Tonight at 8:00 Central,Time I think is a new show called frontier house. 3 families 6 months in Montana. everything including clothes must be from the 1800's. Nothing modern!! Sounds great I am so excited. Thought some of you might enjoy it.

-- Jennifer (jfisher4@midsouth.rr.com), April 29, 2002

Answers

There was an article in our Saturday paper about this show. I am real interested to see it. I hope I am not disapointed.

-- Joanie (ber-gust@prodigy.net), April 29, 2002.

I wish one of us where picked ! Would have made it more fun to watch .

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@hotmail.com), April 29, 2002.

I was wondering what time that was coming on. The guy on the radio mentioned it this morning but didn't know the time. I'm looking forward to watching. Thanks...

-- Michelle Thomas (mpthomas83@hotmail.com), April 29, 2002.

Maybe we'll get some converts! I know here in Minnesota they are also airing an other story. It is the story of a family of women who helped settle a homestead in Montana. It is called Sun River Homstead and is airing here on May 2, at 9 pm.

I plan on taping this series.

-- Susan in MN (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), April 29, 2002.

Iam gonna watch it I saw previews It looks good.Would be fun to do.kinda like Survior.Pam

-- Pam (pams65@hotmail.com), April 29, 2002.

I find it disheartening the way several of the family members bad mouth one another, KNOWING it is taped and will be broadcast....I would bet $$ the producers encouraged that kind of talk so they could tap in to the evident appeal of reality based programs where people are out for ME only and to heck with everyone else. I am enjoying the history aspect of it but I wish they would have edited out those nasty remarks....... Julie in OK

-- Julie (okwilk213@juno.com), May 01, 2002.

I've watched the first two epidsodes... the show is probably more about the relationships/personalities of those involved than it is about pioneering. Many of those involved in the show are somewhat annoying. Can we vote them off the homestead? :) Pioneer Quest was a better series.

-- Bert (bert@sesamestreet.com), May 01, 2002.

I just finished watching the last 4 hours. I thot it was interesting-- -relationships and all. Its part of life and what makes communities click or not.

-- john (natlivent@pcpros.net), May 01, 2002.

I really enjoyed tonights episodes.

I think that several of the participants really got a grip on life. They now know that they have usefulness and skills, and can have purpose in life.

Others still don't have a clue and couldn't wait to get out of there.

The kids now seem bored with 21st century life with nothing to do in the line of chores, etc. Think the Malibu family should get some goats for the son and chickens. Bet they would enjoy all of that manicured grass and the pool.

Think they realize that they don't need a mega mansion to be happy. Actually wish it was smaller so that they would bump into each other once in a while and get to visit, rather than each going to a different part of the house and never seeing each other.

The one guy sure got ticked off when told his family would not have been able to make it through the winter. Sore loser, i.e. sore being told breaking the rules, etc. didn't make him a winner. Being prepared isn't just a state of mind.

Would like to meet Nate and Kristin. Think Nate was more on the money from the very beginning than the others. By being married there he will always have roots in the Frontier Valley. Yeh!

The guy in Tennesse is now a man out of time. Doesn't fit anywhere, not even with his family. I do feel sorry for him.

The whole series sure makes me wish I had the guts to chuck this life and set out on my own quest for a simplier life, mainly away from city life and the noise of it.

-- Notforprint (Not@thekeyboard.com), May 01, 2002.

I'm surprised the california couple made it without make-up and having their nails done. Did you notice she complained through-out the show and then complained when she was home. Maybe it's more about her than the experience. Now they can go back to where they came from--an isolated petty existence. Nate and his bride had the best sense of humor! Three dead mice. Karen had the only backbone in the show in terms of family! She could have made it without her husband. Now she is making it on her own. What a cool show! Joy

-- Joy (spyder@execpc.com), May 01, 2002.

If anybody taped the last 2 hour epiosde I will pay you for it! Our stupid PBS station, which blasts Sesame Street, Mr Rogers and Barney all day long, with PERFECT reception, couldn't stay on the air decent enough for us to even watch it!! Please email me if you have a spare copy, I do not want to have to buy the whole episode from PBS! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 01, 2002.

I only got to watch the last hour and a half of the series. It must of been a good one to watch all the way through. I felt sorry for the rich kids who are back in reality and think the mall and their back yard swimming pool is boring. They must of had a lot of fun raising their animals(except for having to butcher the pig). The rich man finally mowed his own lawn for the second time in his life. The one problem he has is that he is back on his rich traveling job and is starting to get fat again.

It makes you wonder if some of them will be buying a subscription to Countryside and will eventually move back to the wilderness.

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), May 01, 2002.

What happended in the end on Pioneer Quest? I saw it up to the point when they built their own cabins and the older woman wanted to quit. Did they all make it?

-- Kathy (homefarmbc@pacificcoast.net), May 01, 2002.

Did you see that pitiful stack of fire wood the CA people had! Heck I could haul that in my pick-up. That and did you notice they never did clink their cabin. Let alone that hay pile, they might have fed a milk goat though the winter.I think their name should have been the Donner's! And god Mrs Olsen from Tenn., I'd killed her by Nov. if I had to stay in a cabin with her. Nate and his wife now did a good job. A smaller cabin, easier heat, extra hay, just what they needed as far as livestock.

-- JACK C (iNJACK1@AOL.COM), May 01, 2002.

Also the CA. people cut a lot of their hay in the fall thinking it would keep their horse alive through the winter. When I seen them cutting it I knew they were making a big mistake. They even mentioned it on the show that their hay wouldn't have any nutritional value.

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), May 02, 2002.

From what I remember about Pioneer Quest, both couples did make it to the end... although the older gentleman had some health problems along the way (heart?). I believe that was also a Manitoba winter which they lasted through.

-- bert (bert@sesamestreet.com), May 02, 2002.

How many of you goat gals noticed that the goats Nate and Kristin had were LaManchas? A breed not even in exsistance in the 1800's ;) Course only LaMancha's (of todays pampered breeds) would have given them milk with just grass to eat, I could just see my Nubians out their yelling for MOM, the bears would have eaten them for sure! At least we didn't have to look at some ole cross thing with an udder to the ground. Though probably a heck of alot more realistic. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

Kick ass show! I missed the first day, series will probably be repeated next week on our other PBS station so I'll get a chance to check it out. Should wake up some of those people who think that getting back to the land is all skipping in the meadow picking wildflowers. Showed that if you are not a bootstraps person who opts for the do-it-yourself route wherever you may be, you just couldn't make it.

One question. Instead of worrying about having so much firewood to survive the harsh winters, why not enlarge the root celler? (Put down the CA folks all you want but that was a smart move on his part - the root celler. Very enterprising, probably how he got the bucks for such a mansion in the first place.) They stated that even in Montana's -30 weather the celler stayed about 50. 50 is probably a heck of a lot warmer than you could heat those cabins to.

-- Diana in FL (dvance4@juno.com), May 02, 2002.

When are they going to make Medieval House!!!!

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), May 02, 2002.

Ok..I have a satellite dish to get the good channels like PBS and so I don't have a TV guide except on the dish guide so here is my question...Were there two episodes on last night? How long is the show? I caught the last hour of the two hour episode Monday night and taped 2 hours last night (its on too late for this girl). Did I get it all or did I miss something (I haven't been able to watch it yet..the kids are addicted to their morning shows and I had barn chores to do)? We get PBS Buffalo.

-- Alison in NS (aproteau@istar.ca), May 02, 2002.

Ok I think we should write them and they should do a big show about all us .Give us several thousand acres for good and they can come and tape us for x numbers of years.Think of all the knowledge here , having like minded neighbors ,having people you actually like near you ! That would be so cool.Think of what we could get done .

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

I,m with Patty!!!

-- Suzanne (weir@frontiernet.net), May 02, 2002.

I'm with Patty and Suzanne!! Let's go!!

-- Misha (Longing4theCntry@aol.com), May 02, 2002.

I also would like to get a copy if anyone videotaped it and am willing to pay for it. I missed the entire series (not much of a TV watcher) but would enjoy seeing it. Thanks!

-- Debbie in IL (debbie@fli-soft.com), May 02, 2002.

Hi,

Did you notice how much the children changed? At first all of them whined, cried, and hated the place and then slowly each started changing and responding to the new situation with a lot more enthusiasm than their parents. It seemed that the children enjoyed having the responsibility for the animals and their chores and took pride in doing things right. I really felt sorry for the little boy whose chicken was killed and then the kids when the pig was killed, but after all the crying was over, they seemed to have adjusted quite well.

Yes Vickie, I noticed the LaManchas and wondered about that part, but guess most folks, even historical people, don't know everything about goats. I did think the doe was very good natured and liked people too.

I with whoever said that the young newly married couple had the best set up. They did not get in over their heads with animals and seemed the best prepared,of course they also didn't have the children to contend with. The Klune's were an enterprising bunch! But I felt really bad watching the marriage disintergration of the Olsens from TN. It seemed a shame that the kids were so well adjusted and still having to deal with the petty arguing between the adults.

The Klune's may not have made it through winter, but as a family, they seemed to pull together the most so if they had died up there in winter, at least they'd all went together happy. I think for city folks, and rich ones at that, that they did surprisingly well once they got in the swing of things.

-- Cindy (sidepasser@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

That whole thing about community...made me chuckle a bit. Those folks could have accomplished so much more (and I think they were learning), if they had chipped in and helped each other more. Balancing individual initiative and work with the needs of the family and the greater community must have been a challenge for frontier folk. (Did I say frontier folk? Maybe I meant *forum* folk... But then I've always been an advocate for community (grin)...)

Vicki, I also noticed the LaMancha...and btw, how exactly does one smuggle in a boxspring in front of a camera crew? And the firewood and hay problems were just so obvious, weren't they? Sheesh...not survive the winter? How about not survive the next month.

I did like Nate and his bride, the little boy with the livestock, and the girl with the cow. The rest of 'em, well, they would take warming up to (but if they were my frontier neighbors, I'd sure want to make the effort).

Good show. Wiggly on authenticity, but I think it was more about relationships, like John sez...the history was interesting, too. Just my $.02, and worth every penny...

-- sheepish (WA) (the_original_sheepish@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

We watched most of it and laughed at a lot of it. I think the producers encouraged the gossiping. Unfortunate. Made for division between the people.

An experience like that has got to be life changing. It would be interesting to revisit those people again in 5 years and see what has become of them.

-- Lavender, Central Maryland (lavenderbluedilly@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

Ok I did write them , shared what I think was wrong with the show and what I thought would make an even better one .They could choose a time period or do a show on modern homesteaders.Wonder if they will write back .

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

My husband referred to the Clune husband and wife as Malibu Ken and Barbie. He also predicted that Malibu Ken would pronounce the historians' report as wrong and that the Tennessee couple would split or even divorce once they got home. The Clunes' shortcuts really diminished the value of the whole project and I was dumbfounded by the husband's justifications for breaking the law of both the country and the project. He was going to be right regardless of the convoluted logic he had to employ.

I would have given my eye teeth to have been able to watch their "boot camp." What a lesson when the Crow gentleman so generously brought them a deer!

What chaps me is that we were IN Montana in early September and could have changed out plans to go see it all, had we known. However, on the morning of the 11th we could think of nothing but covering the 1500 miles back home as quickly as possible.

-- suzy (badjoke@myhouse.net), May 02, 2002.

In the second show, the Clunes were starving to death. Did I miss something, or were these folks not allowed to hunt? That would've been a mainstay of frontier life...was this too politically incorrect?

I liked Nate and Kristen the best, too. Also really liked Rudy, Nate's father. I read the bios on pbs.org, and I guess Nate also had spent a year "roughing" it in Namibia.

That Malibu house was truly disgusting. They commented in the end that the guy mowed the lawn with his kids for the first time in years. Sad, very side. And those girls sitting around in the pool saying there was nothing to do but go to the mall. Slap in the face!

-- Christina (introibo2000@yahoo.com), May 02, 2002.

We thought Frontier House was fun to watch. I agree about the bickering among some of them. You would think they would not have time to be griping about the neighbors, I bet it was egged on by the producers. The children were neat, I think they really gained some life values there. Nate and Kristin were very loveable. Karen was hard to take and Mrs. Klune was a whiner. These were good examples of all the temperament types. Mr. Klune and Karen were Chloric, Karen's husband and Mrs. Klune seemed Melancholy, the kids were mostly Sanguine and Nate and his dad, and Kristin all seemed Phlegmatic.

Wow, I'm sure glad they didn't stay through the winter, especially the Klunes from Malibu didn't have a clue how deadly winters can be. Blizzard, below zero, and not much to heat with and caring for the animals. It would have made their first 5 months seem like a walk in the park. What a disaster. Even here in the 21st century on the high plains of Colorado, I am concerned when we have a blizzard, we take some risky chances out in those storms with the cattle. I would NEVER stay in little cabin in Montana during the winter, NEVER.

-- Marilyn in CO (www.tomeatbeef@aol.com), May 02, 2002.

I don't watch tv at all and from what I've read, these 'reality'(yeah right)type shows would probably disgust me, but I'm getting the general idea of this one from reading these posts.

I'm wondering about something though. Don't you think if you had a house in Malibu that your time would be spent on better things than mowing the lawn? Your time has a value also and sometimes you come out better by paying someone else to do those things. Not that I've ever paid anyone to mow my lawn, in fact I've been paid many times to mow others, but I can surely understand the concept of it. There was a discussion on backwoodshome.com a while back on this.

What could possibly be so disgusting about a house in Malibu? There's also more to do around there than go to the mall. The beach, hiking in the mountains, horseback riding, etc. Not too far from there is quite a bit of homesteaders too, as there is in alot of California from what I've seen in my 2 years here. Just over on the other side of the mountains from there is mostly wilderness and farm land.

I'm just curious why everyone is hating on the Malibu people. Is it that you can't be a 'real person' if you worked hard and acquired wealth? Does being a 'true homesteader' require that you eschew money and attain to live in a tar paper shack(with a tv inside)? Just wondering how people are looking at these concepts.

-- Dave (multiplierx9@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

I think that the producers intentionally picked folks that didn't understand the concept of homesteading. Lets face it, they would have had to drag me out of there, kicking and screaming!

BTW the animal handler had trouble finding period animals and perhaps had to settle for the LaManchas. He said one lady told him, you can take my husband and daughter, but you can't take my milk cow. My sentiments exactly!

-- Dianne (yankeeterrier@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

Great concept for a show, but hollywood was really involved. Did make us think a little more how easy we have it. But the family selection couldn't have been scripted better. Good V. Evil. The Clune's went out of their way to cheat and deceive and then as the show ended had the audacity to mention God and thank Him and carry the family bible around. Their two boy's weren't shown very often, they could have split enough wood for two families. Plus, I would of let them attempt making it thru winter. Good Luck Mr. Clune.

-- Steve (bunchahicks@truthmail.com), May 02, 2002.

Nothing wrong with having a nice house. I guess I was personally disgusted at the mentality of these people. Kids having everything they want, like the little boy admitted, and being still bored. Yes, with four kids they need a decent sized house. Mrs. Clune said, "this house is 10 times the size of the cabin." Ten times? It's 100 times the size. She admitted you could be in the house and not know who else was there. I'd rather have a medium size house and have land, gardens, animals. This guy had a small postage stamp sized lawn and he didn't have time to mow it. No wonder he had no concept of haying for his animals.

-- Christina (introibo2000@yahoo.com), May 02, 2002.

The lack of neighborliness got me.What about the scene in the snowstorm when the two teenage girls had to go in search of the cow and calf? The mother didn't have any dry clothes for them to wear. (she could have at least hung socks and undies over the woodstove) There they are in that heavy wet snow with hardly any clothes on, just a blanket, soaked through and absolutely freezing trying to milk the cow. Out comes Mr.Glenn and starts ripping them a new one because the cow and calf had been there all night. In real life this guy's the head of some medical dept! I think no matter how mad I was at the family I would have taken over the milking ordered the kids into my house so that the wife could get some hot fluids into them, dry them off and lend them some dry clothes. In fact we would have taken the cow back to them as soon as we realised that it had broken out of it's new corral and helped them fix it. It really struck me the way these people failed to work together.

Nate was head and shoulders above all the rest in terms of attitude toward the adverse conditions and his treatment of other people.

Pauline

-- Pauline (tworoosters_farm@yahoo.com), May 02, 2002.

Dave, the folks from Malibu came across as square pegs in round holes. The husband was big on taking advantage of opportunity. Unfortunately he was too much into gamemanship. His choice of a still as the one period item his family could bring was one example. Sneeking the boxsprings into their cabin was another. They were going to bend the rules when needed.

I'm surprised the BATF doesn't have a word with the guy.

When it got tough and he thought he was suffering from lack of protein, I had to laugh. The medical expert pronounced him to be in excellent shape. At 183 lbs, the guy was probably 30 or 40 lbs overweight.

Anyone else notice that everytime there was a shot of someone using a scythe, no one had a clue?

-- Darren (df1@infi.net), May 02, 2002.

I'm glad someone mentioned they sythe problem. It did appear that the only time most of them picked up a sythe was when the camera was running. As for Nate and Kristin, there are places for sale close by us. I'd love to have them as neighbors.

-- Dianne Wood (woodgoat@pacifier.com), May 02, 2002.

There were two episodes on last night... episode 2 was airing on some channels, episode 3 airing on others. For those Canadians with "grey market" U.S. sat systems... I'd assume that episode 3 will be airing again tonight.

Pappy Brooks said it best about the Clunes... the Beverly Hillbillies but in reverse.

-- bert (bert@sesamestreet.com), May 02, 2002.

I missed it but on my local pbs station they are going to air all three episodes in a row on may 12.

you can look it up at www.pbs.org

-- sean parker (sean27@attbi.com), May 02, 2002.

Great show! I can appreciate some of the types of survival skills that the families had to learn. I grew up learning to do some of the same things. I would love to give this a try! Wish it had been my family. It seems that the kids in my family would die without the telephone and Nintendo and television and would not begin to know how to prepare food and do many of the things these families had to do. Hope more shows of this type are presented!

-- Carol White (carol.white@ssrc.msstate.edu), May 02, 2002.

Pauline--Glenn was a community college professor, who quit his job to do this show.

I may not have been all about helping the Clune's if they continued to expect and take advantage of help as they did. They weren't stellar citizens themselves.

It was a shame about the Glenn marriage. He said during the show that he didn't want to be a step-father. That sums it up.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), May 02, 2002.

Wasn't it Mr. Glenn that started the cold cellar thing?

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), May 02, 2002.

Yes, Mr Glenn was who started the root cellar idea, and of course Mr Clune had to try to make his the fanciest, biggest, best. We really enjoyed the show, but absolutely despised the Clunes, I've got to admit. When Mrs Clune whined that she just couldn't take any more bread without something sweet on/in it, we just roared! And then, when they blew all their credit on groceries (and had to sell the horse), and had a house full of expensive (back then) canned goods, Mr Clune still didn't feel satisfied, and thought he needed more protein (hence the illegal modern-day food trading). And, one last Clune-bash, I couldn't believe the two teenage girls showed up at the fair with their chemises only, when other "modern day" people made the effort to dress out in an authentic attempt. On the others: I thought Karen was right on target with her frugality with food and ways to make staples stretch, like adding the warm water to the honey. I sure wish they weren't separated... And, I'm with everyone else - I thought Nate and his dad were the best! They didn't complain about the others, but seemed to look for the good in everyone. I liked his bride's sense of humor, but not her cussing. Just my opinions, for what they're worth!

-- leslie in mo (whomestead@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

yeah , oh boy, do i have a lot to say abt this show.....

the brooks, i had picked him from the first to be the "survivor'

the goats, omg, the first thing ion (my 12 yo son) yelled, thats not right!!!! i felt so sad for the ladies, oh what a tragedy , no makeup... and felt the california family should have never been picked, them type of folks wouldnt have ever made the trip in the first place....

the tennesee folks.. well mom had a chip on her shoulder abt being a "hillbilly" .. thats terrible, thier marriage was in trouble from day one.. i felt so sad when he said " i dont think i want to be a step dad".. her daughter, we didnt see much of , but on the website, seems the most endearing of all them...

the brooks, imagine him building the whole cabin .. now thats frontier!, he had my respect from the get go .. did you all see the coop he made for the birds, just great!!!... and even though they were la manchas , and historicly in accurate, not bad.... but then my son did say , mom if they had come to us would you have given them 2 goats.... and no chances are i wouldnt have.... but i loved the white doe, such a sweety, wonder how we can find out where who they got them from.... i want movie goats :) just kidding...

the firewood.... ahhh yes... pitifull firewood from the Cali folks... nate, well he split and stacked it all.. good man... and the comment he made abt putting up extra hay, now that was resourcefull... well, we can sell the hay , or buy stock really cheap :) , theres a man i admire!

i sympathized with the families trying to save the garden from the hail.. that was a great scene..... but ohhhh.... selling your plow horses team ....... bad big mistake, would have never happened in a million years, the colt maybe , but not the team .... oh, and thier mom erroneously squandered thier food.... speaking of food, i think they could have let them hunt rabbits and squirrells, just not big game, dont you think..... and the bears, all i thought was... humm bear grease , and hide....... not cute little bears.... call me cruel , i know sometimes i am ...

i guess all in all, my main opinion is , yes they highlighted contreversy, thats why people tuned in ... lets face it 6 hours of making hay , or working in the garden , not many folks would have watched...... but the show would have been better if it had lasted through at least january.... 7-8 months really would have proven out ... plus a little better selection of families.. cause frankly that bunch of know nothings wouldnt have made it without a kind older folk helping them out..

my opinion.... for what its worth

-- Beth VS,in SE North Dakota (famvan@drtel.net), May 02, 2002.

Would've been better if they spread out the shows they did film. All in a row means hardly any anticipation!

I would have liked to have seen some more folks in on the experiment. I think they couldn't hunt due to restrictions on the land they were using at the time. I wouldn't have trusted Mr. Clune with a loaded gun anyhow!

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), May 02, 2002.

I don't know, I think that if the Clunes were left to fend for themselves for the winter, we might have been watching a version of the Donner Party on the next show. I wouldn't have wanted to be their neighbor! LOL! I'm glad they picked inexperienced people to do this, it would have been too easy for us homesteaders, we already supply our meat and veggies and know how to work to provide for the winter. We are already living the "Good Life". One thing I got from the show was how everyone missed the lifestyle when they went home. They could just go buy a patch of land (like we all have) and continue living the "Good Life". Over all, it was an interesting show. Out of the three families, I thought Nate and his dad did the best.

-- cowgirlone in ok (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), May 03, 2002.

I think they could not hunt because of todays seasons. I do think to keep it real they should have been able to, the real ones would have. I think the clunes came the farthest in their change but I agree with that they would not have suvived. I did not agree with the Glenns handling of the cow situation but the clunes were rich users and I would have been tired of their cow besides I would not have sent my daughters out dressed as they were. The glenns were my favorite but I would have probably beat her or built a nice barn and moved there. He probably left her if it had been real and hired himself out to the clunes, would have been a better life. To her credit she probably survived without him. She was good if she would have not been so mouthy. I liked the brooks, but she was not truly country stock. I think the glenn man should have been allowed to stay he seemed to truly belong there. What did they do with the Homesteads?

-- Tom (Calfarm@msn.com), May 06, 2002.

Tom, I read somewhere that the show was made on an indian reservation. That could be why they couldn't hunt.

-- cowgirlone in ok (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), May 06, 2002.

We taped the shows so that we could watch at our convenience. One of my thoughts are these three families are supposed to represent early settlers and they mentioned immigrants that came from Europe. I thought many of the immigrants came from a farming background. At least mine did. They would have known herbal treatments, raising chickens, etc. I wish that they would have had at least one family from a rural background. I was disappointed at the whining and would have rather heard or seen how they did certain chores. I also know that Mr. Clune had absolutely no morals in that he thought nothing of breaking the rules. I wonder what kind of business man, in reality, he is.

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), May 06, 2002.