Wine Wisdom-isms

This has nothing to do with S-bag. It’s just a stream of consciousness of an old man who has had too much wine this evening.
One of my favorite Discovery Channel reality shows is Alaska: The Last Frontier. I am fascinated by the pioneer lifestyle of the two Kilcher family patriarchs, Otto and Atz, and their children. But I have recently learned that the Kilcher’s lifestyle is more of a choice than a necessity. Contrary to what the show's producers would have you believe, the Kilchers do not live way out in the bush. The Kilcher homestead is just 10 miles east of Homer, Alaska - a community of 5,000 residents located on the Kenai Peninsula approximately 200 miles southwest of Anchorage . It has a high school (enrollment 392), a middle school (enrollment 200) and four elementary schools. It has a full-service medical center staffed by eight physicians plus support personnel. Homer's economy is largely dependent on tourism, as thousands of recreational fishermen flock to the area annually to take advantage of the bounty of Kachemak Bay. Besides the charter fishing industry, businesses in Homer include a True Value Hardware a Donalds, a Subway Sandwich Shop and several hotels and restaurants. And, despite the inference that the Kilchers must hunt for their food in order to survive the extreme Alaskan winter, their homestead is, in fact, less than 20 minutes from the Safeway supermarket in Homer (per Google Maps). Also, the weather here is about the same as that of the Upper Midwest. Average temperatures range from the low teens in winter to the mid-seventies in summer.
And finally, I was surprised to learn that the Kilchers are actually quite wealthy. The 600-acre family compound includes several ongoing commercial enterprises operated by Atz, Otto and their sons, as well as Atz’ and Otto’s 6 sisters who also live on the compound. It is estimated that the total value of the Kilcher family’s land and their business operations is approximately $16 million.
All that aside, I still enjoy the program. I just wish the premis behind it were different. I could readily see a theme where, despite their proximity to all the conveniences of modern society, the Kilchers have chosen, as much as possible, to live off-the-grid. Heck, I’m a fossilized hippie myself and I find that idea very appealing.
Anyway, back to watching the Bonanza marathon on the TV Land channel while stuffing myself with snickerdoodles.
                                                                                                                                           Jm Herbst