Spring Finally Sprung in Topeka

We had a nice day in the 60s today. I went hiking in the woods at the governors and hit a wet spot and fell completely down on my bottom. Didn't get hurt, but later ran into an ATA (Al Type Alert) and he fell down last winter and broke 4 ribs. I counted my blessing (1) that I only got muddy. Lets see, the midland fawn lilies are blooming in the woods, first wildflowers of spring.

Paper Making

Okay, so now that I'm an official reporter for the HIA news, I've got share my obsession with making paper from plant fibers. I'm sure you all know that paper comes from plants. Most paper is made from trees. Most asian paper is made from kozo ( a relative of the mulberry). You can make paper out of almost any plant but some plants have more fibers than others. I just finished a batch of osage orange paper. Its in the mulberry family but has thorns on it. First you boil the branches, and peel off the bark and underlying fiber. Then you cook it in soda ash for about an hour. That breaks down the non fiber part fo the plant. THe bark is peeled off at this time. Next you blend the fiber and you have pulp and can go ahead and make paper.

My favorite papers so far come from milkweed bast fiber. Bast fiber comes from the stem of the plant. I've made paper from 4 species of milkweed and its all so different looking. Its soft as cotton. pretty incredible.

Okay. the agony from my foot injury is really killing me. I want pity.

waa waa waaaaaaaaaaaa

Okay, So I'm thinking as I am laying here in bed, what did i deserve to be in this condition. It all started at the grocery store, I bot grocs and forgot I had put water in the underside of the cart. As I was leaving I thot, cool I just shoplifted.

I get home and I put out birdseed for the wild birds. I also decide to take twig cuttings of various trees in my yard to test them for bast fibers for paper making. As I'm coming in I hit a patch of ice at thecorner of my house and twist and fall and writhe in agony. I was barely able to get up to crawl in the house.

I whine about for a while, and finally muster the energy to get my groceries out fo the car. Thats when I notice. They charged me for my shoplifted water. Do they have an ankle hieght scanner. or did checkboy just notice it and charge me. Anyway. I thot karma was knocking me on my ass for shoplifting. but i didnt shoplift. SOOOOOOOOO why did i fall and sprain, or possible break my ankle? PLEASE HELP MEEEEEEEE.