Liftoff in Ten Minutes

This looks like a UFO parked on a roof but it is actually the cover for an air vet in an old house in the old section of Cairo. The cover helps keep rain from coming in on the off chance it may rain, but lets the hot air escape. This is probably about 100 years old and was constructed of wood covered with stucco.

Workday Tools

I believe my friend Elaine Jaques took this while visiting from Canada. These are the tools of the trade hanging on the tack room wall. The mastaba bench is for rest.

Positive and Negative

Our Great Dane and our Dalmation decided to sneak a nap on a low sofa against the bedouin pillows.

On The Job Learning

Ever wonder how those horses learn to stay calm in Cairo traffic that leaves us humans screaming and tearing our hair? They start out young, walking along with mom to see what the job is all about. By the time they are old enough to pull a wagon, they've seen it all. I guess that's how Cairo drivers learn to cope as well.

A Beautiful Door

One of the interior doors in the Hanging Church is a beautiful piece of inlaid ivory and wood with a bibilical reference in Arabic. This may seem a little odd but isn't really here. After all, both Copts and Muslims speak Arabic.

Summer Is Coming In

and hair is coming out. Almost enough there to knit a new dog.

Just Fun

Been busy here following local events (the entire Middle East is a bit nuts these days) and I realised I haven't been posting. Many apologies and here's one of my favourite shots of some of our baby goats and our water buffalo. Sometimes it's really nice to have big friends.

Family Portrait Sham el Nessim

Sham el Nessim is Egypt's special spring holiday, a pharoanic version of Easter, when families go out into the nearest green area to enjoy smoked fish, lettuce, onions, bread and boiled eggs as a picnic. Even the farmers go out and have lunch in their fields with their families.

Wet Pleasure

On a sunny holiday afternoon we were riding along a trail in the countryside when we ran into a group of boys who were playing in the canal. I wouldn't voluntarily go swimming there, but then I'm not a roughly nine year old boy....a group not notoriously picky when it comes to fun. If I were their mother they'd all be taking a nice dose of parasite medicine pretty regularly too. But it was a perfect child moment.