Virtual Brush Box

Last year was the gifts I wanted to get. This year, gifts I wish I could give. [Gift Guide]

One article of clothing.

That one item of clothing you have not been able to find. A pair of jeans that fit in all of your measurements, not just two out of three. A technical outfit for your sport/hobby to see if the expense is worth the hype. A flattering show coat. The perfect cosplay cape made with traditional methods true to the era in question. A formal outfit for a fancy occasion.

One Internet search of a person.

Have you ever wondered, What happened to whats-his/her/their/name? This would be your chance to find out. Their address. What they have posted on social media. What books they list on Goodreads. Satisfy your curiosity without hiring a private detective. Option to contact the person, or to operate in stealth mode so they never know you were looking. [But Keep the Old]

One food to eat without consequences.

Food allergies? Food dislikes? Do you wilt at the slightest hint of spiciness? This would be your chance to try that food &/or meal and find out what all the fuss is about.

What would you ask for?

Onwards!
Katherine

Unless suddenly inspired, I’m taking a break from big camera adventures until January. Capitalize on that new year energy. Here’s one from the vaults.

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Testing the pinhole camera for the eclipse of April 2024. [Eclipse Pinhole Photography]

Onwards!
Katherine

Dogs of the outside world. Seth Casteel, Underwater Dogs Photographer. Hat tip to M.

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Gotcha day for the ladies is complicated. Was it when they became our responsibility? Was it when they left for their new home? We celebrate it the day they arrived here, December 1st. [Jasmine and Rose Have A Big Basset Adventure]

So, we’ve had a solid two years with them, to date.

Jasmine gave us a scare over the Thanksgiving holiday. She stopped eating. Unlike last time, this one looked serious. [Meal Management]

It was also confusing. Nope, don’t eat dog kibble anymore. Okay, like bacon. Nope, don’t like bacon. Okay, like dog kibble. And so on. She finally settled on a blender mush of chicken, dog food, cottage cheese, and so on.

Shortly thereafter, she had trouble with her gums. Perhaps the food strike was tooth issues not digestive issues? An abscess that finally resolved? We know her teeth and gums are a challenge. Or was it two unrelated, consecutive issues? No idea. [Dragon Dog]

Each time the body suffers an insult it does not bounce back completely, particularly in a geriatric. We are aware that some day we will run out of dog, probably sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, we see she that she is comfortable, keep her warm, and feed her whatever she is willing to eat.

Rose, however, is having a wonderful time. There does not appear to be much fellow feeling, so Rose does not get perturbed. She enjoys the food. Leftovers from failed attempts. Dropped food. A few days ago, Rose was spotted licking Jasmine’s paws. You do you, Rose.

J& R posts [archives]

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Made chit-chat with postal worker about the sneeze guards over the counter. I commented that I did not mind some of the measures that had been left in place. (A possible radical comment in my area.) They agreed and said they were particularly appreciative when it came to cleaning and they saw how dirty the panes got. All that stuff not getting blow into their face.

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As I write this (Tuesday), thunderstorms are incoming. So I will be brief.

Cold snap. [What’s Up Wednesday]

One night above freezing and then cold snap #2.

The horses were fine au natural, even when the nights dipped to 25o, as long as they could warm up during the day.

Friday was cloudy and raw and nasty. No one got warm. Friday evening we dug the blankets out of the basement.

Rodney was cool with it. As soon as he saw what was coming, he stood absolutely stock still.

Milton fussed a bit until he realized that he was warm.

I think they forget, as we all do. Blankets have to come with a cost in terms of weight and movement restriction. I don’t need a blanket. I don’t need a blanket. Oooooh, warmmmmmm.

Right now we have warm & rain. More cold on the way. Then – crosses fingers – back to our normal ~60o/40o for a while.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Covid shot last Friday. Consent form had a space for the translator’s name. Never seen that before.

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Going For A Walk
L to R, Milton, human, Rodney
Pasture
December 2024

When the other human sits out a lap, I walk both. They are pretty good about it. Provided I run interference on Milton’s bitey bits.

Technically an early afternoon walk. Hence the sun at a photographically obliging angle. On the weekends, the standard pre-breakfast walk has been known to occasionally slide until later in the day.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. PSA: Watch your buttons. I was listening to an online lecture. A voice piped up along the lines of, ‘It’s kind of boring. I could just read the book.’ They were not wrong. They were also not muted.

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Beginning Forging: Blade Class
Hank Simpson
Shelby County Arts Council
Columbiana AL, USA
November 2024

On one hand, as with other classes, this one was a success, “I got out of the house. I interacted with three-dimensional people. I had fun.” [In Which I Make Bad Art]

OTOH, less so. One of the reasons I specifically took this class was to use the result as a hay bale opener. Years ago, a friend gave us a knife made from a railroad spike. It was awesome. Slash. There goes that piece of baling twine. Alas, the knife went walkabout and reappeared eaten up by rust.

I was hoping to make another. I worked hard. I made a knife-shaped object. It’s pretty. It couldn’t cut warm butter. Even sharpening by Blacksmith could not create a viable edge.

Back to the utility knife & scissor assortment.

Previous SCAC class [Journal Workshop]

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Cute greetings from last year, Desktop Stables: Merry Christmas! December 25, 2023.

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From last year’s tree design. [Fractal Christmas Tree]

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Update. two images redone. Turns out rotating an asymmetrical design requires greater attention to detail.

First iterations. Can you see the error? I didn’t until after the post was published.

More update.

In the spirit of graphic inquiry, here is an alternate version of one of the redos. I think it looks spikier.

Onwards!
Katherine