Sustainable Living: A Saint (Bernard's) Life

     There are some things you can't unsee...Usually when someone says this, it's in reference to something gross or shocking like those strangely dressed people of Walmart, pics and videos for which, circulate regularly on FB.
     But things don't have to be gross to be memorable. Just unusual or out of the ordinary. Sometimes you see something and it just sticks with you. The image gets caught in a loop and buries itself deep in your memory cells. You keep going back to it.
     Such was the case this week when someone sent me a news clip out of Canada regarding an island that is totally self sufficient. Roughly 400 acres, it was detached from the mainland and running totally "off grid" (a concept often talked about, but one you seldom seen done by an entire community, though I predict it's coming). It's a concept that seems to be intriguing to a lot of people these days, of which I am one, so I'm grateful to the friend who forwarded me the story.
     In the case of this island (called Lasqueti, one hour from Vancouver) its residents come in a variety of socio-economic varieties and wound up here for a variety of reasons. Some live more rustic  a life than I'd be ready to sign on for. Others could afford more battery packs; these live in houses complete with electricity and running water. (Note to self: afford more battery back ups before you begin.)
     But the image that stood out most in my mind...the picture that made me go back and watch the piece several times, was this lady who lived with 42 Saint Bernards and 2 kids under 2. As if having an infant and a 2 year old wasn't enough, this lady bred St. Bernards for a living and had kept one pup from every litter. The image of those dogs following her on a walk will forever be etched in my mind. ( I thought 4 Pyrs were a handful.) While the image made me smile (and made me really wanted to go visit for a day) the reality of what that lady must go through each day is the part that really stayed with me.

Rosey, with distance

     For starters, what do they eat? And how does she afford them? The news clip pointed to one small restaurant on the island, and a bunch of folks who grew their own food. It did make reference to a bunch of ferrel sheep that lived there. (I'm guessing the dogs help keep that population down. My guess is they're on their own. I mean, how would you even begin to put down bowls? "Brekfuss" around my place takes a good 45 minutes (granted we have goats in the mix, but they're nothing compared to making sure the big dogs don't get in each others' way).
     We have our routine down to a science. You put Rosey's bowl down first or you're in for a fight. And you sure as heck don't put Rosey's bowl anywhere near a goat's path, cause if they so much as brush past her while she's eating, well, let's just say it's not peaceful. The other three roll much better than Rosey does when it come to food. She's my aggressive eater for sure. Then again, she also birthed 11 puppies awhile back, so it's understandable how weaning and suddenly having to share with well-meaning (though pesky, hungry puppies) did a number on her head. We're all simply mindful when it comes to Rosey and her food.

TJ won't eat until everyone else has been fed.

      I couldn't tell from the clip which dog was alpha, but I did have to laugh at the reporter who marveled that the owner knew them all by name. (That part didn't surprise me. My goats all have names. Once you get to know your critters, even if they're identical in color or markings, they have unique personalities. Though I will have to say, a bunch of those St. Bernards did look a lot a like.)
     My biggest question was "how much time must she spend cleaning her sidewalk?" for when it comes to dogs this size, you aren't talking an average pooper scooper for clean up. (Think "horse".)
     I will say, everyone looked happy, and I really wanted to visit. But knowing precious little about the breed itself, I wound up googling (they are beautiful dogs, great with kids, though known to have terrible slobber problems). Most intriguing find for me, was there's a cross breed combining Pyrs and Saints. They're called a St. Pyrenees and since I already think of mine as this side of heaven, I wonder if there's anyone out there interested in a studly dog named TJ.

     To view the story, just visit:

http://www.trueactivist.com/just-one-hour-from-vancouver-there-is-a-secret-island-where-everyone-lives-completely-off-grid/