[Artemisia] A New Discussion - SCA Skills in a Modern Plague

[LYNETTE STUMPP]

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Aghren the Brus<mailto:aghren at msn.com> 
  To: artemisia at lists.gallowglass.org<mailto:artemisia at lists.gallowglass.org> 
  Sent: Monday, September 20, 2010 9:29 PM
  Subject: Re: [Artemisia] A New Discussion - SCA Skills in a Modern Plague



  As I have read these posts, I am reminded of a discussion I had with a friend on this subject. She felt she would be OK because she had a full set of the Foxfire books. I didn't mention it then but noted the difference between one who has the books and those who practice the skills. That fact holds true to our merry band. We practice these skills and share, not only the knowledge from our trials, successes and failures but also the fruits of these endeavors.
  I would like the recommend a book on wild yeast for bread baking - "Classic Sourdough" by Ed Wood.  It is available from sourdo.com. Although I started reading about and practicing breadmaking 40 years ago, I learned more about dough culture, ingredients and yeast in the first 52 pages than ever before. I highly recommend it. Another book I would recommend is "Back to Basics" from (believe it or not) Better Homes and Gardens. 
  But above all, I highly recommend practicing these skills before they are needed.  And, there will most likely not be the availibility of the internet to look them up even if you have alternative power sources...

  As always,
  Aggie

   
  Good point. Reading about and actually doing are vastly different. Growing up my grandparents in Star Valley had a book I loved! I read it every time we visited, to the point I pretty much wore it out. It was called "Cold River". It was about two kids who go on an end of season canoe trip with their dad. They take the wrong fork at a river junction and get lost. The canoe gets overturned in rapids and dad breaks his leg and ends up dying. The two kids have to survive one of the worst winters ever in the area. I read it so many time that in theory I knew lots of survival skills, including how to gut and clean a rabbit. Not sure I could do any of them now though. A lot of people would have to get over their squimishness to survive. I know I'd have real problems with gutting and cleaning animals for food. But like they say, necessity is the mother of invention! We'd all learn one way or another.

  Antoinette