Is it just me, or do the lady bugs seem to be out and about in abundance right now? They’re all over the porch, everywhere outside, in and on my truck- simply EVERYWHERE. I think they’re stalking me. No, really, they’re evil and bent on Rachel-destruction. Silly things. They sure are cute, though.

Aside from that, there is really nothing too hugely exciting to report. We recently got our new hay supply, which was just in time as our old stack was dwindling quickly. Oh, how I hate loading hay. Or touching it for that matter. My sinuses haven’t been right since. I do wish I wasn’t allergic to hay, it makes some necessary chores very unpleasant. Other. things I hate about homesteading include giving goats their copper boluses, and trying to take proper care of everything when it just wont stop raining. A couple of my girls are due to have copper soon – their hair is starting to curl, a tell-tale sign – so if it ever stops raining, I’ll be doing that and drawing blood for their CAE test, too (the kit from Biotracking came yesterday). But really, I don’t know if it will ever stop raining long enough for me to get it all done. They need copper, their hooves trimmed, their blood drawn…and meanwhile, all I can do is build an ark and wait out the rain. Also, the constant rain ruins the mineral and baking soda I try to have out for them. When it dries up they wolf down their minerals like there’s no tomorrow, poor things. The rain makes it nothing but worthless mush, so I imagine they haven’t been getting much of it lately.

In other news, I made some adorable pumpkins for my project in Art class. I think they are just spiffy! I chose the theme “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” for mine. Oh, how I do love crafts and arts. The one with the face is The Great Pumpkin himself!
I also have made some Old Fashioned Lye soap. Old fashioned lye soap is unscented, white, and good for your skin. Many people use it as a folk remedy for acne and eczema. My great grandmother used it for her hair and skin. It can also be used on laundry, and is good to get out grease and stains (ask me how I know!)

This soap sets up very hard and lasts a long time. I’ve seen some lye soap that was brownish, soft, and greasy, which is caused by not stirring enough. This lye soap is not like that at all, but is instead firm and pure white, and will also float in water.

Well, that’s all for now! Have a Happy and Safe Halloween! – Rachel