Low Key Photo Challenge: Travel

Photography

 

Theme: Travel

Stepping Stone Farm loads up for a horse show.

Process Notes
When going through the photos, I had a hard time staying on task. I kept getting caught up in content. Many of the photos were of Dottie adorably sticking her head out the window, but were not particularly interesting photographically. Technically, this one was taken on manual, but owes more to random luck and button pushing than to thoughtful manipulation of the medium. Plus, it could just as easily been taken on auto. Between a moving subject, the dark trailer interior, and the light sky, I could not adjust the numbers quickly enough. I swapped to Auto for a handful of shots. Actually, for a while, I moved the dial to A, which is aperture-priority mode not auto. Whoops.

Tire track & trailer photos were manual. No moving targets, no tricky lighting.

Procedure for Low Key Photo Challenge
1) I post a photo/photos on a given theme.
2) You comment below with a link to your photo(s) on that theme.
3) We all click over to see what you have.

That’s it. No prizes. No rules. No submissions. For more explanation, see [Inaugural Edition].

Previous Challenges
[Hello!]
[Labor]
[Toys]

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

G-G-G-G-Greg and Sn-Sn-Sn-Sn-Snippy

Pleasure Driving

 

Driving lesson at Stepping Stone Farm.

We also put out the CDE cones (no photos), which Snippy seemed to enjoy. After giving them the side-eye for being in his ring. So far, all of the ASB have liked their taste of CDE. Like us, horses enjoy the occasional chance to change it up.

Title inspired by Max Headroom, an 80s icon bought back into currency by Ready Player One [Being Happy].

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

A Day At The Barn

Adventures in Saddle Seat

 

Since the Fiat [What’s In Your Stocking?] has gone to join its ancestors, we are a one-car household for the moment. Therefore, I was dropped off at Stepping Stone Farm in the morning and retrieved in the evening. Much joking was done on the subject of adult day care, bringing my nap mat, and getting a good report at the end of the day.

I watched the cycle of the barn. A morning lesson for an adult. Training work-outs. Afternoon lessons once the kids got out of school and adults got out of work. Amongst all that, we went out for lunch. I had my lesson. I regretted not bringing that nap mat.

The more things change … After six years, we have a new crew of barn rats. The kids I met when I first came to the barn have grown up and gone off to college, marriage, and other life choices. Some of them still come out as work or school allows. Others, I only see on Instagram.

Neither could I identify the new horses. In my defense, they are all variations on a theme. A field full of bay Thoroughbreds? No problem. A barn full of chestnut Saddlebreds? Um, which one is Sam?

… the more they remain the same. Horses. Kids. Training sessions. Riding lessons. Yes, we are all unique intersections of the time-space continuum. The roles we fill repeat over time.

If I’d had a car, I would have gone home. Being dependent on a ride meant I stayed to watch the entire day unfold. Limitations can have interesting benefits. I still want my truck back.

Do you work with kids? Is it weird to watch them pass through on a endlessly-renewing conveyor belt?

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Milton’s Social Media Presence Expands

Home Team

 

A fun post to counteract yesterday’s negativity. Milton has a fan club.

I have nothing to do with this. One of the kids at Stepping Stone Farm started the page & is the admin. I joined, but my membership is prone to fluctuation, depending on how the Gray Wonder decides to behave on any given day.

It’s cool, but it’s also odd. I think it’s great that people admire Milton. Someone should. But, it’s weird to have something this close to me be out of my control.

I wonder if this is how authors feel about fan fiction.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Hello Whining, My Old Friend

Home Team

 

I haven’t posted a good, solid whine in a while. Time to fix that. There have been so many happy posts lately, I didn’t want you to think the gloom had gone away.

Given that I was getting pony rides on Milton at the end of last year [I Ride Milton!], and we are now showing [Victory!], it’s going great. Given that I’ve had Milton for four years [Meet Milton], and we can’t do more than shuffle around at a trot [Maintaining Our Firm Grip On Last Place], not so great.

Rodney, ditto. Except we aren’t shipping anywhere [Dubious Future], and it’s been twice as long [The Cast Assembles].

I get impatient.

I’m not impatient because I think I deserve great things. Quite the opposite. I get impatient because I am disgusted with myself. I start to wonder if any amount of progress will make up for the time I have wasted.

If I had made better choices. If I had worked harder. If I had … (voices in my head go hypersonic).

Opportunities are strewn before me in gracious abundance. When I fail to capitalize on them, I have only myself to blame. From there, it is a short slide into the fen of frustration.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Alphabooks, L is for Lane

Graphic Design

 

I Am Mister Ed … Allan “Rocky” Lane Revealed
by Linda Alexander
BearManor 2014

From Glyn’s Books via AbeBooks.com. Have not read. Going in TBR pile, but I don’t hold out great hope. Lane was the uncredited voice of Mr. Ed. [Y is for Young 2017]

Office assistant lends a paw with the scanning.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

WEG XC

Today is the scheduled day for cross-country at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon NC, USA.

Although invited to volunteer [Opportunity or Distraction], I ultimately chose not go. The original plan for today’s post was to yap about that decision and how I felt about it. In light of current conditions, my mental gymnastics on the subject seem trivial.

Instead, I would like to wish safety and dry socks to everyone in Florence’s path.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott