In this episode, Steven asks Forest (AKA Mr. Welton) a bunch of questions about the house he built last year. We talked quite a bit about permafrost (the enemy of your home in the interior), property,foundation, windows, insulation, well, septic and HVAC. If you aren't looking into building a house, this episode will bore you to death. If you are interested in building your next home, there is certainly some valuable information contained in our conversation. 

We didn't go too deeply into it, but we also touched on financing your build in the most responsible and practical manner possible. Planning your build properly will reduce the likelihood of cost overruns and other headaches.

By building his own home, Forest was able to enrich his life and learn something new by planning and careful execution of the dream he and his wife shared. 

Enjoy!!!

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In this episode, I tell Mr. Welton a story about a time things went almost as wrong as they could for the situation, only to be saved by a con-artist (unknowingly). In short, 2010 was a rough year.

A few things I'd like to specify:

- When we recorded, I couldn't remember the name of the town where I got into trouble at the truck stop. As soon as we finished recording, of course I remembered. The town is Shelby, MT. It is an important little hub, as it is the intersection of US-2 and I-15.

- At around the 15 minute mark, I was discussing a blown tire on my U-Haul. Whatever I said about the con-artist helping me was inaccurate. All she did in that moment was explain to me what to do if I blew a steer tire and kept me calm while I got the vehicle to the side of the road. (My bad, I was excited and just plowed through that part). 

In this episode, Steven sits down with his good friend Scott Chamberlain, to talk about that time Scott ended up with a pet black bear cub. We discuss the circumstances surrounding the cub and why a lone bear cub was freezing in the snow in December, as well as how the bear handled it's short stay in Circle, Alaska.

In addition, we discuss the hunting and fishing Scott has exposed his kids to, growing up in Circle v. growing up in Fairbanks, his father's trapline in the 80's and 90's, and a little about the Yukon River. 

Scott has lived a unique life and will have many more stories to share with the world.

In this episode, Steven and Forest both meet up with Darren, who owns the Copper Kettle Farm with his wife, Christina. They are lovely people who have carved out a unique life just outside of Fairbanks. Darren has more than a decade of experience in raising reindeer, and Steven is left stumped multiple times. We also discuss caribou, turkeys, chicken eggs, wolves, coyotes, mean goats, how a kiddie pool scared a reindeer to death, chronic wasting disease, sustainability of the operation, and the fulfillment of knowing where your food comes from. 

If you don't know the difference between a caribou and a reindeer, you will learn it in this episode.

My apologies, but I (Steven) hooked up a faulty XLR for Darren's mic. The first 15 minutes have some extra background noise, but it eventually goes away. 

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In this episode, Steven chats with the wonderful Ms. Geneva Hobson about her early life in Bristol Bay, her adult life in Fairbanks, and everything in-between. Geneva and her husband Nick have had some fun adventures since they have been together, and she even offered to take us ptarmigan hunting. 

We will do many more episodes like this, so be sure to subscribe. 

In this episode, Forest, AKA Mr. Welton, tells a story about that one time he joined the Air Force and ran into some trouble. We discuss life in the military as a young troop in a training unit, as well as how life changes once a troop makes it out of training status. 

Here at The Shoestring Podcast, we have no direction. We talk about whatever seems right at the moment the record button is pressed. We are leaderless. In the future we will be directionless, but with guests!

Be sure to subscribe to hear Forest tell you more stories!

Welcome to the Shoestring Podcast, where there is duct-tape on the entire operation. This episode is nothing more than a quick introduction to the hosts. Enjoy!

Don't forget to subscribe to the show!!!