 1863 when control returned to U.S. Government.

Erected 1981 by West Virginia Department of Culture and History.

Francis Pierpont statue in front of the Old Customs House in Wheeling, West Virginia, where the state seceded from Virginia. It reads:

Francis H. Pierpont
Governor of the restored government of Virginia
1861 - 1868
The father of West Virginia

"Lose not your sacred liberties, never abandon that flag, never yield the rights of free men."
F.H. Pierpont

Erected 2015 by Gareth Curtiss, Sculptor

Second Wheeling convention historic marker in Wheeling, West Virginia. The marker, including the copy for the 1st Wheeling convention on the other side, reads:

First Wheeling Convention. From May 13 to 15, 1861, delegates from 27 counties in northwestern VA met in Wheeling to determine how to respond to the VA Ordinance of Secession. Though predominately pro-Union, the members decided to postpone further actions regarding the restoration of a loyal state government and possible creation of a separate state until after the statewide secession referendum.

Second Wheeling Convention. From June 11 to 25 and August 6 to 21, 1861, delegates from more than 30 western VA counties met after the state seceded from the Union. Members declared the government in Richmond no longer legitimate and established a restored government based in Wheeling. They also moved to establish a new state, named Kanawha, which voters approved in an October 24, 1861, referendum.

Erected 2019 by West Virginia Archives & History.

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Sam Manicom @sammanicom.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

That was a really nice side track. Portugal is such a pretty place to ride. One day I hope we can get back again. Sadly, wild camping is a no-no at the moment. The fire risk thing! #motosky #motorcycles #portugal #advmotorcycle #offroad

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Val in Real Life @valinreallife.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Happy Saturday, #BlueskyArtShow! I *may* have squeezed a bit when I saw the theme for this week. I looooooooove me some #Macro. 😁 📸 Silva Creek Botanical Garden – Silver City, NM (2021) The rest of the story 👇 valinreallife.com/postcards-fr...

Close up of a Great Blanket Flower (Gaillardia aristata) with a petal aberration.

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Southwest Art Towns @southwestarttowns.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🤔What does email have to do with independence? 💯 We'll tell ya! 🔗 southwestarttowns.com/why-email-ma... #SouthwestArtTowns #EmailMarketing

Graphic reading “Why email marketing means independence” with vintage image of postage stamp showing the signing of the Declaration of Independence

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Val in Real Life @valinreallife.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

🛞 Today's amusement—I took my old girl to the local tire shop for the first time today for a routine balance and rotate. 🤨 Guy asks me if there are any issues with the car. I stared at him thinking he must be kidding me. He stares back. ⬇️ 🔗https://valinreallife.com/little-forester-that-could/

Val Weston standing beside her 2010 Subaru Forester with sand dunes and mountains in the background at Great Sand Dunes National Park.

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Val in Real Life @valinreallife.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

Happy Saturday, #BlueskyArtShow! I resisted the temptation to make the #Curve theme today all about motorcycling. Y'all know we love curves! Instead, I went for geometric psychology. 😂 📸 Cades Cove — Great Smoky Mountains Nat'l Park (2014) The rest of the story valinreallife.com/postcards-fr...

Close up of two fern fiddleheads unfurling

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New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) @newmexicodot.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

New Mexico State Police are reporting 0% visibility in areas on I-10 near Lordsburg and Deming. Luna and Hidalgo Counties under wind warnings. Check nmroad.com for updates

nmroad.com

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CAL FIRE @calfire.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

🎆 LEAVE IT TO THE PROS. In seconds, dry grass becomes a wildfire. In seconds, a firework becomes a life-altering injury. Every year, fireworks spark preventable fires and send thousands of people to the emergency room. Skip the risk. Attend a professional fireworks show.

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