Virtual Brush Box

I was talking about walks a while back, “It was amazing how many new places I could find to fit in a mile. I miss that.” [Second Walk Considerations]

So, I started again. All walks one mile.

Soccer Fields

Dunnavant Valley Fields
Shelby County AL, USA
October 2024

First one. I went to take photos of the Greenway. [The Trail Goes Ever On]

The trailhead is at the bottom right of the map image. I parked in the middle of the map on the white section. What I thought was a walkway turned out to be a legit road to parking at the trailhead. It was .25 mile. Hmm, that’s a good start to a new mile. Walked back to truck. Walked along playing fields. Reversed course. Voilà a mile. I like the walks to be all of a piece, so that left another .25 to get back to the truck when I was done with the photos.

City Parks

Caldwell Park
Inner & outer loops
Birmingham AL, USA
October 2024

“Caldwell Park is the westernmost of three small parks occupying low-lying basins along Highland Avenue in the Highland Park neighborhood of Birmingham. The parks were designed along with the avenue as collection areas for rainfall, unsuited for building but ideal for aesthetic and recreational use.” Bham Wiki: Caldwell Park.

Rhodes Park
Inner & outer loops
Birmingham AL, USA
October 2024

“Unofficial reputation as a neighborhood dog park.” Bham Wiki: Rhodes Park. Definitely. The little indent at approximately 4 o’clock on the inner loop (upper) Strava map is where I walked over to kick a soccer ball back to the furry participants. The square detour at 10 o’clock in the inner loop is the entrance plaza from the tile photos.

The outer loops are the sidewalks around the parks.

Caldwell Park was leaf photo. [Found Fall, Photography]

Rhodes Park was tile photos. [Mosaic Tiles, Art]

Interlude – Downtown

A walk in two parts. I ended up parking (P) .33 miles from an appointment (A). Once that was done, I walked down the street until I was .5 miles from my truck & then turned around and walked back.

Old Park, New Walk

Veteran’s Park
Alabaster AL
October 2024

City of Alabaster, Facilities: Veterans Park
Shelby AL > Facilities: Veteran’s Park Alabaster

Had been to this park before. Did not recognize name or map until I got there. [Exercise and The Illusion Of Social Contact]

The area I had walked last time was being used by an ultra marathon run, Southeastern Trail Runs: The Endless Mile, off to the right and behind the cars in the photo. Of course, I had to recommend the Lawrence Block book on the subject, Step by Step: A Pedestrian Memoir. I was surprised that the two folks in the refreshment tent had not heard of it. Walked along the back area where I hadn’t been before.

It was supposed to be my monthly 5K but I ran out of time. I had to get back home to feed lunch.

Onwards!
Katherine

I had a contest. I offered a prize, “$25 gift card to online retailer of your choice.” [Guess My Mystery Project]

The answer was Western Dressage. [The Mystery Project … Drumroll]

The closest guess was “Riding western.” [Guess, comment]. The winner was Meg McKinney. Here she is to tell us about it. Welcome, Meg.

Meg elsewhere on the blog, [Archives]. Photography website, Meg McKinney.

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The winning answer! Just as good as a blue ribbon!
Story and photographs by Meg McKinney

I was excited to learn that I won the gift certificate because I guessed the correct answer — Western riding lessons!

After reading about this challenge, I began to think – What have I never, ever heard read about in the blog, Virtual Brush Box (https://rodneyssaga.com)?

Hmmmmmmmm. Of all the many subjects – U.S. Pony Club, hunter-jumpers, saddle seat, carriage driving, American Saddlebreds, dressage, cross-country riding, feed buckets, geldings, mares, show jumping, side saddle, Rodney and Milton, horse care, chores, hay nets, art classes, photography classes, the blog itself, two Basset hounds – there still had to be something not blogged.

Think … think…. A-ha! Western riding – with big saddles, quarter horses, rodeos, roping, ground tie, neck reining, barrel racing, hackamore bridles, cowboy boots, chaps, the lope – I couldn’t recall any of these subjects in the blog.

The theme music for “Bonanza” came to mind and I submitted my entry.

Following notification, I had to decide where to spend my online gift certificate. This was too precious for run-of-the-mill-Amazon.

When paging through the King Arthur Baking website, and their The Baker’s Catalog, I daydream about creating wonderful foods. Any reason to justify a purchase – baking pans, sourdough starters, sourdough stoneware crocks, pizza stone, utensils, KAF flours, spices – will do.

Envisioning all manner of cooking and baking adventures, I finally narrowed my list to two items (adding a few dollars of my own) to the “King Arthur Baking Whole Grain Baking” cookbook and a red Heavy Duty Oven Mitt.

Upon arrival their arrival, I started reading the 600-page cookbook – and have a more chapters to look forward to — and selected Peach-Oatmeal Bread (page 57) for the first recipe to make.

I keep whole wheat flour, bread flour, and oatmeal on hand. I only needed a few ingredients from the grocery store, and then followed the instructions for mixing and baking.

It went like clockwork, and is both yummy-tasting and hearty, at the same time.

Checkout the kitchen photos – this oven mitt is probably the best one I’ve used yet.

More “Whole Grain Baking” is in my future.

With a red oven mitt, of course.

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Last weekend was the second weekend in a row when we did something on a Saturday that did not involved horses. Usually, weekends are barn time. Not so much lately.

The last time I rode at all was September. [Home Team Update]

The last time I rode above a walk was the show. [Soloing In A Crowd]

The last time I rode in a non-saddle seat english saddle was earlier this year.

The last time I rode a course was several years ago.

The last time I jumped more than a cross rail was before the pandemic.

The last time went on a trail ride, rode in jump-off, galloped thru the finish flags on cross-country.

You get the idea.

Am I done riding? It’s not what I want, but seems to be where circumstances have landed me.

Yes, I have agency.

Clearly, I have signed up with the wrong agency.

But seriously folks.

Yes, there are more important things in the world.

It is hard to cope with the more important things when the thing that brings you joy is absent.

This is not news. Just where I am at the moment, [Pink Horse, Guest Photo, With Added Whining]

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Yesterday, I said that I had hit pause on the news. I know I will have to engage eventually. Hiding is privilege & silence is complicity. I’m gonna need a moment. Or two. [Taking a Poll on a New Feature]

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Milton barges to the front if he feels the walk is not going to plan. [Milton Takes The Lead]

However, if he finds himself in the lead too often, he will wander off to graze.

The attitude reminds me of showing jumpers. A good horse will save you in a bad situation. At a show up in Virginia with Previous Horse, I landed us in a heap in the middle of an in & out. I had to grab the mane and hope the horse could fix it. He did. However, you can’t do this too often. Go to that well too many times and the horse will trade you in for a new model.

Taking point is a people job. Milton expects one of us to be out front doing our job.

Unless we are doing it wrong.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. I’ve hit pause for the moment.

~~~

Rodney is now getting lunch. [Three Squares]

As a result, Milton has started moseying over to see what is going on.

Milton: Hmmm. the box seems more interesting than when I was in it. [Stall Rest Chronicles]

Given his Sharknado tendencies, having Milton cluttering up the doorway makes it harder to get Rodney into the stall. Understandably.

Milton suspects something is up. I don’t think he knows the extent to which Rodney is outeating him. He gets Rodney’s empty bucket to clean. So far that is satisfying him.

Onwards!
Katherine

Yarn Winding
The Foldout Cat
Alabama Fiber Festival
Brierfield Ironworks
Brierfield, Alabama USA
2 November 2024

Explanation. “Originally a weavers’ tool for warp/weft experimentation without the need to sample; alchemized into an creative medium by artist @astridskibsted.” Instagram: @foldoutcat September 26, 2023.

Gallery exhibit. Instagram: @astridskibsted March 9, 2024.

Book. The Yarn Winding Manifesto, by Astrid Skibsted.

Introduction. “Textile designer, weaver and artist Astrid Skibsted has made yarn winding an art form in itself and a piece of art in its own right. … This introductory text I wrote for her book “The Yarnwinding Manifest”. Charlotte Jul: Sensory Awareness.

Website seems to be down at the moment. Instagram & Facebook links still go somewhere.

Onwards!
Katherine

The six personal narrative classes have come & gone.

First Person: Personal Narrative Writing
UAB Art, ArtPlay
Teaching Artist – Javacia Harris Bowser

How did I do on my specific aims for the class? [Thoughts Before A Class]

1) Go somewhere, do something.

Yup.

2) Generate blog posts.

Hit this one out of the park. This is post #7 about the class directly. While in town for class, I found photo subjects for Friday posts and art subjects for Sunday posts. After all these years, I think in blog posts. Can’t say if this is a good thing or a bad thing. It is definitely a thing I do.

3) Professional development.

Meh. I wrote four assignments. Approximately 3,000 words. More writing is better than less writing. OTOH, all of it was very much a piece of what I already write. Partly due to the short time frame. Assignment on Monday, due Friday. Text on a deadline? Pas de problem. Soul-searching, personally innovative text on a deadline? Not happening. One option would be to gradually redo the assignments in a more narrative style. I may. Or I may get caught up in simply getting text out the door.

4) Write & 5) Submit.

Nope. Nothing I wrote cries out for a market.

So what did I learn? I can safely say that Personal Narrative, as a genre, is not for me.

Emotional subtext. I am a subtle as a brick. Would I benefit from increased emotional complexity? Probably. Am I likely to change at my age? Probably not. Nor am I interested in reading books that plumb the profound depths of a stranger. Unless you are one of my nearest & dearest, I do not care to hear about your personal growth. I am delighted you have gained as a human. Please go do it somewhere else.

Trauma. Personal narrative is all about transformation. Because X happened, I learned Y things. Generally, X is some horrible life event. I do not want to have horrible life events. I do not want to read about horrible life events. I will not bring down the tone of this post by giving specific examples of the terrible things that people write about. If you are interested, do a search on Memoir. Or use your imagination. Ick. I do not need more angst in my life. I have a gracious plenty. Why invite more darkness into my life?

Thus endeth the personal narrative adventure.

Post From Another Class Member

Aust’s Proquestinations: Personal Narrative Assignment #1 – Embracing My Roots

My Class Posts

[What Is Personal Narrative, Thoughts Before A Class]
[Why I Write, Personal Narrative Class #1]
[What Is The Story Of Your Name? Personal Narrative Assignment #1, Class #2]
[Turning Yourself into a Character, Personal Narrative Assignment #2, Class #3]
[Life in Seven States, Or Seven State-Like Entities, Personal Narrative Assignment #3, Class #4]
[Confessions of a Confirmed Cat Person, Personal Narrative Assignment #4, Classes #5&6]
Personal Narrative, Thoughts After A Class

Per my own curiosity, posts that arose because of class

[Sunset On A Sidewalk, Photography]
[Heart Of Gold Mural, Art]
[Found Fall, Photography]
[Scattered Reflections, Photography]
[Mosaic Tiles, Art]
[Park photos] pending

So, four writing assignments and a baker’s dozen of posts. Not a bad haul.

Onwards!
Katherine