Virtual Brush Box

Awareness of the outside world. Imagine the effect on geopolitics if Russia still owned Alaska. Idea courtesy of listening to the audio edition of Full Circle by Michael Palin (St. Martins 1997, Audible 2012), which begins with the author looking out across the Bering Straits. Palin Travels: Full Circle

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One of Rodney’s shoes made it over 6 weeks! During bug season! “Perhaps they can go 5 or 6 weeks in the summer instead of 4 or 5 weeks.” [Seven Weeks!]

Milton’s two front shoes and Rodney’s right front shoe were put on new on Thursday 2 May, and reset Monday 17 June. That’s 6 weeks and 4 days!

Rodney’s left front was put on new on Thursday 2 May, came off, put back on Tuesday 21 May, and reset Monday 17 June. [Shoe Removal Service]

The one that come off is usually the one that stays tighter. Rodney must be right-hoofed and stomp more with his right front. That is the one I use to judge if he is due for shoeing. A long way of saying the length of time is real. If the right can stay, on the left will as well – usually.

Anyway.

Over 6 weeks!

In summer!

Huge!

Will I continue to celebrate every little shoeing increment?

Absolutely.

Thoroughbreds are bred for speed not for foot strength. The have notoriously thin, delicate feet. Any progress in this department is notable.

I might have made the appointment for Thursday and gone for the full 7 weeks. One, I wasn’t feeling that brave. (TBH, I had forgotten that 7 weeks was already the record.) Two, Milton’s handler had to leave for work early that day could not be around to hold his horse. Milton is noticeably more relaxed when his person is there, or at least not me. Blacksmith’s assistant will do in a pinch. This keeps Milton quiet, which keeps the blacksmith happy. You want a happy blacksmith.

Onwards!
Katherine

Book Arts of the outside world. Center for Book Arts.

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Introduction To Bookmaking
David West
MakeBHM
Tuesday 11 June 2024
Class 4 of 4

Coptic Binding

Three-tone pamphlet stitch. The blue & black are running stitch, one up, one back. The red is gratuitous decoration.

Group Graduation photo

Links

Instagram post from instructor, @dwestart_studio, 10 June

[Quick Books, Book Making Class #1]
[Preparing The Parts, Book Making Class #2]
[Two Covers, Bookmaking Class #3]

Onwards!
Katherine

Claire caught up with me in the hallway. I could hear her stomping all the way from the elevator, “Why are we meeting in person!”

I took a deep breath and intoned, “Face to face time is important because humans beings are social animals. Millions of years of evolution cannot be shoved aside by a few years of technological convenience.”

Claire rolled her eyes.

“Well, if you knew the answer, why did you ask?”

“At least they will have snacks.”

That was true. Management might have weird ideas about mandatory in-person meetings, but they weren’t stupid. People are much more amenable about showing up when promised food.

At which point, we had reached the door to the conference room.

~~~

A VSV, aka Very Small Vertical, on the fiction-as-jumps measurement scale. [A Book & On The Mountain]

In driving, the division for minis is called VSE, Very Small Equines. “VSEs are under 99cm with or without shoes.” ADS: VSE & Pony Measurement Program. [Watching from the Sidelines, scroll down]

This post was planned to have several fragments, perhaps even enough to be a considered a course of Very Small Verticals. Alas, work.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Giraffe Conservation Foundation: World Giraffe Day. Also, have you met Finn, The Baby Giraffe? Appearing on Instagram Highpoint Haven @Gerald’s Life & TiKToK although you are on your own there. Dairy Mail: Adorable moment two-week-old baby giraffe Finn goes outside for the first time at Texas sanctuary, Saletta, 2 April 2024.

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From the maps, it appears that the Lee Branch begins under the outdoor shopping center that bears its name. This is where the creek comes out from under the asphalt.

Technical Details

Creek Outlet, f/2.4, 1/129 sec., 7.0 mm, ISO 32. Manual mode & auto-focus. Post production: resized, border, & watermark. No cropping.

Border colors. Gray for project, yellow for Nikon. [Photo Safari The First], [Quarry, Photography, Things]

[Tracing The Lee Branch]

[Lee Branch, Greystone Commercial Boulevard]

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. DOE: Agrivoltaics. For subscribers to the Boston Globe, there is an article on agricvoltaics & sheep in yesterday’s edition. Hat tip to G.

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Milton has been wearing a kicking strap since January. [Tack Update Milton]

Recently, I thought, Hey, we haven’t used that since it was put on. You’d think I would know better.

Last weekend, Milton had a short, sharp hissy fit. Hit the strap. Bounced a bit. Got over himself. Got on with the day.

Because …

They started the drive in a different place in the field?

He was asked to work?

He was asked to work in the morning? Tack in the morning gives him track flashbacks?

The world was too much for Young Werther?

Shrug. Sometimes you never find out what got their knickers in a twist. Next time, his driver dialed it back & everyone’s feet stayed where they were suppose to.

Strap did its thing.

Yay, strap.

Boo, needing strap.

Yay, getting back to work after.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. “Juneteenth provides us with an annual space to do so.” Vox: Juneteenth isn’t just a celebration of freedom. It’s a monument to America’s failures. Collins 2022.

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Last weekend was forecast to be hot. So, we worked in the mornings and skipped the afternoon sessions. Neither morning involved walking by the humans. By Saturday afternoon, I decided I needed to move and took myself out for a walk.

We pause for a bit of weather math. At 5 pm on Saturday it was 98oF (36oC), with a RealFeel of 106oF (41oC). The humidity was 39%. Temp plus humidity was 137. This is not the heat index, a fact I learned while researching this post, NOAA: Heat Index Calculator. It is however, a number used to calculate when it’s too hot to ride. Under 130, okay. 130 to 150, maybe not. Above 150, no. Cited in various places, example Maryland Horse Council: Riding in Hot Weather.

As I walked, I thought it wasn’t THAT bad.

One, I’ve always lived at the warm end of the scale [I’m Cold].

Two, I was in the shade.

Three, there was a light breeze.

Four, I was at a leisurely stroll.

I decide heat calculations ought to account for things such as activity level & heat of the sun. Turns out, I had very cleverly sidled up to the concept of wet bulb temperature. I learned this from the Monday link, Vox: This number can measure how dangerous a heat wave is for you, What is the wet bulb temperature? And why is it so important? Irfan, Jun 17, 2024.

Other weather numbers, Reader’s Digest: What Is the Heat Index—and How Is That Different from the RealFeel Temperature?, Stathis, Jan 25, 2024

Fancy math or not, 98oF is too hot to ride.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Vox: This number can measure how dangerous a heat wave is for you, What is the wet bulb temperature? And why is it so important? Irfan, Jun 17, 2024. The Guardian: Millions face record-high temperatures as heat dome intensifies over US, Helmore and Salam, 17 Jun 2024.

~~~

Virtual Tevis Cup 2024
100 Miles in 100 Days
10 April to 21 July

Rodney
9 miles this week, 90 miles total
9 outings – 7 handwalks, 2 ride

Milton
7 miles this week, 86 miles total
7 outings – 4 handwalks, 2 ride, 1 drive

All outings one mile in pasture.

Tuesday 11 June to Monday 17 June

Logistics

Milton. All mornings. Tues to Fri, handwalk. Saturday, hitch. Sunday & Monday, ride.

Rodney. Tues to Fri, morning walks. Wed to Fri, additional afternoon walks. We doubled up to catch Milton, got on a roll, & kept going. Saturday, day off. Ran out of time after hitching Milton in the morning. Real Feel of 106o even late in the afternoon. Sun & Mon, morning ride. Sunday afternoon off because hot, again. Monday afternoon off because shod.

Commentary

The pulldown menu for Activity on the VT logging page has Ride, Hand-Walk, or Drive.

To be pedantic, Hand-Walk is an inaccurate term here. The parallel to ride or drive is work-in-hand. You can do this at any gait. I’ve seen a trainer do a dressage test in-hand, by jogging along behind the horse at the trot. I don’t remember if they cantered. The Spanish Riding School does fancy airs above the ground in-hand. So, you could do VT miles by running along next to your horse. Last year’s IRL Tevis winner did a large chunk of the race this way. Equine Ink: Jeremy Reynolds and Treasured Moments Win Tevis 2023 Bridle-less!

Anyway.

The term works for us, although I skip the hyphen, because it’s what we do and is shorter than saying, walk the horses in-hand.

Virtual Tevis Posts [Archives]

Onwards!
Katherine