Virtual Brush Box

Awareness of the outside world. Flu shot last week. Enough reaction to know I had it, but that’s about it. “The test of flu, by the way, is if there is a £50 note in the garden, would you be able to go and get it. If you couldn’t, then you definitely have flu. If you could, then it’s a cold so get over yourself!” My Shetland: Vaccinations.

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Milton now gets lunch, or more accurately “lunch”. He gets a mouthful or two of grain to keep him occupied while I serve Rodney. It’s gone up a bit since first lunch (pictured), but still just one handful. [Three Squares]

I’ve also adjusted the service plan for lunch to match the other meals. Initially, I served Rodney’s lunch grain at the same time I served the lunch hay. Reasonable, right?

I changed for two reasons.

One. Bellies. For various reasons, the convoluted details of which I will spare you, we serve breakfast and dinner in three stages. Hay is split into two servings – well Milton’s is, Rodney has free choice, I told you it was elaborate – and grain. I’ve rearranged lunch so that it matches breakfast and dinner. Horses appreciate & do better with consistency.

Two. Behavior. When Rodney entered the stall, he was starting to exhibit confusion about where to go, either toward hay (breakfast & dinner) or toward grain (lunch). Again consistency. Also, Milton was getting overly curious about what was going on. [Did You Say Lunch?]

The downside is more work for the minion. Oh well, that ship has sailed and disappeared over the horizon.

Onwards!
Katherine

[Fractal Alphabet]

Onwards!
Katherine

Cats & Dogs

I feed. I clean. Work.
They watch. They eat. They sleep. Rest.
Who is the smart one?

Horses

I feed. I clean. Work.
They chill. They graze. They sleep. Rest.
Who is the smart one?

Afterword

“The subject of the haiku is nature; the senryu, human nature.” Poetic Society of America: Senryū: The Haiku’s Comic Cousin, by Kimiko Hahn.

Onwards!
Katherine

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.

🍞 🍞 🍞

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.

🍞 🍞 🍞

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