Episode Summary:
• Raccoon Fight Club™ & Nature Walk — From backyard raccoon brawls set to Mortal Kombat music to surprise otter sightings and misunderstood possums, wildlife is just out here living its best (and occasionally feral) life.
• Casie vs. Poison Ivy — A full‑blown dermatological nightmare that has resulted in steroids, oatmeal baths, calamine lotion, aaaand a crash course in plant identification.
• Hydroponic Hope & Gardening Chaos — Tomatoes thriving, cucumbers refusing to cooperate, pothos taking over the kitchen like a slow‑moving jungle, and a corn plant with dramatic tendencies. Gardening remains a character‑building exercise for us.
This week’s episode is a love letter to the chaos of living with animals, the hazards of gardening, and the unexpected rise of Plant Queen Amber and Farmer Casie.
If you’ve ever looked at your dog and thought, “You are a toddler in a fur suit,” or stared at a plant wondering if it’s friend or foe, this one’s for you.
Kenobi the Butthead
We open strong with Kenobi being reminded (as if she needs one of these) that she’s a butthead, while Amber confirms that JoJo can sometimes be “worse than my two actual human children.” Y’all. We are having ONE OF THOSE WEEKS over here.
Further proof that no matter if you’re a human mom, dog mom, or both — we’re all just trying to survive the day and get those kids safely into bed. 😂
Dogs, as we know, are emotionally complex, deeply domesticated, and absolutely useless in the wild. Well, at least if you’re Jojo. “If she escaped, she’d just die,” is a direct quote and also… relatable. Because…wouldn’t we all? A running theme of this episode if ever we heard one! 🤣
There’s also a detour into new research showing dogs are evolving alongside us, mimicking emotions and behaviors in ways that make “just a dog” go way beyond fighting words.
Seriously. Don’t say those words around here. We WILL fight you.
Raccoons, Otters, Possums… Oh My
Why do white women want to cuddle dangerous creatures? As two white women, we honestly have no idea. While we’re NOT raccoon experts, we do have the affinity for this (and other) creatures — a dangerous combination.
• A raccoon family that treats Casie’s driveway like a WWE ring:
• Otters who are adorable but apparently feral little nightmares.
• Possums who get a bad rap but are basically misunderstood shark‑toothed babies.
• A PSA that raccoons can and will drown things, which is…great.
At least we are smart enough to realize you shouldn’t just run outside and make friends with the local wildlife.
Poison Ivy: 1, Casie: 0
The episode’s plot twist: Casie’s arms look like she lost a fight with a botanical demon. Because…she did.
After gardening a couple weeks ago, she assumed she’d been bitten by no‑see‑ums (a horrible Floridian creature you can’t see or feel bite you). Days later, her doctor took one look and said, “That’s not a bug bite.”
So, it seems she’s met Posion Ivy. Can she identify it any better than 2 weeks ago? Not really. But at least now she’s skilled in how to treat this terrible rash with her new BFFs: steroids, calamine, and oatmeal baths.
(Can’t wait to hear about the podcast they’ll probably start soon. 🤣)
While identifying all six of Florida’s venomous snakes with confidence — and even some of their non-venomous friends — is a badge of honor. Poison Ivy’s little “Leaves of three let it be” has her spiraling because EVERYTHING suddenly has three leaves. She’s since joined plant ID groups and begged strangers on the internet to tell her “which one was the mean one.”
It’s this one, in case you too are wondering:
The Rise of Ol’ Green Thumbs
We end with a wholesome pivot into gardening triumphs and tragedies. As two women who couldn’t keep succulents alive a few years ago — we are thriving now! Or, are at least closer to thriving than we’ve ever been.
• Casie’s Hydroponics experiments and tomatoes that had an amazing season last year
• Amber’s corn plant that nearly died of spite when moved to the kitchen
• Amber’s pothos that’s so long it’s becoming kitchen décor:
There’s also a cliffhanger:
Will the hydroponic babies survive long enough to be planted outside? Stay tuned! Although…spoiler alert, Casie says you probably WON’T find her at a Farmer’s Market any time soon.
This Week’s Point? You Can Never Be Too Safe!
• Wear hazmat suits when gardening (okay, fine. Gloves, sleeves, and sunscreen will do just fine)
• Don’t trust plants or assume a bug bite is a bug bite. Better yet, learn how to identify dangerous creatures & plants where you live and identify places to go to help you get credible information!
➡️ Here’s a few online resources: National Snakebite Support | Pet Vet Corner | Poisons Help; Emergency ID - Mushrooms & Plants | Plant ID Group | Gardening in the Heat | Free Snake Relocation (Florida) | Frogs and Toads (Florida) | Hiking & Backpacking First Aid Kit (Washington) | Poisonous Plants (Washington) | Edible Herbs & Wildflowers (Washington)
💡 Searching for your local area on Facebook should pop up groups that can help you to ID specific creatures, plants, mushrooms, etc.
• And for the love of Martha Stewart (who, fun fact, is from Casie’s NJ hometown), respect your local ecosystems. Probably also safe to advise not to hug any raccoons.
Until next week, friends! 🦝
🌲 Connect with Amber on Threads, Substack, or LinkedIn — you can also check out her pup @JoJotheKeeshond and Scream Club™.
🌴 Catch Casie on Threads, Substack, or LinkedIn — you can also check out her pups @PawsitivePointers.
