Virtual Brush Box

Horsekeeping

Awareness of the outside world. “The uncrewed Artemis I mission … is targeting liftoff on August 29 between 8:33 a.m. ET and 10:33 a.m. ET from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.” CNN: How to watch the Artemis I mission lift off to the moon, Strickland, August 28, 2022. Emphasis mine.

Update. CNN: Today’s Artemis I launch has been scrubbed after engine issue, Strickland, August 29, 2022. Phooey.

~~~

The Diagnosis, a play in one act.

Us: Rodney’s heel is swollen & sore. It’s minor but taking forever to heal.

Vet, pokes & prods: Yup.

Us: Do you need to … sedate … block … ultrasound?

Vet: Nope.

Us: Well, okay then.

~~~

I jest, but we were closing in on three weeks. It was time for expert eyes. Bottom line. His heel is annoyed. It will get over itself. Eventually.

Well, okay then.

Onwards!
Katherine

Images

Art of the outside world. The Met: Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color. Check out the tabs for Visiting Guide & Exhibition Objects.

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X, History of a Color by Michel Pastoureau, Princeton. Had Blue & Black. Splurged on the rest of the rainbow. Hence the shiny covers. They are sitll in plastic. White has been pre-ordered for next year. In honor of this, I went through blog photos looking for color.

[My First Show, Sorta]

[Blue At The Barn]

“Whenever I see blue duct tape, I think of you.” [What Makes You, You? A Blog Hop.]

Black & white photography. Photo by me. Post-processing by McKinney Photography. [Foto Friday: Morning Mist]

Photo by Ginni Bush. [The Return of Doctor Whooves, FCHP Schooling Show, April 2021, Guest Photos II]

[Green Horses on the Wall, Lisbon, Portugal, Guest Photo]

“Seeing what I could do with a single color.” [An Exercise in Green]

“BTW, the green ribbon measures 41 inches from crown to tip.” [Putting The Show In Showmanship, Show Report, Alabama Charity 2019, Riding]

[Foto Friday: Red Queen]

[Milton SitRep, Saddle & Supplements & Success]

[The Canadian Horse & The Red Queen Take Second, Show Report, Alabama Fun Show #1 2018, ERA Stables]

[Yellow Associations]

[Signs of Summer]

[Show Report: Important Questions from NACHS 2014, Part 2]

[Speaking Of Ribbons]

What I Learned

Finding color photos – Easy.

Finding photos where the color was significant – Hard.

There are 11 years of blog photos to chose from. Aside from a few arty shots, all of them are in color. Most of the time the color was incidental.

Pastoureau’s examples are mainly paintings, which are a) the historical option & b) where each element is a choice.

In day-to-day life, we may wear a shirt because it is the requisite level of formality/informality, comfortable, &/or clean. Color is secondary, at least in my life.

Similarly, unless one shows Palominos or Paints, horse color is incidental to attitude, performance, level of formality/informality, comfort, and so on.

So I ended up with 1) ribbons, where the color of the object is part of the meaning of the object. Change the color, change the object, and 2) team shirts & saddlepads.

Onwards!
Katherine

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!

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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.

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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