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September 2007 Newsletter
Howdy folks and welcome to another month gone by with the Texas Camel Corps. *** Mild Adult Content Alert in fifth entry below***
Fall is officially upon us, and the camels and I have been fairly busy.
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On the 3rd, Labor Day, camels Richard and Ibrahim and I (with family in tow) headed to the southern tip of Texas, South Padre Island. This is a natural barrier island that is most famous for spring break debauchery. We would have no part in such matters, however. The Texas-based grocery store chain H.E.B. had hired us to walk up and down the beach advertising their new soft drink and chip product lines. While the folks from H.E.B. handed out free sodas and chips, my 14-year old daughter Vanessa and I led the two Arabian (one hump) camels up and down the beach reminding folks to visit the H.E.B. tent for the gratis goodies.
Vanessa and I, decked out in product-related T-shirts, took the opportunity to do a little beach clean up, study the local flora/fauna and pose for pictures with the camels and beach-goers on what turned out to be a positively beautiful afternoon. The camels in the surf must have made for many memorable photos for passersby.
This was, though, not Richard’s first time to dip his eight collective toes in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2002, he was down that way for a film shoot, titled "Si L’Araby". Vanessa had a tougher time convincing Ibrahim to get belly deep in the water, like Richard, but we did manage to get him somewhat wet. Big thanks go to Horses on the Beach for the camel accommodations and the South Padre Island Film Commission and Convention and Visitors Bureau for logistical assistance.
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Just a day later, I found myself at the opposite end of Texas. Gainesville, just below the Oklahoma border is where I was on the 4th and 5th. The keepers at the Frank Buck Zoo are the proud new caretakers of Cletis the camel. This yearling Arabian is a lucky little fella. He’s got a great group of folks who love him and want to be able to maximize his educational potential, so I was called in to provide a couple days’ instruction on training. After a little classroom time, we headed to Cletis’ exhibit, which he shares with a donkey and a couple of African tortoises.
Cletis was bottle raised (given a replacement milk via bottle as opposed to mother raised, nursing naturally) and accepts wearing a halter and being led, so much of the early work has already been accomplished. We worked on desensitizing the beige colored camel to being touched everywhere and I think the animal care staff would agree that just in the first afternoon they witnessed great strides. We also began training Cletis to kneel down on command, accept being brushed and hobbled (various methods of restraint) and to stand while tied to a post.
By the second day each of the keepers had Cletis kneeling down and generally accepting all that we’d asked of him the day before. What a great joy it is to see such dedicated people progress in their relationship with an animal they so obviously care about. Cletis had his off-property debut just last night at the annual "Zoobilee" fundraiser, with guest speaker Jack Hanna, and the rave reviews are already pouring in. Way to go Cletis!
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Sunday, September 9th, my 7-year old son Pecos and I headed back up Interstate 35 to Frisco, Texas, just above Dallas for a birthday party. Also along was the aforementioned Richard as well as Gobi, our 16-year old Bactrian (two humps). The party was for little, oh I forget her name, but her family had planned an Aladdin-themed party and camel rides were part of the deal (I guess the magic carpet shop was closed that day). Now before I receive any heckling from those of you who know how much I DON’T like doing camel rides, let me plead my case:
I’d been approached by the booking agent for this event in the dead of summer, when camel biz was at a standstill. (Note to potential employers- if you want to see me compromise my principals, I’m at my easiest in June, July and August.) I also stipulated that the camels would be there for a finite period of time, two hours, kids only would ride, no adults, and that we weren’t going to wander the immaculately kept subdivision, Pied-Piper style ad nauseam.
The rides went fine, kids had a ball, and my favorite quote from my son Pecos (shouted from the birthday girl’s balcony) was, "DAD! They’ve got a movie theatre in their house!" How did he get away from the camels and me? It could’ve been I was mesmerized by the guy on stilts in a sheik’s costume shouting, "Welcome! Welcome to whatever her name’s party!"
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From the 11th through the 20th, I was in Arizona, working for VisionQuest (www.vq.com). This residential treatment facility has programs all over the country, but their Elfrida, Arizona site, in the southeast corner of the Grand Canyon State is their only program with camels. Each month I alternate working with girls and boys, both of which they have on this same site. September was boys’ month.
The young men the staff had selected to work with camels included TJ, Dale, Robert, Glen and Adam. I’d worked with all but one of these youth before, and all seemed to be up to the challenge.
Dale, Robert and Adam all did well, riding more seasoned camels, but Glen took on 7-year old Arabian camel Jericho, who’s been riding for a while now, but simply needs more time. The combination of Jericho and Glen, who’s actually been riding camels with me off and on for almost three years, was superb. At the end of our time together Jericho was riding without having to be tied to a larger, more experienced camel.
A sad part of my time in Arizona, though, involved TJ. Before my arrival, TJ had been told he’d be working with camels (an activity which he loves and at which he excels), but not everyone had been included in the decision making process. The medical staff had not been consulted. Like so many of the youth in these types of programs, he receives psychotropic medications for behavior disorders. Well, for whatever reason, he’d not been taking his meds and this put him on medical restriction from any activities until his med situation was straightened out. I told the staff that I’d not mind breaking the news to TJ, though it’d be heartbreaking. The 14-year old cried, but understood and asked when I’d be back in October. I gave him the dates and he asked, though he knew I’d be working with girls then, if he could ride when I came back. "Of course," I told him. I’ll plan a special day for TJ in October.
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Also, while in Arizona I received a call from a promotion agency in the Dallas area about a job in October. The representative asked, "Is it even possible to rent a camel?" To which I replied with my standard, "I’m game for almost anything, as long as it’s not a p**n film or something."
His pause was not a positive indication. While it wasn’t a film of questionable content, he was looking for a camel to advertise cigarettes for a convenience store across from the State Fair of Texas. I simply told him that with the amount of work I do with children in school settings it might be awkward for me to take on this job. He said he understood and appreciated my honesty.
He might’ve had better luck if he’d called in July.
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Yesterday, the 28th, camels Ibrahim and Xian (our 2-year old Bactrian) and I were on the campus of Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas for the annual Texas Music Heritage Foundation’s Living History Day.
Frank Gonzales, a veteran of the 2006 Sesquicentennial Camel Drive, was on hand and in the uniform of the 19th century United States Army, allowing me to reprise my role as one of the native camel drivers who, ostensibly, were brought over to teach the soldiers how to handle camels. Frank is an aspiring author who’s currently working on a book about the historic US Army Camel Corps and I sure appreciated his being there to help deal with the roughly 1,000 school children from across the Texas Hill Country.
Having presented programs at this event for three years in a row, I’m beginning to recognize lots of teachers’ faces and many of the home-school groups that visit. Seeing all the students learn in a setting other than a classroom is always interesting and the THMF puts on a heck of an event. Big thanks to Tim and Kathleen for all their hard work at Schreiner.
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Last month, some of you eagle-eyed email recipients noticed that I’d neglected to include a featured email recipient in the last newsletter, something I’d begun in August. Though well intentioned, I dropped the ball in September. Creature of habit, I guess.
So, without further ado, everyone please go and visit the website of Ms. Lynn Kot, of Tucson, Arizona: www.lynnkot.com. Lynn is a former Egypt/Sinai trek guest and now a good friend whose many talents constantly blow my mind. An avid apiculturist (look it up), a reproducer of Spanish Colonial Folk Art, designer and builder of rustic furniture AND she’s truly a rocket scientist! If she could only find some ambition I think Lynn’d go far.
It is my earnest intention to feature one of you each month from the ranks of the illustrious 288 folks who receive this email newsletter. Furthermore, it is truly a blessing for me to know such unique people and it’s my pleasure to try and highlight your talents and/or unique lives.
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In October, you can find the camels and me in Abilene, Texas at Frontier, Texas! for their annual living history event on the 4th and 5th; in Colorado City, Texas (my hometown) on the 7th for the Junktique Jamboree for more public education programs; Big Sandy, Texas on the 11th for a day of education programs; back working for VisionQuest in Arizona from the 15-24 and the 20/21 we’ll be in Kingman, Arizona celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Beale Expedition of 1857 that passed through this town with two dozen camels on the way to California.
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Finally, a big official welcome to all our Egypt/Sinai guests for January, 2008. Howdy to Pam, Clinton, Vance, Irma, Steve, Kay, Barbara and Charles! If last January’s group was the Sinai Seven, I reckon this will be the Egypt Eight. At this rate we could have the Nefertiti Nine, the Tutankhamen Ten, the Elephantine Island Eleven and the Tutmosis Twelve some day.
Whatever you want to call ‘em, these intrepid folks will be gone from just after the Christmas holidays through New Year’s and into early January and will enjoy the hospitality the Arab world is known for.
Their visit will not only take them to the more recognized stops such as the Pyramids of Giza and the Egyptian Museum, but also to unknown sites like Mileyha’s goat-cheese-in-a-jerry-can seminar in the village of Wadi Samghi and Rathia’s Bedouin bread-on-a-barrel-lid class at the oasis of Ein Khudra. Those big tour companies have got nothing on the Texas Camel Corps! Group member Vance said, "I want to go to the meat markets. I want to see the livestock..." Vance, we’ll be living there my friend. You’ll see it, taste it, hear it and smell it. Makes all of you want to go doesn’t it?
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As always, thanks so much for your interest in my camels.
Doug
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