99% of human history

Day 1: War Berries

We were thankful that the wind wasn't strong and the day was fine and fare. Our new location has provided us with enough raw materials for shelter and kindling for at least half the winter. The scouts came back today and reported that we are surrounded by plenty if we should find ourselves running low. Ten paces south of our shelter is a small brook well shaded and deep enough for washing. It seems that it will not be a source of food itself but shows signs of being visited by land animals. My heart wants to believe that we have put enough distance between ourselves and the genetically modified super monkey dog creature like thing but I can't shake the feeling that we have not seen the last of it.

Our new homesite, on this coppery autumn afternoon, is favorable and beautiful. Although it is lovely it has about it a strangeness. Earlier we saw a muskrat in the trees. I wasn't aware that muskrats could climb trees (Note: must ask _____ about this). The bushes are heavy with war berries and opossum grapes but not much else. The children love it.


We are reading about hunter-gatherer societies and thought it would be fun to get our noses out of the books and into the sunshine for a little "a day in the life of". We pretended to be a family of nomads looking for greener promises.

Here is the skeleton of our shelter made of branches and grapevine found in our own backyard.

Here it is covered by "animal skins and reeds".

Here is Andrew inside the shelter decidedly not helping with operations.

A view of my fine grapevine stitching.

Chief Popasquat with clan markings.

Toothless tribesman.

War berries. The kids like to gather these and throw them at each other or sabotage me. They especially like to squeeze them first to insure proper marking upon impact.

Shadow stories after all the work was done. This was my favorite part. Especially when Andrew sang about butts and tried to stick his against the sheet and came crashing into the hut nekkid cheeks first!