Dark, Cloudy and Quiet

Was surprised to hear only one muzzle loader going off during our walk this morning.  It was much worse when I lived in western New Jersey, when I thought the front was a half mile from our cabin.  There was a bullet hole in my bird feeder on the front porch and I kept away from the windows during hunting season.  I haven't seen any deer running for their lives this weekend, or wounded ones hiding in my apple orchard.  I understand poor people hunting for food, but I will never understand people of means hunting for fun.  I'll say it again, we are a primitive, pitiless people.  I'm keeping my sheep in today, which means spouse and I rolling out a round bale.  This should be funny to watch.  On deck for me after routine chores...cutting up lots of lovely lavender soap and making more.  I've been thinking lately of how nice it would be to only work with my fibers, and sew on the beautiful fabrics I've been blessed with, but then I get in my giant claw-foot bath tub and rub a warm bar over my shoulder and think I'll always make soap.  Every once in a while I buy a bar of handmade soap from another soap maker to try.  I haven't found any that I like as well as mine.  My soap is sooooo creamy and soothing.   Is it the silk fibers I melt into the lye solution?  Is it the goat milk, honey, oatmeal and shea butter?  I don't know.  I make it the same way I've made it for 20 years. Someone at Rhinebeck told me I'm crazy to wrap it all in quilt fabric but that's so much fun.  It's like wrapping little presents for people. Someday I'll make a quilt with all the wrappings people give back to me.  It will be like a history book of my soap making.  Every fabric tells a story, like the lovely prints Carol Crayonbox finds for me in the shop run by a 90 plus year old lady out by Ithaca, or the tie-dyes Annie brings to me from that fabulous Marden's in Maine, or the upscale textiles Sally sends to me all the way from New Orleans.  With the silk fibers and cloth wrappings soap making is still a fibery activity.  After an eggy breakfast I'll get to it.  Only one egg from the chicken room yesterday.  I'm hoping spouse will hang a light for me.  I won't buy factory eggs for a variety of reasons one of which is that they just taste lousy.  The chickens need a rest during this dormant period so maybe just a little light...If I'm lucky I'll find an egg in the box of wool I put on the porch for the kitties.  Let me go check.