sky study #162

Sunrise over the cheese barn November 24, 2017

soapy

David, Jimmy & I made a beautiful batch of soap while they were here this week. Home made soap is a little treacherous because of the use of lye, but is super fun, and the sky's the limit as far as scent and color combinations

We did an iridescent topped Patchouli scented batch

The cut slices - these will cure for 5-6 weeks before they can be used

the dried weasel

I found the dried, hollow carcass of a dead weasel in the barn this week.  Fierce predators and bad news in a chicken coop,  this little guy didn't look injured - more like he laid down and died.  I've never seen one at the farm before and have never lost a chicken to one.  Last year my sickly little lop rabbit Trevor was killed overnight, and my guess is this weasel was the killer.  Trevor was unwell and quite helpless, and would have been easy prey for the weasel. His mouth is tiny, maybe a 1/4" inch wide, but it looks like the mini-mouth within the mouth in the Alien monster. 

crumbly

Crumb top apple pie

my inner 10 year old

Just reached LEVEL 500 on Candy Crush Soda.  Not sure if I should be happy or concerned for my mental health.

goodnight Mama Cat

I came out to the barn this morning and found Mama Cat lying face down sprawled on the floor - I thought she was dead.  She was not, but was barely alive, and as I picked her up I found a large, deep gash in her neck and throat.  I moved her to a comfortable place and she died a few hours later.  Something must have attacked her during the night, my guess is an owl, as the wound was clean and deep, not a bite wound.  There was no sign of a struggle in the barn, no blood, nothing knocked over.  I imagine she was walking around the grounds last night and she was able to get away from whatever attacked her and make it back to the barn. A friend live-trapped Mama Cat and her kitten Mali in 2012 (original blog post here) Mali disappeared a day after we met her, but Mama Cat grew into a sweet, affectionate cat who loved being petted and would follow me all over the farm grounds.  I will miss her greeting me in the barn in the mornings and will always wonder what killed her last night.

yes I did

Ate a "Git-R-Done" brand salted nut roll from the marked-down basket at Tractor Supply.  It was delicious.

gaga for chaga

Traded a piece of cheese for some chunks of locally foraged CHAGA mushroom - this highly medicinal antioxidant mushroom grows on birch trees, looks and feels like petrified wood and makes a mild dark brown tea

ketchup & mustard

Thrift haul from Goodwill in Acme, MI: vintage red elastic waist skirt with cute pockets BLUE tag half off for $2.00, and yellow terry cloth sundress in the "swimwear" department $3.99

Vintage labels read Katie Brooke, Made in U.S.A  and DeMura, Made in Japan