Virtual Brush Box

Awareness of the outside world. Dartmouth Sports: Big Green Capture NCEA Single-Discipline National Championship, The national title is the first in program history, 4/19/2025. I have no idea what some of those words mean. It’s been a hot minute since I rode Intercollegiate. Go Big Green! […]

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Well, technically a pony.

Razzy
The Hunter Place

Surprise! Remember the barn I stopped by? [Another Lesson Possibility]

Turns out the dressage person had moved and the barn is now hunter/jumper. With horses to ride! We set up a lesson for the weekend.

Razzy was a doll. Walk. Trot. A bit of canter. Even two-point over some poles. While she was happy to trundle along in a relaxed fashion, the low head carriage gave me crow hop flash backs. I wonder why (sideeye to the home team). Once I convinced her to humor me and raise her head a bit, we got along fine.

Plan to go back. On the weekends for a while so that the Emotional Support Husband can come with.

Lesson delayed by rainstorm. Footing was excellent & Razzy didn’t mind the puddles in the slightest.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. African History Extra: The medieval Knights of Ethiopia: a history of the Horse in the northern Horn of Africa (1000-1900CE), Samuel, Jun 15, 2025.

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“I feel like I’ve just been treading water at best. I admit, that’s better than drowning. But I’d really like to swim.” The Backyard Horse Blog: Miniature Horse Musings

I feel this so hard.

“I’ve struggled to find “forward” in my horse life. The years have not been all bad, of course. I’m very grateful for what I do still have. The things I am still able to do with my horses. They bring so much joy.” Ibid

Agree 100%. Glad to have the horses in the backyard. I’m not sure I’d go as far as joy, but they do keep us engaged and entertained.

I have posted this quote previously. Still true. [What’s Up With The Home Team, Tack Update Rodney]

Recently, I’ve been wont to say to husband that we could use a victory around here. There’s been some off-blog stuff that I won’t belabor you with. Shit happens, cycle of life, etc. But, yeah, we could use a victory.

Superstition. Mindfulness. Call it what you will. When one asks for more, one immediately feels the need to qualify. Or, if you are me, to hit yourself with the gratitude hammer. [A Look Inside My Head]

It’s like we don’t dare complain.

The thing is that there are two types of victory. Both good.

There is the crisis victory. The victory over adversity.

Milton’s recovery from colic surgery is a good example. He came through surgery well. His recovery was smooth. He was amenable about stall rest. Nurse Rodney stepped up. Victory.

Wonderful. Very, very happy to have that victory.

However.

Negating bad things is not the same as achieving good things.

Negating bad things leaves you status quo ante, with added mental wear & tear.

Achieving good things is the progress victory. The victory that pushes you forward. Pass the test. Win the race. Use your gifts. Get the job. Find the right horse, dog, cat, date. Help the planet. Aid your fellow human. Publish the book. Display the art. Increase the amount of happiness in the world. Whatever thrills your weird.

Victories that leave you in a better place.

Yeah, a few of those, please.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Anecdotal news from the measles front. Since we are in – let’s call it upper middle age – husband looked into the necessity of getting a measles booster. Doc asked that he get tested first, so that they would not have to use a shot if he didn’t need it. Docs are being careful about having enough for kids, etc. I don’t know if this is due to the current political climate or to a conservative (lower-case c) attitude on the part of the docs. Husband is fine. Numbers were 3x above required threshold.

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Just when I think there is a plan, they change their minds.

I warbled on about how the horses are doing most of the morning walk on their own. Rodney 50% of the time. Milton 100% off lead. [On Lead and Off Lead]

Whereupon, we switched to me needing to be attached to both horses in both directions.

Item one. Grass buffet after all that rain.

Item two. Fly spray before we start the walk.

Result. Thanks ever so much. We have decided to graze.

Even Milton put his head down for snacks instead of headed toward the cookies. I didn’t think that was possible.

After a few days of this, they went back to walking off lead as before. Complete with Milton trotting up to regain his spot. [Milton’s Position in The Parade]

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Audubon: What Nesting Materials Are Safe for Birds? Langas 2019. I used to toss my comb leavings out the window into the woods. Bird folks say this is a bad idea.

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Finding the right residence is tough.

Location – Overhang of horse trailer.

Rejected as unsuitable, for unspecified bird reasons. Was acceptable last year. [News From The Nest, Barn Life]

Location – helmet. Evicted by property owner. [Barn Life, Helmet Edition repost]

Location – ???

I hope they found somewhere.

Onwards!
Katherine

Art of the outside world. National Postal Museum: Alphabetilately. Images, NPM: Visit the Online Exhibition.

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C is for color.

“This coif is a fine example of blackwork, a style of needlework popular in England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It was worked with a single colour of silk, usually black, but also blue, green or red, on linen.” V&A: Coif.

“Blackwork is a portmanteau term that covers many, many substyles of high contrast work, often but not always done in monochrome.” String-Or-Nothing: ONE FISH, TWO FISH. GREEN FISH, BLUE FISH.

Emphasis mine.

Process Notes

Color is cerise, French for cherry. Internet sees it as pinkish red.

For my reference, deconstruction of the interior patterns. Same design, different spacing.

Alternate. I don’t know why the more open set has the overlap in the middle instead of lining up. I drafted this one a while ago. I may have had a theory. I may have made a mistake. I’m choosing to see the one used in the letter as an artistic choice. I will not go back and redo. That way lies madness.

Project Description [Colorwork Alphabet Introduction]

Previous Posts [Colorwork Alphabet]

Update: Process images & notes added after posting but on the day. #howthesausageismade

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Never post anything online that you wouldn’t want to see the next morning on a billboard on your way to work.

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Screenshot showing major traffic spike on 12 May 2025.

Over 2000 hits. A second page shows all of the views taking place between 1 and 3 in the morning. The only explanation I can figure is that the blog was scraped for a large language model.

I refuse to waste a perfect good science fiction term on an overgrown search engine.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. “I’ve learned over the years that when something’s happening, good or bad, to just keep shooting.” Charlie Mann, Chronicle of the Horse: Behind The Photo: The Great Save, Calvert 2023.

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Limestone Park
Alabaster AL USA
May 2025

Technical Notes

Phone Camera. Taken while husband was being artistic with big camera. [Recurring Guest Gallery]

Onwards!
Katherine