The Latest from Doug Baum of the Texas Camel Corp.

[GUEST]

Howdy folks and welcome to the latest Texas Camel Corps email update. September’s upon us and here’s what August looked like.

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On August 11th, Carolyn F. and her kids from Granbury, Texas came by to visit- wonderful children and Carolyn’s quite a motivated mom. It was a pleasure to welcome them here to the farm. The kids got to ride our 15-year old Bactrian camel (two humps) Gobi and helped brush some late-shedding hair from Arabian camels (one hump) Virgie and Ibrahim. Lately, I’ve been working on some new pad designs for saddles and Carolyn and the kids put in their two cents’ worth as I tried them on camels Cinco and Richard. It’s always fun when folks come visit. The time spent out at the barn is fun and really informal, but reminds me how unique the camels are. I guess I often take it for granted that I’ve got six of ‘em in my "back yard". Carolyn and her kids’ reactions helped to bring that point back home. Thanks for stopping by Carolyn.



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From the 16th through the 25th, I was in Elfrida, Arizona for my monthly ten-day trip to work for VisionQuest (www.vq.com). For those of you who are new to this newsletter, I’ve been working for this forward-thinking company for almost 9 years now. The technical term for their program is a "residential treatment facility for at-risk youth". The ranch I work on, in southeastern Arizona, has a dozen camels that I manage and are used, along with horses, mules and wagons, to teach kids responsibility. This is kind of a broad stroke, but you get the picture.

This month, I took a group of kids and taught them how to make simple Somali pack saddles. Each youth had to cut four mesquite limbs with a bow saw and I instructed them on how to put them together. I had been taught this a couple of years ago by my good friend Peter Grill who learned the skill while a missionary with the Mennonite Central Committee in Kenya. It’s ultra-simple and ultra-effective. The kids seemed to enjoy the construction and application of the "technology". Our planned day-hike took us to the Hotwell Dunes Recreation Area, just north of Bowie, Arizona.

When it came time to actually load up gear and head out into the desert with the camels, one youth really shined. Rogelio figured out quickly that you want to already have each saddlebag filled and ready before you get your camel to kneel down. The time it takes to secure each bag to the framework of poles is critical, because the camel can stand up in the process, forcing you to repack bags or even redo the entire saddle. Rogelio, a true manager-in-training, began organizing the kids and delegating duties to teams of two. I’d kneel the camel down and Rogelio would direct each pair of youth to bring the already-filled bags to either side of the camel and place them on the saddle. Once the camel was commanded to stand, Rogelio would assist in securing the bags by throwing a rope around the entire camel’s body from side to side and tying a slipknot to prevent things from shifting. What a great hand Rogelio was!

We headed out into the Dunes and, after a good hike, we came upon the largest dune in the area, maybe 150 feet high. I told the kids to go climb, run and play while another VQ staff, RJ, and I watched the camels. I didn’t hobble them, we just kind of herded them around for a few minutes while they nibbled on the various greenery that had bloomed as a result of recent monsoon rains. 6-year old Marianne spooked at something, got the other 3 camels running and over a gravel hill they all went. I knew the area, so I went around the hill they’d just gone up, intending to cut them off on the other side. Four stampeding camels and me standing in front of them! Smart move, Doug.

Nothing but camels’ backsides for the next 45 minutes. We’d see them, get near, and off they’d go again! Finally, I determined that the kids’ needs outweighed the need to recapture the camels and we moved back to the vehicles for lunch. We sent the kids back to the ranch with three other staff and I called my friend Eddie asking him to bring up two ATV’s. Visions of the Crocodile Hunter danced in my head: me racing up to the galloping camels and leaping to grab a lead rope...

Eddie couldn’t reach us, the nearby San Simon River was swollen by the recent rains. A visitor to the Dunes, though had his 4-wheeler out there and was nice enough to take me back out to look for the camels. Turns out this fella, John, was a tracker with the horse and hound team from the prison in nearby Safford, Arizona. His skills were put to use as we picked up the trail in the northwest corner of the Recreation Area. We followed the prints. The camels had 2000 acres to roam in and they had to find a hole in the fence that allowed them into an unfenced wilderness area 25 miles by 25 miles square!

Now this isn’t just sand dunes as far as the eye can see, there are also drainages and rocky outcroppings, which make it beautiful, but really hard to track when the camels go to cross these areas. John, though, was a masterful observer and I learned quite a bit just by watching him. We were not only able to tell which direction the camels had gone, I was also able to determine that something on a saddle had broken. A straight line was left in the sand along with the footprints. I figured this was a rope dangling from the saddle and hoped the awkwardness of a shifted pack might slow the camels down. After an hour’s search, John was low on fuel and had to get back. I got on top of a dune and called Eddie. He still couldn’t ford the San Simon. It was his hope that it might go down within an hour or two.

While I was out with John, the Law Enforcement Ranger for the Bureau of Land Management had come by our trailer, speaking with my pal RJ. Officer Martinez told RJ he’d drive north on the paved road to see if the camels had headed that way. Within an hour, we got the call from him that he’d seen them. RJ and I sped with the truck and trailer in hopes that we’d be able to corral them somehow.

We saw a thrown pack saddle that the Ranger had picked up and placed at the head of another path intersecting the road and followed the arrow he’d drawn in the dirt. When we got up to Officer Martinez, he was standing in the bed of his truck looking through binoculars trying to spot the camels among the mesquite brush. The camels were now out of the dunes and in a large, flat valley between two mountain ranges. I moved around on the ground and spotted the camels. All four camels’ noses were pointing straight toward us! I was so happy to see this view of the camels.

They began sauntering over toward the trailer from about 200 yards away and RJ and I threw some hay down thinking they’d be attracted to it. They’d had 6 hours to eat anything they wanted, yet they seemed interested in what we’d placed on the ground. As they came to the hay, I grabbed Chewy’s lead rope and began walking him to the trailer. The other three were still a bit suspicious and turned to walk away, but seeing Chewy, the alpha of the herd, heading south, they followed him. RJ slid in, taking Sam’s lead rope and we realized that Marianne’s lead rope had gotten tangled in Irenie’s saddle frame. That at least kept the two of them together.

The only real casualties of the day were Sam’s saddle and a couple of cheap blankets, which I’d fashioned into saddlebags. I’d picked up some other gear that had been thrown or had fallen out during their sojourn as I’d come upon it tracking them. I was actually quite proud that the saddles and gear had handled the galloping, brushing through barbed wire fences and thorny brush as well as it had. RJ suggested that we’d be having camel burgers for dinner and I might’ve agreed if they were my camels. We trailered up and headed home.

Throughout the ordeal, the most discouraging thought I had was not that we wouldn’t find the camels, but that someone else would. Camel rustling in the US Southwest isn’t much of a problem these days, but I couldn’t imagine what kind of treatment these four would encounter if happened upon by a local rancher or worse, illegals. Officer Martinez had already called some of the area landowners and I only half-jokingly asked him to please tell the folks not to shoot the camels if they found them.

I guess this was a rite of passage for me. All of my camel-heroes have lost and had to track their camels. Lawrence did. So did Robyn Davidson, author of "Tracks". Author/explorer Michael Asher ("Two Against the Sahara" and many more), too. After prolonged periods of grazing, my best bud Feisal, a Muzeina Bedu in Sinai, frequently goes village to village asking about his camel Shy-lan ("courier" in Arabic). After the frustration wore off, I actually enjoyed the tracking aspect of the chase. One footprint became immediately distinct: Marianne’s, because she’s the smallest. Noticing that a rope was dragging was a moment of enlightenment. The search almost became a game. The difference between me and the folks above, though, is that in most of their cases, their lives depended on regaining their camels. Nonetheless, it was an exhilarating feeling to pursue them and, ultimately, to be reunited- if only after 6 hours.

Next time, the kids don’t get to play in the dunes. I do. And they’ll baby sit the camels...



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On the 28th, former Big Bend trekkers Joan D. and Alison T. came to the farm. It’s been over three years since I’d seen these two intrepid travelers and it sure was good to visit with them. Joan has a love affair with Gobi, our Bactrian camel and didn’t mind that we were getting our first rain (light, though it was), spending the better part of the day brushing him. She and Alison brought a car’s backseat full of apples and carrots for the camels and made good friends with all the camels, the horse and one of our donkeys! Three years ago, after their trek, Joan, a university English professor, sent me a poem, which I put up on the web site for a while. I’d like to reprint it here:

Gobi

Creosote tastes good

to the hungry Bactrian

in The Texas Camel Corps.

He pulls the tough spines

from the gray branch,

guiding them through

the maze of rubbery papillae

that guard his tender throat.

 

Ruminating on exotic flavors

of the New World,

he reflects:

 

I am Gobi

on a rare journey

far from the desert

that bears my name;

far from the road

my ancestors travelled,

walking westward

laden with twisted skeins

of shimmering silk,

translucent porcelain

and spices more fragrant

than this rough creosote.

 

Strange I have come

further west than all my kind.

Walking here among

Chihuahuan scrub,

unburdened with such a load

of precious goods,

carrying only water

over the dry land

to fill the throats

of thirsty travellers

for whom the trek

itself is precious.

 

I am Gobi,

a twin-peaked giant

among Dromedaries

that take the lead

but only cast the shadow

of a single mountain

as they walk.

 

If I stretch my neck,

I can see above them

to the Rio Grande

and smell the lure of Mexico

where I dream of walking

on a night when cactus bloom.

Joan, Alison, great seeing y’all again. Summer’s always the death knell for trekking, but I’ve got two trips booked in October in the Big Bend area. I can’t wait to get the camels saddled up!



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You may remember from last month’s newsletter that my friend Adel, from Cairo, Egypt had been trying to obtain a US visitor’s visa, but was denied. I solicited advice from all of you and was heartened by the response. Mike S., a former Monahans trekker, brought great perspective. While a State Department Consular officer, Mike worked in Uganda conducting visa interviews. He said sometimes it boiled down to his gut feeling. Now this may sound scary, that one person’s fate could be held so tenuously in another’s "gut", but I figure the next time I’m in Egypt (this coming January), Adel and I will walk into the embassy together and try again. Maybe if I’m with him, we can get a little more action. Or perhaps we’ll both be thrown out into "zahma" (traffic).

I spoke with Adel recently on the phone. I told him that I’ve got a group of guests coming in January wanting a "local" Egyptian experience. No hotels, no luxury buses. A home-stay, more or less. Adel was incredulous, saying, "Douglas, why do you call and ask permission? You know you have a home here in Egypt!" I mentioned that I know I have a home, but I thought it’d be polite to ask before bringing others into the home.

"Douglas if you show up with fifty other people, they have a home!"

"Thank you, Adel."

"Douglas if you show up with all of America they, too, have a home!" Adel said.

"If I show up with George Bush, does he have a home?"

"If George Bush is with you, " Adel replied, "He has a home. If George Bush shows up by himself, I do not know him!"

I don’t make this stuff up, folks. Show up with me and you, too, can have a place to stay in Egypt. I’ve got trips going in January and March and would love to hear from others who are interested.



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My pal Jim Hale of the American Camel Company (www.americancamelco mpany.com) is almost ready to ship ten camels to Jamaica. He’s got them sold to a resort that plans on using the camels in tourism on a 900-acre plantation on the island. Unfortunately, my September and October are really getting busy and I don’t know if I’ll be able to make the trip to the Caribbean to help train the animals!

The other international travel that I’ve been working on, between Spain and Colombia, for a similar tourism opportunity is yet delayed by August’s being the vacation month for the Spanish government. In the near future I hope to travel to Spain to assist Sr. Ernesto Arango in the selection of a dozen camels for his business in Cartagena, Colombia. Will update.



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Tomorrow, September 2nd, I’ll be in Bandera, Texas helping to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Cowboy Capital of Texas. This event really kicks off the fall living history season for the Texas Camel Corps. Presenting the camels in educational programs focusing on the US’s historic military use of camels is what first put me on the map and I still love doing it. Two or three camels and perhaps a donkey will look forward to meeting folks there.

It’s not all confirmed yet, but on Sunday the 10th, I hope to be a part of Austin Area Interreligious Ministries’ "Abraham Walk" in Austin, Texas. The event, held to highlight similarities among the three Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), is right up my alley and I’m honored to be asked to be a part of the endeavor. Later in the month, on the 30th, AAIM is holding an arts and crafts fair and may have me present cultural programs with the camels throughout the day. For more info on this wonderful organization, log onto www.aaimaustin.org. Check with me before heading out to either of these events if you want to make sure the camels will be there.

From the 13-22, I’ll be back in Arizona with VisionQuest and on the 29th I’ll be on the campus of Schreiner College, in Kerrville, Texas for their annual Texas Music Heritage Festival. I get to play soldier again at this unique event as we share tales of the US Army Camel Experiment. Hope to see you at one of the events listed above!



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As always, thanks so much for your interest in my camels. I really appreciate it.

Doug

PS Don’t want these emails? Simply reply with the words "ana mafish awiz emailak" in the subject line. This is Saudi-dialect/Sinai Bedouin-inflected Arabic transliterated into Romanized script for "I don’t want your email" as spoken by a male. If you’re female, please reply with "ana mafish awza emailak". Yes, my inbox is gender-sensitive.

Doug Baum
www.texascamelcorps .com
254-675-HUMP (4867)

[SHANEA]

For those of you up in the D/FW area, take note he will be in your backyard soon.

Howdy folks, the month of May has come and gone; thus comes another Texas Camel Corps update.

On Friday, May 11th, my 7-year old son Pecos and I took camels Richard and Gobi to Acton Middle School, near Granbury, Texas for a day of education programs. Pecos got to play "hooky" for the day, which he loved. The event was a Texas History fair and other representations included Buffalo Soldiers, frontier chuck wagon cooks, pioneer women and a trick roper with his horse. The organizer for the day was Peg Hainey, owner of a company called Many Hats that places events like this on school campuses throughout the year.

In Texas, kids in 4th and 7th grades study our state’s history for the entire academic year, so Pecos and I got to visit with over 500 pre-teens. Most of the presenters were engaging and I heard lots of positive comments from the teachers and students alike. Gobi and Richard took it all in stride and we were back on the farm before sundown.

From May 14-23 I was in Arizona, working for VisionQuest (www.vq.com). I split my time between the boys’ and girls’ programs, but most of the camel work was with a handful of young men. There had been a number of new intakes to the program since I was last there in April, so I had quite a bit of "catching up" to do, getting a number of new youths confident and competent around the camels. All did quite well and we were able to get in a few day-rides with different groups.

In this herd of a dozen camels we’ve got a couple of young ‘uns: Jericho and Marianne. Marianne’s been riding for a while, but I’ve only recently started putting time into her half-brother. A young man in the program named Aaron has been helping me train Jericho who’s more or less only ridden around the barn, but we were able to take him out on a longer ride with a group of more experienced camels and he did great! It was so good for me, Jericho AND Aaron. Those are the days when I love what I do for VisionQuest. What a rewarding time that is, when a youth and a young camel see the light come on. Aaron’s been a big helper with Marianne and I told him, "Long after you’ve left this program, other youth will be able to ride these younger camels because of the time you’ve spent with them." I added, "It’s a bit like a legacy." I’m so proud of Aaron (and the camels).

May’s always the rainiest month in Central Texas, where our farm is, and this year, in stark contrast to 2006, we’re way over our average rainfall. The good news is there’s hay this year, which we’ve not had since last summer. The bad news is, when it rains it pours. The ground hasn’t dried yet and that makes it difficult for the farmers to cut, rake and bale the much-needed fodder for livestock. The continuing rains have actually resulted in just under a dozen drowning/flood-related deaths in the area along with another two from lightning strikes in the past month, so obviously these downpours have been mixed blessings.

Of much less concern is the muddy effects on my camels. Recently, a post was made on a Yahoo groups page for fiber enthusiasts about my annually shedding camels and my generosity (someone else’s words, not mine!) in giving the fiber away. Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full. Actually more like nine boxes. Two weeks ago I received a ton of requests for fiber and am happy to fill the orders. My policy is, I brush the camels, collect the hair, send it (if the interested party will reimburse me for shipping) and they clean the hair and do with it what they like. I’ve had folks in the past send me items made from my camels’ pile. Socks, rope and even a wall hanging with Gobi’s image, shadow and a Mongolian yurt!

I’ve always groomed the camels each spring/summer when they start shedding (you don’t have to shear them) and from time to time I get inquiries about their fiber. It’s truly my pleasure. Bactrians (the two-humped species), originally from a colder climate, tend to shed earlier, generally from April through June, while the Arabians don’t even start shedding until right about now. This means I’ve got six camels that look like they’re in various stages of mange for almost three months! Having lived among Bedouin in Egypt/Sinai off and on over the last six years, though, I value even more now the fiber output and the fact that someone can get some use out of it.

June’s shaping up to be a pretty busy month.

On the 9th, I head about 25 miles away for a program in Whitney, Texas and from the 11th-20th I'll be back in Arizona working for VisionQuest.

On the 23rd, Jim Hale of the American Camel Company and I will combine to be a part of the Camp Verde General Store’s 150th anniversary celebration, in the Hill Country of Texas. This combination post office/gift shop/restaurant stands where an establishment once served the soldiers at historic Camp Verde, home of the old US Army Camel Corps of the 1850’s and 1860’s. Some of you may recall that Jim and I had some of our camels on the Sesquicentennial Camel Drive last year. The Camp Verde General Store is where the Drive ended up, so it’s a homecoming of sorts. Jim and I are looking forward to seeing other Drive alums Gil T. Hernandez, Frank Gonzales and Ernest Geigenmiller. Hope to see you there!

On the 26th, I’ll be headed to Ft. Worth, Texas with a couple of camels for a morning of programs at McKinney church. These types of programs are always fun because I get to share the Biblical connections of camels. Did you know that the camel is mentioned fifty-seven times in the Old Testament and six times in the New? I’m such a geek. I also get to share stories of my own experiences in the Sinai, famous, of course, for Moses’ 40-year wanderings. If you’re in the DFW area, you’re welcome to come over, I’d love to see you.

Here’s something I’m really excited about (and it has nothing to do with camels)!

On June 30th a photographer named Steve McCurry will be speaking in nearby Waco, Texas at McLennan Community College at 1 p.m. If you don’t know his name, you know his work. McCurry took a famous shot of an Afghan refugee which, inarguably, came to be the most famous picture in the history of National Geographic magazine. The "Afghan Girl", as the subject of the picture has come to be known, first appeared on the cover of NG in June of 1985, during the Soviet invasion in the lands once known as Bactria.

For years neither NG nor the photographer knew the identity of the girl; she was simply one of a number of refugees whose image McCurry had shot back in ’84, while in Pakistan on assignment. With the fall of the Taliban, however, McCurry returned to the area in January, 2002 expressly to find her. McCurry and the NG-sponsored mission found Sharbat Gula (they’d now gotten the subject’s name), ethnically a Pashtun, in the mountains of Tora Bora, back home across the "border" in Afghanistan.

Scientists and ophthalmologists examined the iris patterns of the woman’s eyes and determined that this was, in fact, the girl from the picture, now grown up. 28, 29, 30? She didn’t know her age, but remembered the day McCurry took her picture. It was the last time her image had been captured, she told the photographer.

The image, along with a greater body of McCurry’s work, will be a part of an exhibit at Waco’s Art Center (www.artcenterwaco.o rg) from June 30-March 30, 2008. The lecture and book signing are from 1-2:30 p.m. in MCC’s nearby Conference Center and admission is $5. Admission to the Art Center is $2 for adults, $1 for children and the exhibit will be open that day from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

If any of you are interested in coming to this, you’re more than welcome to stop by the farm afterward to visit the camels (and my family). It’s about a 25-minute drive from MCC to our farm, so feel free to stop by.

Finally, don’t forget I’ve got trips in Egypt/Sinai planned for January, 2008. I’ve heard from a few folks who’d like to join up and I only need 4 to make a trip run. All guests must be confirmed by November 1 and, while it may seem a bit early to be planning, we’ll need to start working to coordinate dates that work for everyone. Trip cost is $1950 for this 10-day itinerary (air not included) and all tips, transfers, lodging and most meals are covered. These trips really do benefit the families among whom we stay while in Egypt/Sinai and past guests agree: the most incredible part of these trips is the time spent with locals. Oh yeah, you’ll get to see the Pyramids, too, but they can hardly compare!

Thanks as always for your interest in my camels.

Doug

PS Don’t want to receive these updates? Simply reply to this email with the words "You’ve got the rarest form of tuberculosis known to science AND you’re on a Federal watchlist? Welcome back to America, here's your passport!" in the subject line and your wish will be granted.

Doug Baum
www.texascamelcorps .com
254-675-HUMP (4867)

[SHANEA]

Howdy and welcome to another Texas Camel Corps update. I’d also like to welcome all new recipients of this newsletter; our numbers have increased to 279!

On June 4th we had visitors to the farm. Old friend Deanna Cloud from Indianapolis, Indiana came to visit. Deanna and I met years ago when I was working giving camel rides at the Nashville (Tennessee) Zoo. The camels were actually leased to the zoo by an exotic animal dealer named Tom Smith and Deanna worked with Tom from time to time.

Deanna and her friend, Kayle, spent the day with us and it was a reunion in more than one way. Deanna took care of my oldest camel Gobi, a Bactrian (the two-humped variety), when she was a zookeeper at his former home- the Indianapolis Zoo. Back then Gobi was named Josh and Deanna was, well she was still Deanna. "Josh", though, was a bit of a pill, according to Deanna. Spoiled and bratty are the words I recall her using. I don’t think he’s changed much!

It was great to see Deanna again. Some of you may actually have seen Deanna before. Each Christmas she works with the camels at New York’s Radio City Music Hall on their big Holiday show. If you’ve seen the camels there, you’ve seen Deanna.

By the way, Happy Anniversary to Gobi and our family. It was 4th of July, 1998 when I bought Gobi ("Josh") from the aforementioned Tom Smith. Nine mostly blissful years.

June 9th camels Gobi and Ibrahim and donkey Hamar headed just a bit north to the nearby town of Whitney for a morning of programs at Thousand Trails, a family campground. Arranged by Activities Director Carla Wilson, this is something we’ve done three or four times in the eight and half years we’ve lived in this area. The campground is one of a chain of sites across the US where primarily RV’ers can pull in and stay for extended periods of time and its clientele is quite diverse. Ranging from families with young children to retirees who are seeing the country, the day was spent sharing our stories and listening to theirs, as well.

A number of the older gentlemen had wonderful tales from World War II in North Africa that included camels and, of course, many of the younger generation were seeing camels for the first time. What a wonderful day. Looks like we’ll be back again in the fall and I think I’m looking forward to it more than they are!

From the 11th to the 20th I was back out in Arizona, working for VisionQuest, a residential treatment facility for at-risk youth (www.vq.com). I work there ten days each month with their herd of a dozen camels, teaching (hopefully!) their youth to work with camels. It’s always rewarding to see the teens overcome their fear of these huge, 2,000-pound creatures, but in the end we usually see success with each child.

This go 'round was with a group of girls from the Madalyn program. Girls approach camels SOOOOOOOO much differently than boys do. Boys feel it's a "muscle" thing- that they have to overpower the camels. Girls come from more of a nurturing viewpoint. Each tack has its own pros and cons for sure.

Kathryn M. really overcame some hurdles. Just standing next to our biggest, tallest camels made her nervous, so my hat's definitely off to her for getting up there and going on a ride. Sharon L. took on young Marianne, no longer much of a novice camel, really, (thanks to the past work of program youths Aaron, Jesus and Corsica) but at seven years old still somewhat young and I was really proud of Sharon. Other young ladies, Leah, Ashley, Maria and Liz all did well, too, but I think the kids who "come from behind" learn so much more and are challenged much more than the kids who don't face any real difficulties when working with the camels.

Male youth Deyoe Harris was a really big hand as I was experimenting with some new Moroccan saddles/equipment, so thanks to him as well.

On June 23rd the Texas Camel Corps and the American Camel Company (www.americancamelco mpany.com) teamed up to provide camels for the Camp Verde General Store’s 150th Anniversary Celebration in the Hill Country of Texas. This combination post office/gift shop/restaurant stands where an establishment once served the soldiers at historic Camp Verde, home of the old US Army Camel Corps of the 1850’s and 1860’s. The Camp Verde General Store is where last year’s Sesquicentennial Camel Drive ended up.

My camels Gobi, Richard, Ibrahim and Cinco were there and Jim Hale of the American Camel Company brought Dee Dee and Charo. The day was spent talking with the visitors who came and went along the beautiful banks of Verde Creek, a narrow water course that, in its day, served the soldiers, camels and other livestock and settlers in this bucolic slice of Texas.

During the 8-hour event, we probably saw 3,000-plus people, many of whom are descendants of pioneer stock who were around when the US Army had the camels at the nearby fort. All of last year’s Drive participants were in attendance, too: Me, Jim, Ernest Geigenmiller, Frank Gonzales and Gil T. Hernandez. Gil’s our "artifact". His great, great, great, great grandfather James Tafolla was a civilian and soldier who worked with the original US Army camels in the 19th century and it’s always an honor to have him share his family’s heritage with the visitors. Added to the ranks was my 7-year old son, Pecos, decked out in his Middle Eastern best riding atop Gobi. I hope one day that Pecos will feel as strongly about his family’s roots as Gil does about his.

On the 26th, camels Richard and Ibrahim traveled to Ft. Worth, Texas to the McKinney Bible Church for pictures with this church’s day campers. Group after group after group lined up for their shot with the two Arabian camels (the one-hump variety), all dolled up in authentic Egyptian finery. All three of my kids, Vanessa, 14, Delany, 11 and Pecos came and helped direct the kids where to stand, helped clean up after the camels and answered lots of questions.

Like so many days in the past two months it was a rainy one and the church had us set up under a portico so the kids (and camels) wouldn’t get soaked. A stroke of genius on my contact Nita’s part (thanks Nita)!

July’s typically a slow month and the Baums are planning our family vacation. I’ll work my usual ten days for VisionQuest, but that’s about it for this month. We are looking forward to a visit from Gobi’s godmother, Joan D. of Long Island, N.Y. in the middle of the month. Joan is a university professor whose love for Gobi defies all lines of genus and species. Joan has shipped carrots and apples in the past from New York, though I intercepted the cous cous, Bulgar wheat and falafel. Gobi’s not getting that!

On a personal note- our family’s growing! No, Trish is not pregnant, nor are Cinco or Virgie (our two female camels, though I do plan to have Cinco bred this summer). We’ve decided to take an exchange student into our home. Wasen, a 16-year old girl from Kuwait, will be joining our family for ten months as part of a really forward-thinking and much needed exchange program first implemented by the US State Department just after September 11, 2001.

The YES program, funded by the State Department’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, provides high school students from countries with significant Muslim populations the opportunity to live in the United States for an academic year. The students are selected for their commitment to community service, public diplomacy and academic achievement.

Once we have Wasen’s arrival date, I’ll let you know. It’s my hope to have a warm welcome here at our farm for her. I also intend on connecting her with nearby Waco’s small, but active Muslim community through the Islamic Center of Waco. I’d also like to be able to provide the opportunity for any other program students living in the area to visit our farm. Will update.

Finally, the 2008 Egypt/Sinai trip is starting to really take shape, with two folks verbally confirmed, one of whom is a doctor and is trying to get some surplus first aid supplies that we can bring along for the Bedouin (thanks Scott and Morgan!).

It’s looking like early January for this once-in-a-lifetime experience that may possibly include a wedding in Cairo for my "family’s" oldest son Sayed. The wedding date is a bit up in the air, but we’re trying really hard to get the schedule coordinated. Let me tell you, a Cairene wedding is an all out assault on every one of your senses. Come early, stay late, bring earplugs. WOW! The first wedding I went to I learned that these are not spectator events. You will dance, you will toast the couple and you might even end up on a camel or dancing horse.

I’ve said it each year I’ve been blessed to get groups together, but this is a trip you do not want to miss. Price for the 10-day itinerary I’ve got put together is $1950 per person (air not included) and the itinerary is as follows:

Sinai Camel Trek Sample Itinerary (subject to changes and/or substitutions)*

Day one: group dinner in Cairo and home stay with local family

Day two: transfer to Nuweiba, on east coast of Sinai. En route, visit Jezirat Faroun (Crusader-era castle on island just off Sinai coast in Gulf of Aqaba); overnight at quaint Habiba Beach Resort

Day three: jeep to Colored Canyon for hike. Afternoon free (shopping, diving?); Habiba again tonight

Day four: jeep to village of Wadi Samghi to meet Bedouin and camels; camel trek begins today; overnight at tent of friends Salem and Emira

Day five: camel trek; overnight at oasis of Ain Hudra

Day six: camel trek; overnight in open desert

Day seven: camel trek and afternoon transfer to town of St. Catherine’s at base of Mt. Sinai; Overnight in Monastery Guest House within walls of St. Catherine’s Monastery

Day eight: early morning hike up Mt. Sinai in time for sunrise, then back down to visit monastery; mid-day transfer back to Cairo; home stay with local family

Day nine: sightseeing in Cairo (Pyramids of Giza by camel and Egyptian Museum); home stay

Day ten: sightseeing in Cairo (Camel market of Birqash and Khan el Khalili market/Al Azhar mosque/university); home stay and transfer back to airport for early morning departure (or stay the night and continue on your own itinerary/extension)

*All transfers, accommodations, most tips and most meals included. Airfare can be arranged. Entry visas not included.

Late October’s when I need to have final payments in, so I can get all money wired across to Egypt/Sinai. For those of you still on the fence, remember I only need 4 folks to make a trip run and I only take 8 per trip. As folks confirm, we’ll start working on dates that best suit everyone.

Remember, these trips truly and directly benefit the families among whom we stay. There are no middlemen (who, in Egypt, take notoriously HUGE cuts from the Bedouin), so you know that when we leave, these families will really reap the financial reward.

Thanks as always for your interest in my camels.

Doug

PS Don’t want to receive these emails? Simply reply with the words "                                                  " in the subject line. I’ll get out my cyber-lemon juice and hair dryer and, like a Cold War-era secret communication, your wish will be decoded and your email address will magically disappear.

Doug Baum
www.texascamelcorps .com
254-675-HUMP (4867)

[SHANEA]

Howdy folks and welcome to another Texas Camel Corps update.

Summer’s always a bit slow as far as the camel business is concerned, but that doesn'’t mean we’re sitting around in the shade of a palm tree, eating dates. Most Sunday evenings the family takes a ride out on our gravel county roads- me on our sixteen-year old Bactrian camel Gobi, my 7-year old son Pecos on his donkey Hamar, daughters Vanessa and Delany, 14 and 11, on bikes and my wife Trish walking. Trish and I frequently switch off riding/walking and our little parade must look like something! It’s fun and I enjoy the time with the family.

We’ve gotten nearly all of the orders for camel hair filled (seven-year old Arabian camel Virgie is still hanging on to some of her winter growth) and sharing the hair with so many interesting fiber hobbyists has been rewarding. I should say thanks to Tilly M. of Houston, Texas (who recently celebrated her 100th birthday) for the two wonderful items she created out of camel hair mixed with Merino wool. Thanks also to Debbie G. of Beavercreek, Oregon for the cutest handmade glass camel (a Bactrian at that!), her way of saying thanks for a recent shipment of camel hair. Connecting with such unique, talented folks has made all the brushing very worthwhile!

The family is putting the finishing touches on the room we'’ve built for our Kuwaiti exchange student, a sixteen-year old girl named Wassan, who’ll be here this Friday. Because we intend on taking Wassan to mosque, our entire family visited Waco’s small, but warm and welcoming Islamic Center on July 13th to get to know the folks there.

Al Siddiq, president of the Islamic Center of Waco, invited our family to the Friday service and made a most thoughtful gesture at the conclusion by introducing us and explaining why we were there. Following much handshaking and introductions, all those in attendance, including the five Baums, sat on the floor for a wonderful meal, prepared by Al’s mother. It all could've easily been mistaken for a normal, Southern after-church meal with fellowship. My kids particularly loved the fact that you get to sit on the floor and take your shoes off!

Since Al explained that the if-tar meals (breaking each day’s fast during Ramadan) are NOT to be missed, it looks like they’ll be seeing quite a bit of us this September and October!

July 17-26 took me to Arizona for my usual 10-day stint working with the youth and camels of VisionQuest (www.vq.com), a residential treatment facility. I had a group of boys whose number, oddly enough, shrunk from eight to five after three of them became inexplicably scared to death of the camels! One gave up before even riding; simply standing next to one, grooming it with a brush, was more than he could stand. Despite my assertions that my son, Pecos, does this all the time, the youth, in rather florid language, effected his egress.

Still, those who remained, among them T.J. and Dale, did outstandingly. Dale perhaps has the strongest case of Attention Deficit Disorder I’'ve ever seen ("Dale! Dale! Come back to Earth, Dale, you’re on a camel!") and T. J. was a delight to have around simply because he was the polar (but not bi-polar) opposite of Dale. T.J. had his camel groomed and saddled before anyone else each day. What a great hand he was!

While out in Arizona, I began working with a Moroccan-derivative of a South Arabian camel saddle I’d been constructing. Using this on a younger camel, 7-year old Jericho, early indications are that I got most of it right, but there’s still some engineering left to master. More and more, saddlery is taking up my interests. Just the thought that so many disparate cultures/peoples all had to come up with equipment to harness the working potential of the camel (and so few had contact with other camel cultures during the early periods of domestication) keeps me motivated. One day I’ll put together THE book of camel saddles insha’allah ("God willing" in Arabic).

On the 18th, we had visitors. Actually I should say my dear wife had visitors to the farm (I was already in Arizona). Joan D. and Alison T., or as my camels like to call them, "the deliverers of all things good", showed up with boxes and boxes and bags and bags of apples and carrots.

Joan and Alison were on a trek with me sometime back in the Big Bend and have become much more than former guests. Joan in particular has an affinity for camels and, in fact, has a life-size, steel camel cut-out in her yard. I bet it takes less feed and you don’t have to clean up after it.

Thanks as always to these gals for their sweet nature and love of our camels.

This month’s newsletter ushers in a new feature I like to call "Member Spotlight". Each month I intend on introducing those of you receiving this email (who now number 285!) to someone from our list. This month’s Member is Andree’ Richmond (www.andreerichmond. com).

Andree’ is a ceramics artist from the U.K. whom I came to know while she was living in Arizona and wanted some up-close and personal time with camels for some of the art she creates. I connected her with my VisionQuest camels and it would be an understatement to say she fell in love. Ultimately she bought a baby out of the VQ herd, which she raised and trained. Andree’s camel skills are second perhaps only to her skill with clay and a kiln.

Check out her website (above). You’ll find a Bactrian camel on the "Wheeled Animals" page and two others (one Bactrian, the other a dromedary) by clicking on "Raku". One of Andree’s earliest Raku camel pieces is on my mantle and I consider it one of my favorites in my collection.

My annual trip to Egypt/Sinai’s looking very good. I’'ve gotten a handful of verbal commitments (and I only need four folks to make a trip run). Trip dates are going to be January 1-10. All money needs to be in by the 1st of November. Trip price is $1950 per person (air not included) and is a combination of home-stays, hotels and camping in the openness of the Sinai desert.

The hospitality that you’ll experience is chief among what I hope folks "take home" with them after these trips. Though we visit the Pyramids and many other ancient wonders, I always tell folks, "I’ll give you your money back if your favorite thing on the trip wasn’t a person." The people. Man, the people. The family of Saleh bin Suleiman in the Sinai; the children in my friend Adel’s house in Cairo. These are the memories that’ll stick with you long after your Nefertiti magnet has fallen off the refrigerator. I can take up to eight guests per trip and there’s still room, so I look forward to hearing from some more of you.

"Lawrence of Arabia", one of my favorite movies, will be showing in Austin, Texas at the Paramount Theatre on August 30 and 31. David Lean was an incredible filmmaker and really captured the limitless nature of the desert (some of the film was shot in Jordan, some in Morocco, other parts in Spain) in this less than historically accurate, but stunningly beautiful film which one seven Academy Awards including Best Picture in 1962. To see it on the big screen has been a wish of mine for some time.

Peter O’'Toole’s performance is perhaps as quirky as Lawrence was himself and at almost four hours, the movie can be a chore to get through. For those of you who’ve never seen it and might be interested in the Paramount’s screening of Lawrence, I suggest renting it and watching it beforehand so that you’re not so "distracted" by following the plot and you can truly enjoy the filmmaking. I hope to see some of you there.

Thanks as always for your interest in my camels.

Doug

PS Don’t want to receive these emails anymore? Simply reply with the words, "Aqaba is over there. It’s only a matter of going" in the subject line. This, one of my favorite lines from Lawrence of Arabia, will expedite the removal of your email address from this list, much as the Arab Revolt, led by Lawrence, succeeded in removing the Turks from the Red Sea port town of Aqaba, Jordan. You see, the 16-inch guns the Turks had were pointed toward the Gulf of Aqaba, in anticipation of a seaborne attack, and couldn’t be turned; they figured no one would dare make an attack on the town from the land. Silly Turks.
Doug Baum
www.texascamelcorps .com
254-675-HUMP (4867)

[SHANEA]

I haven't figured out what the adult content is? 

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.
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.
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!
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!"
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 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?
As always, thanks so much for your interest in my camels.

Doug

PS No longer wish to receive these emails? Simply reply with the words "You think you could steal my stuff and sell it?" in the subject line and, just like O.J. Simpson running through an airport, you’ll be gone.

Doug Baum
www.texascamelcorps .com
254-675-HUMP (4867)

[SHANEA]

Doug Baum and his camels will be criss crossing the state this holiday season.  Chances are good that you might be able to catch up with him in your area.  SEE the schedule by clicking HERE.

Texas Camel Corps- October
Howdy folks, and welcome to another month gone by with the Texas Camel Corps.

On October 5th and 6th, camels Gobi and Richard and I traveled to Abilene, Texas for Frontier, Texas’ annual Spirit of the Frontier Festival. This gathering of Living Historians is always fun. On Friday, over 1,000 mostly 7th grade students visited and were generally well behaved- some even pretended to be interested! Frontier, Texas has been described by the New York Times as "Disney with cowboys and Indians". It’s truly an innovative museum experience, focusing on the expansion of the Western frontier in 19th century Texas.

This is my third or fourth year to participate in their event and, suited out as a 19th century soldier in the US

Army Camel Corps, I got to share lots of stories with all the visitors. Saturday the event was open to the public and it’s always fun to present programs in West Texas. The general understanding of livestock is so widespread as compared, say, to big cities like Houston. Because of this, I can present more info on training, diet and management, etc instead of answering "the Big Three": Do they spit? Do they store water in their humps? So the male has two humps and the female has one?

Big thanks to Jeff, Scott and Nell at Frontier, Texas and the folks at Animal Health and Medical Center of Abilene for putting the camels up for a couple of nights.

On the heels of the Abilene event I headed further west to Colorado City, Texas, my hometown for their annual Junktique Jamboree on Sunday the 7th. The camels were available for photo ops at what is essentially a huge, open-air antique and junk sale.

The camels were well received by the hometown crowd and it’s always fun to go home. Seeing former teachers, folks from the church choir and even a couple of old girlfriends brings back mostly good memories.

Like most small towns in West Texas, Colorado City has been economically depressed for some time since the slow down in the oil industry of the 1980’s. The building of prisons and now wind farms has made a significant economic impact on this community of 4,500 people and the Main Street designation for the historic downtown area should help to bring about some change for the better. My father’s the Mayor there, so I’m able to stay tuned in to the goings-on there and truly hope for the best for my home.

Monday the 8th, junior members of the Texas Camel Corps Ibrahim, 5, an Arabian camel (one hump) and Xian, 2, a Bactrian (two humps) took that fateful trip to the vet for castration. While some native cultures keep a male camel’s anatomy intact, I find it better to take the pertinent parts away, thus removing any possibility for aggression during breeding season when heightened levels of testosterone are present. I’m proud to report both camels are healing up nicely. In an attempt at maintaining a modicum of professionalism, any usually expected witticism will be omitted.

On October 11th, the camels and I tried really hard to make it to the opposite end of the State, East Texas. I say tried because about 90 miles after leaving the farm, an axle cracked on my trailer, blowing out a tire. Camels Gobi and Richard were again on board, along with donkey Hamar. I was able to limp back home, switch to my brother-in-law’s trailer (smaller than mine, he has horses), switch out Gobi and Richard for Ibrahim and Virgie (younger, i.e., smaller camels), throw Hamar back in and headed East to Big Sandy, just north of Tyler, Texas.

The event was a Biblical living history event at a very unique facility called ALERT (
www.alertacademy.co m). Taken from their website: The Air Land Emergency Resource Team (ALERT) is a unique training and service organization for young men who desire to achieve maturity and fruitfulness in service as Christian men. The training young men receive at ALERT equips them with the discipline, character, and skills necessary to meet the needs of people in crisis. These ALERT Responders will then be deployed to disaster-stricken areas such as those affected by hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and mud slides.

The camels and donkey were one of many exhibits that portrayed life in Bible times. I was very proud of Virgie and Ibrahim. They probably had 200+ kids crawling all over them over the course of the 4-hour event! At 7 and 5, respectively, these two camels are super gentle, they just don’t have a lot of time on them. A little "OJT" for Virgie and Ibrahim.

On the way home, fate dealt another mechanical blow to the Texas Camel Corps: the clutch in my truck went out! Fortunately, I was close to home, was able to unload camels, return the trailer to my brother-in-law and drive straight to the Ford dealership. The repair took longer than expected, but ilhumdulillah ("Thanks be to God" in Arabic), by Tuesday the 16th it was ready.

Big thanks to Sharon and David at ALERT for their enthusiasm bringing the camels to their event.

Clutch calamity behind me, Wednesday, October 17th, finally saw me leave for Arizona for my monthly trip to work with VisionQuest (www.vq.com), their kids and camels. I was already two days late and the kids let me hear about it when I finally arrived. Each month when I leave, they ask when I’ll be back. I give them the date and I know they look forward to it. Once I explained the vehicular woes, they understood.

This month I worked with the girls in the Madalyn program. It was my goal to get every girl who’d progressed out of the orientation group on a camel and I succeeded. Some of these girls had only recently moved from what’s called First Direction (there are four Directions in all), up to Second and boy were they happy. Ashley, Arlene and Ana Maria were three who’ve been waiting quite some time to ride a camel, but the pace at which they progress through the program is totally up to each youth. The harder they work to attain certain goals, they more quickly they can proceed to a higher Direction.

Annie’s a young lady who’s in Third Direction and is a pretty darn good little camel rider. This trip, I brought a saddle from Egypt and wanted to try it on the VQ camels. In stark contrast to my camels, the 11 camels I manage for VQ in Arizona are FAT. Annie was excited to see how this saddle would work with her favorite camel, Marianne. It worked great, and Annie really felt special, riding a saddle that came all the way from Egypt.

What a great time.

While in Arizona, on the weekend of the 20/21, I participated in Kingman, Arizona’s 150th anniversary of the Beale Expedition, which used camels surveying a wagon road from New Mexico to California. My best bud Sidi Amar Taoua (a Tuareg tribesman from the Saharan country of Niger, now living in Tucson) and I had four of my VisionQuest camels, Chewy, Chug, Sam and Irenie in the town’s parade. School essay contest winners JoAnn, Matthew and, hmmm, I can’t remember the other kids’ names, but these bright students all won the honor of riding the camels in the parade honoring Beale.

The event was all weekend long and I’d originally contracted in to provide living history programs after the parade. Upon arrival, however, my contact asked how much the camel rides would be. Those of you who’ve followed this old grizzled camel man’s exploits may recall that I’d rather eat broken glass than give camel rides. Those of you who’ve been out on the trail with me also know that I’m a people pleaser, too, so guess who walked in circles for two days? Correct, Sidi Amar! Just kidding. We both dutifully, and at times cheerfully, took on the challenge and even perhaps enjoyed ourselves.

Maybe I have no real excuse, other than the fact that my camel initiation 14 years ago was giving rides in a zoo setting for largely unappreciative children and even less appreciative mommies and daddies (Ever since, I’ve imagined voices whispering, "Look at the carnie!"). But Sidi Amar was truly born in a camel caravan and I felt horrible asking this most dignified of desert denizens to deign himself, but together we made it through the storm.

Truthfully, we met tons of great people and ten minutes into the circular ambulations I’d forgotten how much I hated giving camel rides. The best quote of the weekend was delivered by one of two lady snowbirds (Northern US retirees to the desert Southwest) riding side by side, each on their own camel: "Can you imagine riding one of these things through the desert?" I had to look over at Sidi Amar whose eyes simply rolled as he smiled. "Yes," I thought, "he can."

Big thanks to Tom, Suzy, Britney, Duchess and Albert for all their help.

On the 25th, just back from the Grand Canyon State, super gal pal Manda Butler and I had the pleasure of sharing camels Ibrahim and Xian with the frat boys of SMU’s Phi Delta Gamma in Dallas, Texas for the second year in a row. Jeez, camel rides in Arizona, frat boys in Dallas- I’m really selling out. Greeting guests outside Al Amir restaurant for photos was pretty much the whole job and really, everyone behaved themselves (camels and collegians).

You may remember last year’s tale from this same job was a pinch off-color and caused me to question my business ethics. Suffice it to say it was no different this year. Last year the justification was new tires for the truck, this year it was the trailer axle and the truck’s clutch. Kick a camel man when he’s down and he’ll do almost anything. To quote my father (also self-employed): "Boy, sometimes you’ve just got to shut up and take their money." Thanks Pop.

An unscheduled, last minute appearance in Austin, Texas popped up on the 27th (sorry I couldn’t get the info to those of you in the Austin area prior to the event). The Austin Asian-American Chamber of Commerce (AAACC) was hosting an event called "India: Spice of Life" at an area golf course. Gobi (our 16-year old Bactrian camel) along with all three of my kids, Vanessa, 14, Delany, 12 and Pecos, 7 and I headed 100 miles south to the capital of Texas for this event.

Indian food, Indian dance and perhaps some of the most cerebral conversations I’ve had in a long time were the highlights of the day. After the frat job two nights earlier I could’ve spoken to a plate of chicken curry and it would’ve seemed stimulating. Vanessa really shined in her role as camel ambassador and watching her interact with the diverse crowd sure made me proud of her. Delany and Pecos really enjoyed playing with golf balls.

I look forward to working with the folks at the AAACC again soon.

November’s here and you can find the camels and me in George West, Texas for the "George West Storyfest" tomorrow, November 3rd (http://www.georgeweststoryfest.org/special_attraction.html).

On the 13th, we’ve got a TV shoot in Houston for the Spanish-language talk show "Cristina" on Univision.

Thanksgiving weekend, our holiday madness starts back up with live Nativities and Christmas productions that take us all over Texas. We begin in Hallettsville, Texas on Saturday and Sunday, the 24/25.

The 29th takes us to Waco, Texas for Baylor University’s "Christmas on 5th" celebration.

November 30th is the beginning of Waxahachie’s "Bethlehem Revisited" event and goes on Dec. 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9. Check my website’s homepage throughout November and December for complete holiday activity listings.

Looking a bit ahead, into early 2008, I’ve got two groups back to back heading to Egypt/Sinai. My sincere thanks to Pam and Clinton, Vance and Irma, Steve and Kaye, Barbara, Charles, Mike, Morgan and Scott. (Guys and gals, I'll have another trip update to you early next week.)

These adventurous folks will be enjoying a side of Egypt and Sinai that most visitors don’t see. Better still, these folks will help make an invaluable contribution to my Bedouin "family" out in the desert.

And finally, on to this month’s feature: Sidi Amar Taoua (www.saharaexpeditio n.com). Mentioned above in the Kingman, Arizona story, Sidi is ethnically Tuareg, a people who are known as the "Blue Men of the Sahara" due to the slight staining of the skin from their indigo-dyed clothing. Sidi’s wife, Phyllis, is a professor at the University of Arizona and they have a daughter, Bitti, who’s about as beautiful and sweet as they come. Spoken in their home is a melange of French, English, sometimes Spanish and Arabic and any time I get to spend with these fabulous folks always leaves me feeling enriched.

Sidi guides tours in his homeland of Niger and I hope you’ll check out his website and send him an email.

Thanks as always for your interest in my camels and I hope to see you out there on the trail soon.

Doug

PS Don’t want to receive these emails? Simply reply with the words "dia de los muertos" in the subject line and, like an ofrenda to a loved one passed to the great beyond, your email address will sit on an altar in some small, forgotten little Mexican church only to be picked up at some later time by a mysterious, red-headed caretaker known simply as Grito Colorado.

Doug Baum
www.texascamelcorps .com
254-675-HUMP (4867)

[SHANEA]

December Update...

Howdy folks and welcome to another month gone by with the Texas Camel Corps.

November was pretty slow, compared to a hectic October, but we did manage to get out there and pound the pavement a bit with the camels.
On the 3rd, camels Gobi and Richard and I headed to South Texas for the Georgewest Storyfest. This annual event saw over 8,000 visitors and, helped out by author/reenactor Frank Gonzales, I think we visited with each and every one of them!

This is an event that brings all types of storytellers to an eager and well-trained audience. There was not one cry for camel rides! Rather, folks were happy to sit on hay bales and listen to Frank and me share old tales about the U.S. Army Camel Corps of the 19th century. We had a great time and met many, many wonderful folks.
On the 13th, camels Richard, Gobi and Cinco participated in a really unique TV shoot in Houston, Texas. Spanish-language network Univision’s "Cristina Show" surprised a viewer with a home redecoration for the holidays on one day and the next camels showed up with the Biblical Magi delivering gifts.

The family was truly down on their luck and for us to be involved was a very rewarding experience. Best buddies Steven Evans, Paul Arellano and Kyle Mathis and I had a great feeling participating in the production and just getting to spend time with these guys, doing something I love, was icing on the cake.

On the morning of the 13th, we shot some outside scenes at a J.C. Penney store (one of the show’s sponsors and major contributor of gifts to the family), but the production was short one celebrity they’d counted on to ride a camel. They asked me if one of us would mind stepping in. Kyle was chosen, and magically transformed into a Spanish-speaking Nobleman from the East. Among our group, Paul is the only native Spanish speaker, but Steven, Kyle and I can all speak Spanish and the one year in Senora Wilson’s Spanish class in high school served me well. In fact, much of the early negotiations had been done in Spanish, but ultimately, on location, a mixture of Spanish and English was heard.

So with Kyle’s crowned head slightly swollen from his coronation and onscreen time eclipsing the rest of us mere camel shepherds, we finally wrapped up at J.C. Penney and headed to the neighborhood where the Garcia family lives. Steven’s experience as a mule packer in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado was instantly put to use. The camels had to carry "dummy" packages, with sponsor logos prominently showing and in a jiffy Steven threw enough half-hitches, diamond hitches and slip knots to rival the Boy Scout handbook.

Prior to the shoot, Steven (who’s not hobbled by dial up internet service like I am) used Google-Earth to find the family’s address and he’d identified an empty lot just a block away from the unsuspecting family’s home from where we could stage. We got the camels loaded up and walked to the folks’ house, parking the camels right out front, in the street, laden with something other than gold, frankincense and myrrh. Right on cue, the family was escorted out into the street and was utterly speechless.

I’m told that the segment will air on the 17th of this month on Univision, so keep your eyes out for that. Big thanks to the folks at Univision, the Houston Film Commission, Houston Police Department and the top- notch crew of Paul, Kyle and Steven for such a great experience.
In the October update, I’d forgotten to mention a TV production my son Pecos and I were a part of. The Cactus Jack Show, a public access children’s program from Nashville, Tennessee included the Texas Camel Corps in a piece they were doing about the Old West. Pecos, dressed in his best native camel handler attire, and I, suited up as a soldier in the U.S. Army of the 19th century, shared stories with the show’s host, Cactus Jack. It was really great to be able to work right here at home!

Pecos had some speaking parts and even led Cactus Jack into the sunset on Gobi, our 16-year old Bactrian camel. "The kids at school won’t believe that I’m going to be on TV," said Pecos about his experience. He asks once a week if I’ve gotten a copy of the show yet! The folks from the Cactus Jack Show did send Pecos a nice thank-you card. For those of you in the Nashville area, keep in touch and I’ll let you know when I hear something about an air date.
Cold weather and rain knocked us out of our opening weekend for Christmas camel work in Hallettsville, Texas on Thanksgiving weekend. Some years it’s been 80-plus degrees down there! It was not to be, however, this year.

Still, on the 29th, camels Ibrahim (5), Virgie (7) and Xian (2), along with donkey Hamar, worked at Baylor University’s Christmas on 5th event in nearby Waco, Texas. This campus-wide holiday celebration included a petting zoo, carriage rides and concert and, for our part, a live Nativity. My 12-year old daughter Delany came along and helped out and we had a fun night. By then the weather in Texas had warmed up again and it was back to the usual, balmy yule we’ve come to expect around these parts.

On the 30th, Bethlehem Revisited, in Waxahachie, Texas began, truly signaling the breakneck pace that is the Christmas season for the Texas Camel Corps. Think Renaissance Faire set in Biblical times. This event is an immersion into the village of Bethlehem, 2,000 years ago. Complete with Roman guards (big, beefy types with swords, shields and spears) patrolling the city block-sized recreation of Bethlehem and over 100 costumed cast members, this event is a real spectacle. Any of you folks in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area should come out. Performances continue this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The rest of December is full of similar events and we’ll be in other Texas locales like Austin, Ft. Worth, Boerne, Whitney, Duffau., Waco, Valley Mills and Hillsboro.
On the 28th, just after Christmas, daughter Delany and I head to Egypt. I’ve got two tour groups back-to-back that I’m guiding for the better part of January and Delany’s really excited about getting to go. This will be her first trip abroad and I’m hoping to get some work out of her! She loves archaeology and Ancient Egypt in particular, so she’ll take on some of the interpretive chores at the Pyramids of Giza and the Egyptian Museum, two stops on our 10-day trip.

Big thanks to Pam and Clinton, Vance and Irma, Steve and Kaye, Mike, Charles, Barbara, Lynn, Scott and Morgan for making up the two groups. Your participation in these trips allows me to get back over and visit the Egyptian and Bedouin folks that are truly like family to me and, more importantly, will make a tremendous financial impact on those peoples’ lives.
Happy Holidays from the camels, my family and me and thanks as always for your continued interest in our camels.

Doug

PS Don’t want to receive these emails anymore? Simply reply to this email with the word "VANISH" and, like the fruitcake your weird aunt always sends you, your address will magically go away, uneaten.
Doug Baum
www.texascamelcorps .com
254-675-HUMP (4867)

[SHANEA]

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