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June/July 2008 Newsletter
Howdy folks and welcome to the June/July Texas Camel Corps newsletter.
In the month of June the camels sat around with no work. I’m not complaining, though. The usual summer dearth of employment always allows me to attend lots of softball/baseball games for my kids. My middle one, Delany, 12, went all the way to state playoffs with her team. They ended up second during a week of double and triple headers, fighting their way out of the loser’s bracket.
On July 10 camels Richard and Gobi and I, along with daughter Vanessa, 15, and son Pecos, 8 (Delany was swingin' for the fence), visited folks in Ozona, Texas. This west Texas town’s chamber of commerce invited some of us involved with nearby Ft. Lancaster State Historic Site’s living history programs to share frontier lore with locals. In these times of high fuel prices, the chamber thought locals ought to see what they have in their “backyard” and brought the fort to town, more or less. Our role was the historic U.S. Army Camel Corps, initiated in the 1850’s to establish camel pack trains in the Southwest.
There was a good showing and the chamber event, staged at their office along Interstate 10, actually drew folks off of the highway who happened to see the camels and other goings-on. No word as to how many wrecks there were- “Hey Earl! Wuz them camels down there?!!!”
Ft. Lancaster brought a stagecoach, along with three re-enactors, and Pecos was dressed as one of the native handlers who’d come from the Mediterranean with the camels. Vanessa wore a purple, period dress (and looked ever the proper lady), while I was in my historic military uniform.
Thanks to the folks at the Ozona Chamber of Commerce and Chris, Cheryl and Kinley from Ft. Lancaster for including the camels, kids and me.
On the 15th, Martha D. and her four grandkids, along with adult daughter Lindsey, visited the farm. We get lots of folks to the farm in the summertime- parents whose children have pushed ‘em to the edge with shouts of “I’m bored”, “There’s nothing to do”, etc, but Martha was on a mission. Martha’s a free-lance writer who’s pitching a story about the historic U.S. Army Camel Corps to True West magazine and has another story in mind, possibly for a children’s publication like Highlights.
The visit lasted a couple of hours; everyone got a chance to ride a camel and Martha dutifully took notes. I’ve seen a rough draft and Martha’s done a bang-up job. Sadly, most stories about the old Camel Corps continue to perpetuate myths like the camels’ feet couldn’t handle the rocky terrain of the U.S. desert or that the camels were simply abandoned, left to fend for themselves. In truth, the camels were sold at auction in California and Texas and only a handful of feral camels ever existed. I was so happy to find that Martha had done her research, was asking great questions and it looks like we may have some real “myth busting” when the article comes out. Will update.
Thanks to Martha for taking the time to write about a part of history I hold so dear and for bringing her daughter and grandkids along.
July 18th, First Baptist Church Waco, just a half-hour from the farm, hosted camels Richard and Ibrahim, along with donkey Hamar, for a visit to their Vacation Bible School. All Texas Camel Corps hands were on deck (Delany was on a one-week break between district and state tournaments), so all three kids and I shared stories about camels and donkeys in Bible times.
Historically, camels and donkeys would be used to haul things like water, hay and household items for the semi-pastoral peoples of the region. These are images all children seem to be familiar with, so we contrasted that with stories of my own travels in Sinai, Egypt, Israel and Jordan today.
All the kids (and their were a few hundred of them) seemed to enjoy the stories and time with the animals, but for me the best part was seeing my own kids working, acting as ambassadors between the animals and the children. I’m so proud of Vanessa, Delany and Pecos.
In August, things keep about the same pace, with a TV shoot for the PBS show “Roadtrip Nation” here at the farm this Saturday and we’ve got two more living history events on the last two Saturdays of the month. The 23rd sees us back in Ozona, this time at the Davy Crockett Festival (Crockett County’s namesake) and the 30th we’ll be in Big Lake, Texas, for Santa Rita Days, in honor of this West Texas oil town’s first oil boom. Hope to see y’all there.
Finally, our next Egypt/Sinai trip is really shaping up. I’ve got three folks committed and I’ve still got room for about five more for this 13-day adventure that will start with your Cairo arrival on December 30 and go through January 11.
The trip will include three days of sightseeing in Cairo (Pyramids of Giza, Egyptian Museum, Islamic Cairo, the medieval Khan el Khalili bazaar and Cairo’s camel market), a 5-day/4-night camel trek with the Muzeina bedouin of the Sinai, a day-trip to Petra in neighboring Jordan, a half-day snorkel/dive in the Red Sea, hike up Mt. Sinai and visit to the 1,600 year old Monastery of St. Catherine.
These trips are, of course, based on home-stays with Egyptian and bedouin in homes of people who are truly like family to me. The trip is a real financial benefit to these two families and will be nothing like any travel you’ve ever experienced.
Group member Vance D., said, “I’ve traveled all over the world, but I’ve lived in Egypt and Sinai.”
“Have you ever been on vacation and it begins to fade on the way to the airport? That’s because the experience wasn’t real. This trip is real- with real people, real Egyptian food and experiences. Gourmet trip!”- Lore B.
Susan L. said, “My life will never ever be the same again and I am so thankful. My life has been enriched beyond my dreams.”
If you’re interested in the trip, give me a shout. Price is $2075 and I’d be happy to put you in touch with the folks whose testimonials above were not coerced through water-boarding. They’ll shoot straight with you and tell you all about the trip, warts and all.
Thanks as always for your interest in my camels.
Doug
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