u/illegalsmile27

GOP Political Text Messages in Knox County

Head of the local GOP threatening sitting representatives to never support anyone but their party. Classic Party over all here.

Knox County Republican Party Chair Martin Daniel:

Good morning Republican Knox County Commissioners:First, thank you for serving our Knox County, Tennessee.  Recently, post-primary Election Day, it has come to my attention via hearsay and rumors that one or more of our Republican Commissioners may be considering advocating for the election of a Democrat county commission candidate. I hope those rumors are just that – rumors – and are not actual fact. Such an endorsement would be a mistake by the person giving it.  In any event, I remind you that I and the current Party Executive Committee were elected in part to ensure party unity. Towards that objective, per my duty as Chairman, I respectfully advise you that if any Republican Knox County Commissioner publicly endorses or otherwise publicly advocates for the election of a Democrat candidate for any Knox County elected office, I will personally move to publicly censure that Commissioner. Additionally, I am confident that said endorsing Commissioner's political life with the Knox Republican Party would be at an end, at least for the foreseeable future.  Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Also, got to love this quote by Andy Fox, who I believe is almost saying there are no room for moderates, and only hard right wingers are real republicans now?

Andy Fox: Advocating for the election of a Democrat is classic action by RINOs who think Republican support for Republican candidates only goes one way– when a "moderate " Republican wins and expects the conservative base to support the moderate. "Moderate" Republicans, if indeed they're actually Republicans and not Democrats using the party as ballot access because they couldn't be elected as Democrats, don't think they should support conservatives. Just look at my race where a so-called Republican, Victor Ashe, openly supported a radical leftist instead of me.

knoxnews.com
u/illegalsmile27 — 10 hours ago

Aggressive Little Browns

Always enjoy this creek. Nothing of much size, but the creek side sedges isn’t something I see that often and in this quantity.

u/illegalsmile27 — 5 days ago

(Update) 2+ Months Postburn of Old Pasture

I did a post a couple months back concerning a controlled burn I did to restore an old pasture. Folks asked for updates! He's what it looks like today.

The original post is here: https://www.reddit.com/r/NativePlantGardening/comments/1rnibkl/burned_and_seeded_4_acres_over_this_last_week/

This is year two of the process for this old field. It had been bush hogged on and off for a few years, and was horse pasture prior to that.

Last year we let it grow and did no mowing except on our walking path. This let everything get up high and create enough fuel to eventually burn. We then burned last couple days of February this winter.

I seeded with Roundstone's Quail Mix + some Big Bluestem. Unfortunately, this year is an especially dry spring (6+ inches down) so I'm not sure how my germination rate has gone. I've seen a few partridge peas here and there, but its near impossible to identify any of the grasses at this stage. Fingers still crossed!

So far it is a success. I can see how I'd like to improve the process on the next field, and there is plenty of invasives mixed in here. Honeysuckle Vine is all over, Japanese Stiltgrass will have to be sprayed, and plenty of the fescues remain. I've spot sprayed some Bradford Pear too.

I'm seeing more birds already! I believe I have two or three pairs of nesting indigo buntings, among others. I'm looking forward to seeing everything continue to change across the year!

u/illegalsmile27 — 7 days ago
▲ 13 r/Restoration_Ecology+1 crossposts

Not sure how nerdy folks want to get, but this is a fascinating presentation on a study on forest response to different management styles, including fire. It shows the results to overall forest structure over time. It is of SE mountain forests in North Carolina.

Enjoy!

u/illegalsmile27 — 21 days ago