Horses & Other Interests
Awareness of the outside world. Falcon Hill German Shorthaired Pointers
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Trotting crossrails at Falcon Hill Farm.
No big deal.
(Posed photo. Rodney is so over these.)
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Pony Club Moment. Yes, the empty jump cups should be taken down. If we were going faster than 2 mph or higher than 6″, I’d be more uptight about it.
Onwards!
Katherine
Awareness of the outside world. Smithsonian: Sneaky Magpies Outwit Scientists by Removing Tracking Devices, Gamillo, February 25, 2022.
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Now that I go to write this out, it seems obvious. What can I say, it struck me at the time.
I was watching a lesson at Stepping Stone Farm. For a handful of strides, the rider looked as good as the barn’s Triple Crown Adult Equitation winner. Really stellar. I was deeply impressed that the rider had come so far since I had last seen them. [Barnshine photo of SSF’s eq star]
The next part of the lesson was less lovely.
Huh.
One tends to think of progress as an ascending curve. You work on a skill. You get better at the skill.
In reality, progress is more of an upward zig-zag. You work on a skill. You get better at this part of the skill. You have trouble with that part of the skill. You get it for a few strides/games/insert sport or art-specific analogy. You revert to former habits. And so on.
The general trend is upward but the path is not smooth.
Reminded me of an ASB show a while back. A capital-F fancy barn made an appearance at one of the shows we attended. One class had a rider from fancy barn along with one of our riders. Fancy rider was on a horse whose name even I recognized from flipping through the magazines. Saddlebred rock star.
Fancy horse trucked around the ring in perfect form at every step.
Our horse looked as good as fancy horse, for a stride or two. Other times, less so.
Progress is not linear.
As I said, obvious now that I write it down. Maybe it was the fact of seeing such a clear example occur in front of me.
Onwards!
Katherine
Awareness of the outside world. Your case is next, The Devil’s Panties 6/27/2022. “Some things are worth mentioning … None of these things are mentioned in the Constitution.” Imperfect Patience: Worth Mentioning.
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This week. 11.5 miles, 6 rides, 5 hours 2 minutes, pace – walk.
Total. 77 miles, 44 rides, 34 hours 1 minute, pace 26:30 min/mile.
To go. 23 miles in 19 days.
Ring Work
Milton
Ring work this week – 1.5 miles, 1 ride
Ring work total – 16 miles, 10 rides
Ride Total if we include ring mileage – 93 miles
Rodney
Ring work this week – 2.15 miles, 2 rides
Ring work total – 5.15 miles, 3 rides
Ride Total if we include ring mileage – 82.15 miles
Ring work miles being kept in reserve.
Notes
We are not down to the wire, but we are around the turn and heading into the homestretch.
[Playing Catch Up, Week 11, Virtual Tevis 2022]
[VT archives]
Onwards!
Katherine
Awareness of the outside world. “Move to just assume the words ‘sorry about the late reply’ are appended to every communication for the remainder of this decade, subject to renewal.” Tweet by Elizabeth Bear, @matociquala, 22 Jun 22 (having trouble imbedding). [Previous Bear, Stopping By A Horse Show]
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SSF is using these their pasture troughs. Thought I’d give it a try.
TSC: Stock Tank Secret. Why not? I don’t see it being the next great thing, but a sack of barley straw fulfills the imperative of First Do No Harm.
What the Internet has to say, “Barley straw does not kill existing algae, but it inhibits the new growth of algae. The exact mechanism is poorly understood, but it seems that barley straw, when exposed to sunlight and in the presence of oxygen, produces a chemical that inhibits algae growth.” Penn State Extension: Barley Straw for Algae Control, 2013.
Know your terms. “Barley straw prevents the growth of algae. It does not kill existing algae. Because of this action, it is sometimes called an algistat as opposed to an algicide.” Rutgers Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet FS1171: Pond and Lake Management Part VI: Using Barley Straw to Control Algae, Salvatore S. Mangiafico, County Agent II, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Cumberland and Salem Counties, Michael Haberland, Environmental and Resource Management Agent, Burlington and Camden Counties
Onwards!
Katherine
Art from the outside world. LGBTQube.
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From walk. [Different Ways of Walking, State of the Fitness for April 2022]
Onwards!
Katherine
Awareness of the outside world. Wishing cool vibes to two-legged and four-legged.
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Main character is part lizard. Has to remember to complain about the heat in order to pass as fully homo sapien.
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Weather Control exists. People can petition their local bureau. Requests are batched with other factors to design upcoming weather.
As always, money talks. Weather lobbyist is now a career.
Weather Control is a global and regional concern that does not respect political borders. People, OTOH, get very excited about political borders. This was a known problem before weather control was possible.
“What happens, for instance, when one country wrings excess water out of a cloud before it drifts over a similarly parched neighbour? How does one engage cross-border negotiations on atmospheric rain, when terrestrial water (in aqueducts and rivers) itself is so contentious? Who actually owns the weather?”
Nature: Change in the weather 2008
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Weather Control exists but is not perfect. Weather can be influenced rather than dictated. Main character works in Weather Bureau. Hurricanes have to occur in order to release atmospheric energy. Many are dissipated over water. Every so often, maybe a few times a year, a hurricane has to hit land. The path can be controlled to some extent. Main character’s life is ongoing episodes of the Trolley Problem.
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Magic users whose strength goes up with heat & light. They are powerful at the height of summer. They are all but helpless in the depth of winter. Another set of magic users whose strength relies on cold and dark. Each group knows they can’t act with impunity because the next season is coming. Treaties are negotiated in spring & autumn.
Artificially created conditions such as indoor illumination or air conditioning do not effect a magic user’s power.
Update.
Per comment, Tardis Data Core: The Seeds of Death
Plus searching, “It is a stock superpower.” TV Tropes: Weather Manipulation.
“Ben Bova’s The Weathermakers is the story of a government agency that controls the weather.” TV Tropes: Weather-Control Machine, Literature. Must look into this this.
I had not heard about any of these. I was simply looking to fill a Saturday post, using the theory that “any fiction – no matter how little – is acceptable.” [Thoughts On Fiction]
It’s hot out, so I thought about weather, so had others, which proves there is little new under the sun.
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Fiction from the outside world. Cat Pictures Please (Kritzler Clarkesworld 2015). While I have mentioned this story before, it is both apropos and worth rereading. [I Didn’t Write This Post]
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Instagram account, virtual_brush_box.
Photos of the geese & of Blue came out darker than they look on my phone. Note to self, Instagram likes bright? No, I don’t fiddle with the images. That is a can of worms I have left unopened.
Photos
As before, photos repeated here as back-up.
Caption: SSF barn cats making it hard for me to pack up.
Caption: Geese Fam
Caption: Blue
Props
Hat tip to Jane for commenting about cat pix last time. I probably would have gotten there eventually, but encouragement certainly helped.
Previous Post
[A Foto For Friday, Reopening The Blog Instagram Account]
Postlogue
Accepting their replacement pad.
Onwards!
Katherine
Virtual Brush Box 