Virtual Brush Box

Part I [Preliminary Material For A ‘Magic Is Among Us’ Plot]

Part II

So, magic is real. We all do it. We just call it luck, or a gift, or diligence.

As for my job? People suck.

Yes, yes. Good people exist. I know that, theoretically. It’s just that law enforcement tends to see people at their lowest point. Either perpetrators, or victims, or victims of a shitty situation that turned them into perpetrators.

It can mess with your head.

Okay, let me try again.

As for my job? People are people. Crime is crime. The intent is the same, only the methods change. Whether the illegal activity is magic or mundane, you ask the same question, Qui bono? Who benefits?

So far, so standard. Then, is the person using magic to achieve these nefarious ends? If they are, is it a conscious effort? You don’t need magic police in the first two instances. We only come in when criminals are knowingly grabbing hold of the levers of the universe and given them a tug.

It is said that crimes are committed for love or money. Well, 90% of magic crimes are committed for gain. Magic takes time and planning and steady application to task. Think bank robbery or art heist. Not compatible with spontaneous crimes of passion.

Magic is not fireballs and levitation and making things appear. That’s stage magic, and damn hard to do well. But I digress.

Magic is persuasion. Magic crime is the dice coming up sixes just a little too often. Magic crime is the guard being just that little bit inattentive on a particular night. Magic crime is the thumb on the scale of life.

What the difference between actually magic and people being persuasive dirtbags? It’s not always easy to tell.

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Awareness of the outside world. ASCE: Report Card for America’s Infrastructure & 2021 Report Card: Overview of Bridges.

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Walking Bridge
Cahaba River
Hoover AL, USA
September 2023

Technical Details

Bridge. f/16.0, 1/100 sec., 50.0 mm, ISO 400. Manual.

Railing. f/14.0, 1/100 sec., 18.0 mm, ISO 400. Manual.

River. f/11.0, 1/125 sec., 52.0 mm, ISO 400. Manual.

Post production. Resize, border, and watermark.

I managed to keep my bright red shirt out of the camera reflection but not the camera strap. I had the strap around my neck to keep the camera safe on the railing. A good meta picture is hard! [Creek]

Previous photography post [Hot Summer]

River posts [archives]

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Science Matters, Academy of Animal Behavior: Research Bites. Hat tip to Amy, Dog Consultant Extraordinaire

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A while back, I talked about the dogs using the area outside the front door as their al fresco potty. Outside is good. The smell, not so much. [Finding The Stinky Silver Lining in Dog Ownership]

As Amy said on the subject, ‘dilution is the solution’. We use it a lot. Water dish contents get emptied to roll down the ramp. Since Jasmine likes her water changed often, it adds up. We also dump the water from the dehumidifier. You can imagine how much water gets pulled out of the air in a southern summer. Ergo, much rinsing. [Finding, comment], [Water Management, Dog Version]

One of the other things we do is dump gravel on the most used area. What? Everyone doesn’t have a large pile of gravel sitting in their backyard?

But seriously folks, several years ago we got a truckload of gravel for some barn repairs. There were leftovers. Having gravel on hand has been so useful over the years that when this runs out, we’ll get more.

So I go get a bucket’s worth & dump it at the base of the ramp. Voilà, drainage.

The downside is that over time, the layers of gravel had built up into hump. That wasn’t so bad. The problem was that the nasally-offending liquid was running off the side of the hump to pool near the ramp, rather than running away down the hill.

Dig up hump. Level the area. Spread new gravel, as flatly as possible. Pile fresh gravel off to the side as a mini-levee.

Success. Liquid now goes where it is supposed to.

Urinary engineer. That’s a new one.

Dog posts [archive]

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Alabama New Center: Alabama State Black Chamber of Commerce holds conference in Birmingham, Kelly, 6.22.23. Meg’s photos inject action into what could be a visually dry subject.

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Caption: Behind the ears of a stellar dude.

When Rodney walks, he has thoughts. Many, many thoughts. Constantly. I have a bug on me. I have an itch. I want to follow Milton. I don’t want to follow Milton anymore. [The Morning Constitutional]

Rodney is that way about everything. Many, many thoughts. Plus reactive. Plus prone to sudden outbursts that make sense to him but seem random to the rest of us.

This is why I go over to Stepping Stone Farm and ride the kindest, quietest, most amenable school horse available.

Optimus is an awesome dude. Yet, at my most recent lesson, I could still feel part of myself, say 5%, braced for him to suddenly cavort across the ring. I know he won’t. I don’t believe.

Once again, I slipped in a lesson before a show. I had planned to take more than one lesson between the shows. August got away from me.

We rode & drove. Optimus was a star. I was beyond tired once I got home.

In other news, I realize Emotional Support Animal is a specific term that gets misused. I am employing it here to underline the emotional impact a lesson can have. I really, really feel better after a good ride.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. In looking up how to aid Morocco, I found this. The people who prey on disasters are not vultures. That is unfair. Vultures are awesome. Such people are not awesome. I’m sorry this organization has to exist. I guess I’m glad it does. National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF)

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ASHAA Summer Fun Show III
Heathermoor Farm
Moody AL, USA
Saturday 9 September 2023

Optimus
4. Academy Driving, 1st of 1
26. Academy Showmanship Adult WTC – 4th of 4
27. Academy Equitation Adult WTC – 4nd of 4

Thank you to the Gray family for sharing their multi-talented horse.

Discussion

Success. I have qualified for year-end awards (as I understand the rules). My placings were irrelevant. [Lesson Thoughts]

Success. I rode the horse of my choice (more on this tomorrow), although I know he does not suffer from an excess of show ring sparkle.

Success. I rode more like a saddle seat class and less like a jump-off.

Still. I dislike losing.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. CNN: Exclusive: CDC hopes new ‘Wild to Mild’ ad campaign will tame skepticism about flu vaccines, Goodman, September 6, 2023. Hat tip to M.

CDC: Wild To Mild. Created to be shared. These have been resized, click over for originals. Four because I couldn’t decide on one. Also Lion to Kitten & Elephant to Mouse.

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Phase I was Rodney standing quietly away from the stall while I opened the door. [Rodney’s Spot]

Phase II involves getting from his spot into the stall without a mad dash.

Rodney’s issues. He came to us with a long scar on this left side. We were told it was from a run-in with a stall latch. There is undoubtedly more to the story, but he can definitely get weird about doorways. [Remnant of Rodney’s Past] & [Why Rodney Will Never Be An Outstanding Obstacle Horse]

My issues. I know of two local horses who had bad outcomes after getting a hoof stuck in a stall. So, we build up the ground under the doormat to keep the door as flush as possible. Occasionally, it can take a moment or two to shove the door open.

All of which means that getting himself through the door can become a production.

Would we expect any less of Rodney?

I recognize that there is difference between a horse trotting in with enthusiasm and one dashing through in a panic. The former, hey, what are you gonna do. Then latter they can rush about and run into things, making it worse for themselves. “When Rodney goes into panic mode, he completely loses his proprioception.” [Remnant]

So, we model correctly behavior.

I have to make sure he gets all the way it the stall before I release him. He can be a few feet from the door and still go from zero to run.

How do we do it?

Sometimes, I can talk him through with a calming voice. Easy. Easy. Easy.

Sometimes, I hold his snoot and request that he move quietly.

Sometimes, I use a halter.

A work in progress.

Onwards!
Katherine

Art of the outside world Sand Quilt. Phillips: Learning to Slow Down with Sanford Biggers (Part I), (Part II). Hat tip to R.

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[Fractal Alphabet]

Onwards!
Katherine