Saturday, October 19, 2013

Shopping (The Not So Usual Stuff)

So, what does one shop, when living in the wilderness and going shopping only once in a fairly long time, you ask?

Many of our guests and visitors often wonder how do we do it that we shop only once a month. They sometimes laugh when they see 5kg packages of flour, full cases of milk, 2kg bricks of cheese, etc.

It happens from time to time, that we run out of some important stuff or need to run some errands in the local small town, like changing the tires before winter, sending or picking up post, etc. 

And sometimes, just like yesterday, it was time for me to get out of the woods after a week of complete isolation from the human kind, run those few errands, have a lunch that I actually didn´t have to make myself, and get a few things to please the dogs and me :)


So here´s what I got yesterday - it is a rather odd blend, right? :)

Two pairs of colorful, super cheap gloves. I use these for feeding the dogs before the temps get even colder, or as a base layer when sitting on the ATV while running a dog team.
The past few years I switched from monotone black or dark blue to all sorts of bright colors on many  of my outfits and apparel - the dark winter days just call for brightening up your day with colors! :)

The cheap looking bag of cat food is really what it is - a bag of cheap cat food. NO, we do not feed our animals with this sort of stuff, we believe in natural and high quality nutrition here at Kipp d´Amundsen Kennels, and that counts not just for our dogs, but cats as well. Actually, right now our kitties are being transitioned from half commercial-half natural diet to entirely natural (mostly raw). More on that in another blog post I am preparing.

So why did I buy this kibble? As rewards for a needed wide scale of different "motivators" while training the dogs. By training I mean individual training sessions of positive reinforcement based training we practice here. At the moment, Krtek and I are undergoing an eight week course by my favorite Say Yes Dog Training, owned and operated by Susan Garrett.
So we need loads of different treats.

A package of antibiotics is another item on the picture. Yes, although I fully support and recommend natural health care, there are occasionally cases in which the fur kids need antibiotic treatment. With 60 dogs at the kennel, the probability of someone needing just that treatment is higher, and living far in the woods, with nearest, quality veterinary services several hours away, it is only wise to have a package of antibiotics on hand. We do not just self administer them as we please, so please do bare that in mind if you ever think you´d like to have an antibiotic supply in your home pharmacy. Our veterinarian is ALWAYS consulted before we would start the treatment and we do it only in cases we have no possibilities to get to the clinic in time.

And last but not least, what completes this strange mixture of items are treats for the human! :) Yup, a supply that will last me a minimum of one week. Normally, I don´t consume so much sweet stuff, but being alone in the woods lately, I feel I deserve to spoil myself a little :) I know, I know... :)
Actually, I have to point out ESPECIALLY the Reese´s Peanut Butter Cups -- because they are not normally sold in Sweden. I totally love peanut butter and I am crazy about Reese´s!!! And the local supermarket just created a small shelf section with all American yummies - yes, all totally unhealthy stuff. And I spotted them! Oh boy, now I created such a craving I will have to go and open the package.

Have a happy weekend and stay safe!

1 comment:

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