Crisis in the Feed Corner, The Equine Version of Tempest in a Teapot, Horsekeeping

Awareness of the outside world. In honor of Memorial Day, the uncle I never met, Pilot 2nd Lt. Thomas Tuttle Killed in Jet Airplane Crash (1958). My father says Tommy would have absolutely been in the astronaut corps had he lived.

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Milton is perturbed.

First, some background. The living area of the run-in shed/barn is open at the back, has the stall on the right, has the pass-thru portion in front and is fenced the rest of the way around. Milton eats in corner formed by the stall and the pass thru.

Photo of a gray horse wearing a purple flymask, horse's head is reaching over a wooden board, metal and wood barn roof in background

You can kinda get the idea from this photo. His eating area is to his left. Repost. [Bug Season II]

Also, Milton has a water bucket next to his hay bucket. He’s been doing this since he discover the idea during his vet stay. He loves it. He dunks with abandon.

He still makes a mess. Repost. [Photos from the Vet Clinic, Nothing Gory I Promise]

Therefore. we must occasionally move his buckets to a temporary spot so that the ground underneath can dry out.

This is what has caused Milton to be perturbed.

Not the food.

He found that immediately.

That is not the problem.

He is currently eating in the other corner of the run-in, surrounded by wall & fence. It cannot be reached from the pass-thru. One has to go in & around.

That is not the problem. Well, it’s a problem for the people because you have to go into the shark tank instead of staying outside and dumping hay and feed over the board.

Still not a problem for the horse.

The problem is that in this configuration it is logistically impossible to guard one’s feed bucket AND stand in front of the pass-thru demanding one’s dinner.

Onwards!
Katherine

Everlasting Ember, Horse Statue, Art

Cardboard art of the outside world. THE ARTS BOARD FOR CARDBOARD: conTemporary sculpture: James Grashow & My Modern Met: Gallery Walls Are Transformed Into Exquisitely Ornate Art Made of Cardboard, Sara Barnes, June 22, 2023.

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Photo of a horse statue made out of cardboard

“Everlasting Ember”
Alabama School of Fine Arts
Sculpting the Wild

Magic City Art Connection
Sloss Furnaces
April 24-26, 2026

Photo of close-up of horse statue made out of cardboard

“CHALLENGE. Utilize a primary recycled material (i.e., cardboard, cans, bottles, plastics, etc.) to construct the majority of a large-scale animal sculpture.” MCAC: Sculpting the Wild

ASFA: Visual Arts 9th-Graders Take First Place at MCAC, Ellis, Apr 30 2026

Onwards!
Katherine

Fiction Adventure

Fiction of the outside world. “As a science fiction writer I really fucking resent tech bros for ruining the phrase ‘artificial intelligence.’ 80 years of it being all about cool androids and interesting computers destroyed by five years of ‘Spicy autocorrect making everything shittier for money.’ NEVER FORGIVE.” Bluesky, @scalzi.com, 22 May 2026. Preach! “The premise for that post was less tech bro AI and more the AI from Cat Pictures Please.” [I Wrote This Post]

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Photo of an empty half-circular stage with microphone, speaker's stand, and plants. In the background, a screen with a slide that says Flash Fiction, Welcome to the show, Please silence your phone.

The writer’s group at a local library put on a flash fiction live reading. I read Why Cities Have Tall Buildings.

From my notes.

Nerves. Low bar. Friendly group. Slightly nervous, probably from knowing that the evening will be videoed and immortalized on YouTube. (Note, the event was filmed but I have not seen a link yet. Will post when it arrives.)

Nerve range. Slightly more than a 5K. Nowhere near a horse show or work.

Husband looked up outfit suggestions for being on video: plain, not white, long sleeves.

Cover message to organizer, “I can go first, if you have trouble finding volunteers. Not in a screaming hurry to do so, but have gotten used to it in other venues.” (The ‘other venues’ would be saddle seat shows. Since jumping, dressage, etc. are solo performances, I am more used to going into the ring alone than people who show in group classes. I line up to go in first. People are happy to let me. Except for Nationals, then it’s a shark tank with added chum. But I digress.)

I was second out of 11. Very glad to be over & done early.

They had a microphone, which I don’t think I’ve ever used before. I’m generally loud enough without. Particularly as I had been practicing projecting to the cheap seats.

Wore a mask while not reading. This was where I got sick for two weeks, although in a different room. The reading venue was not as packed in. [The Twiddling of the Thumbs]

Agita was from performing. I had confidence in what I had written.

Whew!

Practice helped. Practicing in front of a live audience (of one) also helped. Live audience suggested looking up, slowing down. I did these things. Tried to be slow in general, distinctly tapped the brakes midway through.

Chatting during intermission. I am definitely out of practice. Compliments.

Relief after was bigger than concern before.

Left once it was done. No further socializing. Bedtime.

Onwards!
Katherine

Field Moment, Recurring Guest Star Photography

Awareness of the outside world. CNN: Incredible images from the Sony World Photography Awards 2026 unveiled, Guy, Apr 16, 2026. WPO: Sony World Photography Awards 2026: Overall winners announced, Siemaszko-Chambers, 1 month ago. Hat tip to M.

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grass field in foreground, fence in middle ground, trees in background

Photo by Greg Walcott
Shelby County Alabama
July 2025

I’ve always liked the vibe in this photo. Not our field.

Onwards!
Katherine

Goldy Standard, H/J Lesson

Awareness of the outside world. Less ‘hill I will die on.’ More ‘garden I will tend to.’ Sentiment by @beaukorylak (Instagram) from repost by @thison0verhere, 18 May 2026 (Instagram).

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Between the ears photo from the back of a chestnut horse, with fences, pasture, and trees in background.

Goldy
Rosewood Stables
13 May 2026

Milestone, Advocated For Self

I can only jump small crossrails? [All That Glitters]

Very well, I will jump small crossrails. I specifically asked for fences that I could ride at 100%. I even requested my jump crew reduce a big crossrail to a small one.

I was able to trot and canter with certitude.

Milestone, Flying Change

On purpose. Because I asked.

In my past jumper life, I left such things up to Previous Horse. He had the balance for it. Wide turn? Rock on around. Tight turn? Thrown in change if you need it.

Goldy obliged, once he figured out what I was asking. I think that may have been the first time I did a flying change on request.

Onwards!
Katherine

Magic Fingers on a Morning Walk

Awareness of the outside world. Hidden Disabilities Sunflower.

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

Milton asked me to get ticks out of his mane. [Magic Fingers & Bug Season Has Begun]

At one of the turnarounds during the walk, Milton sidled up next to me. I gave him a scratch. He backed up until the base of his mane was lined up with my fingers. I scratched. There was a bump that could have been a bug or a bug bite. Also, the weird grottiness associated with ticks.

We looked closer.

Turns out there were two. A regular sized one and a small one, which is either a youngster or a different species. I don’t know. I remove ticks. I have no desire to study them.

I find it fascinating when they make their requests so clearly.

Onwards!
Katherine