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August 2006 Newsletter
Howdy folks, and welcome to another Texas Camel Corps email update.
With July’s heat, the camels and I spent a lot of time around the farm. Most of my time was taken up with fence building. It’s cheaper to section off new areas for the camels, donkeys and horse to graze/browse than it is to find hay in Texas right now. Last year’s record rain (double Texas’ annual rainfall) led to lots of hay and folks much brighter than I bought it all up. This year’s paucity of precipitation has led to a hay shortage and folks are charging twice as much for it if they’ve got it to sell. Good thing camels are adept at surviving in harsh conditions...
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On July 6th camels Ibrahim, Richard and Gobi visited the summer reading program of the Valley Mills (our little hometown) Library. About thirty folks showed up and librarian Kathleen Hale said it’s one of the best-attended programs they’ve ever had. My 13-year old daughter Vanessa did most of the talking and I was really proud of her. When we’ve got something local like that, I usually reduce or eliminate our fees and just ask that they give my kids a little something. I think it’s good for them to interact with the public, share what they know about the camels and see the benefit of work performed.
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Early the next week, on the 10th, I headed to Colorado City, Texas to meet Lubbock, Texas camel rancher Kenny Ellis. Colorado City was the halfway point. He was delivering my new, yearling Bactrian (two humps) camel and I was excited to get him home. "Caesar" (the name he came with, and soon to be changed) is a delight, but needs to learn some manners. He’s not horribly respectful of personal space, but is learning.
Front runners in the name competition are Xin-jiang (a province of China where Bactrian camels are found), Tak-la-ma-kan (a western Chinese desert) and, if my friend Jimmy Hale and my daughter Delany have their way: Mini-G, because he looks just like our full-grown Bactrian camel Gobi. His front hump even leans to the left just like his potential namesake.
The new camel also had some toe nail problems, so my wife, Trish, and I clipped his nails. Using the same nippers and rasp that we use on our donkeys’ feet, they shaped up nicely. I think he’d been kept in a fairly small area and his nails didn’t get properly worn down. He handled the trimming with no problem, though. We lifted each foot and kept it tied up with some soft cotton rope and his protest was less than I’d anticipated. He is a spitter, though.
Now, most of you who know me know that I vehemently try to dispel the "spitting" myth, that it’s technically vomiting, so I guess I should say he’s a puker. However, a little Bedouin trick I’ve learned is to muzzle a camel that’s prone to involuntarily ejecting his cud when nervous and making him "stew in his own juices" so to speak. Having done this twice now, it seems as though he’s learning and this seems to be occurring less and less as we fiddle with him. I think he’s gonna do fine and am encouraged by his temperament.
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On the 11th, the day after the new camel arrived at our farm, I decided there was no time like the present to introduce him to the life of a Texas Camel Corps camel. He and 3-year old Ibrahim visited nearby Clifton, Texas’ Trinity Lutheran Church for a Vacation Bible School program. The kids loved on Ibrahim, but I requested that they give "new camel" his space, as I just wasn’t sure how he’d do around large groups. The good news is: at his old home he’d been visited by thousands of Lubbock school kids and equated them to carrot handouts! Even around our own children he’s much calmer than when Trish and I approach him. I could probably have let the church kids pet him, but I thought it was better safe than sorry.
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On the 12th, I had the pleasure of hosting the family of Texas Camel Corps web master Matt Lyles here at the farm. Everyone who wanted got a chance to ride camels and Matt and I got to spend some time together outside of cyberspace. It’s funny, we’ve only met in person twice! Matt’s well traveled, with some incredible experiences, and I hope that he and I can share some adventures in the future. His family was a real delight to have around. PS His web capabilities are something and have run the gamut from my site to Russian brides on the ‘net. I love this guy!!!
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On Sunday, July 16th, Ricardo and Pavel from Vallarta Adventure in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico visited the farm to discuss potential camel trek opportunities in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California. Their outfit already has mule rides into the mountains on the peninsula and they are interested in adding short camel excursions. Our day together was a real eye-opener, I’m sure, as I discussed with them many aspects of camel husbandry, management, feeding, etc. I thought maybe I scared them off! I told them, though, that I wouldn’t enter lightly into a camel operation and that I would have their long-term, best interests in mind. Though I secretly hoped they’d leave from our meeting with a start date for the project, these two gentlemen are very shrewd and want to approach this with due caution. Still, I feel that their commitment is real and I look forward to helping them realize their aspirations.
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My monthly sojourn to Arizona for ten days of work with VisionQuest (www.vq.com) lasted from the 20th through the 29th and I had a great time. Arizona is in its monsoon season and, though not as strong as years past- the threat of summer rains did turn my normal overnight camping trip with the kids into a long one-day ride- I still feel like I impacted a couple of young men.
I took a group of four kids and an equal number of camels to the Hotwell Dunes Recreation Area, just north of Bowie, Arizona. Program youth Rudy S., Nick O. and Brandon M. did superbly! Brandon R. was on Chewy (Chewbacca), though and really had to overcome his inability to pay attention to his camel. Chewy simply traversed the dunes any which way he wanted. After two or three minor difficulties, Brandon realized he was going to have to watch his camel’s head like a hawk. If Brandon wanted Chewy to go straight, Chewy’s nose could not veer either direction. I use the camels as a bit of therapy for these kids by equating camel riding to parenthood. If you don’t want your "child" to grab a cookie before bedtime, you’d sure better catch his hand before it gets to the cookie jar. Brandon finally caught on and began forecasting or looking ahead to see where there were "cookies" that might tempt Chewy.
Rudy’s camel, Sam, found a water hole and walked right into the middle of it. The depression in the ground held only a few inches of the recent rain, but it was enough for Sam to slap with his left front foot, the result being an instant cool down as the water hit his belly! Rudy’s eyes were big as saucers, then Sam knelt down to roll in the puddle. Rudy yelled, "What do I do?" and I said, "Go with it!" Rudy extended his left leg as Sam rolled to the left, then the right as he rolled the other way. I was so proud of him.
Brandon M. was on 6-year old Marianne, one of the sweetest camels in the world. I’d rigged up an Omani-style saddle for him as the saddles I’ve got for the other, full-grown camels are too big for her. This consisted of some soft rope and blankets arranged to provide a big pad for him to sit on, just behind her hump. He’d been working with her the week leading up to our big ride and wouldn’t hear of Marianne’s being left behind. I explained to him that she’d only been on rides around the VQ property and a couple of times into the hills behind the ranch, so her first time in the dunes might be awkward for her. Brandon was so patient with her. She tired a bit going uphill and was hesitant on the downhill slopes of the dunes, but both students excelled beyond my wildest expectations! I felt just like the coach of a winning football team that day.
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Back on the farm, a recent dietary change has been implemented. My good friend Sidi Amar Taoua (www.saharaexpedition.com), a Tuareg tribesman from Niger has been advising me on how to keep proper weight on my lazy American-bred camels. One thing he said would keep them in shape would be the right amount of salt. Now living in Tucson, Arizona, Sidi Amar felt I should limit their access to the 25-pound salt blocks that for 13 years I’ve made available 24/7 for my camels. He said if they have less salt, they’ll drink less water. With less water, their humps’ natural functions will kick in and this fat supply and their bellies won’t get quite so rotund. Made sense to me, but it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks.
I’ve compromised by putting the salt out every Monday morning and pulling it the following morning. I’ve only been doing this for a few weeks and can’t honestly say that I see a major change, but I’m sure it’ll take time. The unknown component here is how much salt my camels are receiving from the vegetation they eat on the farm and from the hay that I feed them. I called my county's agricultural agent to see what the salt levels are for our area, but he’s on vacation.
Another fly in the ointment, though, is the physiological differences and dietary requirements between Arabian (one hump) and Bactrian (two humps) camels. I’ve found information that states Bactrians need 60-120 grams of salt per day, but can’t find any data for Arabians. My own research in Sinai shows that camels there are never given salt- the Bedouin feel that they get enough from the salt-rich flora of the desert. Sidi Amar says that he and his family in Niger only give salt to their camels once a year. It’s available while they’re on caravan between Agadez and Bilma hauling salt, which is still used in trade in parts of the camel world. Ah, this journey takes so many unexpected turns...
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My good friend Jimmy Hale (www.americancamelcompany.com) is nearing completion of his exportation of US-bred camels to Jamaica and he, Sidi Amar and I are awaiting the final Jamaican permits to be approved. The three of us will head to the Caribbean island nation for three to four weeks to train the camels and the resort staff who’ll ultimately be working the group of ten Arabian camels for tourist rides. Will update as things progress.
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Some other fun travel has come my way. A gentleman from Colombia began emailing me about a camel operation three or four years ago, seeking consultation. Ernesto Arango plans to provide daily rides through Spanish-colonial Cartagena and intends to present education programs and a Middle Eastern-theme dinner with belly dancing under a tent three times daily. He has the permits to import the camels from Spain and has asked me to help him select the camels. Currently the Colombian government’s permits are being finalized and it looks like he and I will meet in Spain in early September. There is wonderful Islamic history in southern Spain and the camel figures prominently into Spain’s heritage, less on the mainland, but more so in the Spanish-held Canary Islands which are closer geographically to Morocco than to Spain. This cultural melange is something that has long interested me and I’m really excited to be a part of this. Jamaica, Spain, Colombia...With my luck they’ll all come together at the same time, AAARRRGGGGHHHHHH!
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Over the past week an Associated Press story about the Texas Camel Corps has really been growing legs. Writer Mike Graczyk, of Houston, visited the farm earlier in July and has really done a bang-up piece on my humble business. The story has already run in over a dozen Texas newspapers and AP stories tend to get picked up nationally, so the publicity value of this cannot be underestimated. If you’ve not seen it yet, simply go to GOOGLE and click on "news". Type in "Doug Baum, camels" and VOILA! You’ll find the article in all its incarnations. Some papers have edited it considerably, but many have the entire story. Photographer Matt Otero accompanied Mike and I’ve only seen a couple of the images he shot that day, but I’m sure some of the print editions included more. Mike’s been on the Texas Camel Corps email list for some time, so let me thank him "publicly" here for spreading the gospel. Mike, the phone’s been ringing and the emails have been coming in. Double your commission, my friend!
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Speaking of "spreading the gospel": I’m so proud of our email list passing the two hundred-member mark I’d like to know if any of you out there in email land have any like-minded friends with whom you might share this newsletter. If so, could you please formally invite them to email me directly so that I may add their email address to the list? So much of my business comes from word of mouth and you folks are the troops on the front lines. Thanks in advance!
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I’ve got one group confirmed for early 2007 in Sinai and their dates are January 27 through February 5. This is a private group of guys who’ve filled up all the slots for that trip, but I know that there are 6 or 8 recipients of this mailing list who’ve shown interest in a Sinai trip for ’07. I’d like to try and run an additional trip either before or after this other group. Those of you who’re interested, give me a shout, please. We’ll try and connect everybody so as to get a consensus of whether January or February works better.
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And on the subject of Egypt: My good friend (brother, more like it) Adel Hamza, of Giza, recently paid a visit to the U.S. Embassy in Cairo for a tourist visa to visit the States. Former Sinai trekker and Texas Camel Corps muy bueno amigo, John Horne and I both sent letters to Adel to present to the consular officer. It was our hope these would make clear that Adel had a place to stay while visiting the US and that he would not remain here, becoming a burden on the economy. Adel was not even given the opportunity to present these letters in the four-plus hours he was in the Embassy.
Asked many questions like, "How do we know you won’t go to America and not come back?" and, "How do you know these gentlemen in Texas?", Adel felt unfairly shuffled through the process. I’ve questioned friends of mine with experience in matters like these and sadly they all say what we all probably knew: Arabs are not getting visas to the U.S. in the post September 11th world. The irony is that the Embassy’s website says that non-immigrant visas now take "less time than ever" to be approved!
All politics aside, I’d like to reciprocate the hospitality and depth of warmth and generosity that Adel has shown my guests and me on our trips to Egypt. So, I’m asking those of you who are so inclined to email the U.S. embassy at consularcairo@state.gov requesting information on Adel’s obtaining a visa. If you’re interested, please email me and I’ll be happy to further brief you on the situation so that we can try and accomplish this. I’m just naive enough to think that if they get tired of hearing from us, maybe they’ll give in...
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Finally, it’s not Oprah’s Book Club, but I’ve received a complimentary copy of a new work of Children’s Historical Fiction called "The Kissing Camels" by author Gene H. Davis of Florida, who thought that I might be interested in his most recent work. Mr. Davis has woven an engaging tale of how this real-life natural landmark in Colorado’s Garden of the Gods came to be. Geared toward eight to twelve-year olds, or "tweens", the story follows two former US Army camels through the desert Southwest on a romantic journey, escaping disapproving parents a la "Romeo and Juliet".
Illustrator Jose Marquez’s work is beautiful and the author does a superb job introducing the reader to a variety of animals and plants that inhabit our continent’s arid regions. Furthermore, Davis has really done his homework on camels, particularly as they relate to the US Army Camel Experiment of the 19th century. It’s a great story for kids and it certainly represents camels more or less in a favorable light (always a concern of mine when it come to camels, kids and education). My own daughter, 10-year old Delany, said, "It was very descriptive, especially at the end. The author described all the animal sounds and their movements, and it was easy to visualize what was going on."
"The Kissing Camels" can be ordered directly from Gene H. Davis by emailing FALCONGHD@netscape.com. Mention that you found out about the book here! Price, including tax and shipping and handling is $18.76.
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This month, I head back to Arizona for ten days of work with VisionQuest (August 16-25) and I’m looking forward to seeing former trekkers Joan D. and Alison T., who are coming for a visit to the farm at the end of the month. Followers of the website might remember Joan’s ode to Gobi, my Bactrian camel, after taking an overnight trip in the Big Bend with us four or so years ago. Joan, an English professor at Long Island University, has a special place in her heart for Bactrian camels and is excited to meet our new little two-humped fella.
As always, thanks so much for following my camels and their activities. I truly appreciate your interest.
Doug
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