Sorry to hear about your grandmother.We ended the year on a sour note here. I lost Sybil on the 29th rather suddenly, my grandmother passed away last week, and the legend herself, Betty White, left us yesterday. What a rotten year 2021 was right to the end, but at least it's over now and I've made it through. View attachment 2946534
Happy new year, y'all--and here's hoping it's a good one this time!
That's never any fun. It's happened to me a few times. I left my run unlocked the last time it was freezing raing because I wasn't sure how I'd get in, if it froze over. We have an electric wire running around and the door was shut, just not "locked".Winter has decided to rear its ugly head at last. It rained much of yesterday, and then froze overnight and snowed over. I had to bring hot water out to get my lock opened on the main coop, and then to get the doors, themselves, open because all the mud tracked into the doorways froze and sealed them shut! Then, of course, everyone's water was frozen and needed refilling, and other coops were frozen shut (but thankfully opened with a screwdriver rather than me having to go back in for more water).Is it spring yet?
Casper is darling.It didn't reach the temps they were predicting overnight, but it's still pretty cold this morning, about 19 F / -7 C. After breaking ice, refilling water dishes, and making sure everyone had plenty to eat, I'm warming up with hot cocoa--and not sharing no matter how much Casper wants me to.
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Sorry to hear about your grandmother.
That's never any fun. It's happened to me a few times. I left my run unlocked the last time it was freezing raing because I wasn't sure how I'd get in, if it froze over. We have an electric wire running around and the door was shut, just not "locked".
It's cold here and all my birds are hunkered together keeping warm.
It's been tough, but we're getting through. I worry mostly about my dad, honestly, as she was his mom. I suspect he regrets not visiting one last time and not talking to her on the phone more and all of that, but won't say so. I'm giving him lots of love either way, so hopefully he knows we all care.
Mine are also hunkering down, it's been pretty bitter for a couple days. I'm seeing the occasional dark comb tip that may be lost to the cold weather, but otherwise everyone seems to be doing fine. Crash duck is pretty sure she's freezing her webs off every time I have to herd her to and from the coop, though!
He's really been a blessing, especially here lately. He always gives me a reason to smile every day. Even during those times when he's being an ornery little stinker. I still can't believe that he was just left out here in the wilderness. I absolutely adore him. I've been resisting posting all the million pictures of him that I take here because it's my flock thread, not a cat thread, but I mean... he's just so ridiculous 
Okay, maybe disaster is a strong word for it, but it went wrong for sure.
What that means is it caused my soap batter to thicken suddenly and quickly. I was using a colorant for the first time and I had to just dump it in and mix as quick as possible because that soap was thickening like crazy! By the time I got it mixed and was putting it in the molds, it was about as thick as room temperature butter and I had to spread it out in the molds with a spoon. If it's the former, it's not gonna be salvageable, but if it's the latter, I can melt it down and pour it into the molds again and it should be fine. We'll see once it's cured, I guess. UGH!
It's apple scented and I used a red colorant to try to make it reddish, though at the moment it looks kinda brownish instead. Because... why not? Not much else could have gone awry! I guess I've learned to look a bit more closely at the reviews of the fragrance oils I buy, not just at what the description says. And at the labels of my oil bottles before measuring, too! It's always good to be able to pull some useful lesson out of these things, right?
Nine batches in and the "soaping gods" decided I needed to be humbled or something! I've invested too much into the supplies and learning how to do everything to not laugh it off and just take notes for next time. 
The power of acceleration, I guess! This is not a great picture for lighting, but here's roughly what it looks like now. I couldn't get all the bubbles out because of how thick it was, and the other side of it is uuugly from me spreading it out with a spoon. It does smell great, though, so hopefully it's at least usable in the end!
The name isYesterday's batch of soap, which I have been calling the 'Red Apple Disaster', was already hardened enough to unmold when I checked it just now.
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