Sharing Sunlight

This was Tuesday and Tuesday afternoon is the Rural Wellness Initiative mobile vet clinic. A friend of the group came along with us and took a break sitting on an upturned rowboat.  She found herself sitting among a group of women and children who took great delight in trying to teach her Arabic. Yes, the woman in niqab as well, who turned out to have quite the sense of humour.

We Are The Eggmen

While a group of us were out riding the other afternoon a pickup truck carrying what must have been at least a thousand eggs passed us on the way from a chicken production warehouse to wherever it is that they take this many eggs. They will be left in their cartons standing in warehouses and stores for a number of weeks or until they are bought. Eggs, oddly enough, stay fresh unrefrigerated for months UNTIL you refrigerate them....and then they must be kept cold.

What Camels Really Do

Out on a ride the other day we saw a farmer leading his camel with a huge load of berseem clover. One camel can carry almost as much as a cart.

Apologies for being away. My annual case of bronchitis laid me a bit low.

Mourning

We have had Qamar (it means "moon") out water buffalo for about 6 years. This winter she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl who we named Negoom (which means "stars") which gave us the moon and stars. Her previous offspring was named Kofta (for grilled ground meat) since as a bull calf that was going to be his fate. Kofta was dispatched very humanely last year, but Negoom, who was a delightfully friendly little girl who loved attention and scratches from everyone was going to be staying at the farm with her mother. This morning Negoom was found dead in the paddock of no apparent cause and her mother stood next to her crying.  Water buffalo aren't known for their intellect but they they feel things keenly.