I'm sorry, but I'm giggling...we turned on the Discovery Channel. "The Alaska Experiment" is on. A new show about 4 groups/pairs of suburb types dropped off in the wilds of Alaska in the Icy Bay area near Cordova in the fall during the last run of salmon. 3 have cabins and 1 has a wall tent. And there are plenty of bears. They get the basics to ration and have to fend for themselves. Sometimes I wonder how they choose these people - randomly out of a big barrel of names? I don't think so, they probably choose folks that they suspect would never make it. Just for a TV series. One family was supposed to have 2 milk goats.....I know this because they called me several times wanting to buys goats in milk for their show. I said no, my goats don't get to be dropped off in some bear-infested area with Cheechakos who don't know how to care for them. Eventually they did find 2 goats, but then the people they had chosen for that setup, well, something happened to one of them so I heard and the goats were shipped back to the seller. I was giggling over the first enstallment...first they wanted water when they got there, but what went through my mind was that they'd need a fire and fast. Fire is good, it warms and dries and comforts you to sleep well after a very long trek to find your home for the next 90 days. They were in a very rainy area, so soaked wet clothes and skin would be a problem. Fire was most important. Water seemed to be their most important desire, but when it gets cold, you have snow...when you have fire, you can melt snow. No fire, then no water, no comfort, you just freeze to death. Thinking ahead. They should be out picking berries and catching salmon, drying both. By the fire. They should hike to the beach and harvest kelp and sea urchins and mussels. Fire and smoke help keep bears away...they were worried about the bears. One family got into their one and only jar of peanut butter and ate some straight. Now, mixed with flour and baking powder and oil or grease, it makes a wonderful desert. One that lasts sooo much longer than one spoonful quickly swallowed. The salmon makes soup and fish cakes and salmon candy. Lichen supplies minerals and vitamins. If it was close to fall, rose hips would be everywhere to pick for tea high in Vitamin C. So much for them to learn, how could they do it fast enough?
Like raising sheep, we don't learn it all from a book, we learn from other people and from experience. Share your sheep knowledge. Who knows, maybe in the next show they will be dropped onto an island with only sheep to save them. :-)
Interesting show, I look forward to watching it.
About Me
- Alaska Shetland Shepherd
- Wasilla, Alaska
- I have been owned by Shetlands and Shetland crosses since 1997. The first 4 arrived to assist my AKC Australian Cattle Dogs with learning herding maneuvers. I bred to registered Shetland rams to improve them and kept good ewe lambs back each year. I slowly built up my flock and now keep 40 or so year 'round. Recently we had the flock tested for OPP and Johne's diseases also and I'm happy to say all tested negative! WOOHOO!! My interest in registered Shetlands was always there. I bought a few each year. As my registered numbers grow, my unregistered sheep numbers will dwindle except for a few old favorites who will stay. I grew up around sheep in Michigan and have been around the big wool breeds for years, but the Shetland is a far superior breed with fantastic wool and small size as well as big personalities. They do very well in Alaska! In 2007 I flew up 8 spotted Shetland lambs for my breeding plans and new genetics in Alaska, and 2 more lambs in 2008. I really look forward to the future lambs to arrive here at Silveraurora! I'm also busy with a wonderful dairy goat herd as well, so occasionally you'll see some of my beauties on this blog too!
2 comments:
Whew, that's a lot of snow - you are allowed to whine all you want, in my opinion. We are done with lambing - 5 outa 5 are rams :-( but that way, we don't have to decide which girls go or stay this year, I guess.
BTW, in my opinion, your fleece prices are very reasonable (if not low -) - if that person, who made you feel like you were charging too much would like to raise their own sheep for fleeces, they'd soon realize you were reasonable.
Good luck with your lambing. T.
We have really enjoyed the episodes of the various series we have seen; we'll have to look for the Alaskan Experiment. I didn't think about the producers picking the people LEAST likely to succeed, but I guess it makes sense. If they put YOU out there, you would make it look too easy! THAT wouldn't be as entertaining....
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