Virtual Brush Box

Awareness of the outside world. Trust for Public Land: 2025 City Park Facts.

~~~

Railroad Park
Birmingham AL USA
April 2025

Everything you could want in a city park. Foreground: grass, trees, walkway. Midground: railroad cars passing by, hence Railroad Park. Background: big buildings.

A park resident with loot and onlooker.

Birding expert Christoper Joe identified the birds a Common Grackle, top, and a House Sparrow, bottom. He also recommended the Merlin Bird ID app, which seconded with his identification of the two birds.

Urban scenic.

Technical Details

Phone camera. The one you have with you.

Links

Connecting with Birds and Nature Tours, LLC, family farm & bird tour host

Friend of Wheeler Refuge: Chistopher Joe, bio & photos. Christopher Joe is brother to Timothy Joe, the instructor for the En Plein Air Workshop. Wallace Center had a birding tour the same day as the painting workshop. [Painting Outdoors]

Check out the amazing bird mural, Wall of Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Wall. Artist. Article. [Corporate Bronze]

Previous birding post. The Urban Birder by David Lindo. The advice to Keep Looking Up continues to resonate. [Looking Up At The Landfill]

What’s with all the birding? Dunno. Picked up the Lindo book due to “Urban” in the title. We did the painting workshop to support the Wallace Center. Now, out of all the birders in the world, I know the names of two (not counting James Audubon): Christoper Joe, above, & David Lindo, link above. Both black men (not counting James Audubon). Seems statistically unlikely, given what Lindo says about the birding world.

Update: Professional birders, see comment.

Current online class, UC Graham: From Istanbul to Cairo: The City in the Historical Novels of the Middle East. Photos take during class break, hence generalized city.

Onwards!
Katherine

Horses of the outside world. Calgary: Mounted Patrol Unit, about our mounted patrols and the horses. Hat Tip T.

~~~

Post-show lesson. As I said, I want to stay with it. [Show Report, Other Horses]

However.

I will never get used to Saddlebred ears.

“Perhaps body language is one reason for the Saddlebred’s hyper reputation among hunter/jumpers and others. Picture a horse with a high head, bulging eyes and ears so alert they almost touch. In a Thoroughbred this means lift-off is immanent. In a Saddlebred, it means hello.” Post from my first lesson thirteen years ago. [Sam I Am] 2012

Repeated and elaborated upon nine years later/four years ago. [Missing The Saddlebreds, Or Not, I Do Not Miss The Horses] 2021

Bubba went on to be a total doll. Took me a while to stop redlining.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. It has been pointed out to me that fantasy art defaults to figures that are white, thin, young, conventionally attractive, and visibly able-bodied. A) True, & B) I did not notice this until it was pointed out. Hat tip to D.

~~~

I’ve said that saddle seat will remain a side quest. [Show Report, Other Horses]

So, what about the main adventure? Where are we with New Horse?

Show went great, but it took more out of me that I would have liked. Still not back to the pre-show lap count for morning walks. I had to deliberately limit further adventures. I even said no to a second horse show two weeks later. Gasp.

Again, foot never – or rarely – hurt. (That was for my mother.) But it ached more and my energy level was seriously unimpressive. [Foot Update]

Gonna have to wait.

Gonna have to stick to to the plan. [Horse Hunt On Hold]

Get better. Get back in the saddle.

I wasn’t having all that much luck before foot. But now, I can’t even if I wanted to.

Phooey. Phooey. Phooey.

At least someone has good news. The person I cited last time has found a horse! Hello, Sage. Braymere Custom Saddlery: What could possibly go wrong?

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. It has been pointed out to me that folks in marginalized groups get really tired of having to do Race 101, or Trans 101, or so on. It’s not their job to educate everyone with whom they come in contact, no matter how well-intentioned the questioner. I have a friend who is happy to answer any trans question. But that’s the point, they are a friend and have already demonstrated a willingness to instruct. Leave strangers alone. I could so see myself making this mistake. Hat tip to M.

~~~

Between foot & tack, last walk post was three weeks ago. We continue, although still not back to status quo foot. [Current Lap Count]

Mornings have been group walks lately. Too much rain & subsequent muddy footing for lunging.

We try to get out even if it’s just for one lap. Halters on. Pick feet. Walk to corner. Let go. Horses don’t really understand but cookies are involved, so they’re good with it.

Even a brief walk is a benefit. Airs the people. Deferalizes the horses.

I’m hobbling along. Milton thinks I walk too slow.

Update. Are the walks delaying healing? From comments below.

No. My understanding is that I can’t hurt the foot, not with normal activities. Doc cleared me for biking and swimming. If these are okay, a short walk is fine. Have biked once. No swimming. Short, short bike ride wiped me out, but that could be lack of fitness as much as foot objecting. I just get tired, hard to tell from which.

Alternatively.

Yes. It’s a compromise. I can’t sit on the couch for three months. Might be good for foot. Not good for mind and rest of body. My back is already stiff from so much sitting. Plus horses need to get out. Recovery plans have to be viable for the totality of the patient.

Thanks again for the concern.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. This Friday. Virtual, but the organizing institution is local to me. The Wallace Center for Arts & Reconciliation, The Legacy of Emancipation Today: A Virtual Discussion on the Legacy of Emancipation on American Society, 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM CDT. Friday, May 30, 2025. If you are not QR code enabled, you can register here. [En Plein Air, Going Retro]

~~~

Rabbit Season!

Duck Season!

Mud Season!

As anyone with a pasture knows, high traffic areas are a constant battle against becoming mud pits. One that we are losing at the moment. We decided to gather the horses on the far side of the abyss. Better to pick feet *after* they walk thru the mud.

Picture us standing out in the dry(ish) section, waving cookies.

Picture horses standing inside the run-in area, staring at us, thinking, ‘What you doing over there. Starting cookies are served here.’

Previously, we fed cookies, sent them to walk thru the mud on their own, then fed second cookies. They knew cookies occurred in this spot, just not initial cookies.

Surprisingly, Rodney was the first to come forward. I would have bet on Milton, since cookies were involved.

It only took them a few days to get with the new program. Good boys.

In other news. Yes, it’s a cookiefest around here. I believe in cookies as a communication tool. Someone else believes in an ongoing shower of cookies. I am gradually being worn down. [Wishing You A Cookie Christmas Eve, Or A Tasty Tuesday]

Onwards!
Katherine

Material Art of the outside world. The Brothers Brick: Istanbul’s Blue Mosque looks magnificent in LEGO microscale.

~~~

Turkish Classic Peshtemal Bath Towels & an Ayla Pashmina
little Istanbul Gifts
Burlington, VT USA

Sticker from my package.

Current online class, UC Graham: From Istanbul to Cairo: The City in the Historical Novels of the Middle East.

Onwards!
Katherine

Important Tourist Sites are often religious buildings. Sometimes, services are in progress. One tries to be quiet and respectful and not stare too much.

When I go to New York City, I try to stop by the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine. Depending on my schedule, sometimes I go for services, sometimes I go to sit and hold space in one of the chapels for a while. [Do You Hobby When You Travel? New York City 2018]

Over time, the Cathedral has leaned into tourism. I assume for fundraising purposes.

You can see where this is going.

At one point, I looked up during service to see a small crowd walking down the side aisle. They were quiet and respectful and trying not to stare too much.

It was weird being the local color.

~~~

Afterword

Visit Istanbul: Heritage of a city where three religions meet. Thumbnail photos & links to churches, mosques, synagogues. (Word order taken from text on the site. Looks like they went with alphabetical.)

Current online class, UC Graham: From Istanbul to Cairo: The City in the Historical Novels of the Middle East.

Onwards!
Katherine