Poem: "Just Starting Down This Path"
Jan. 16th, 2022 03:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the April 6, 2021 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from janetmiles, ng_moonmoth, and mama_kestrel. It also fills the "Needs" square in my 4-4-21 "Aspects" card for the Genderplay Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony & Shirley Barrette. It belongs to the Bear Tunnels series. It follows "The Hobbomak," "Hickory Lives," "Seeds of Civilization," "Beads and Mirrors," and "The Eyes of All People." Its sequels are "The Pequot War" and "In Any Great Undertaking."
"Just Starting Down This Path"
[August 1630]
Emma and Jesse had followed
their plan to introduce new breeds
of sheep, goats, and draft horses.
They had brought through small herds
of lambs and kids for each breed.
They had also secured a colt
for each draft breed, to see
which the locals liked best.
Blue Ear was a blue roan Belgian,
named after an edible fungus.
Good Clay was a Suffolk
whose coat indeed had
the ruddy color of fine clay.
Red Wind was a Gypsy Vanner,
spotted chestnut over white with
a black splotch in his mane.
Jesse had introduced
the Gypsy Vanner breed
by telling the story of how
Gypsies and Tinkers developed
them, but neither Gypsy nor Tinker
was the true name of those people.
So the local tribes decided to call
the breed Painted Travelers instead.
Their ceremonial paint included
a Romani wheel on one shoulder
along with a striped triangle for
the Irish harp on the other.
Watching the Wampanoag
fawn over Red Wind with
his frizzy feathers coming in,
Jesse said, "I'm an idiot."
"What makes you say
that?" Emma wondered.
"Well, I figured that they
would love the pinto look,
and they do," said Jesse.
"But I thought the extra hair
would be a nuisance in
the woods, and everyone
seems to adore that too."
"Any idea why?" said Emma.
"It turns out that most of
the Painted Travelers are
brush sluts, and tribal riders
like to bond with their horses
through grooming," said Jesse.
"Like horses bond with each other,"
Emma said. "Oh, I get it -- all of
that extra hair means more time
grooming, thus a closer bond."
"Yeah. I want to make another trip
for more breeding stock, at least
two fillies and another colt if I can
find a good one," said Jesse.
"Two pairs is a fine start,"
Emma said. "We can get
more later. I have been
pleasantly surprised by
how much the Wampanoags
understand about genetics."
"Oh?" Jesse said. "I haven't
gotten much farther than
explaining that they'll be
able to breed these colts
to local mares later on."
Emma nodded. "They know
their family trees and that
inbreeding risks defects,
hence the clan structure."
"So all we have to do is
add details, and they should
understand how to establish
a breeding program to meet
their needs," Jesse said.
"Well, sort of," Emma said.
"What?" said Jesse. "It sounds
like they have a good base."
"The thing about genetics is,
we're just starting down this path,
feeling our way in the dark," Emma said.
"What do you mean?" Jesse asked.
"We have a small lantern in the form of
a gene, but the lantern doesn't penetrate
more than a couple of hundred feet,"
Emma said. "We don't know if we're
going to encounter chasms, rock walls
or mountain ranges along the way. We
don't even know how long the path is."
"Well ... why not look for horses and
other livestock with genes we know about,
so we can teach by example?" said Jesse.
"Red Wind has blood bay and tobiano.
I could look for a black and white colt,
and whatever else seems interesting."
"That's a good idea," said Emma.
"They've certainly latched onto
the idea of selective breeding
for farming and permaculture."
While the Wampanoags were
coastal people who relied on
fishing and clam gardens,
the Mogehans and Mahicans
lived inland, where they
depended on the forests
as well as croplands.
A surprising amount of
"wilderness" was actually
food forests in which
the edible plants were
encouraged to flourish.
Everyone had loved
corn, squash, and beans
but they also liked some of
the modern garden vegetables
such as tomatoes and carrots.
"We brought peas," Jesse mused,
leafing through a garden catalog.
"Check the cultivars and see if we
could repeat the genetic experiments.
The early ones used peas for that --
and we could plant a fall crop."
Emma made a note. "Yes,
let's do that. My students will
be fascinated by it, and peas
mature faster than horses."
"Hmm ... we could suggest it
for the clam gardens too,"
said Jesse. "I've seen kids
throwing back one in four of
the biggest things they pick up.
They say it's to make more.
If they just moved those into
a different clam garden, then
I bet that population would rise."
"That makes sense," Emma said,
jotting another note. "We'll try it.
I can also make manipulatives --
genes make more sense if you
model them with plastic eggs
or toothpicks or something."
"Yeah, I had those in some
of my science classes too,"
Jesse said. "They were fun."
Nearby, Red Wind started eating
the flowers that one girl had
braided into her long hair,
making everyone laugh.
"See, we're making progress,"
Emma said. "Things may be going
differently here than in our time,
but they're turning out fine."
"I just wish we weren't fumbling
around in the dark so much,"
Jesse said. "It worries me."
"We have a small lantern,"
Emma said, "and we are
just starting down this path.
I think we'll be all right."
* * *
Notes:
"The problem [with genetic research] is, we're just starting down this path, feeling our way in the dark. We have a small lantern in the form of a gene, but the lantern doesn't penetrate more than a couple of hundred feet. We don't know whether we're going to encounter chasms, rock walls or mountain ranges along the way. We don't even know how long the path is."
-- Francis Collins
Goat herds typically start with 3-5 does and 1-2 bucks. In season, 1 buck can service 10-40 does per month. This is a starter herd of Alpine goats with 4 does and 2 bucks.
Sheep herds usually start with 4-5 ewes and 1 ram. In season, 1 ram can service up to 100 ewes. Here is a starter herd of Black Welsh Mountain Sheep with 5 ewes and 1 ram.
Wild horses tend to live in a family herd. While a herd would typically consist of 20-25 mares and 1 stallion, the advantage to bringing foals in pairs is that the stallions can cover extra mares outside their own breed. This makes it easier to create a progressive breeding program. A stallion can service 20-25 mares in pasture breeding or up to 60 in hand-breeding.
Blue Ear is an edible mushroom.
The colt Blue Ear is a blue roan Belgian, who grows into a big stallion.
The colt Good Clay is a Suffolk Punch, who grows up quite stocky.
Jesse introduces the Gypsy Vanners by telling the story of how Gypsies and Tinkers developed the breed, but neither Gypsy nor Tinker is the true name of those people. So the tribes decided to call the horses Painted Travelers instead. Their ceremonial paint includes a wheel for the Romani on one shoulder and a striped triangle for the Irish harp on the other.
Gypsy Vanner colors show quite a variety. White patterns come from diverse genetics.
The colt Red Wind is a Gypsy Vanner, who grows into a flashy stallion.
Subsequent horse additions include:
The colt Mooncloud is a tobiano Gypsy Vanner, who despite his grayish foal coat grows into a crisp black and white stallion.
The filly Sassafras is a silver bay Gypsy Vanner, who grows into a mare with a much lighter mane and tail.
The filly Seashell is a black and white tobiano Gypsy Vanner, who grows into a lightweight, fast mare.
Permaculture guilds combine plants with complementary needs. Guilds and polycultures produce well and resist pests in a variety of contexts, including food forests.
Food forests offer many benefits. Historically, Native Americans used food forests among other permaculture methods to sustain a rich and varied diet. Learn how to grow your own.
Heirloom vegetables offer many advantages. Explore heirloom varieties of corn, squash, beans, carrots, tomatoes, and peas.
Peas prefer cool weather, making them a good spring and fall crop.
Manipulatives for genetics often start with plastic eggs. An advantage of toothpicks is that diverse genes may be stacked onto them and inherited separately.
janetmiles, ng_moonmoth, and mama_kestrel. It also fills the "Needs" square in my 4-4-21 "Aspects" card for the Genderplay Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony & Shirley Barrette. It belongs to the Bear Tunnels series. It follows "The Hobbomak," "Hickory Lives," "Seeds of Civilization," "Beads and Mirrors," and "The Eyes of All People." Its sequels are "The Pequot War" and "In Any Great Undertaking.""Just Starting Down This Path"
[August 1630]
Emma and Jesse had followed
their plan to introduce new breeds
of sheep, goats, and draft horses.
They had brought through small herds
of lambs and kids for each breed.
They had also secured a colt
for each draft breed, to see
which the locals liked best.
Blue Ear was a blue roan Belgian,
named after an edible fungus.
Good Clay was a Suffolk
whose coat indeed had
the ruddy color of fine clay.
Red Wind was a Gypsy Vanner,
spotted chestnut over white with
a black splotch in his mane.
Jesse had introduced
the Gypsy Vanner breed
by telling the story of how
Gypsies and Tinkers developed
them, but neither Gypsy nor Tinker
was the true name of those people.
So the local tribes decided to call
the breed Painted Travelers instead.
Their ceremonial paint included
a Romani wheel on one shoulder
along with a striped triangle for
the Irish harp on the other.
Watching the Wampanoag
fawn over Red Wind with
his frizzy feathers coming in,
Jesse said, "I'm an idiot."
"What makes you say
that?" Emma wondered.
"Well, I figured that they
would love the pinto look,
and they do," said Jesse.
"But I thought the extra hair
would be a nuisance in
the woods, and everyone
seems to adore that too."
"Any idea why?" said Emma.
"It turns out that most of
the Painted Travelers are
brush sluts, and tribal riders
like to bond with their horses
through grooming," said Jesse.
"Like horses bond with each other,"
Emma said. "Oh, I get it -- all of
that extra hair means more time
grooming, thus a closer bond."
"Yeah. I want to make another trip
for more breeding stock, at least
two fillies and another colt if I can
find a good one," said Jesse.
"Two pairs is a fine start,"
Emma said. "We can get
more later. I have been
pleasantly surprised by
how much the Wampanoags
understand about genetics."
"Oh?" Jesse said. "I haven't
gotten much farther than
explaining that they'll be
able to breed these colts
to local mares later on."
Emma nodded. "They know
their family trees and that
inbreeding risks defects,
hence the clan structure."
"So all we have to do is
add details, and they should
understand how to establish
a breeding program to meet
their needs," Jesse said.
"Well, sort of," Emma said.
"What?" said Jesse. "It sounds
like they have a good base."
"The thing about genetics is,
we're just starting down this path,
feeling our way in the dark," Emma said.
"What do you mean?" Jesse asked.
"We have a small lantern in the form of
a gene, but the lantern doesn't penetrate
more than a couple of hundred feet,"
Emma said. "We don't know if we're
going to encounter chasms, rock walls
or mountain ranges along the way. We
don't even know how long the path is."
"Well ... why not look for horses and
other livestock with genes we know about,
so we can teach by example?" said Jesse.
"Red Wind has blood bay and tobiano.
I could look for a black and white colt,
and whatever else seems interesting."
"That's a good idea," said Emma.
"They've certainly latched onto
the idea of selective breeding
for farming and permaculture."
While the Wampanoags were
coastal people who relied on
fishing and clam gardens,
the Mogehans and Mahicans
lived inland, where they
depended on the forests
as well as croplands.
A surprising amount of
"wilderness" was actually
food forests in which
the edible plants were
encouraged to flourish.
Everyone had loved
corn, squash, and beans
but they also liked some of
the modern garden vegetables
such as tomatoes and carrots.
"We brought peas," Jesse mused,
leafing through a garden catalog.
"Check the cultivars and see if we
could repeat the genetic experiments.
The early ones used peas for that --
and we could plant a fall crop."
Emma made a note. "Yes,
let's do that. My students will
be fascinated by it, and peas
mature faster than horses."
"Hmm ... we could suggest it
for the clam gardens too,"
said Jesse. "I've seen kids
throwing back one in four of
the biggest things they pick up.
They say it's to make more.
If they just moved those into
a different clam garden, then
I bet that population would rise."
"That makes sense," Emma said,
jotting another note. "We'll try it.
I can also make manipulatives --
genes make more sense if you
model them with plastic eggs
or toothpicks or something."
"Yeah, I had those in some
of my science classes too,"
Jesse said. "They were fun."
Nearby, Red Wind started eating
the flowers that one girl had
braided into her long hair,
making everyone laugh.
"See, we're making progress,"
Emma said. "Things may be going
differently here than in our time,
but they're turning out fine."
"I just wish we weren't fumbling
around in the dark so much,"
Jesse said. "It worries me."
"We have a small lantern,"
Emma said, "and we are
just starting down this path.
I think we'll be all right."
* * *
Notes:
"The problem [with genetic research] is, we're just starting down this path, feeling our way in the dark. We have a small lantern in the form of a gene, but the lantern doesn't penetrate more than a couple of hundred feet. We don't know whether we're going to encounter chasms, rock walls or mountain ranges along the way. We don't even know how long the path is."
-- Francis Collins
Goat herds typically start with 3-5 does and 1-2 bucks. In season, 1 buck can service 10-40 does per month. This is a starter herd of Alpine goats with 4 does and 2 bucks.
Sheep herds usually start with 4-5 ewes and 1 ram. In season, 1 ram can service up to 100 ewes. Here is a starter herd of Black Welsh Mountain Sheep with 5 ewes and 1 ram.
Wild horses tend to live in a family herd. While a herd would typically consist of 20-25 mares and 1 stallion, the advantage to bringing foals in pairs is that the stallions can cover extra mares outside their own breed. This makes it easier to create a progressive breeding program. A stallion can service 20-25 mares in pasture breeding or up to 60 in hand-breeding.
Blue Ear is an edible mushroom.
The colt Blue Ear is a blue roan Belgian, who grows into a big stallion.
The colt Good Clay is a Suffolk Punch, who grows up quite stocky.
Jesse introduces the Gypsy Vanners by telling the story of how Gypsies and Tinkers developed the breed, but neither Gypsy nor Tinker is the true name of those people. So the tribes decided to call the horses Painted Travelers instead. Their ceremonial paint includes a wheel for the Romani on one shoulder and a striped triangle for the Irish harp on the other.
Gypsy Vanner colors show quite a variety. White patterns come from diverse genetics.
The colt Red Wind is a Gypsy Vanner, who grows into a flashy stallion.
Subsequent horse additions include:
The colt Mooncloud is a tobiano Gypsy Vanner, who despite his grayish foal coat grows into a crisp black and white stallion.
The filly Sassafras is a silver bay Gypsy Vanner, who grows into a mare with a much lighter mane and tail.
The filly Seashell is a black and white tobiano Gypsy Vanner, who grows into a lightweight, fast mare.
Permaculture guilds combine plants with complementary needs. Guilds and polycultures produce well and resist pests in a variety of contexts, including food forests.
Food forests offer many benefits. Historically, Native Americans used food forests among other permaculture methods to sustain a rich and varied diet. Learn how to grow your own.
Heirloom vegetables offer many advantages. Explore heirloom varieties of corn, squash, beans, carrots, tomatoes, and peas.
Peas prefer cool weather, making them a good spring and fall crop.
Manipulatives for genetics often start with plastic eggs. An advantage of toothpicks is that diverse genes may be stacked onto them and inherited separately.
