NPR...

While driving into Georgetown today I turned on the radio to NPR. They had a great program on titled "On Point". The discussion today was about musk ox. I felt my old heart leap a bit as I listened to the discussion.

Several years ago Claude had a business trip to Alaska. I joined him his last day of work and we stayed for four days just to visit and explore. One of the places I found in my on-line quest before the trip was a musk ox farm north of Anchorage. This just fascinated me and I put on our list of possible places to look up during our visit.

We made it to the musk ox farm and had our tour. These are stout creatures and we really enjoyed this tour. Enough so that we sought out the Anchorage Oomingmak store just before our departure to purchase a piece of qiviut for each of us to take home.

As the discussion continued one caller phoned in to ask about the merchandizing of the 'wool' from the musk ox. The host, Tom Ashbrook, had two authorities to help answer this guests question. They spoke mainly of the musk ox in Canada. I felt my pulse start to race expecting to hear about the merchandizing of musk ox wool in Alaska. Nothing was said.

I listened carefully for the phone number to call in and found the Whitaker Bank parking lot to stop in and made my call. I just felt I needed to share the great way Alaska handles this 'wool'.

A nice lady answered the phone. I explained why I was calling and that I knew their topic had taken a turn and was now discussing polar bears and grizzly bears mating and what that meant. She assured me after my explanation of what I wanted to say that it was very appropriate for her to connect my call. I was instructed to say 'Hello' and not 'Good Afternoon' as they rebroadcast these things in the evening. Then I was put on hold until I was acknowledged by the host.

Then I shared a tidbit of my knowledge of how Alaska handles the qiviut. Here is what I tried to share...

They raise the musk ox we saw on a farm. In the fields they place the brushes out of street sweepers. The musk ox rub up against them and this save the qiviut. This qiviut is so precious that one of the tourist picked up just a tuft of the quviut that had blown out the field and along the fence line. The tour guide quickly took that quviut to add to their harvest.

All this quviut is saved and then taken to remote villages where the indigenous people make thread and then knit these wonderful pieces of clothing to be sold in places like Anchorage. The tribes or clans or whatever they were called each have a pattern that is specific to their village. They do all their knitting in that pattern. So you can actually tell by the pattern of the piece you purchase what village it came from. The earnings are shared with that village to help sustain it financially. I just thought this was wonderful!!

Claude purchased a stocking cap and I got a smoke ring which is just like a circular knit scarf to go around your neck and over your face if needed. These items are very expensive.

The discussion had already explained and did so again after my call that this qiviut is really not 'wool'. It is actually hair that is extremely fine. Man has no fiber that he makes that equals this qiviut for texture and warmth. It seems to me they figured the warmth as 6 times that of wool from sheep. I'll also state that it is the softest, lightest material I have ever held in my life. And I'll vouch for their statement about it's warmth.

The kind host thanked me for my comment and quickly went on to another caller as they were very near the end of their program.

It was quite fun to actually get through and talk about something from our travels that was very fun, very educational and very nice to have to wear in the cold winters.

I then quickly eMailed my family to let them know Mom was on the radio. What a fun thing to have happen today!