Monday Morning Musings

The NY Times says it costs 1 million dollars to keep a soldier in Afghanistan for a year. Just imagine what that kind of money could do for a spay and neuter fund in New York State... I got some work done in the barn yesterday, specifically the milk room, which was extremely gnarly. I gave it a lick and a promise for more, as they say. I have to get roto rooter in to check out my broken drain. I tried to snake it but can't get through. Possibly a pipe collapse? Just my luck. The floor gets wet from the hose I use to fill the water tanks for the sheep then has no where to go. Hay tracks in and gets wet, turning to something really nasty if I don't sweep it up. I surely do not want to jack hammer up the concrete floor of the milk room. What a mess, and I need it for the laundry, washing and dyeing wool, and keeping my outside kitties warm when the blizzards start. Might have to wait until spring, like so many other things. I have to buy a milk room heater at Tractor Supply to heat that room and keep the pipes from freezing, another expense looming. An old farm is a huge hole to pour your time and money into. Don't know how much longer I can keep this up, but I'm having fun in the meantime, and oh, the stories I will write someday. I got most of the giant wether fleece picked outside in the pleasant winter sunshine, washed it and got it dyed a lovely cherry red. I love to see a dark fleece dyed a bright color. It has such pretty variations in color. I'll dye another white fleece scarlet red, then blend the two with fuschia angora, and another color I haven't decided on yet. That's fiber art and it's so much fun. Got my patchouli soap cut and set out for curing. This recent patchouli didn't hold up in the soap making process the way I hoped it would. The anise essential oil seems to survive the lye better than any other EO I buy. I'll cut the almond tonight, which means I have to clean off my drying rack which is stuffed with fabric and other business accoutrement. Oh, what I would give for a big studio where I can spread out.