Virtual Brush Box

Images

Art from the outside world. Photographer Walt Stricklin does composite photography, WS: Scapes Galleries. ““Your camera is not your eye,” he said. “Your eye is the best filter God made. A camera is just a dumb piece of machinery.” Shelby County Reporter: Putting together pieces of the panorama, 2013. Ten of the China Scapes, aCurator: Walt Stricklin: Made In China.
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Legend

J – Independence Day in the US on the 4th. Bastille Day in France on the 14th.

U – Stepping Stone Farm goes to the Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show. I go vicariously. [2017, 2019, 2020, 2021]

L – Virtual Tevis Cup 2022, Mile 100. (🤞)

Y – We haven’t hit 100 degrees yet. It’s coming. Feels Like has gone way over already.

23 June 2022, 4pm

Archive [The Illustrated Month 2022]

Onwards!
Katherine

Blogging about Blogging

Intro. Posting now so that I can link to this later. [STOB archives]

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Hello!

I would like to use your name in a blog post. What level of publicity you are comfortable with?

Options

One. Full name and title with links to business or personal websites, blogs, social media accounts, and so on.

Two. Quasi-famous. First name. Single initial. Daphne. Trainer S.

Three. Full anonymity. No name. Details blurred.

Four. Some combination of the above.

Your choice. I’m good with any of it.

Credit

I want to give you credit but not have you be responsible for my misunderstandings. I try to make that clear. “As always, I present what I heard, which may or may not be what the clinician said.” [Thoroughbred Theatrics, Rodney at the Ellen Beard Clinic]

Content

I can’t promised a positive spin.

I don’t write bad reviews. Why put negative energy out into universe? I’m not exposing Watergate over here. If it’s bad, drop it and move on. However, I could write the most glowing, upbeat, happy discussion, and you might still hate it.

Unless the text is for a guest post, I don’t offer pre-approval.

Conclusion

It’s much less of a big deal than I make it out to be here. It’s a small blog, with less than viral readership. Mostly I write about myself and what I did and what my horse did.

a) I come from a journalism background. Old habits die hard … actually they don’t die at all.

b) Most folks don’t care one way or the other. I want to give you the option in case you feel strongly.

Please contact me with any questions. I want you to be happy with the result, or at least not annoyed.

Posts of Possible Interest

Blog link is Virtual Brush Box. Blog url is “rodneyssaga.com”. [Intro]

“I tend to write about myself & my horses, both out of self-interest & to avoid getting mired in privacy issues.” [State of the Blog, The Song of Me]

[At Least I Got A Blog Post Out Of It, Names]

Onwards!
Katherine

Images, Photography

Awareness of the outside world. Breeden is on fire this week. Devil’s Panties 6/29/2022. In related news, Whatever: Authors Talking About Politics: An Archived Twitter Thread, June 26, 2022.

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Instagram account, virtual_brush_box.

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Photo Back-Up

Caption. Using your brother as a pillow. Smudge and Skittles, the newest SSF barn cats.

Posts

Previous [Cat Photos For Friday, Instagram Recap]

Explanation [A Foto For Friday, Reopening The Blog Instagram Account]

Onwards!
Katherine

Riding

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

Riding

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

Riding

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

Horsekeeping

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