Soap making and coyote killing.

I had hoped to post pic's of one D.C., ( Dead Coyote ), here today but I will have to keep up the vigil a while longer. Our chickens have been attacked several nights in a row and I set about stalking last night.
Well, stalking actually consisted of pulling the old Chevy van to a prime position for spotlighting! We had grand talks of utilizing the 5 foot hole my children have near the chicken coop as a blind that my 14 and 13 year old would sleep in, along with Dad of course, but the reality of my disability and the weather quickly led to the trusty old van cab! So far, no coyote. It was still a good time though. Something about taking shifts with my boys on "watch' reminded me of my law enforcement days.
We are making more progress in our non-hunting skills though. Recently, my wife decided to invite another friend over for soap making. When she canceled on the day that they were supposed to start I did what any husband would do. I tried to get out of helping myself! Actually, I was very happy to be able to share the joy of our first 'soaping' as a family event. We were thrilled at the results and plan to do it more.
Here are some pic's of the event:

This is the manual that we are using to learn our new favorite skill.
Below are the ingredients and equipment that we used. The goggles were not used, and the gloves only used to rinse. The vinegar is the important item here! It neutralizes lye if there is an accident. Thankfully, it was as simple as making a cake.
Here is the Grand Soap-mister, herself! Is mister a male term? Hope not. Anyway, this is my wife using a stick blender to bring the soap to 'trace'. That is the term used for the thickening process that all soap makers look for.
This is a shot of very light trace. You add the essential oils at this point and continue stirring until you get runny pudding. then you are ready to pour the soap into your molds.
The moment of satisfaction! We are finally using the molds that I bought on eBay over a year ago! Better late than never. We are thrilled at the results. Easy stuff!
I will post some pic's of the finished product soon, along with the first reviews of the soap.
Trust you will have a good Lord's Day and hope to update soon. Time to prepare for Worship and the Day.