Virtual Brush Box

Animals of the outside world. The Conversation: Altruism in birds? Magpies have outwitted scientists by helping each other remove tracking devices, Potvin, 2022.

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Riding

Optimus
Stepping Stone Farm
6 May 2026

Optimus & Goldy. Do I wish that I was capable of riding horses other than the two kindest baby-sitters in the county? Yes. [All That Glitters]

Am I glad that I get to ride the two kindest baby-sitters in the county? Also yes.

Driving

Rocky
Stepping Stone Farm
8 May 2026

Rocky was feeling frisky while warming up with Coach James. I stood there telling myself that Rocky and I had driven four classes at Regionals and I got this. [Trip to Tennessee, Show Report, Southeast Academy Championship 2025]

Get in. Walk. Horse snorts a deep sigh and says ‘Grandma Mode activated.’ It was hysterical. I could not shift him. I was a little kid waving my heels at a school pony. Eventually, we trotted and got a bit of big trot. Right as I was planning to turn in for line up, Rocky announced, ‘This ride is over. You have run out of quarter.’

I love horses with attitude.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Putting your time & money where your mouth is. ” ‘From now on every 18 months, I will work with a female director.’ ” Deadline: Nicole Kidman Talks Working With 19 Female Directors Since 2017 Goal, Garner, February 20, 2025. Hat tip to Bluesky user who I cannot locate. Took screenshot as reminder. Searched on name to get link. Nada. Weird.

~~~

We have three horse photos on display in the hall that runs down the middle of our house.

Dottie
Repost [Show Photos: NACHS17]
Because Dottie [La Prima Rules]
Because Nationals [Show Report: NACHS 2017]
Because we both look sharp

Alvin
Repost [Pro-Am 2016 Show Photos by Shiflet]
Because, to this day, these are the drives by which I measure how I’m doing in a cart. [Show Report: Team Awesome, Pro-Am 2016]

Bliss
Repost [Catching Up from Last Year, Show Photos Indiana CDE 2017]
Because CDE
Because it’s us doing a thing together

Three photos.
Two mares. One gelding.
Two driving. One riding.
None of these horses are ours.

Why no home team? They did not show often. They did not show big.

I also have a photo of Sam in my office.
Repost [Show Photos]
Because Nationals [Show Report]
Because Sam. [Sam I Am] & [Horse of the Year Nomination]

Home Team Links

This post prompted me to wonder how many pro photos I had of the home team. More than I thought. Still nothing I want on the wall. Sorry, guys.

Milton

A previous post lists outings at Full Circle Horse Park, and indicates which had photos, [Found Fotos, Milton at Full Circle Horse Park]

More dressage, Falcon Hill Farm [Milton Is Chill, Show Photos, SJ Equestrian, March 2019]

Crossrails [Pix Are Always Amusing To Look Back On, Show Photos, Falcon Hill Farm, July 2019]

Rodney

Dressage [Worth 1000 Words, Show Photos, Dressage, Full Circle Horse Park, August 2019]

Photo class, dressage and crossrails
[Doctor Whooves Is Ready For His Close Up, FCHP Schooling Show, April 2021, Guest Photos]
[The Return of Doctor Whooves, FCHP Schooling Show, April 2021, Guest Photos II]
[Doctor Whooves and The Master, FCHP Schooling Show, April 2021, Guest Photos III]

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Nature: Are attention spans really shrinking? What the science says, Digital distractions are vying for people’s focus, but our underlying capacity to pay attention seems to be undiminished. Adam, 06 May 2026. You have to log in to finish, which I did not do, but a decent chunk of info is available before the break.

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{Backstory. Each morning, people & horses go on a unmounted team walk in the pasture.}

I declare liberty walk established.

Leadropes stay in barn.

Horses march back and forth.

Cookies are eaten.

We all get our steps in.

They continue to do so in the face of (mild) challenges, such as cool weather and spring grass.

It has become consistent in our morning routine.

On the other hand.

Intellectually, I believe the universe is a rational place. Yet, I post this with trepidation.

Wednesday 12 March 2025, Rodney lands on my foot. The day I posted, “Low drama.” Ha! [Psychological Placeholder]

[Foot 2025]

Let’s see if this brings on shenanigans.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Ode to Joy, singing of & thoughts on. Balloon Juice: Sunday Morning Open Thread, Laurie, May 10, 2026. Posts cited, Bluesky: Adam Schwartz May 9, 2026 & Bluesky: Malaclypse the Middle May 9 2026. History of, EU : European anthem

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Rodney has dapples.

Dapples are a sign of robust good health.

He is gradually putting on weight, which is the ideal way to do so.

He has a ridiculously shiny, glossy coat.

Pretty good for a geriatric pasture ornament.

Well.

Chronologically, he’s geriatric. Calendar reads 27 years.

Physically, he’s better than he was when he came here 16 years ago.

Mentally, he’s – um – youthful.

Milton is doing well, but grays don’t dapple out the same way.

Yes, that was Firefly reference.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Peace Alliance: History of Mother’s Day as a Day of Peace: Julia Ward Howe.

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Paper Folder

Process Notes

I re-used unexciting packing paper for this as it was the only paper I had that was long enough for the starting dimensions.

Links

A project of The Paper Year by Helen Hiebert. According to the directions, this project appears in Playing With Paper by Heibert, and was developed by Hedi Lyle. Gallery of Projects, HH: Paper Year Library. This folder is April 2026.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Pulitzer Prizes have been announced for 2026. Winners by year, Pulitzer: 2026 Pulitzer Prizes. Announcement video, Pulitzer: The 2026 Pulitzer Prize Announcement. List of categories, Pulitzer: Prize Winners by Category.

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🚪🖥️🚪

It wasn’t everyone’s idea of a vacation, but I had been waiting all year to be in this room. I was about to attend a board meeting of the Jasmine Institute, named for the woman who made quantum computing possible. The facility was straight-up old school. Nothing electronic from the outside world was allowed within the walls. Meetings were open to the public but had to be attended in person and notes taken with pen and paper. They knew more than anyone else how vulnerable digital could be. Tomorrow, I would turn around and drive eleven hours home. Worth it.

🚪🖥️🚪

Afterword

This month I will be sending submissions into the Micromemoir Marathon hosted by Five Minutes. The submission guidelines are a personal experience, 100 words, and a short period of time, i.e. five minutes. They consider blogs to be previous publication, so I will share the results once the winners are announced and I am cleared to do so.

In keeping with this project, today is a fictional experience, 100 words, and a short period of time, using Micromemoir Marathon #16, Unusual Vacations. The travel was inspired by own overnight train trip to see the Spanish Riding School. Worth it. [Pondering A Fork In The Road]

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Pulitzer Prizes have been announced for 2026. Pulitzer: Feature Photography & Pulitzer: Breaking News Photography. Please note, award-winning photos are seldom happy photos.

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Daily 1 Mile Walks

Airport floor.

Gates were ~half a mile apart. Left first gate. Walked through concourse and center shopping area. Walked past second gate to end of second concourse & back. Voilà, daily mile done.

A handful of other non-pasture walks. Took photos but letting the one speak for the all.

Pasture walks. Check. No media. [Fitness Photography]

Monthly 5K Walk

Leafy sidewalk.

April 5K walk. Mt Laurel. “Mt Laurel is a traditional community that is master planned in concert with nature.” About. So fancy it even has sidewalks, large stretches of which are not interrupted by driveways. Cars are sent behind the houses. Lovely place to walk, although it did occur to me that if I wasn’t white and harmless looking, I probably would have been visited by security. As with all of the civic spaces I visit, saw other folks enjoying it.

Onwards!
Katherine