Thanks to the proliferation of reality shows I have become enamored with Mr. Seward’s purchase, Alaska.  Dorothy and I took our grandson on a cruise and land trip of that state last year and that only started my new-found love for our largest state.

I have replaced my favorite TV show, Food channel, with a show called ALASKA, THE LAST FRONTIER.  This show is a reality show chronicling the life of an extended homesteading family, the Kilchers.  You never get a full sense of how many there are in the family but they are extended.  Let me introduce the main characters.  The eldest brothers, Otto and Atz each have a son, Eivan and Atx Lee.  They have other children but they are only occasionally shown in an episode.  If you remember the fable about the ant and the grasshopper then you will understand the relationship between the cousins Eivan and Atz Lee.  Eivan spends most of his days, along with his lovely little wife, growing, canning and putting food stuffs in the root cellar.  They hunt, fish and gather until they have ample food stored for the winter.  They cut and stack 10 or 20 cords of trimmed wood and appear to have everything covered.  They also have a wide variety of food, not just bear meat and gravy.  They grow large cabbages, carrots, dill, turnips, well you can only imagine what they could grow when there is almost constant daylight.  Cousin Atz Lee seems to attempt to do the right thing but is usually just about one bubble off plumb.  He is hunting his years meat supply on the last day of hunting season.  he doesn’t grow anything except some scraggly face hair.  His wife, Jane is a good fisherwoman and usually provides enough fish for the family to survive.  They normally are searching thru 6 ft deep snow trying to find a downed tree to cut up for firewood.  If they have a rick of wood cut when the first snow appears then they seem, not happy, but at least complacent.  This family has most everything that they need to exist and seem to have much fun during the long hours of work that are needed to keep their existence. 

There is not much about the way these people live that would attract most people but being a person who has been accused of being born about a 100 years too late, I find their lifestyle enticing.  I like being able to go to the grocery store every day for fresh, but would just a soon go hunting in the woods for each days meal.  With a greenhouse like part of the family has, well, many varieties of foods could be grown.  I am not terribly sure I would like the outhouse concept but guess you could put in a fur-lined potty seat and make things a bit more comfortable. Lack of a Starbucks and a Marble Slab ice cream parlor would be drawbacks to my spouse but I guess a good pot of boiled coffee and come snow ice cream would keep her until we could get to town. 

Take a look at this show if you havent already.  I believe it is on the National geo channel or travel channel but look for it.  It will make you appreciate what we have and miss what we had in prior generations before we became civilized.

Chuy, the explorer