August????

Once again, another month has slipped past and I don't know where it went.

This picture is a sample basket of the soaps and balms that are ready for the public.

Today I delivered some of my "Fish On" soap to Ulmer's Drug and Hardware. If you're in the area, stop by and examine it, buy it, use it. It is scented with anise essential oil. According to everything I could find, it accomplishes two things. One, it washes the human smell of us. Two, fish like the smell of anise.

Some soapers have customers who rub the soap on their hooks.

Not only do the bars I make contain anise essential oil, but I add anise seed to the mix.

Some even use the "fish on" soap for hunting. I'm not sure about using it for hunting in Alaska. I've read that bears also like the smell of anise. For some reason, I don't think too many hunters are interested in attracting bears.

I've tried to get a few things finished after spending a little over two weeks up in Soldotna. There just isn't enough time to get everything completed though.

I need to work on the website, but there isn't enough time. I need to make at least another 20 pounds of soap. I need to work on more lip balms. I need to create so many different things. Then there's the ugly business of taking care of the paperwork that's involved in running a business. It's all time consuming and going back and forth between Homer and Soldotna eats into time that I just don't have.

Right now, my customer base is in Homer. I deliver products and then disappear for a couple weeks at a time. I have a great group of customers and retailers. They deserve more than me disappearing on them.

Today a huge problem was solved though. I was informed how to get supplies to Homer at a very reasonable price. I'm very excited about this new information. I can now order without having to worry about paying as much or more in freight than the materials cost.

Tomorrow I have to get ready to go back to Soldotna. But at least this time it's only for one day.

With any luck, I'll find time to go fishing, too. I think I should try out my "fish on" soap and "fish on" lotion. I need fish. Lots of fish.