Election Day

"T'was Halloween and the ghosts were out
And everywhere they'd go they'd shout
and though I covered my eyes I knew
they'd go away
But fear's the only thing I saw
Three days later was clear to all
That nothing is as scary as Election Day."
Norah Jones My Dear Country

Have to go vote. I'm nervous about this day. Very nervous. The weather is odd, windy and cold under a painfully clear blue San Joaquin Valley sky. I can smell wood smoke every so often, not something you usually smell down here on the valley floor. Most people don't have much reason to burn wood for warmth. Some days we're not allowed by law to use our fireplaces. I'm just hoping there won't be a line at the polling place because I don't do stinging windy cold very well.

What I'd love to be doing instead of what must be done is tincturing more aromatics. I currently have a gorgeous raw organic cacao bean tincture running through the zapper for its 20th hour. I'm using grain alcohol as the menstruum. It has a distinctive grain alcohol scent; not sweet at all. This tincture, at about hour 15, took on a distinctive fruity wine tone. It smelled like a triple folded organic grape alcohol. Then the alcohol burned off and left a remarkable dark chocolate essence. I'm going to get as much as I can out of this little tincture.

I'd also love to work on a winter perfume -- something warm, but not spicy; floral, but not intoxicating; enveloping, but not suffocating. Doesn't really say much, does it? I'll have to work on the vocab.

Just read Trygve's blog here -- man. Trippy.

Don't forget I'm running a book giveaway (see previous post) ~ William Kaufman's Perfume. The photos are fabulous.