Virtual Brush Box

Awareness of the outside world. WWLTV: ‘A big personality for a miniature horse’: The Kentucky Derby Museum’s undersized employee with a big job. Jim Stratman (WHAS) April 30, 2026. Hat tip to M.

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I do not use AI in the production of this blog, or in any of my writing.

Ditto images. Neither graphic design, nor photos, nor videos.

I apply the definition posted by NASA, “Artificial intelligence refers to computer systems that can perform complex tasks normally done by human-reasoning, decision making, creating, etc.” NASA: What is Artificial Intelligence?

If there is any cognition around here, I am doing it.

I don’t even use simple programs such as grammar check or autocomplete. They annoy me. I know what I want to say. I will click spellcheck rather than retyping a word that my fingers have fumbled. I will use autocomplete on my phone for texting. A few letters, press a button, move on. That’s it.

Back in 2021, I wrote a fiction piece about a post being written by AI. [State Of The Blog, I Didn’t Write This Post, Fiction]

It has not aged well. Back then, AI was not so much in the mainstream, or not in my mainstream. The premise for that post was less tech bro AI and more the AI from Cat Pictures Please or possibly “… a person on the other end compiling my back posts and predicting what I will say.” [I Didn’t Write]

Despite the cutesy title, I wrote every word of that post.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. FStoppers: The Real Reason Photographers Are Quitting Instagram, Cooke, 27 April 2026. Hat tip to G.

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Family photo shoot, December 2025. [Hay, It’s a Christmas Tree!]

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Law Dork: SCOTUS guts what remained of the Voting Rights Act before taking on TPS termination case, Geidner, Apr 29, 2026.

Pause to shift gears.

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A pondering post.

Every horse & rider combination has their own reasons for going to any particular horse show. That said, I see motivation falling into three broad categories.

Experience

Experience for the horse. Experience for the rider. The show is NBD for one or the other.

For me, I could see being the adult in the room in a cross-rails class with, to take a random example, an off-track Standardbred.

Program

Qualifying for another show. Points for a year-end award.

I’ve read rants decrying points-chasing as leading to overuse of horses. Could be. Mostly, what I’ve seen is standardization and stifling of creativity. If the show schedule is structured around year-end awards, then all the shows have the exact same classes, barn-to-barn, year-after-year. No one seems to have interesting one-off classes. Could be it’s not what their customers want.

For me, I have no moral high ground.

“But just this once. I can quit points-chasing any time I want.” [Georgia Fall Classic] 2015

“You know, if I do two of the three local, summer shows, I could probably climb onto the tag end of the year-end awards.” [“The Crux“] 2022

Enjoyment

This would be showing for the show itself. Anything from trying to win the Olympics to taking an old friend for a trot around the ring.

Enjoyment is not quite le mot juste. One would hope that folks enjoy every horse show on some level, otherwise why go through all the nonsense? But you know what I mean. Doing the show for it’s own sake.

For me. Yes, please.

What motivates you?

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. The 2nd Annual Global Blind Birder Bird-a-Thon, May 3-4, 2026. Slogan: Listening IS birding.

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No lessons – and by extension no riding – in the last two weeks. I was busy. Then Couch Courtney was at WEC in Florida and Coach Deana was at IEA Nationals in St. Louis. Go teams!

This was a known schedule phenomenon. That was part of the reason for the wodge of lessons earlier in the month. I knew this blank space in the calendar was coming up. [A Goldy Opportunity, Lessons]

I hope to have good things to report to you anon. This is not clever foreshadowing. Nothing in the works. Simply expressing the hope that joyous and wondrous things are coming over the horizon. For all of us.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Continue to chug away at the Johns Hopkins COVID Long Study. Survey felt shorter. They may have made it easier to say “I’m good” as a general answer. [Archives]

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Milton and other barn minion have been going out for rides several times a week. They walk back and forth along the morning walk path and then spend time in the ring. It’s all at a walk for about half an hour. They are doing exceedingly well.

They have developed a lovely, long rein contact wherein the rider has a soft hold that the horse moves into quietly and confidently. All that driving has given other barn minion excellent hands.

It was fascinating to watch them work on turn on the forehand, a move that Milton knows how to do from the ground.

Rider: Move your butt sideways.
Horse: Walk forward?
Rider: No. Try again. Move your butt sideways.
Horse: Backward?
Rider: No. Try again. Move your butt sideways.
Horse: I can’t figure this out! I don’t get it!
Rider: That’s okay. We’ll try again next time.

Milton was distraught about not being able to understand. He wants to do well and feels he must ace every test. What an exhausting way to live. I can’t imagine. [searches for sarcasm font]

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. AP: Photos show Obama and Mamdani reading to preschoolers in the Bronx, APRIL 19, 2026. The level of charisma in that room must have been off the charts. Regardless of your politics, I think you would admit that both men have presence?

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Milton models the latest in seasonal wear. [Bug Season Has Begun, Horsekeeping]

They seem to like their fly masks. They happily poke their snoot into the tube and are tolerant of having their ears levering into position.

We get to use fly masks for a short while each year until it gets too hot.

Onwards!
Katherine

Birds of the outside world. BirdNote’s 2026 Photo Contest Winners.

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Belated participation in Draw A Bird Day, 8 April.

The mandate was a bird drawing. They did not specify a good drawing. Snark aside, it was fun. 10/10, would recommend giving it a try.

From the presentation “Comics and Conservation” by Rosemary Mosco for BirdNote. Mosco is the author of Bird and Moon comics. Recording, BirdNote: Watch Now: Comics and Conservation.

Content warning. The origin story on Draw A Bird Day webpage is jarring.

Update. Photo of pen drawing. I did a page of birds and picked one.

Onwards!
Katherine