Samantha Eff

These two are opposites in almost every way, but they just adore one another.

$360M federal fund loss is 'catastrophic' blow to Maryland education: State superintendent Maryland school leaders are facing what they are calling catastrophic cuts in federal funds.

If I stay employed, this is gonna be just awful.

It’s been such a joy to see my school community blossom with the extra funding we have received. We have increased in every measurable metric for student growth.

This will send us hurtling backwards.

🤬

Thank you ladies!

I have a love/hate relationship with my native soil.

The daffodils are just opening and today marks the official first day of porch beers with the pup season.
❤️🌞🍺

Took my Art in Nature club kids for a walk yesterday and found this little shrubby treasure planted in our odd alcove garden at school. I’m guessing it’s a Witch Hazel cultivar, but wow those little stamen (that’s right, right?) looked metallic and shimmery. Winter flowering plants are a delight.

I started this project last spring, and it’s a total coincidence that it’s finally paying off as we are in the middle of an egg shortage. Thanks to my little Black Copper Maran hen who’s been laying an egg a day. The others should follow soon.

Had a dear friend find a sweet deal on a bunch of microscopes and hooked me up with this nice little stereoscope. I can’t get my cellphone to play nicely with the eyepiece without a mount, but let me assure you this little scurfy Tubaria was wicked cool.

‘Tis the season. Upping my indoor seed starting game just to prove that I can see it through. I’m still team winter sowing.

Hell yeah! Thank you ladies!!

The joke is that this is the $1500 first egg, and that’s frighteningly close to the truth despite DIYing most everything I could.

Doggy daycare is fantastic for that, plus they come home exhausted and peaceful.

And a new sweater! Is he picking things up quickly?

Chicken run installed! I’ve been waiting for the ground to defrost enough to dig and today was the day. It was a hard no on trying to convince them to leave their cozy coop. 😂

Lenzites (Trametes?), Physcia, Trametes and Xylobolus. A portrait of every winter hike in the Eastern US this time of year. Felt super good to get out in the woods.

Tell me how you’re expanding your garden this year.

I need a wealthy patron stat.

Welcome to the sweater dog club!

‘Tis the season! I think I grew something like 68 different varieties last year, but this year we’re simplifying and going for poundage. Also gonna take a shot at growing all of my tomatoes from seed.

Lessons on cranking up the heat. Some good, some bad.

What we’re experiencing isn’t really that outside the norm for us and they’re native. I’m sure they’re fine either way. Here’s hoping for lots of little trees in the spring!

I came here for the mushroom community, but alas, it’s been too cold/snowy/gross outside to be in the woods. So instead, here are my fertilizer makers learning not to be so scared of me.

Try Aureoboletus betula. My Bolete ID isn’t great, but this one is super distinctive. Nice pic!

Tough bottom—fixed. Splitting score—fixed. Gummy-ness—fixed. Getting closer to a solidly good loaf of sourdough. Now to work on scoring differently to get a more reasonable ear.

I still haven’t done this yet…

Just figuring out how all of this works. Also figuring out chickens work. These ladies have been with me for a little more than 2 weeks.