Postscript Post

After I mentioned my fondness for nerdy reality tv, I got several recommendations, and the library had them all on hand. We're working our way through "Pioneer Quest" at the moment, and have "Colonial House" and "1900 House" piled up in the wings. Having watched half of "Pioneer Quest," in which 4 Canadians sign on to spend a year pioneering in Manitoba, I can't help but compare it to "Frontier House," in which a larger group of Americans spend 4 months pioneering in Montana. Based on this scientific comparison, I've concluded that Canadians are both tougher and nicer than Americans.

However, none of them had it that bad - I haven't seen anybody find a rat in the outhouse yet.