Kate Garrett

🦇 November is here and for bats periods of torpor are lasting longer. Some begin hibernation, to save energy over the colder months, when insects are harder to find. They are using stored fat as fuel.

From today and through November, I'll be reading and responding to the spooky submissions sent to Mugwort for our special December issue, Spectral & Strange. 🖤

Submissions will open for 2026: Season 3 shortly!

Our Mugwort Magazine submissions inbox is OPEN until 31/10 for our special winter issue, Spectral & Strange, to be published in December.

Check out the guidelines: mugwortmag.wordpress.com/special-call...

...then send us your best eerie, weird, or unsettling fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and art!

Writers, artists: send me your winter chills!

That is to say, @mugwortmagazine.bsky.social is open for special issue submissions until 31/10. 🌿

Winter 2025: Spectral & Strange will be published in December. 🖤

Full guidelines are here: mugwortmag.wordpress.com/special-call...

Our last @mugwortmagazine.bsky.social issue of 2025 is out now - Season 2: Volume 3.

Maybe I'll see you in the submissions inbox when we open again on 1 November! Until then, happy reading.

Yesterday it was chilly and raining and my son said the weather was nice.

I said yes it is, makes you want to read and have ideas.

Autumn is officially 'read and have ideas' season.

('Spooky season' is 30 October to 31 January, and no one can change my mind. A radical, scandalous opinion.)

Screenshot from the Merlin app, showing calls from a European Robin and a Tawny Owl.

Just before dawn in September is the best. While reading next to the window, I get to hear these lads making their 'this is my bit of woods! go away!' sounds at the same time.

Poor owl. I always feel properly told off when tiny songbirds yell at me (especially robins, house sparrows & blackbirds).

Cannot wait to share this with you all 💙🗺️🐉

It is INCREDIBLE as a venue, such a beautiful atmosphere. When the concerts are on every year the town gets livelier in such lovely way. People are noticeably happier (for the most part - some naysayers, of course, but not many).

Painfully aware I haven't had any Birb Drama to tell Bluesky about for ages.

Wait: a couple of weeks ago the gulls were having issues with buzzards & cormorants, but I was busy & forgot to report back.

But gull drama is barely even drama. It's just gulls. They're at it right now. It's their thing.

A photo of two swans on a riverbank next to a pavement, with the River Exe and a couple of trees behind them.

A photo of Kate, a smiling person with black hair and tattooed arms, a patchwork skirt, black vest top, and black dr martens boots leaning against a white brick wall.

A picture of Kate sitting on the ground in the sunshine, taken at an upward angle, with blue sky and white clouds behind them, holding a paper festival cup full of non-alcoholic beer.

On Friday night, I saw Supergrass live at Ludlow Castle. 😍

On Saturday afternoon, inspired by the concert, I wrote a substack about memory, place(s), music, and embarking on a Fool's Journey.

You can read it at thefolklorefaery.substack.com 🖤

If you like your poetry a little weird, a little folk-lore based, or nature aware, you will like this magazine. `Thanks to @kategarrettwrites.bsky.social, I have a very mugwort poem in it!
mugwortmag.wordpress.com/2025/07/19/s...

New issue of @mugwortmagazine.bsky.social is out now! 🖤🌿

Hello writers! I originally hoped to respond to all subs by 1/7, but that's tomorrow & I'm still reading submissions.

We've received more for Season 2 than for Season 1 - a beautiful problem to have, but it means I underestimated how long it would take to respond.

I'll reply by this weekend! 💚

Poets 👀You’ve got until midnight to submit poems to @atriumpoetry.bsky.social

White text at the top says Mugwort Magazine. Bright yellow-green text in brushstrokes says Open for Submissions. White text at the bottom says Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, and Art. Send us your work by 15 June!

Mugwort Magazine is still open for submissions until the end of day (whatever your time zone) on Sunday, 15/6!

See mugwortmag.wordpress.com/submission-guidelines for full details & how to submit!

I'd especially love to see some images of wild flora & fauna for possible cover art. (NO AI please!)

Mugwort Magazine has just reopened for submissions. Please do send your 'writing from the edges' - I'll look forward to reading it!

Bluebell flowers on light green background on the top half of the image, a daisy on dark green background at the bottom. White text on light purple says 'By April's Blossom - 10 Days of Fact, Folklore, & Inspiration - 12-21 April 2025

While I have blossoms on my mind...

In just under 2 weeks, I'll be delivering this email course of daily creative prompts (12-21 April).

A bit of April flora, fauna, folklore, myth, & history to inspire your writing &/or art. Details in the link. 🌸

kategarrettwrites.bigcartel.com/product/by-a...

Pinkish white magnolia blossoms in the foreground, with branches of the same tree - plus more blossoms - and blue sky in the background.

Close up of a cluster of tiny blue forget-me-not flowers with yellow and white centres, on a background of green leaves and more flowers

Close up of fluffy white cherry blossoms with more blossom from the same tree in the background, with blue skies

Flowers, so many flowers. 😍

For those who prefer birds: I did meet a robin while taking these photos. He made it VERY CLEAR that I was to stay away from his property (an ornamental bush at the side of the castle), then hopped back into said property before I could take his photo.

Noted, sir. 🫡

No photos but Mr Mallard is on the roof again, & he has a companion. Congrats to the happy couple on their seasonal pairing. May they have several beautiful weeks together!

Also, the best bird thing in the mornings at the moment: the sound of Great spotted woodpeckers. 10/10 no notes. ❤️

Gently does it It takes time for the days to strengthen. We want the world to be golden and emerald when we open the door to a March morning – we want daffodils resting on clover, gilt eggs, the heat of day. But this light is lemon, the pale neutral of newborn swaddling blankets. This is still a chilly sun, but the breeze promises leaf buds and the answers to your prayers as a reward for your patience. There’s no need for a sacrifice – unless you want to give up everything that wastes your time, to make room for brighter beams when they at last shine across the path. Give thanks to the sun and the shadows while we are perfectly balanced, spinning in space. The story repeating here is undefined; the magic of renewal is one-size-fits-all. In Christ, they say, they are born again. But every spring we are all born again. Each rotation is a chance to greet the slow warming, ready to run – lips parted, a mouthful of song.

A spring prose poem of mine, 'Gently does it', posing with some scrappy primroses (they sprouted through cracks in the concrete in our garden) - a day late for the equinox, but on time for World Poetry Day. 🌿💛

A white cat with one brown ear seen from above, curled up on the lap of a person wearing light blue jeans, a turquoise graphic t-shirt that reads 'Livin Simply', and an orange and pink loose crochet cardigan, with a multicoloured crochet project resting on top of the cat.

Mimi-cat leapt onto my lap while I was taking a five minute crochet break - now I don't know when I'll be allowed up again.

It's a beautiful problem to have, honestly. 🩷💙🧡

Blurry zoomed in photo of a male mallard duck - brown and white body, orange legs and feet, emerald green head, yellow beak - on a brown rooftop with trees in the background.

Look, I haven't had any major bird drama to report since the cormorant & corvids business. However, it's now ducks-on-roofs season down here by the river. Spring has truly sprung.

Had coffee with a mallard this morning (even if he didn't know what was going on). I just love ducks-on-roofs season. 🦆

Honestly, you're right - this magpie doesn't even roost in that tree. That tree is all crows and jackdaws, I rarely see a magpie in it.

The local magpies lack negotiation skills, so I think they're either stirring the pot or taking on a fight that isn't theirs. Or a bit of both, somehow. 👀

Ahh I'm glad someone else gets invested in bird drama!

I tried to take pictures too, but my phone camera doesn't like distances.

(This blurry mess was the cormorant + a magpie - allll the neighbourhood corvids had beef with this guy today.)

Here is the conclusion to Cormorant v Corvids (for today, anyway):

When we got back from the school run, Cormorant was on a lower branch, replaced at the top by crows and jackdaws.

And ten minutes after that, he was gone.

Anyway, sorry*, I guess this is a birdwatching account now.

(*I'm not!)

No way, the cormorant is now surrounded by a dozen jackdaws.

They ack-acked & flapped their way over to the tree, and the cormorant is looking bemused but unbothered.

And I have to do the afternoon school run now. Tearing myself away from birb drama is so hard to do.

This morning, I got back from the school run & the crows over the river were agitated. Turned around to see what was up & there's a cormorant at the top of their tree.

This afternoon, the crows were cross again. I looked out the window & the cormorant is BACK, looking around like 'lol what'.

COVER REVEAL:”Tree Poets : Flames of Ice” Well, our second in the series of Tree Poets - anthologies with a good chunk of work from Three Poets, if you missed the news release - really has started well and will continue for a wee while yet. The second in the series has a stunner of a cover, which I am proud here to be revealing like a magician with an old tea towel over a load of gems on a tea tray.

COVER REVEAL:”Tree Poets : Flames of Ice”

Well, our second in the series of Tree Poets - anthologies with a good chunk of work from Three Poets, if you missed the news release - really has started well and will continue for a wee while yet. The second in the series has a stunner of a cover, which…