Virtual Brush Box

Fit To Ride

 
Awareness of the outside world. When one & one’s spouse are a pair of curmudgeonly hermits, Christmas 2020 doesn’t look that different from any other year. I realize this is not the case for others. If your holiday has been disrupted and you are worried about tomorrow, remember this. December 25 is just another day. Norman Rockwell was just a guy selling magazine covers. Christmas in pajamas is not without its pleasures.
~~~
Catching up on the last bling walk from 2020. Turned out to be a disc golf course. [Bling Walk Archives]

Santa Fe International Virtual 5K, Run Signup
Official – September 20 – October 31, 2020
Mine – September 21, 2020
Location – Inverness Nature Park and Trails
Time – 1:13:43
Results, Overall – 10th of 10
Results, Gender – 9th of 9, making gender assumptions based on first names
Results, Division – 1 of 1, by age I assume
Tracker – Map My Walk

Results

During Virtual Tevis, I had my tracker set to miles. Now that I am doing virtual UK, I switched to kilometers, in order to fit in with the locals. Turns out 5 kilometers = 3.107 miles. I have been off by .007 miles all year. Oops.

The Race
I think the race did not turn out the way the organizers hoped. Participation was close to non-existent. My race had 10 finishers. The half marathon had 12. The 1k had one person. I was sent a cheesy albeit colorful gaiter instead of the promised hand-painted medal. Included was a note along the lines of, I hope you didn’t just do this for the medal. Well, yes I did just do it for the medal. Otherwise, I could have walked on my own and skipped sending you money. Now the website sends up a security alert when I try to access it. It could have been a scam but feels more like poor planning.

The Park
Hilly. Wooded. Not marked aside from disc course. Never found the advertised 1.8 mile walking trail. Or maybe I did. Ended up returning to truck on the side of the road using GPS. Not a path for a fast time. I wonder how municipalities decide to build a baseball diamond vs a soccer field vs a disc course.

 
“Inverness Nature Park is a 77-acre, forested, passive park featuring …” Inverness Nature Park and Trails.

“In the context of this article, ‘passive’ denotes parks that don’t have sports fields or facilities, such as a rink or court where youth and adults play in organized leagues.” Parks & Rec Business: Passive Parks, by Randy Gaddo, 2018

Disc golf doesn’t seem passive to me.

The Sport
File this with the vast number of things I had no idea were out there. Professional Disc Golf Association

Tee

Course Map

Range of Equipment.

“Each of our different plastics offer unique characteristics and advantages.” Innova: Plastic Types Overview

Chart on the Innova site has six categories of discs with multiple options in each category. “Discs on the left side of our chart are better for throwing upwind, while discs on the right of the chart are better for throwing downwind. Less powerful players would be better suited to throwing discs on the lower right side of the chart as they require less power to get distance. More powerful players may choose discs on the upper left side of the chart for more control in all wind situations.” Innova: Discs

The rabbit hole is deep.

Disc Specs

Course Protocol

Any disc golfers out there care to comment on the sport?

Update: This was my Monday 5k the week I did three walks. Was waiting for medal before posting. Finally gave up. It had been so long since then & I did so many more walks later in the year that I forgot to opine on the three-in-one. Not much to say other than ‘Can I do it? Yes. I did it.’ [Wednesday, Friday]

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine Walcott

Riding Journal

Awareness of the outside world. “It’s fashionable to pretend that the US response to COVID-19 has been disastrously, unconscionably bad, but that’s really not true. We could have and should have done better, but we’re not really all that different from other similar rich countries.”

“Cases are a different matter. The US really does lead in the number of COVID-19 cases, but we also have a very low case fatality rate, which is why our death rate is not too far above the average. Is this because we test more people and therefore include more marginal cases? Is it because our health care is better? Is it because we skew younger than most European countries? Inquiring minds want to know.” Mother Jones: The COVID-19 Death Rate In the US Is Fairly Normal, blog by Kevin Drum, Dec 22, 2020.
~~~

Micro, Intro Jumping

Rodney continues to regard anything between standards with misguided enthusiasm.

Rodney: Lemme go! Lemme go! I got this! I got this!

Me: Dude, I’m all for fire-breathing dragon. However, we are not heading into the jump-off of the Adult Final at Washington.

Rodney: Fast! Fast is the way to jump!

Me: No. You have to demonstrate that you can jump correctly before we turn on the after-burners. Trust me, warp speed is way too fast for a pole on the ground. Can we dial it back a notch or six? K. Thx. Bye.

Rodney: Basics are boring.

Micro, Intro Driving

Milton pulled a tire! First time tied to something since October of last year [Back In Harness]. We got close a few times at the beginning of the year, but plans fell through. Then 2020 fell on all of us. [Milton’s Moments]

Technically, Milton pushed a tire. One assumes that the horse in front pulls the cart in the rear. In reality, the horse pushes on the breastplate or horsecollar. The energy is transmitted down the traces to drag the cart forward. The shafts are for steering.

I will admit, I had my doubts. I had visions of horse and tire zinging back and forth across the pasture.

Milton was a champ. Took him about 50 feet to remember about pulling (pushing) things, then it was old hat. Steering is still a work in progress. ‘That’s my header. Over there. Right over there.’ With the tire on the ground, the traces ride lower than normal. Mox nix.

Gold star, Milton. I apologize for doubting you.

No pics since I was serving as back-up on one end of the horse or the other, either holding the leadrope or the reins.

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine Walcott

Blogging About Blogging

 
Awareness of the outside world. Commentary on the form, both from late 2019, Whatever: The Death of the Blog, Again, Again and Viva Carlos: Is Blogging Dead?, also a comment on commenting by VC [Meh].
~~~
Here’s to nine years and post #3195. [We begin. Again. December 22, 2011]

As I said back in 2015, I’m happy with the way the blog is ticking along. I have no plans to monetize nor to add Certain Words in order to score higher on Google searches, not matter how many cajoling SEO emails fill up my inbox. [Blogging Goals, Or Not]

I’d love to have the participation of Whatever‘s comment section, but I wouldn’t want his trolls. So, I’m good.

If pressed, I would confess to one change. I’d love more blogger meetups. I don’t count friends who are now bloggers. That is a good thing. That is a different thing. I’m talking about people you have followed online, chatted with, and are now meeting in shared airspace.

Screen shot of a recent post using a photo from a blogger meetup in 2018. Not me. My photo.

2018. Her version, Literary Dates: A New York Christmas Tour

2018. My version, [Armchair Travel Opportunity, #literarydatesbookclub]

2020. Photo reused for holiday effect (I assume), “After living in New York City for 15 years and having a couple of Christmassy book tours under my belt, I now feel it’s time to throw my ring into an ultimate guide to Christmas in New York City. Yup. I did it. This will be the ultimate of the ultimatest of NYC Christmas guides. And bonus…I’ll end with some cozy, Christmassy reads.” Literary Dates: Christmas in New York City- A Local’s Guide

The latter post is what gave me the idea to harp on about blogger meetups. Proper photo credit was given in both cases.

I have had two blogger meetups, both in New York City. One I wrote a post on, above. One I didn’t. Second meetup was more sit & talk, less engage in post-worthy activities. Contacting another blogger, also NYC, ended up as an invitation to write a guest post. [In Which I Reblog Myself]

Aside from these successes, I don’t seem to have the touch. I go to their town. They don’t respond. They come to my town. They are busy. We both go to a third place. We fail to connect. [The Weirdness That Is National Academy, A Blogger Non-Meetup]

Other folks aren’t as interested? Other folks don’t live in the middle of rural nowhere and don’t have a debilitating deficit of people in their lives? No idea. Well, they could be taking one look at my blog and running away screaming. Even my inner voices aren’t that paranoid. Mostly.

Of course, blogger meetups are on hold, along with everything else right now. Thanks, Covid. Maybe this time next year I’ll have an adventure with new friends to report.

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine Walcott

Thoughts

 
Awareness of the outside world. Solstice! Longer days! Kermit dance!
~~~
Be careful out there. Not in the way you’d think.

Last week, on my way to Lee Springs Park, I was stopped for speeding. [5K To Nowhere]

When I saw the lights, I pulled over, half-expecting the car to blast by.

It didn’t.

Pulled up behind me.

Revolving blue lights parked in my rearview mirror.

Well, shit.

Put on mask.

Officer approached passenger window.

I handed over license and registration.

Did I know I was speeding?

Picture me looking blankly receptive.

56 in a 30.

Asked for proof of insurance.

I handed over my AAA card.

Asked for proof of insurance.

I started pulling cards out of my wallet. Paused for a moment to remember what I was looking for. Resumed pulling cards.

Either I am the world’s best actress I am clearly confused that my insurance card is not to hand.

When it becomes obvious that I am searching for Godot’s cufflinks, officer announced that the database may have my insurance info. Went back to patrol car to check. And, I assume, to run my ID through America’s Most Wanted.

I g0t out of truck to dig into glove compartment. Found duplicate card. Waved it at officer in car. Returned to my seat. Waited quietly. I had definitely been speeding.

Officer returned with a warning.

Well, thank you.

Can we pause to consider how much differently that could have gone had I not been white, well-off, female, and radiating the perky harmlessness of large friendly dog? The racial politics of policing is a significant issue. ‘Fraidy Cat Eventing: to Baltimore, with love

That’s not where I am going with this.

My point here is that – if I am any example – we are all less in control than we think we are.

I’ve driven a lot. I’ve had a license for 40+ years. I have not driven a lot *lately*.

The officer told me to slow down. They were not wrong. I wasn’t a danger to myself or others. 56 was fine on that road. But it was zippy. I don’t usually drive zippy.

I am not used to being out & about in the age of Covid. I was certainly more cavalier behind the wheel than I usually am.

Think of all the things you haven’t done lately. The next time you do that thing, consider that your judgment might not be as reliable as it has been in the past. For example, when I finally socialize with three-dimensional people, I will need to reel in the rabid fan girl.

Even if you think you are doing okay …

Go easy.

Take it slow.

Be careful out there.

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine Walcott

Images

 
Awareness of the outside world. Wall of Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Wall. Artist. Article.
~~~

Artist: Jim Davidson
Or maybe not.
Who knew?
The Denver Post: The bronze sculptures you pass every day might not be “real” By Josie Klemaier 2016

Photo taken during virtual 5K.[Another Lakeside Stroll]
~~~

5:28 pm

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine Walcott

Thoughts

Awareness of the outside world. From the bookshelf, *A Christmas Cornucopia: The Hidden Stories Behind Our Yuletide Traditions* by Mark Forsyth (Penguin 2016). Book announcement. Don’t think of this as a repeat posting. Think of it as the start of a Christmas tradition. [Christmas Gift]
~~~
Last year, I made of list of things to do before my next milestone birthday in 2022. [60 Before 60]

It will be a year tomorrow. How many have I made progress on?

Not.

A

Single.

One.

The only item that came true was number 60, and that was only half true.

60 Left blank for things wondrous and unthought of.

I think we can all agree that 2020 has been unthought of.

But seriously folks.

The entire list was an exercise of the imagination. Some of the goals were clearly aspirational. No way am I going to ride 3rd level dressage within the next two years. I’m not even sure I want to.

I could blame the pandemic for failures in activities that are travel- or horse-show related. But I’d be lying. I can barely drag myself off the farm for a once-a-year trip within the US to see family. Suddenly, I’m going to start prancing around the world? Even if I could? I think not.

Nor have I been near the pandemic-suitable activities, such as riding my bike 100 miles, doing a photo show, or writing a book. I’m not saying I should have achieved these. I’m saying I haven’t even started.

Every so often, I used to get a wild hair and decide I needed to draw up a budget. I diligently recorded all expenditures. I created a spreadsheet. I compiled categories. There may have been charts. The answer was always the same.

Books. Food. Pets.

The amounts spent in other categories are too small to matter: entertainment, clothes, music. Money gets spent on these things, but so little in comparison to the big 3 that the categories become statistically irrelevant.

To the point now that I don’t even bother with budgets. I know where the money goes. Saving money is a matter of controlling those three expenses.

The 60 Before 60 is much the same. I can make all the lists I want. I can have all the passing fancies I want: model horses, stamps, art. I’m going to keep doing the same things: words, horses, walks. This is not a bad thing or a good thing, simply an observation. But it does leave my 60 Before 60 list blowing in the breeze.

Dang. I was looking forward to using the list as blog fodder for several years.

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine Walcott

Fit To Ride

 
Awareness of the outside world. Premier Charity Cerebral Palsy Education Centre.
~~~

Virtual Melbourne Marathon
Official – December 5-13, 2020
My Date – Thursday, December 10, 2020
Bib Number – 2729
Location – unnamed corporate park, Inverness, AL
Time – 49:20 officially, 1 hour 7:23 minutes actually
Results, Overall – 280 out of 377 official, 350 calculated with actual time
Results, Gender – 173 official, 225 actual
Results, Gender/Age – 29 official, 49 actual
Trackers – race app, Map My Walk

Why Melbourne?
Because I am a digital tourist in Australia right now. [Biking Virtually, Great Ocean Road]

And because I went a wee bit overboard with horse show ribbon replacements medals this year. This will be my last bling walk of the year. Had fun. Plan to do only a handful next year. We’ll see how well I predict the future. [Will Walk For Bling]

Why A Second One?
Yesterday was supposed to be my virtual walk for this. I remembered the official app when I was half way through. I figured I’d go out again the next day to see what the official app had to offer. Why not? What else I got to do? [5K to Nowhere]

The app gave km announcements in Australian and a few signposts along the way. “The Tan was originally constructed in the early 1900’s as a tanbark horse-riding track.” Only Melbourne: Tan Track.

As with Peachtree the trade-off didn’t seem worth the hassle and eventual failure of creating one’s own app. BTW, I did not redo Peachtree because a) I had already used their app, 2) it was 10k rather than 5k, and, most importantly, 3 or c) it was the weekend. [Strolling By The Lake]

Virtual races existed in the before times. I signed up for Virtual Gaelic Gallop in January. “For our runners that can’t make it to Kentucky there is a virtual 5K option, too!” BreyerFest Blog: The Gaelic Gallop!. Little did we know that ‘runners that can’t make it to Kentucky’ would be everybody. Virtual-everything got a huge boost with the pandemic. It will be interesting to see how virtual races evolve over time.

Why Here?
I’m running out of new parks, at least of new parks/walking tracks that I am willing to drive to. The nearest one I have not done was more hiking in the woods than I cared for at the moment. After 5k the day before, I wanted a flat, paved route that I could motor around.

Why So Fast?
Another failure for a race-specific app. Google Earth says the lake sidewalk is just under a kilometer. Five times around should have been 4 1/2km, not 5. My official pace was 9:52 minutes per kilometer. I was making good time, but not that good. Nor was I taking shortcuts across the lake as the GPS image shows. I was in sight of a cell tower the entire time so it doesn’t have the same excuse of dense foliage that I did for the Peachtree walk.

Oh well, go out. Got fresh air. Saw the sun. I finished the extra distance while wandering around taking photos, hence the massive drop in pace.

Time would probably have been between 50 and 55 minutes, or 10 to 11 mpk. I marched along. Didn’t stop for either photos or notes, The only time I paused was to pick up a stray fishing line. I remember seeing signs about this at Joe Tucker. Helena teen improves Joe Tucker park for Eagle Scout Project, by Staff Reports, September 2020. [Lake Reflections, Joe Tucker Park]

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine Walcott