Balm of Gilead

"There is a balm in Gilead, that makes the wounded whole.
There is a balm in Gilead, that heals the sin-sick soul"
-lovely song I remember from church

So I don't know if it's because I'm getting older or because I'm working my body too hard with landscaping, but my joints have been really sore and achy lately. It's to the point where sometimes I wake up in the night aching. I decided to take the bull by the horns and make some special ointment to rub into my joints to try and help with the soreness. I collected some balsam poplar buds (balm of gilead) and decided to make a salve using the otter lard I've been saving in S and T's freezer (bless their vegetarian hearts). I pulled it out and thawed it and then made a double boiler with a tin can on my little camp stove. I heated it up for a long while and then realized it was cooking. Apparently the hunk of lard had a hunk of meat attached to it, and it cooked in there... A little grease came out, but not enough. Luckily, I had a quart of bear lard that Rosemoon gave me, so I added it and the buds and cooked it up for a while. The lard turned a beautiful golden coppery brown. I added a little beeswax, and the whole concoction set nicely. If anyone needs some, just ask. As for the hunk of otter (tail)meat, I tasted it and decided not to eat the rest...