Reindeer Corraling
One of the students here told me all about reindeer corraling today. That's what her father does for a living. Except the past two years he hasn't been able to get enough reindeer so he helps out with his two neighbors who also corral. Right now is the time that they do it. First they round all of the reindeer up into one huge pile, then slowly they divide them up into littler piles. Then, taking each pile, they force them into a little shoot where someone grabs them and cuts off their antlers. A rubber band is placed around the stubs of their heads where the antlers were to stop the blood so that they don't bleed to death. Their ears are clipped, and they are marked with red and white tags for her father's reindeer and white and black tags for her neighbor's. Then they are released back again. She said that she's really sad right now because she wants to be home helping with the corraling with her father. She says that it's really really fun and that you get mud covered all over you and lots of blood. And when you're done for the day you just jump right into the river...the river that is clean, clear fresh water. Fresh enough that you can just drink out of it. The same girl telling me this is the girl that always looks "cute" with high heeled shoes, perfectly gelled short hair, makeup. It's kinda funny to think of her doing this. I wish I could join in though. It sounds like quite and experience.