Daily Notes- October 18

Image from Lacativa.  Not sure if it's Deb or Colin.  I have it titled Big Storm and Maine just had a big one go thru.  Lots of trees down and 200,000 without power.  For days and days.

We are okay.  But I think we are calling the people who install those generators in the backyard that go on the second the power company fails us.  We are too old to be without it.  And Maine is a state where regular power is not something they have a real grip on.  Too many sick, weak trees.  They topple out of the ground with the greatest of ease.  Taking the power lines with them-- Lord, CMP wouldn't even consider in ground power lines.

We are optimists here and purchased a large bag of Riley's special diet dog food. Expecting him to live long enough to eat it.  After all he did jump over one of the trees that fell over the path in the woods we walk each day.  Two days in a row.   Now he's doing nervous yipping and I don't think even he has a clue as to why.  It gets on your nerves.

I got my hair cut.  The gal who cut it this morning had to drive an extra 45 minutes out of her way to get around the trees down on her road.  So an hour in the car to do the usual 15 minute ride to work.
I stopped at work after my haircut and met a new employee at the time clock (finding my check from that last class) and she asked who I was.  I told her my name and she said-"oh, so many customers ask for you". And I smiled and thanked her for saying that and then left for home.

I have some cloth soaking in the kettle with a big handful of grape leaves.  In my recipe books for pickles it mentions that grape leaves were used in pickle making when alum wasn't available.  I have alum but- well, I am always up for a science experiment.  So, grape leaves.  I am going to let the grape leaf water and cloth cool and sit overnight and then let the cloth dry without rinsing.

I have gathered leaves that have colored nicely- leaves reddened by frost.  And I added fresh water to my iron water jar.  And tomorrow I will soak some strips of watercolor paper cut to fit around my rusty tin cans.  It's October and the Experimental Dye Works is opening for business.  I am also going to soak some cloth that I wash tomorrow in soy milk.  Then let the soy milk cloth dry for a few days or even a week.  I want to eco print some eucalyptus.  That I grew all summer on the back deck.  Fresh leaves.  Not floral department leaves.  I want orange.

I will be going to the Attic to see if I have any silk and wool up there that I can work with.

I read two books in three days.  They could have been so much better.  They just needed someone to re-write them. I wonder at the publishers that print and sell books that are simply not ready.  I now have four new books to read on the shelf.  I have to remind myself to write them in the Book Notebook so I am reminded of what I read and if it was good.  That way, when there are no books to read-- I can re-read the good ones.