Life on the Farm

Life here is simplified but comfortable or maybe we're just getting to use to everything.  There is so much dust in the air and on pretty much everything that has a flat surface.  It's pointless to clean.  In fact, the first hurdle of giving up modern day comfort is forgetting about what it means to be and feel clean.  We just embrace the grimey feeling of our skin and ignore the sweat stains on our clothes.  There will be a time and place again for more diligent personal upkeep.  So here's the routine we're into now which basically defines life on the farm.  It's August and that means the dates are ready to be picked and sold.  So the sun wakes us up at 7am but we try to ignore it until the heat is unbearable.  Then we spring out of bed already covered and sweat then head to the house.  There are 6 meowing cats who want to be fed.  Then we head to the date palms and pick a large box full.  Mohammad packs them into 800 gram portions and sells them for 1 dinar.  The special varieties always sell better than the more standard ones.  To explain, Mohammad's date trees come from a lab in France.  The trees are products of cloning so that the desired fruits are predictable and consistent with the types of flavors he likes most.  He only has a few trees of the most delicious varieties but we haven't ask why.  After the dates are picked, packaged, and sold, we think of other ideas for projects around the house.  Today we dusted and cleaned the prayer room because there are ideas of maybe having the big musical event there.  It's too bad we didn't take any before/after photos.  For the evening, we were invited to Mohammed's friend's house for a swim.  This guy transformed his desert land into a tropical paradise.  It was a far contrast from our life on the farm.  Without a doubt, we prefer it here where roughing it is a kind of an ego boost.

Fresh picked dates for sale.

 

It's hot!!!

and dusty!

These mixed goat and sheep herds pass through here almost daily.  It's not clear what they're eating.  They belong to a group of nomadic herders that pitch a camp in the middle of these fields.  It seems they are poor but we learned that each goat or sheep is worth about 200 dinar which is a lot of money.

The kittens who want to eat all the time.  They are pretty cute and I'm in love with all of them.