I headed up to Sand Creek this weekend to teach another soap making class. This one went MUCH more smoothly thanks to my preparation and thinking ahead this time. I had five students, everything was prepared and ready and we finished class in just about 2 hours. I’m not worried about the time, more worried about making sure that I cover everything thoroughly. My main goal in class is to show how soap making is not at all difficult, it just takes some thought and a few safety precautions.
The students bought all the kits we had, and then some extras which had me parceling out lye most of the day – which is not my favorite thing to do. I have a healthy respect for it, but I usually like to limit my in and out of the bag as much as possible.
I got up there in the late afternoon and had dinner with the Godfreys. Alysha, her intern Sophia and I made a big batch of therapeutic “kick butt” soap with eucalyptus, mint, tea tree and aloe vera.
I was sad to have missed the sunset for pictures, but it was good to get all the oils parceled for the class and the kits while we were down there. I went to sleep early, taking a moment to step outside (metal roof = parabolic dish that kills cell signal – which is why we are getting a cell repeater at our house) to call Husband. In the dark, the sky was a sea of stars and I immediately spied an orbiting satellite. I wish that my camera would do the night sky justice, but I’ve not figured out how to take pictures in low light yet. The bullfrogs and toads were chorusing by the pond and the crickets were almost a din. Except for the mosquitoes, it was completely amazing. I ordered a stereo recording device and some binaural microphones and asked Ben if I could come back up when I got them to record the sounds of the farm like this.
I was up at 5:15 this morning and enjoyed a quiet, slow cup of tea with Ben and Alysha. The early mornings there seem to be a collecting of oneself before a rush of activity during the day. It’s a lovely way to start the day, I think. I was out the door before sunrise, snapping pictures as the sun crept over the horizon.
I got some shots of the horses, the calves, and then walked down the driveway to get some shots of the pigs and flowers.
Their farm is so photogenic, it’s easy to get lots of good shots.
Then I watched Ben hitch up the horses to go plow up the potatoes before it got too much into the heat of the day and started in for the class.
I also picked up a standing rib roast (yum!), some more beef tongues to pickle (yes, I really did enjoy it that much!) and several gallons of milk which I later determined not to have enough room for.
I brought them up some peach jam, fermented beets and ginger carrots and some other goodies. They loaded me up with more beets to pickle (perhaps to sell at the Farm Market day in two weeks), some squashes (acorn and butternut) as well as some plum jam and pickled jalapenos. I adore going up there to spend the day with them, we have such good conversations, and I feel like part of that community which really warms my heart and I’ve found is something I’ve really been needing.