Apologies, Thanks, and Creativity

First, let me extend my apologies for not posting last night. I have sincerely tried to keep my postings consistent. However, Brandon came home from Laramie last night and bounced his Dodge Dakota into the guardrail at the top of Ten Sleep Canyon. He had just thought about how nice and dry the road was when he ran into a snow squall that cut visibility to nothing and put a layer of snow on the highway. He was driving only 20 when he didn’t quite make a corner. He’s fine. His pride and joy is not. I’ll have to take it to Worland Monday and let the experts take a look at it. It is out of alignment and something’s making noise! Here’s a picture of it when he left for Laramie in January. He had just welded the bumper and was pretty proud of it! Ah… Life Lessons are hard. I believed his trauma was far more than my readers’ trauma in not having a post from me!

Second, I have received multiple emails and comments on Lucas’ paw. Thank you! I have been reading up on new techniques and medicinal remedies. Some I was aware of… like the healing power of honey…some like colloidal silver… I am reading about for the first time. Thank you to all who have sent me ideas. I am going to try some with variations that will make them work for us. First and foremost, I’m going to attempt to get more air to the sore. I have always wanted it to dry up, scab over, and HEAL! So, I’ll be trying to use simple vet wrap, without duct tape, for the periods when he can be dry. I left a poultice of honey and pascalite on for a while, then when we went outside, I quickly covered it with duct tape. I’ll leave it off when he comes inside at night, although he doesn’t spend every night inside. He doesn’t lick at it except for when I first pull his boot off to clean it up. He leaves it alone. He has never chewed at it to get it off, if he does lick at his boot while it is on, I quickly remove it because it is a sign it is rubbing on him. He will get rub spots on a toe and on the side if I put it on too tight. It is a delicate balance! Thanks again for all the advice! Here’s my small collection of ingredients I’ve tried… I think it’ll expand even more now!

For those of you anxious to learn more about pysanky… I am working on it! Unfortunately, the eggs I’ve chosen show their “modern” beginnings, reflecting an uneven surface when I dyed them. Often it is easy to see the “tracks” left by the factory rubber rollers as the eggs are collected from the hens…I can deal with those… but these eggs have major problems with the absorption of my dyes. In other words – they aren’t lookin’ so hot! I guess I need to call the neighbor and see if she can give me a few eggs that are hand-gathered straight out from in under the ol’ hen. I have used store bought eggs for 90% of my previous pysanky, but I am definitely unhappy with the look of these two I’ve started.

I have applied wax to white, yellow, orange, and this layer is green. See how the egg on the left is really rejecting the green, while the one on the right has dyed a nice green on the bottom, but while the top it is the light green of the egg on the left. Grrrrrr.

Well, I’m just trying to teach the basics, so it doesn’t really matter. It is just frustrating to me!

But let me kick start you here quickly…

First was the design…

The fish.

The rooster.

Now remember we have to think ahead. What in your design do you want to be white? This will be covered in wax first. Think hard. Don’t leave anything out because there is no going back!

Put your glove on your left hand, grab your egg (gently!) and let’s go!

Grab your kistka (your blue tool), scrape it against the beeswax filling the cup, and hold over your candle flame.