A New Home and Sour Powder

So, a very important bit of news for Alexandra and me is that we will have a new place to live in Waco. We have put down our deposit on a duplex that is a 3/2/2, and backs up to a pasture. It is a lovely place that we intend to stay in for at least a few years. And the yard has a rabbit hole to the pasture beyond, demonstrated by the rabbits traveling in and out while we were there. It has enough room for us do what we want, and even enough room to put in a metal shop and brewing shop in the garage, as well as my reloading bench, with room for one of our cars. (We decided that it was more important to us to have the shop space than both cars in-garage.) That means that as soon as we're in there, I will ramp beer and mead production back up to full-tilt, and get started establishing my smithy!

On another interesting note, I was reloading some bullets last night (.25-06 for long-range shooting, to be precise), and to my shock, when I opened a can of the gunpowder that I came into when my boss's father passed away, an intensely acrid smell passed my nose. Now, powder always smells a little of acetone or alcohol, that is its nature, but it shouldn't make you regret having smelled it nor leave you feeling like you just scoured the inside of your nose. Sadly, I will most likely have to dispose of something in the neighborhood of 4 lbs of the powder I use the most. Oh well! I was having trouble with those anyhow, since the old man had repackaged them and labeled the containers "4831," which is fine and dandy, except for the fact that TWO companies make a 4831 (designed IMR 4831 and H4831 respectively) and they are NOT interchangeable. These were not marked as to which. I guess that solves that problem for me.

So, Alex and I are enjoying our last week together for some time. It is not all doom and gloom, at least: we will see each other on weekends, and our house repair stint has been much reduced to be reasonable. The intervening time will pass quickly.

How is everyone else out there?