Virtual Brush Box

Photos of the outside world. World Sports Photography Awards: 2026 Winners.

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Project explanation. [Fitness Photography]

Daily Walks

Fitness activity for January was walking. Mostly daily pasture walks, although weather has meant several missed morning walks. Walks elsewhere are sometimes first walks for the day, sometimes second walk if I am somewhere interesting.

Paradise Point Marina
Lay Lake
Coosa River

Hey, I’m rocking this walk. Almost halfway done. Wait. Halfway done in 9 minutes? Unlikely. Oh. It’s still on kilometers from the 5K last month. 1.70 km = 1.06 mile

The wiggles at the bottom right are me getting my last bits of mileage in by walking back and forth along the docks. It was odd enough that someone came out to check that I was okay. What I found odd was how much more uncertain I felt on the slightly narrower side docks.

Previously [Clouds]

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Bham AL USA

Picking up my number for the the Drum Run, below.

James Martin Wildlife Park
Gadsen AL USA

Westover Park

Strava did not save. A rectangle of four loops.

Previous post. Scroll down for Westover. [Picture This, Walk Photos] 2023

Apparently, fitness photos were not the brilliant new idea I thought they were. [Mixing Two Modes] 2025

Columbiana

Map image slightly modified to take out an internal banner. Also resized & bordered, as others.

Monthly 5K

MLK Day 5K Drum Run

Had trouble getting medal over hat. May have been more oxygen deprived than I realized. Husband did help. After he took the photo.

Last year, with links to previous years. [Sauntering on the Streets]

Other Activities – Dance

Took a trial Hip Hop class. Learned to do a down accent on a bounce, which was interesting. Learned that I would need to develop a groove, which is to laugh. At one point I was told to move my arms freely. Well, no. Waving my hands about has been discouraged. I remain hovering between too stiff for the dance floor and too much movement for the saddle.

“Bending the elbow is a much subtler way of signaling the horse than sticking ones hand out as if hailing a cab. Yes, I had a jump trainer accuse me of this.” [Dissecting My Position]

Despite that, I had to planned to sign up for the rest of the classes. Beats sitting on the couch. Registration – takes deep breath to stop rant – was snafued. I was tired to the point of cranky and not willing to stand around while they figured out how to take the money I was waving at them. I left. Which means it was probably the right idea not to sign up. If I was that done in, it was more than I needed to be doing at that point.

Lack of Media

No pasture media because that is when I plug in my phone to charge for the day. It’s the one time I’m not thinking, Hey, that’s a photo. I find I like it. So, no pasture walk photos.

No dance media because I’m being mean.

No photo from Columbiana because I was doing a lap around county government buildings, which meant walking past parking lots.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. I have none. As my wrist pulled into the final stretch of healing, I caught a cold. While it was cold. The brain fog is real.

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Previous updates have focused on the physical side of my wrist injury. When you have a lifting limit of a few pounds, the physical aspect tends to dominate your thinking. Gradually, I have noticed the effects on my mental processing. [Soft Progress]

As I said about an art project, “I had the time. I did not have the bandwidth.” [Quad Horse]

This has been true across the board.

Anything with a deadline, or a sense of deadline, I handled. Everything else sat and gathered dust. Much like me. Lots of staring into the middle distance.

Work

As I said in the recap for 2025, I got my work done. Productivity culture has been ground deep into my psyche. [A Quick Look Back]

Blog

I got the blog posts out. For whatever reason, my internal task monitor treats a post as a deadline.

Books

Since Coach Deana recommended the judging book, it kinda, sorta felt like an assignment. So I plowed on and finished it. For the second book, I am on page 18. [Homework]

Video

I had plans. So many plans.

I am a huge believer in learning by watching. I would subscribe to Richfield Video. I would immerse myself in Saddlebred show classes at all levels. I would be a Saddlebred savant by spring.

I watched one video.

Part of the problem was my online capacity, which I have elsewhere compared to that of a carrier pigeon. [Looking Online]

I can watch the livesteam of a show. I can listen to a lecture. I did not take into account the increased tech requirements of searching through the archives for a particular show & then searching through the show footage for a particular class.

Still, this was manageable. Being patient. Knowing that certain times of the day are better than others. All of this could have been handled if I’d only had a brain. Plus, it’s not clear how much I would have absorbed once I found classes to watch.

Okay, it’s very clear how much I would have absorbed. Very little.

This is nothing against RFV. I know people who love their archives. Which is one reason I subscribed. This is a me – and my tech – problem.

Better Living Through Chemistry

I have been on pain meds steadily since the middle of November, mostly over the counter, some prescription.

As a sidenote, apparently my drug load was not heavy. Nurses were surprised that I was getting by with what I was taking. They even called me “tough”. Seriously?

Still, it’s a lot of different things to put in one’s body. To keep my digestive system from rebelling at the intrusion, I have also been taking stomach soothers, mostly topical, i.e. antacids, some systemic. Systemic meds come with side effects.

It is possible that this chemical soup added to my mental fogginess.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. This cheered me up. Accuweather: The February shift that makes winter feel different, Lada, Jan 28/Feb 2, 2026. Scroll down for chart, Daylight Gained In February (Continental US).

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What do you do when the schoolmaster decides you are ready?

Background data #1. This was back before the cold descended.

Background data #2. The rolling h/j canter is different than the contained ASB canter. I am having to readjust. Currently more comfortable trotting jumps rather than cantering them.

Background data #3. Goldy is good at reading his rider.

Background data #4. Goldy is a retired big-time horse. He likes to jump and I’m told he has a jumper mode that switches on if you, say, throw in a tight jumper-style turn instead of a wide, sweeping hunter turn. The fact that he can be so patient with learners is not common and is amazing. But I digress.

There we were at the end of a short course. Crossrail, turn, crossrail, long turn to a 18″(?) vertical. Tiny in the grand scale of things, but an actual jump-sized obstacle.

We were trotting with energy. We were on a straight line to the jump. My position was balanced. My leg was on.

Goldy decided things were going well. He picked up a canter and jumped quietly and smoothly over the fence.

Picture me being carried along, emitting a series of squeaky expletives.

Onwards!
Katherine

Restrooms of the outside world. “The app that tells you the best time to run and pee during a movie without missing the best scenes.” RunPee. The person who told me about this swears by it.

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Nothing much to report from around here.

Because.

Nothing much as been happening around here.

Which is exactly what was requested last week.

“Hunker down, stay well, & get through this nonsense.” [Cat]

Good job guys.

Keep it up.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. LGM: The ILWU’s Continued Legacy of Justice and Solidarity, Loomis, January 27, 2026. If you dont want to read, at least click over & scroll down for the photo.

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The text message I sent before the cold.

Wishing warm vibes to all two-footed and four-footed. People in colder places may scoff but it’s all about what the bodies are used to and what the buildings are built for.

I stand by this. It’s all about what you are prepared for.

As an example, we have not had water to the barn for the last week. With two barn residents, it is easier to carry water from the house than to attach, unattach, and drain the hose each day. Obviously, with more horses or colder weather patterns, we would come up with a solution that worked at 25o. I’ve lived in plenty of places that did.

On the plus side, carrying means we can keep them well supplied with hot water.

Onwards!
Katherine

Note. You are not seeing double. I mistakenly scheduled this post for Friday. Taken down & rescheduled for Sunday, the proper place for art posts. [About, Blog Schedule]

As I was saying …

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Association of the outside world. “Not only of paper historians but also of keepers of archives and libraries, conservators, art historians, specialists in books, printing and technology, associations of the paper industry, the publishing trade etc., including handicraft and artistic activities in connection with paper.” International Association of Paper Historians: Home. I have been know to opine, There is an association for everything.

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Challenging self to get out & about.

The Craft Room is a second-hand craft supply store. They offer make & take project stations. When I was there, the choices were a notebook or a valentine’s card.

I made a notebook. To the surprise of absolutely no one.

It started with a stack of lovely, textured paper in various colors. I leaned into the theme and mixed them with papers of complimentary colors in various weights. The result is a harmonious hodgepodge of color, texture, and size. What will I do with it? I have no idea. But sure was fun playing with the paper.

Later thoughts. Maybe mixed media. I could see a collection of colorful objects and inks and ideas finding a home within the pages.

“Our concept starts with a secondhand arts and craft supply shop, combined with a maker space and a cozy cafe. We collect and redistribute unwanted creative materials with the goal of making art supplies more affordable, reducing waste, and boosting creativity in our community.” The Craft Room.

Onwards!
Katherine

You – the metaphorical you – posted online that if I am not loudly and performatively denouncing what is going on right! now!, then I agree with the bad guys and I am terrible and you will block me and you will cease to do business with me.

Okay, fine. You do you.

However.

You have no idea why I – the metaphorical I – am doing what I am doing. Or not doing.

Maybe I do agree with the other side.

Maybe I am strong social justice warrior who is finding a few minutes to unwind.

Maybe I am a craven coward hiding my head in the sand.

Maybe I bask in privilege and assume they will never come for me, regardless of that poem.

Maybe I have a job that prevents me from speaking publicly on any issue.

Maybe I am from a segment of society that does not see mistreatment by the US Government as a shocking new twist. Welcome to my world.

Maybe I can’t afford to.

Maybe I am lazy with a well-developed sense of self-justification.

Maybe I belong to a vulnerable demographic.

Maybe I am dealing with a disease that is taking all my extra registers right! now!

Maybe my brain is consumed by looking after a sick child, or sick parent, or sick spouse. Care-giving is hard.

Maybe I believe in big checks and private opinions.

Maybe I have a family member who has been taken and hearing you bleet about it reawakens my pain.

Maybe I have a family member who has been taken and hearing your support heartens me.

Maybe I don’t care.

Maybe I have been fighting the good fight for years and am having trouble coming off the ropes one more time.

Maybe I don’t believe in adding to the noise.

Maybe I live where speaking out puts me in danger.

Maybe I don’t exist for your satisfaction.

Maybe I did and you missed it.

Maybe I do and the algorithm isn’t showing those to you.

Maybe I have a separate political platform that you read avidly and quote from regularly.

Maybe I am shocked, and stunned, and struggling with what to say.

Maybe I am in the thick of it and just spent my day delivering groceries and protecting preschools.

Maybe I have reasons that are my own.

You have no idea.