Virtual Brush Box

Words

Art of the outside world. Free fiction. Whatever: When the Yogurt Took Over: A Short Story. 2010. Inspired by “No more logical connection to our real one than a world in which an author has imagined humanity ruled by intelligent cups of yogurt.” Whatever: What I Think About Atlas Shrugged.

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[50 States, Cubed]

Been pondering a project that involves each of the 50 US states. What are the options?

Physically, in declining order of time commitment

Living in. AL, CT, DC, MD, NC, NY, PA.

Living in long enough to get mail. Adds summer camps and college to the list. All of the above + CA, NH, western NY, WY, VT.

Visit I. States I neither lived in nor collected mail in, but visited so often, I feel I know the place. Either visiting family members, or living the next state over. CT, FL, ME, NJ, upper NY state, PA, VA.

Visit II. Travel for work or tourism, non-horse. Stay at least one night. Different part of the state if referenced above. Northern CA, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MS, NM, NY, TX, VA, WA. Probably more.

Horse Shows. This would be cool. My showing has been mainly up & down the East Coast: living in the Mid-Atlantic area, intercollegiate in New England, & saddle seat in the Southeast. AL, CT, GA, IN (navigator), MA, MD, NC, NH, NY, PA, SC, TN, VA, VT. You’ll notice that KY continues to be missing from this list. Good thing I don’t let it bother me.

Riding, no show. CA, KY, WY.

5K. In his book Step By Step, Block talks about running a marathon in every state. This is were I got the idea for one-in-each-state. I don’t do marathons, but I could walk a 5K. Maybe put this on the back burner as something to look into when (if I ever get back to) traveling. So far just the one, AL

Geographical Center. Interesting but once you stand there, then what? Two so far, haven’t even done AL, either one of them. AL.com: Here’s why the geographic center of Alabama moved from one county to another, Kaek, 2020. [Tennessee, Georgia]

Geocaching. Another one to add as an adjunct to a future travel list. Also just the one, AL

Just be there. All Fifty States Club. “We ask that your visits entail ‘touching the ground and breathing the air’ of that state.” AFSC: Become A Member. For me this would cover all of the East coast and two drives across the country.

If you just touch the ground, how well do you know a state? For that matter, do you ever know a state? I lived in PA for two years and visited it for many more, but all in the southeast quadrant. There are sectors parts of PA that I know nothing about. The only two states I would say I have seen extensively are NY, due to camp and family, and NC due to business trips throughout state.

Then there are all the states in which I have seen the big city but nothing of the rest of the state: Chicago, Seattle, New Orleans. Can I claim to know anything about IL, WA, or LA?

What would be your measure of checking a state off a list?

Virtually

Let’s be serious. I can’t even haul my carcass into Birmingham. I’m going to travel to all 50 states? I don’t think so. What are the virtual options?

Books. You’d think so, but the definitive book set in a state might not be one I want to read. If I want poignant & heartbreaking, there is always the news. NPR: Traveling this summer? Here are book picks for all 50 states (and then some), Sullivan, Pao, Mazariegos, & O’Reilly, June 1, 2022. I might start making of list of books I have read where the location is essential to the story.

Vwalk a 5K. Good start on this one. AL, CA, DC, GA, IL, SC, KS, KY, MA, MD, NJ, NM, NY, OH, TN, WI, plus vbiking the Route 66 states, and eventually vwalking & vbiking the 10 Mississippi River States

Blog posts I, looking back. Mine & guest posts. AL, CA, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MS, NV, NY, OH, PA, TN, TX, VT. Wanna do a photo guest post from a missing state? 🙂 🙂 🙂 [Vicarious Travel]

Blog posts II, going forward. You saw that one coming, didn’t you? Either a Saturday word post or a Sunday image post reflecting on the state. Stay tuned.

Onwards!
Katherine

Fit To Ride

Awareness of the outside world. I have cataracts. I feel old. Yes, I had to get glasses. Young people wear glasses. Yes, I have gray hair. I started going gray at nineteen. Cataracts are an old word. Doc most unperturbed. Small. Nothing to be done yet. Everyone gets them. That’s all well & good but I still feel old, thank you very much. In related news, does anyone else get knocked out by the eye-dilating drops? I was exhausted. Felt like a junior version of the epinephrine hangover. [All Revved Up]

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A recent purchase related to my daily walks.

Virtual Travel

[Rolling Down The River, Guest Photo]

Still wending my virtual way down the Mississippi River.

[Biking and Walking Virtually, Mississippi River, Part One, Minnesota]

[Biking and Walking Virtually, Mississippi River, Table of Contents & General Info]

Vicarious Travel

Still outstanding armchair travel.

USPS: Postal Service To Honor Mighty Mississippi on Forever Stamps, April 25, 2022

The Waterways Journal: Postage Stamp Series Honors ‘Mighty Mississippi’, Byrne, November 25, 2021

Phancy photo stamps of all 10 Mississippi River states. Field Notes notebook tie in.

Onwards!
Katherine

Pets

Awareness of the outside world. Lane Park: BISS Am.Gr.Ch. Lake Park Ethan, highest placing Basset Hound at Westminster Kennel Club 2022. WRC: results, click on name for presentation photo.

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[Foto Friday: Dash]

First The Sad Part

For the first time since 1988, we are a dogless household. Dash, aka Tidbit, our Basset Hound, passed away last week. The passing of Lady, our German Shepherd, was part of the pet overwhelm a while back. [Where Did They Go? Pet Update]

Then The Happy Part

I’ve always thought a celebration of life made more sense than being gloomy. I’m not in a story telling place at the moment. Instead, tell me something cute your dog has done recently.

[Spotted in Boston]

Onwards!
Katherine

Riding

Awareness of the outside world. Show benefited Bikes 4 Kids.

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ASHAA Summer Fun Show II
Stepping Stone Farm
Chelsea AL, USA
Sunday 14 August 2022

Emeralds Brown Sugar (Bubba)
26 Academy Showmanship WTC-Adult Amateur, 2nd of 3
27 Academy Equitation WTC-Adult Amateur, 2nd of 3

Thank you to the Walters family for ebullient EBS.

When I arrived at the barn, the young lady who owns Bubba asked me to bring over my saddle so she could tack up. It’s always weird to me when someone else gets my horse ready. I pondered. I decided I could live with it.

The best is having my own horse and doing my own work. There are advantages to riding someone else’s horse and having someone else doing all the work. The hardest is being the guest and having to mesh with another person’s process.

Got all four canter transitions. Yay. Unfortunately, Bubba slipped me a canter break in the second direction of the first class. In the next class, there might have been some growling when we reached the same spot. We kept the canter.

In the first class, I did my impromptu transition to trot. Another rider had an even worse time with the canter. The third rider made no mistakes. So, we made it easy for the judge. Who screwed up least.

In the second class, I thought I aced it. We were turning and burning with style. Or so I thought. Alas, no. Dunno what went wrong. Maybe I couldn’t make it happen, but by now I should at least understand what is needful. Alas, no. The finer points of saddle seat continue to elude me.

Real talk. While I was stressing before the show, I had another bout of I Don’t Want To Be Here. [Grinding My Gears]

Grateful. Opportunities. Blessed. Sure. Sure. Sure. Fact is, I would rather be so busy jumping and eventing and riding my own horses that I didn’t have time for this. Instead I am dealing with a drama king and a horse who doesn’t want me near him. [It’s Always Something Rodney’s Latest Drama, Milton and I Hit a New Low]

I wish this was what I wanted as my main equestrian activity. I really, really do. [Saddle Seat I Wish I Could Love You, Why Not Rack Off Into The Sunset]

Despite my moods, the people at the barn were universally welcoming and Bubba was a star. As diversions go, it’s a fine one.

Doin’ the Barn Cat Snooze.

Onwards!
Katherine

Riding

Awareness of the outside world. Florida Museum of Natural History: Oldest DNA from domesticated American horse lends credence to shipwreck folklore, July 27, 2022. HT Phys.org.

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Bubba appears to be my regular ride.

Since it was Saturday, my ground person was available to help with the lesson. He may not know from saddle seat, but he knows me. He’d be able to point out the bad habits I can’t seem to stop.

Earned his fee in the first minute. He told me to sit back. You see, I thought I was sitting back. He was right, I wasn’t really. Sit back. Too far back. Way too far back. This is a ridiculous way to ride too far back. Yes, there.

When I get in the correct position, I can feel the gentle divots in the saddle where the seat bones go. Plus, Bubba was immensely relieved that I was finally in place where he knew how to carry a rider.

The first few posting steps in this position are always a treat. Then I sort of figure it out. “I get my momentum up and just keep going.” [Back In The Saddle, Saddle Seat Style]

One of my goals for this lesson was getting my canter transitions. Had trouble with that last time. Decided that I was throwing my shoulders. It’s such an ingrained habit that my own horses eventually learn it as a canter signal, which causes me to continue the behavior. Bubba of course had no idea what I was going on about. [Return To Saddle Seat]

Now that I was in the correct place? Piece of cake.

When I came in for line-up, the lesson struck me as a bit short. To this day, part of me gets a little snitty, thinking, ‘That’s not a lot of minutes for the money.’ Particularly since restarting the h/j lessons which tend to run close to an hour. And then I get off and think, ‘That’s okay, I’ll just sleep for the next 24 hours.”

Saddle seat riders don’t work long, but they work hard.

Onwards!
Katherine

Horsekeeping

Awareness of the outside world. “I still wear a mask in public indoor spaces. If I forget a mask and the store isn’t busy, I don’t turn around. If it’s Costco on a Saturday, though, I turn around and grab my mask … we are in a very strange phase of the pandemic: somewhere between endemic and a full blown emergency. If you’re confused on what to do, know that we are all confused and just trying to do our best. Give yourself and others grace through this time.” YLE: A reaction to the CDC guidance, 12 August 2022.

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One morning early last week.

Feed hay. All fine.

One hour later. Return with grain. Rodney’s left front leg is a swollen to the knee and he is non-weight-bearing.

Normal response: Alarm! Concern! Vet!

My response: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whadja do to yourself now?

Lest you think me completely heartless. Although he was moving extremely awkwardly, he was ears up & eyes bright. Rodney is not a stoic horse. If he says it’s no big deal, then it’s NBD.

Sudden response to a bug bite?

Career-ending tendon injury?

Abscess?

Cue soaking foot for possible abscess and icing leg for swelling.

Photo from Saturday. Switched from soaking to Epsom salt poultices. There is only some much time I want his foot sitting in water. You can see swelling around the fetlock.

As of Sunday afternoon, diagnosis almost certainly an abscess in the back of the foot. Still swollen, but much better. Still lame but much better.

Since the area of concern is in the fleshy part of the hoof, opening it would require vet with sharp implement, rather than blacksmith with hoof knife. He’s had enough improvement that we want to give nature a bit more time to resolve on its own rather than going after it.

So we wait.

Overly dramatic response to a standard equine injury? Very on brand.

Onwards!
Katherine

Images

Art & awareness of the outside world. “Exclusive custom-designed sets of Ukraine using original LEGO® bricks. All money collected goes to organizations in Ukraine that are providing first-line care to our children” Let’s Build Ukraine!. Hat tip, The Brothers Brick: Miniature model of St. Andrew’s Church, Kyiv.

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There are 19 letters that make up the initial letters of the 50 US states.

A – Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas

C – California Colorado Connecticut

D – Delaware

F – Florida

G – Georgia

H – Hawaii

I – Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa

K – Kansas Kentucky

L – Louisiana

M – Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana

N – Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota

0 – Ohio Oklahoma Oregon

P – Pennsylvania

R – Rhode Island

S – South Carolina South Dakota

T – Tennessee Texas

U – Utah

V – Vermont Virginia

W – Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Letters from Zip-It by Bananagrams. Not sure why I have these. Faint memory of getting them when I was part of a writing group. Maybe as writing prompts? Apparently it’s a game. The zipper can be used for a scoreboard. Board Game Geek: Zip-It

Onwards!
Katherine