It's only natural

Well, due to an extremely wonderful amount of homework dumped upon me last week and weekend, I wasn't able to read any of the last book. I guess it just wasn't meant to be with that one. But I wrote a few damn fine papers, let me tell you.

BUUUTTT

I was able to get a new book. The new number is 675. Probably because I sang 867530 oooonnneeee to my roommate before we walked into the Peter White. We giggled a little at the book this week but it's all naturalness is a nice combo with the 'vegan' shoes that my roommate got last week. Too bad we can't eat that healthy (healthily?).

Anyway, I know you're all excited about the new book since you're all singing that song in your head right now. Drum roll please....

Deerskins into Buckskins: How to Tan with Natural Materials: A Field Guide for Hunters and Gatherers By Matt Richards
(note to the reader, I'm not the italics crazy one, it's on the book)

My very first impression of the book took me straight back to my dorm bathroom last year. Yes, this sounds odd, I know. One of my suitemates was big into hunting, she even kept a dead coyote in the basement freezer so that she could tan the hide. Anyway, her bathroom reading choices consisted of magazines full of make eyes (for all types of animals), thinks to mount heads and bodies on, furs, leathers, etc. You get the point. Then I thought of my friend Alex because even though he wasn't a hunter, he always smelled like campfires when I was with him. And since I live in the woods and heat with wood, my next thought was home. But I think that's enough thoughts.

There are lots of pictures in the book so that was pretty helpful. And exciting. I think my favorite is of the very hippie looking guy using his full body weight to try to pull the hide away from the meat. The captions for the process are as follows:
1) Getting a clean start: use finger tips and thumbs to separate the hide from the meat. Notice how clean and encased both the meat and hide are.
2) Once you've gotten a good start, grab the hide with your hands and pull. You can also push your thumbs, fist and elbows in-between the skin and meat to release areas that are sticking
3) Use your body weight to help pull

Also on this page:
There will be a very thin layer of meat that wants to come off with the hide. This is the muscle that the deer uses to twitch flies off of its back. Nobody that I know of eats this meat because it is so thin and membraney. It is easily fleshed off later, so most folks let it come off with the hide.

My favorite is the use of the word membraney. My handy spell check is telling me that it isn't actually a word.

My other favorite thing about the book is its use of bold for random things and underlining the things deemed special by the author.

For those of you who wish to know how to tan your hide (not your own personal hide of course. That would hurt) THE BASIC METHOD includes these steps:
Fleshing
Bucking
Graining
Membraning
Rinsing
Wringing
Dressing
Sewing
Softening
Making a smoking sack
Smoking
And voila! You have a tanned hide! Ready to be made into stylish choices such as pants or, for those of you along the more traditional line, vests with the always sexy fringe. Personally though, I would want the dress.