Virtual Brush Box

Animals of the outside world. Reuters: New cat species identified in Bolivia, first in over a century, Serafinko, September 17/18, 2026.

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Between The Ears, cart version
Stepping Stone Farm
1 October 2026

Same horses as last time. Driver swap. [We Go For A Drive]

Lesson One, Greg & Boogie

Greg, aka husband, aka Other Barn Minion. My main takeaway was that we really need to find him a driving horse. He is such a good driver.

Lesson Two, Katherine & Rocky

Had some absolutely stellar moments. Unfortunately, they were when Coach James clapped or called from center ring. Otherwise, we plotzed around. My motivation requests went unheeded. I was being ignored. Rocky did not take me seriously.

I am familiar with this attitude. Sam used to try it out. I’d give him the side eye. We’d carry on. Not quite sure how to give the side eye from the cart. Will need to work on that. [The Good]

In Other News

Coach Courtney has also noticed that I am not showing although she has a barnful of academy horses. [Afterthoughts II]

Her suggestion was that I drive one of the horses as a way of easing into riding that horse. I realized that the two activities exist as separate categories in my head. Driving does not influence riding. Having driven Rocky many times, including a successful show, did not change how I felt when I went to ride him. [Rocky On!]

Onwards!
Katherine

Horses of the outside world. My First Nest Egg: The 20 Most Expensive Sports for Kids, Shoen, January 11, 2026. Riding and ice hockey are first & second. Okay, I can see that. I did not expect fencing to be third. Sidenote, using the site for their infographic, not endorsing the business one way or the other. It is getting harder and harder to find neutral, non-commercial sources.

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Goldy
Rosewood Stables
30 September 2026

Noting the Newsflash

WB jumps are not TB jumps. Majority of my jumps have been with Thoroughbreds. Warmbloods are power trucks. I’m used to speedy sportscars.

Coach Deana’s response? I’m overthinking it. Well, yes. It’s how I make sense of the world.

Steadying My Shoulders

Made a point of lifting my shoulders. I remembered that Goldy is picky about that. [Goldy Touch shoulders, Goldy Dust head]

Managed to do so at the trot, which went well. Not as stellar at the canter, particularly the transitions, which went poorly, which is unusual for me. [Winter Blues On Repeat, canter transitions]

During the canter transition, I probably looked down (head) & hunched (shoulder) both bad habits of mine, both unlikely to get Goldy to see things my way.

In front of one line, I deliberately rotated my shoulders up and back. Just a few inches, a few degrees. Zing!

Finishing with a Flourish

Last line of the lesson went really well. Pace, rhythm, flow, all those lovely things. Still small, but verticals instead of crossrails. I was 100% sitting there waiting for horse to do the work, but I was acting as worthy co-pilot. I think of it as sporty grandma mode.

Practicing the Partnership

My groom thinks I could be taking more of leadership role, while still respecting Goldy’s experience. Goldy would be happy not to have to do all the thinking. This would probably also apply to Rocky. [Rocky On!]

I’ll work on it.

Noting the Nerves

Adding an update from last week. I had a small flare of nerves while tacking up. Then I forgot about it. Probably because I hadn’t been on horse in a while. During my lesson, I claimed I hadn’t been on a horse in a month. In truth it was 18 days. It felt like a month. [A Heart of Goldy]

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Explainers. CIDRAP: Suspected plague incident leaves 1 dead, 200 under quarantine in Siberia, Soucheray, 5 Oct 2026. CNN: What is pneumonic plague and how dangerous is it? Christensen,  5 Oct 2026. I did not watch the video.

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{Backstory. Each morning, people & horses go on team walk: one-mile, unmounted, & off-lead. Route is back and forth five times along one side of the pasture.}

Rodney has selected a new, mysterious option on our walks.

He will walk to within 15 yards of the far-end turn-around spot and stop to graze. He’s close enough to see Milton getting the lap treat. I call him over but he just looks at me. Then they both turn around and head back to the other end. Rodney always collects his treat at that end.

If I am in the appropriate position in the parade, I can catch hold of his halter lead him to the corner without argument.

Other times, he walks right up.

On a recent walk, he stopped twice, was led twice, and finished on his own once.

Weird.

He’s not put off by Milton. He will wade right in when he decides to come up.

If you want to stop, then stop. Understandable. Why do 90% of the work and then stop?

Milton would never do this. Milton would never give up a chance at a cookie. Milton is what one calls food-motivated.

Onwards!
Katherine

Leg wraps of the outside world. Vet Med Illinois: Vet Tech Takes Bandages to Artistic Level

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Previous

When we started this idea of Rodney going barefoot, we had a plastic milk crate filled with horse hoof boots. Rodney has now busted all but one of the booties that fit him. One pair was reasonably new, but the majority of them date back to Mathilda, which means well over a decade. Guess it’s good we got any use out of them at all.

Purchased

One inexpensive pair that fell off immediately. Name withheld.

Homemade

Leather

Wrap

Tape

Voilà, custom shoes.

Padded. Fit well. Wore thorough at the toes.

Second iteration. Same as above, except Other Barn Minion cut the leather with flaps before and aft that wrapped up & around the toe and heel.

I tell you, he is such a useful dude.

Now, if only the custom shoes didn’t take 45 minutes & require an entire roll of vet wrap. (Best I can determine, veterinary (vet) wrap is the thing. Vetrap is the brand.)

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Respoke. Nothing I am likely to buy, but working the upcycle.

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An experiment in mixed media with …

… the output from this class … [Flowers]

… plus …

… the signature from this class … [Pears]

… plus …

… remaining paint from this series of classes … [Playing With Leftovers]

… plus …

… paper, glue, & ribbon.

Also duct tape on the back to connect the ribbon ends.

Onwards!
Katherine

Words of the outside world. Upworthy: A Boston newspaper editor made a dumb joke in 1839. It became the world’s most popular word. Albright-Hanna & Upworthy Staff, May 22, 2026.

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Do I do it for the blog?

5K

Walked a 5K last Tuesday.

Posted about it on Friday. [Footpaths]

Would I have done the walk without the blog? Yes. Probably. Maybe. Knowing I wanted to post about it didn’t hurt.

Also, the blog is a place to keep a list of where I have walked. I can never resist a list.

Moundville

Yesterday, I went to the Native American Festival at Moundville Archaeological Park. Moundville is a great place. The drive from my house is long and annoyingly awkward.

My blog schedule has hopeful plans for four upcoming posts about the festival: non-fiction, photo, fiction, and art.

Would I have gone to the Festival without the blog? Yes. Probably. Maybe. Knowing I wanted to post about it didn’t hurt.

Content Creation

Overall, the blog has two types of posts, I recount what has happened or I do something intentionally for a post. [Thinking About Posts]

These are between. Things I want to do. Things I probably would do. Knowing that they would be good content keeps me from talking myself out of them. Helps pry my carcass off the couch.

Do I do it for the blog? It’s complicated.

Archives [State of the Blog]

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Do you know that neither doctors nor drug companies are willing to work with the death penalty? Death Penalty Information Center: The Lancet Editorial: Physician Involvement in Executions Violates Medical Ethics, 2025. DPI: Statements from drug manufacturers and medical professionals. “DPI does not take a position on the death penalty itself but is critical of problems in its application.” About.

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Monthly 5K One

Indoor Track, Hoover YMCA
3 September 2026

Making up for missing August. Hot. Again. Brief cool(ish) and back to heat wave. [Counting With Clogs, Recap]

Another indoor. Different Y. Different things to look at. Slightly longer lap, which makes it slightly easier. Still a snooze.

Picked up speed to get done, then I remembered the distances are meaningless indoors. Walked for hour.

Monthly 5K Two

Sidewalk, Unnamed Corporate Park
29 September 2026

Repeat location. At least I could look at the water.

Spike on map is a drink break halfway thru. Walk was more of a struggle than usual. Or perhaps I remember them as being easier than they are.

Previous Posts of this Place

[LEJOG, 17 Dec 2020]

[Another Lakeside Stroll]

[Corporate Bronze]

[Cat Photos For Friday, Instagram Recap, geese]

Other Exercise

Daily Walks. 100%. 30 walks in 30 days.

Includes 5K days. Doesn’t feel remarkable. I’ve often said I could walk the NYC Marathon if they gave me enough time. Could I? Dunno. The point is that walking – strolling – comes easily to me. Everything else, not so much.

Swim. 75%, i.e. 3 times, 5 laps each.

On the plus side. Yay for getting to pool.

On the minus side. While I acknowledge that one has to start somewhere, I wish so little effort didn’t make me so tired. One time, I swam for 15 minutes instead of 10 minutes. Alas, it was the same distance. More time just meant I swam slower. Still just as tired after. Phooey.

Onwards!
Katherine