Virtual Brush Box

Words

Be a Moon Rat without leaving Earth!

You love the comic!

Now live the life!

The Lunar Experience!(TM) is an underground, full-scale reproduction of the first lunar habitat. Tunnels, lighting, hydroponic growing areas. Everything but the gravity!

While you are living in The Lunar Experience!(TM), you will participate in every aspect of Moon Rat life. You will help with machine maintenance, do air checks, even help write a sample comic. Our Moon Rat reencators will guide you through your daily activities.

It’s not all work at The Lunar Experience!(TM), you can chose from light shows, concerts by lunar-trained musicians, and dances choreographed to simulate low-gravity moves.

The Lunar Experience!(TM) offers custom packages. From overnights to week-long immersions. From family-friendly to group social mores. From Lunar-influenced food to an entire week of Moon Rat rations.

The moon is only a train ride away!

We live here!

Now you can too!

~~~ curtain ~~~

Author’s Note. The one that got away & free fiction for you.

This was supposed to be Dreaming of the Moon as a Kid, a third storyette inspired by EM’s wonderful illustration.

Premise One sounded a lot like “Chrysalis” – Jurassic London’s Stocking Stuffer (Jurassic London, 2014).

Convergent evolution. I had already started mine when I found the other.

No problem. I’d only written a few lines.

Recast.

Premise Two sounded a lot like the Lawrence Watt-Evans story Why I Left Harry’s All-Night Hamburgers – Escape Pod 413, with The Lunar Experience playing the part of Harry’s Diner.

I’d read this a while back so mine could definitely be an echo.

Phooey.

TLE was past of both stories so that’s what I went with.

[Moon Rats archive]

Onwards!
Katherine

Fit To Ride

Awareness of the outside world. “The run raised money for Old Friends, a local charity that supports retired horses.” Breyer: Strudel Sprint 5k Results!

~~~

5K for August. The thought is daily mile & monthly 5k. My walks are definitely more Spaziergang (stroll) than power walk. This year’s BreyerFest theme was Prost! Hence Strudel & Spaziergang.

The Strudel Sprint 5K
Virtual Version
Limestone Park
Sunday 22 August 2022
Standard pace

The Walk

First long walk since Cherry Blossom & Indy in April. Ankle and stamina both held up. [In The Pink 27 Aug, Indy 5K Walk 29 Aug]

Serious face in photo is from concentrating on getting self, shirt, and backdrop into the frame at the same time. My selfie game is weak.

The Park

They kindly cut a path through the shrubbery. Bird observation station on the right.

Entrance

Emo scenery.

The Park On a Previous Walk

[New Park, Old Park, No Park, Year of the Ox Challenge, Walks 5, 6, and 6.5, Limestone, Railroad, and Liberty Parks]

Onwards!
Katherine

Horsekeeping

Awareness of the outside world. The Guardian: Regular physical activity may lessen Covid risks, study finds, Gregory, 22 Aug 2022.

~~~

A third post on horse hooves in one week? Welcome to my world. All feet all the time.

Milton has new shoes. Rain held off. Barefoot hoof wall held up. He’s good now … as long as we remember to give him some love. [What About Meeeee?]

Rodney has new shoes! Had to be done. He was overdue and his thin Thoroughbred feet do not take a joke. Blacksmith was careful to work around the sore heel. Rodney tolerated the hammering. He was quite happy with the stream of cookie bribes.

Blacksmith posited that there was still a foreign body in the foot, perhaps part of a stick, a tiny rock, even a stiff piece of hay. We never saw an entry wound or any blood from same, but it would explain why his foot keeps improving but never completely gets better. [Rodney’s Foot Saga Continues]

His heel doesn’t heal. I crack myself up.

Onwards!
Katherine

Riding

Awareness of the outside world. National Geographic: Beloved Chincoteague ponies’ mythical origins may be real, Tamisiea, July 27, 2022. Have not read. Need to leave email to finish reading. I was feeling ornery.

~~~

Bubba at Stepping Stone Farm last week. Re-engaging with the double show bridle. Re-gulp.

As I said before, I’m used to hearing about this moment as a major milestone. “In dressage, graduating to a double bridle is a big deal. It is a point of endless discussion, mostly about the dangers and about criticism of folks who have done so without proper skills.” [Different Versions]

Right away, I got the overwhelming feeling that Bubba prefers the show bridle.

Bubba likes clarity. If I sit way back in the saddle and keep my shoulders up, Bubba will canter from a thought. If I slide forward or tip my shoulders even slightly downward, it’s as if I am suddenly speaking another language. [Day 1]

You’d think he could infer from context. We trotted. We walked. What could possibly be next? I may think it’s obvious. but my opinion isn’t the one moving the legs.

So, two bits give a wider range and therefore a better chance to be clear in one’s commands the conversation.

Most importantly, Bubba is forgiving. If I do it right, he will do it right. If I do it wrong, he won’t pitch a hissy. A sterling quality in a horse when one is learning.

I realize this differs from what I said after an earlier lesson. [Return]

Work in progress.

Bubba and I are still figuring out what our story is together. [The Power of Narrative]

Onwards!
Katherine

Horsekeeping

Awareness of the outside world. Since I whined about my cataracts, I’ll share the good news as well. Primary care doc. Checked that I was signed up for the appropriate appointments, i.e. gyn & mammogram. Ordered blood test. C U in two years. Yay. [Minnesota]

~~~

You keep coming out to see the brown horse.

What about the gray horse?

I don’t want to be the center of attention.

I don’t not want to be the center of attention.

I know. I’ll pull a shoe.

Ow. Ow. I did not plan this well.

I forgot that I don’t like being barefoot.

Would someone please come put my shoe on?

~~~

Yes, both horses now have issues with their left front foot.

Blacksmith scheduled today if we can dance between the raindrops.

Rodney made juuust enough progress to avoid going to see the vet today.

Onwards!
Katherine

Horsekeeping

Awareness of the outside world. For your entertainment. TIWJ: Talking Mystery With Lawrence Block, White.

~~~

Two weeks ago, Rodney developed what we are 99% sure is an abscess in the back of his hoof. [It’s Always Something, Rodney’s Latest Drama]

Fortunately, he went from three-legged lame to mildly off.

Unfortunately, he spent last week not getting better, not getting worse.

Barring sudden resolution to the issue, Rodney will be visiting the vet on Tuesday (tomorrow), so that the vet can tell us it is an abscess and poke it with a sharp stick, medically speaking. Given the fluids involved in opening an abscess, we figure it’s better to be at a nice clean clinic with all the handy equipment.

I am predicting a recovery period that is labor-intensive and messy, but not dire. I am not at all worried that this a career-ending injury or an exotic, tendon-rotting disease that falsely presents an abscess. The thoughts never crossed my mind. I am far too calm and level-headed for such nonsense. What counts as a career-ending injury in a 23-year-old pasture ornament anyway?

Or the vet could say, ‘It’s minor. He’ll be fine. Here’s your bill.’ Which would be annoying but a good outcome.

In other news, has anyone else noticed that when you have time, you don’t have energy? This would be a great opportunity to clear out the barn or clean up the house, to repair this or replace that. Instead, I spent the last week revisiting Lawrence Block’s Burglar oeuvre.

Have I mentioned recently how much I hate August? [The Illustrated Month]

Onwards!
Katherine

Images

Awareness of the outside world. NWF: Protecting the Great Lakes, Alliance for the Great Lakes, USDA: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, & many more.

~~~

Process notes. The intention was five lakes with the indents resembling promontories. What came out was blobs within blobs. So, I fell back on geometrics.

HOMES

Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior

Superior bc it is, given a stereotypical northern map orientation.

Huron is at the Heart of the lakes

Michigan & Erie are on either side of the MittEn.

Erie falls into a big hOOOOle.

CNBC: That acronym doesn’t work for me, Hellman, 2013

Inspiration

Field Notes: Great Lakes. Using what comes in the house as a creative starting point. [Signs of Summer]

Water Flow

“The lakes drain roughly from west to east, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean through the St. Lawrence lowlands. Except for Lakes Michigan and Huron, which are hydrologically one lake, their altitudes drop with each lake, usually causing a progressively increasing rate of flow.” Britannica: Great Lakes, Physiography of Great Lakes

South to Canada

SAS: So, 27 US states are farther north than Canada, eh?, Allison, 2017

‘The southernmost point of Canada is in Lake Erie on a now-uninhabited island called Middle Island, which is part of Pelee Township, which is part of the province of Ontario (which should not be confused with the nearby Middle Bass Island, which is part of Ohio). Although always a part of Canada, Middle Island was until 2000 owned by an Ohio car dealer who bought it as a pleasure island for his family.  After his death his heirs sold it by outcry auction.  A non-profit agency called The Canadian Nature Conservancy, which had publicly raised funds for the purpose, bought it for roughly U$867,000 and then deeded it to Canada.” BarelyBad: Map of U.S. States North of Canada

Onwards!
Katherine