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October 2006 Newsletter
Howdy folks and welcome to another month gone by with the Texas Camel Corps.
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September seemed to speed past, but somewhere we found the time to pack in quite a bit. On the 2nd, Labor Day Weekend, camels Gobi and Richard and donkey Hamar (Arabic for "donkey"), my six-year old son, Pecos, and I headed to the Texas Hill Country. Bandera, Texas, the Cowboy Capital of the World, was celebrating its 150th anniversary and I was honored to be asked to appear in the parade with the camels and participate in a living history encampment along the banks of the beautiful Guadalupe River.
Bandera is situated about 40 miles NW of San Antonio and has some history with camels. In the mid-19th century, the US Army Camel Experiment traipsed through this area on its comings and goings throughout the region.
Best bud Gil T. Hernandez and longtime Texas Camel Corps "board member" Steven Evans, along with his two sons Will and Caleb, were on hand, too. Gil, a descendant of former camel driver Santiago Tafolla of the 19th-century US and Confederate Armies, led Richard, while Steven rode Gobi and Will and Caleb helped a donkey-riding Pecos toss candy to the crowd. All did well (two-legged and four-legged). I think the boys kept a little candy for themselves.
One of the highlights of the day was visiting with folks who had come out to see the camels as we passed through Bandera this past spring during the Sesquicentennial Camel Drive. Big thanks to the folks with Celebrate Bandera for having us!
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On Sunday, the 3rd, Mary B. and daughter Nancie of Austin, Texas visited the farm. In Mary’s family legend is an ancestor by the last name of "Greathouse" who was rumored to have worked with the historic US Army camels of the 19th century. It was sure nice to meet these swell gals. Both enjoyed a short ride on Gobi and were a big help getting a couple of camels groomed. Mary had really done her studying on camels! They were so sweet to bring along some Middle Eastern foods from a great market in Austin called Phoenicia. Big thanks to Mary and Nancie!
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From the 13th-20th, I was in Elfrida, Arizona, working for VisionQuest (www.vq.com). This trip, I got to go camping with a dozen teen-aged girls and four camels! Chief Administrator Val Purl and I had a great time and some of the girls did really well with their camels. While in AZ, I also began training six new girls to ride and they did well. One, Kayleigh, was deathly afraid of getting on the camels, but the other girls really encouraged her and ultimately she did a super job.
One of the young ladies in the program, Stephanie, discharged from our care while I was out there and she is now headed out into the big world. I’ve never felt so confident about a youth succeeding. Stephanie, like so many of these kids, comes from a horrible background of abuse and neglect and all sorts of unimaginable experiences, but I feel so optimistic about her chances. When every opportunity presented itself for her to make poor choices, Stephanie always did the right thing. All of the staff and youth had mixed emotions about her leaving. We were all sad to see her go, but happy that she’d done so well. Best of luck, Steph!
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I spent Thursday night, the 21st in Dallas, Texas in front of Al Amir restaurant on Greenville Avenue with camels Cinco and Ibrahim and gal pal Manda Butler, an animal care specialist and elephant trainer at Waco’s Cameron Park Zoo. The Phi Gamma Delta boys from Southern Methodist University had called at the last minute wanting camels to greet their guests at this very nice Lebanese restaurant. Many of the folks would be dressed in Middle Eastern attire ranging from "towel on head" to "my dad went to Egypt and all I got was this really lame King Tut outfit".
I was able to shorten my normal ten-day AZ schedule to eight days and get home in time for the job, but only after I was assured that the proceedings would be in good taste and wouldn’t in any way be gaudy or insulting to Middle Eastern or Islamic culture. (During our phone conversation I couldn’t be sure if it would or wouldn’t...)
For two hours, from 11p.m. until 1 a.m., Manda, Cinco, Ibrahim and I posed for pictures with the partygoers as they arrived at Al Amir. The restaurant’s owner, a Lebanese man named John, was awfully accommodating and made sure that the camels would not be stressed by the revelry. No one thought to ask if Manda and I would be stressed by the revelry. (Beginning to feel better about taking on the job.)
Fortunately, the majority of the guests were very respectful and occasionally even asked well-informed questions. At about a quarter to one, though, a rather inebriated fella decided to stand straddling over a kneeling Cinco’s neck. I immediately recognized the potential result: Cinco stands up, el borracho ("the drunk" in Spanish) flies through the air losing use of vital parts of his anatomy, Doug loses camel business in lawsuit. (Faith in mankind plummeting.)
Expeditiously moving the young man out of harm’s way with what was certainly not a VisionQuest-approved restraint technique, I escorted the offender straight up to an off-duty policeman, who was providing security for the restaurant that night. In easy to understand words, I made it clear that this young man needed a ride home. (Feeling better about the immediate situation, but not about having taken the job.)
Ultimately, some of the kids’ behaviors were not only insulting to Middle Eastern and Islamic culture, they were insulting to me. I’m neither Arab nor Muslim, but I am a father of three children and I pray that they will behave more honorably when they go off to college. Did I when I was that age? Probably not. What a conundrum: To take the job that did a lot to buy new tires for my truck (not a cheap prospect with six to replace once a year or so), or to stand on principle and drive on "slicks". I know how I’m feeling, but what’s a guy to do?
For the "less wholesome" version of this story, please email me directly, it’s REALLY funny!
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On the 27th I was interviewed by KPAM radio, AM 860, of Portland, Oregon for the "Azumano Travel Show with Pat Boyle". The program will air at 8 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday) and 10 a.m. Sunday. These times are PDT. For those of you outside of Oregon, the show can also be accessed via their website in streaming audio at www.kpam.com at these same times (click on "listen live!").
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Today, the 29th, camels Gobi and Richard and I visited Kerrville, Texas for the Texas Heritage Music Festival (www.texasheritagemusic.org) at Schreiner University. This was our second year to be at this unique living history and music event and we met many, many nice people. Area schools were invited to bring their students on a field trip and this year’s attendance was 50% larger than last year’s! All eras of Texas history were featured and LOTS of music could be heard around the campus of this beautiful little university. Gil T. Hernandez was on hand again to help out and shared his family’s story with all the visitors. Next year marks the event’s 20th anniversary and it’s already on our calendar.
While at the Festival, I had the pleasure to be interviewed by Mr. Greg Flakus of "Voice of America" (http://www.voanews.com target=new>www.voanews.com). Greg said the interview and digital video footage he shot could ostensibly be broadcast around the world and translated into as many as forty languages! Will update.
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Good press continues in places like Bakersfield and San Francisco, California, Tallahassee, Florida, Laredo, Texas and Calgary, Alberta, Canada. An Associated Press story written this summer by Mr. Mike Graczyk has been popping up in lots of places and it sure makes the phone ring and the emails come in! This kind of "advertising" is priceless. Actually, not. The media does have a formula for the "ad value" of this type of news piece and I assure you, this one has grown legs like you wouldn’t believe. I couldn’t afford advertising like this and every time it runs somewhere I get a number of inquiries which help my business grow.
The October ’06 issue of Texas Highways magazine has a three-page article on the Camp Verde General Store, which was our destination for the Sesquicentennial Camel Drive this past May/June ("Just Passing Through"). Texas Camel Corps got a great mention and honorary camel driver Gil T. Hernandez has a great picture with camel Cinco. Thanks to TH for keeping the Camel Corps name out there!
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I’d like to take a moment to thank all of you who very thoughtfully sent me the mesmerizing George Steinmetz photo of a group of camels in Oman. If you’ve not seen it, go to: http://seabed.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/wallpaper.tmpl?issue_id=20050201 and scroll down the page about half way. It’s titled "Larger Than Life" and is a beautifully deceptive shot.
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Some exciting news here on the farm: I’ve got some Egyptian clover seed (trifolium alexandrium) and am planning to grow a one-third acre plot over the fall/winter. This cool-temperature legume, more commonly known as ber-seem, should do well here. My father-in-law, a farmer from way back, has been offering some instruction, as this is my first foray into crop cultivation of any type. He grew clover in his younger days, sometimes as a food crop for livestock, other times only to be plowed under, as it is a nitrogen-rich plant that makes a great, natural fertilizer.
As a kid, I did help out in a family garden, but it’s been a long time! We plan to direct our gray water from the house onto the patch to maximize household water usage and to not incur any added water expense. We’re also praying for rain. I’ve recently pulled weeds from the 1,500-square feet soon to be known as Doug’s Folly and am hoping for the best. If it does well, next year I’ll expand the operation and see if it can become a contributor to the animals’ food needs.
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If you’ve not visited the web site in a while, please do so. My TV/Film page has been updated with images from the History Channel production "Secrets of the Koran" that we shot last November. OK, I’m a little slow in getting those to my webmaster Matt, but check ‘em out anyway. I’m awfully proud of the job we did on that one.
Also, on the web site’s home page is my calendar of events. Though it makes it look like I’m really super busy, it’s really just a way for my friends (you all included) and family to know when I’m going to be home or away! It does serve the purpose, though, to enable those of you who are so inclined to know when the camels and I will be in your area, so please look at it from time to time. I love seeing old friends and meeting new ones.
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The newest member of the Texas Camel Corps, a yearling Bactrian (two humps) camel has been named. Drum roll, please.................
Xian (Shee-ahn) is named for the Chinese city long believed to be the beginning of the famed Silk Road. Joan D., who visited the farm last month, tossed it out there for consideration, among others, and this is the one that’s stuck. When I first got him, he was quite the puker. His involuntary expulsion of cud, though, has lessened quite a bit and I’m thankful for that. It might have been the thirty pounds of treats Joan and Alison brought. He’s now gotten to where every time he hears the back door open and close he looks over to the house. I’ve fed him apples and carrots two and three times a day since Joan and Alison’s visit and my wife, Trish, is convinced that he stands in the field all day just waiting for one of us to come out. Thanks for the inspiration, Joan. Xian’s doing great and Gobi says hey.
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Sunday, October 1st, I’ll have a couple of camels at Memorial Baptist Church in Killeen, Texas for an education program. With the massive military base Ft. Hood so nearby, many of the kids in this congregation have family serving in Iraq right now and I plan to stay until each child gets the chance to take a picture with the camels. The church wants to send the images to those family members who are deployed abroad. I’m only too happy to help!
The 6th and 7th take me to Abilene, Texas for another living history event at Frontier, Texas! (www.frontiertexas.com). This unique museum hosted the camels and me last year for the first time and I’m excited to get invited back.
On the 8th, I’ll be in my hometown of Colorado City, Texas, seventy miles further west along Interstate 20, for education programs at the "Junktique" Festival (http://www.junktiquejamboree.com target=new>www.junktiquejamboree.com). The event is being held to raise funds to support the new "Main Street" designation the town has recently received. Should be fun and I get to see family and old girlfriends (shhh!).
On the 14th, we head yet further west for Ft. Lancaster’s annual Living History event. This is one of the first forts I ever took camels to and I’m excited to get back there after a few years’ absence. If you’re in that neck of the woods, drop by. It’s almost as remote today as it was back in the 19th century and it is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful locations in Texas. Look it up at: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/fort_lancaster/.
On the 16th and 17th, I’m camel trekking at Cibolo Creek Ranch in FAR West Texas, near the Mexican border. Good pal Steven Evans and his sons, Will and Caleb, are coming out to help on this trip for a freelance journalist from Austin who has a commitment from United Airways’ in-flight magazine to run the piece in the near future. Will update when I know there’s a firm publishing date.
On the 21st I’ll be in Amarillo, Texas for the 10th Annual Fannin History Festival at Fannin Elementary school. It’s been quite a while since I’ve been that far north with camels and I’m really trying to figure out a way to get their photos taken at the famed "Cadillac Ranch" along I-40. If anyone out there can pull any strings, I’d sure appreciate it. I’ll start brainstorming this week myself.
The last ten days of the month will take me back to Arizona to work with VisionQuest. Will update.
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I’m still trying to build a group or two for my Egypt/Sinai trips for 2007. I’ve got two trips, one in January, the other in March, that are already full, but I’d like to try and put groups together before or after either of these. The real benefactors are, of course, my two "families" (one urban, the other Bedouin) who get a real shot in the arm economically from our visiting. If you’ve been interested in this trip in the past, give me a call or email.
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Thanks as always for your interest in my camels.
Doug
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