Virtual Brush Box

Awareness of the outside world. BBC: Orbán era swept away by Péter Magyar’s Hungary election landslide, Kirby, 13 April 2026.

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Milton ridden for the third time last week [Back in the Saddle I]

This time, we went on the usual morning walk with both horses, except Milton was being ridden while Rodney walked in hand. Yes, in hand, as in attached to a leadrope. I did not want Rodney hippy-hopping off into the distance and giving Milton ideas. Mind you, there was a 90% chance that Milton would have stood there and watched. Still, if there was even a slim chance of meltdown, I didn’t want to take the risk.

So Rodney was led.

He was deeply offended.

“Rodney has now decided he does our morning pasture walks at liberty, thank you very much.” [Having Opinions]

Seriously, we spent most of the walk marveling at Rodney’s immense outrage.

Way to go, Dude. Milton goes for a group trail walk for the first time in ages and you make it all about you.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Laundry theory. Small load is shorter time, not smaller amount of water (as was my assumption). Furthermore, we should be using small loads/shorter times because fabrics have gotten easier to clean and detergents have gotten more effective. Will investigate. Has anyone heard similar?

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Warm weather is nice.

Open doors & windows are nice.

Beautiful blue skies are nice.

Bugs. Not so nice.

Bought the first fly spray of the year.

Found the first tick of the year.

It was a tiny one in Rodney’s forelock. I found it. Because of course I did.

Maybe a second one on Milton. Not a surprise. Milton is the tick magnet. He sticks his head more places in his quest for eats. He gets ticks in his ears and then gets extremely ticklish and won’t let us touch the ear or even get a close look. Not touchie? No look, you might touchie!

Moving deftly, other barn minion managed a squirt or so of fly spray in the offending ear. A few days later, we could go near the ear. Bug? No bug? The world may never know.

I’ve said much of this before. The entomological obsession with our horses is not new.

Previous Posts

[Magic Fingers] Finding ticks

[Minion! Minion! Attend Me!] Grooming

[Fly Spray For Ear Bugs, Horse Management Hack]

[Let The Barbering Begin] No touchie!

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. CCS: Vermont’s Sixth Cartoonist Laureate Appointed.

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Jobs I have held, as defined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: 2018 Standard Occupational Classification System.

17-0000 Architecture and Engineering Occupations
17-3031 Surveying and Mapping Technicians

23-0000 Legal Occupations
23-2011 Paralegals and Legal Assistants

25-0000 Educational Instruction and Library Occupations
25-3041 Tutors

27-0000 Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
27-3023 News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
27-3043 Writers and Authors
27-3041 Editors
27-4021 Photographers

35-0000 Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations
35-3031 Waiters and Waitresses
35-9011 Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
35-9099 Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other

39-0000 Personal Care and Service Occupations
39-2021 Animal Caretakers

41-0000 Sales and Related Occupations
41-2031 Retail Salespersons

51-0000 Production Occupations
51-6042 Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders

Premise

I love graphic novels. Unfortunately, it is an admiration that is not returned. This project is to see what I can do for a graphic memoir without being able to draw.

Process Notes

Doesn’t stand alone. Need to add the what, when, & where of specific jobs. Would work as chapter opener.

Previous Posts

[I-Wish-I-Could-Draw Graphic Memoir, School Segment]

[I-Wish-I-Could-Draw Graphic Memoir, People & Pets Segment]

Onwards!
Katherine

Blogs of the outside world. A Collection of Madcap Escapades. The monthly recap posts end with a variety of interesting & amusing memes.

~~~

The fiction I had planned for this post was even less story than usual. As I typed, I realized it was just a series of rants masquerading as dialogue. They weren’t even my rants. They were imaginary rants from a character who was an expert hiker, drawn from stray thoughts that wandered through my mind during last month’s walk. [Scenic Hiking]

I had no idea if the rants were even true. Seriously, what do I know about hiking?

Instead, a thought from this week.

You know you’re old when.

A family member was expressing dislike about my over-consumption of soda. I argued that it is pretty much my only bad eating habit. They said, essentially, You do you. It’s gotten you this far.

True.

But.

I have said this about OTHER people. This was the first time it has been aimed at me.

You know you’re old when.

Onwards!
Katherine

Photography of the outside world. Photo Workout: Artemis II First Moon Photos: Every Camera Aboard and the Stunning Images Coming Back, De Rosi. NASA: Artemis II Multimedia.

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Screenshot.

Live image of the Earth last Tuesday. From my phone. My phone!

In Other News

“Shot” also = “show” when I type. Sigh. [Sustaining The Shoeing Record, scroll to end]

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. NASA: Artemis II: What’s on the Menu?

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ASHAA 2025 year-end awards
Reserve Academy Driving
Reserve Academy Showmanship Adult WTC
Champion Academy Equitation Adult WTC
High Point Academy Adult

The Awards

Academy Driving – reserve ribbon
Academy Showmanship Adult WTC – reserve ribbon
Academy Equitation Adult WTC – ribbon & fuzzy blanket with association monogram
High Point Academy Adult – trophy

The Calculation

Another adult rider and I swapped reserve and champion in the two riding divisions. Which means our scores must have been close. Which means winning the Eq Championship may have come down to winning the second class on the second day at Chattanooga. Which means I owe huge hat tip to Coach James for giving me just the right speech to send me back into the ring ready to rock. [Trip to Tennessee, Riding Day Two]

As for the High Point, I imagine that was due to the four driving classes at Chattanooga. Which hereby makes Chatt my favorite horse show.

The Barn
Stepping Stone Farm
High Point Academy Adult
High Point Academy Rider Juvenile
High Point Performance Rider Adult
High Point Performance Rider Juvenile
High Point Barn Performance

We won everything but High Point Barn for Academy. Go Team Us!

The banquet was late in the year due a weather delay back in January.

The Shows

[How To Spontaneously End Up At A Horse Show] Optimus

[Summer Showing, July 2025] Optimus & Bubba

[Notes from a Semi-Successful Saddle Seat Show, August 2025] Optimus

Skipped the last fun show. Ran out of enthusiasm. Then Chatt, “This one is new. Eight classes: four drive, four ride. Two of the driving are pattern classes. I couldn’t resist, especially when new faces showed up, all of whom can ride & drive.” [Watch This Space]

[Trip to Tennessee, Show Report, Southeast Academy Championship 2025] Rocky & Boogie

Update. Dunno why I decided to use the wrong name for the show. I did the same thing during the banquet. The show was in Cleveland TN, which is in the Chattanooga Metro area but a separate city. Not going to change the post, but will use correct designation going forward.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Coffee cup in space. RIT, Vignelli Center for Design Studies: NASA: Capillary Cup.

~~~

Back on a horse!

Goldy
Rosewood Stables
1 April 2026

Lesson with two littles. I got to be the demo rider. Easy peasy.

Coach Deana: Okay, now do a counter canter.
Me: What? On purpose?
Goldy: NBD

Went over the rose jump in the photo. Approximately the same height as at the show, back at the beginning of March. [The Ride, AHJA Kick Off Show 2026]

Would have liked to have ridden stronger at the jump. It was 50% riding, 50% telling myself to trust the horse. However. I did approach the jump at a canter, which is harder for me right now, and I was able to enthusiastically ride at a grid of poles and crossrails in order to make the distances. So, progress.

My illustrious groom reminded me that my previous jumping escapades might be touched with glitter in my memory. It’s possible.

Onwards!
Katherine