#Dromedary Productions

[thepermanentrainpress]

CONCERT REVIEW: BRASS CAMEL W/ CHASE THE BEAR AT WISE HALL - MAY 13, 2023

Chase the Bear and Brass Camel performed at the quirky and intimate Wise Hall on Saturday, May 13th. Tucked away in the Commercial Drive area of the city, surrounded by heritage homes and co-operative housing, the venue is a staple of the local music scene. In a world of mass audiences and global stadium tours, both bands showcased the magic of music engaged with the community.

Chase the Bear kickstarted the concert with blazing guitar riffs and Troy Gilmore’s magnetic, raspy vocals. The bandmates sported trendy retro outfits – a homage to their largely classic rock sound with subtle soul and pop. The band played through their setlist, which included the wild, western-flavoured “Five More Minutes,” the determined and desperate “Underwater,” the spunky and empowered “Quit Callin’,” as well as “Wildheart” – a song of energized longing. Connor Brooks’ drums were consistently confident, skilled, and lively; the beats pulsated through the crowd and into the soul. “It feels like we're in a coming-of-age movie,” I told my friend.

Brass Camel took to the smoke-filled stage with glamour and charisma. Daniel James emerged in a purple suit, white headband, and orange-tinted glasses. The crowd watched in awe as the band performed with their signature steely electric melodies, high-pitched vocals, and vintage synths. The whole scene felt massive and intense, despite being in a smaller hall. The band shredded through many of their released tunes, including the rowdy, sci-fi “Last Flight of the Vulcan” and the bouncy and playful “Dinger’s in the Back.” The melodies and notes had such a beautiful dynamic range in-person. While the studio versions of the songs are fantastic, there’s nothing like experiencing the artistry up-close and firsthand. Fingers maneuvered expertly during complex guitar solos. With each new song, the band transitioned seamlessly and with style.

The crowd was quickly wound up, even starting a mosh pit during the dramatic and feisty “King for a Day.” Brass Camel ended on a high note with the cool, catchy “Pressure Cooker” and jumpy and joyful “I’ve Got the Fox.” At no time was the crowd not bopping their heads or flicking their wrists. Eyes were glued to the stage when James brought out a sleek, double-prong electric guitar. Immediately after the show, the band members ran to work the merch table and connect with fans.

Chase the Bear and Brass Camel teamed up for a high-quality, fun, and inspiring concert. The event brought together a talented group of musicians who don’t get enough credit for the bonds they forge in communities across the country. Sparks were quickly and expertly cultivated and lasted the entire show, the heat rivalling the blistering temperatures of the day.

“So... do you feel brassed?” I asked my friend, as wicked guitar rung out and colourful lights faded at the end of the show.

“I feel brassed,” he declared.

Written by: Jenna Keeble Photo credit to: Heather Horncastle

[mercuriallily]

🧵🎯✍️

🧵 (what's your favourite production and why?): I'm super basic so 1998. I've seen bootlegs of the Broadway revival and a few other productions but honestly I just don't really jive with those ones

I think the performances in 1998 are some of the best. Everyone plays their characters perfectly, and the choreography is on point. Like the concert versions of Les Mis, the fact that it uses a large orchestra makes the music that much better. Sure, it has its faults (what doesn't?), but I still greatly enjoy it

🎯 (what's a common headcanon/theory/interpretation that you don't prescribe to?): I'm not a shipper, so I don't really buy into Tuggoffelees. I don't think it's a very interesting dynamic, and sometimes it just seems too forced

✍️ (if you had total creative control over a production of Cats, what would you change and why?): First things first: I'd give them a variety of tails (some wrapped, some fluffy, some half-and-half, but Cassandra would keep her braided tail). I hate when they all have boring shrimpy rope tails. They're all different kinds of cats, let them have different tails! (If anyone's curious, I can draw up a list of who would get what tail)

Pekes and Pollicles would be after Old Deut's introduction like it used to be, so they're putting on a show for him. It's one of the weirdest parts of the entire show and it's honestly much funnier like this than having it be Gus' memory, plus I prefer when Gus is portrayed as more serious and decrepit. On that note...

If I was only allowed to change one thing, I'd bring back old Griz. Her character arc does not work when she's portrayed as young. "I can smile at the old days / I was beautiful then" makes no sense when she looks like she's just stepped off the Paris Fashion Week runway. When her hair is nice and smooth and her coat seems nicely tailored, it's less "she should be the Jellicle choice" and more "she looks so normal, why should she be chosen?" When she's scraggly and messy and looks like she's about to drop dead, you actually feel sorry for her (or at least, that's the intention). Portraying her as young just proves that theatre folks are afraid of older women

I'd bring Electra and Etcetera back. I love their dynamic, and I think the show needs more kittens. Also, let Etcetera do the scream at the end of Tugger's song. I don't like when Rumple does it, it just doesn't feel right

There are other things I'd change too, but this list is already too long lol

[longagoitwastuesday]

I was watching the Podalydès version of Cyrano de Bergerac this time from start to finish and... I'm so stupid xD

[theimpossiblescheme]

Tentative partial 25th Anniversary cast for the Fake Cyrano Musical (yeah, I never forgot, bitches):

Cyrano: Norm Lewis

Roxanne: Lea Salonga

Christian: Hadley Fraser

Le Bret: Thomas Borchert (although honestly, he and Lewis could do either part)

Comte de Guiche: Terrence Mann, reprising his role from the original production

@ride-a-dromedary

[ainews]

In 1909, a ritzy dromedary played an essential role in the historic extension of California's agricultural frontier. The dromedary, owned by William Whitley Jr., was ridden from the San Joaquin Valley to points south and later returned with dates, alfalfa, cotton, and other seeds in tow.

The dromedary, a one-humped Arabian camel, was an important mode of transportation during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in California. It provided an easier and faster way to travel compared to horse and carriage, especially in difficult mountain regions. The animal could cross roads, mountains, and other challenging terrain with ease, while carrying necessary loads along the way.

William Whitley Jr. was an adventurous agricultural pioneer who recognized the potential of the San Joaquin Valley for large-scale food production. He used the dromedary to journey south of the valley and bring back a variety of dry-land crop seeds, such as dates, alfalfa, and cotton. Whitley was also one of the first farmers in the area to experiment with cotton, which was the first crop to be successfully grown in the Southern San Joaquin Valley.

By 1910, the successful journeys made by Whitley and his dromedary led to a surge in settlement of the San Joaquin Valley, leading to the growth of numerous towns and cities. The impact of this extension to the agricultural frontier would prove to be immense, and California would eventually become one of the world's leading agricultural producers.

The dromedary's contribution to the expansion of California's agricultural frontier is an important part of the state's history. The animal lent a helping hand to a pioneering journey that would have lasting ramifications, and through its humble presence, the dromedary demonstrated the power of technological advancement in the pursuit of agricultural productivity.

[leedsomics]

Extensive novel diversity and phenotypic associations in the dromedary camel microbiome are revealed through deep metagenomics and machine learning

The dromedary camel, also known as one-humped camel or Arabian camel, is an iconic and economically important feature of Arabian society. Its contemporary importance in commerce and transportation, along with the historical and modern use of its milk and meat products for dietary health and wellness, make it an ideal subject of scientific scrutiny. The gut microbiome has recently been associated with numerous aspects of health, diet, lifestyle, and disease in livestock and humans alike, as well as serving as an exploratory and diagnostic marker of many physical characteristics. Our initial pilot analysis of 55 camel gut microbiomes from the Fathi Camel Microbiome Project using deep metagenomic shotgun sequencing reveals substantial novel species-level microbial diversity, for which we have generated an extensive catalog of prokaryotic metagenome-assembled microorganisms (MAGs) as a foundational microbial reference database for future comparative analysis. Exploratory correlation analysis exhibits substantial correlation structure among the collected subject-level metadata, including physical characteristics. Machine learning using these novel microbial markers, as well as statistical testing, demonstrates strong predictive performance of microbes to distinguish between multiple dietary and lifestyle characteristics in dromedary camels. We derive strongly predictive models for camel age, diet (including wheat), level of captivity. These findings and resources represent substantial strides toward understanding the camel microbiome and pave the way for a deeper understanding of the camel microbiome, as well as the nuanced factors that shape camel health. http://dlvr.it/T3BJnD

[rejoicingtoday]

National Farm Animals Day : April 10th

Introduction

Today, we raise a grateful “moo” and a joyful “cluck” to all the incredible creatures who call farms their home! Every year on April 10th, we celebrate National Farm Animals Day, honouring these amazing beings who contribute so much to our lives.

From cows providing nourishing milk and delicious cheese to chickens laying eggs for our breakfast and sheep offering warm wool for our clothes, these animals work tirelessly to support us. This special day is an opportunity to express our sincere appreciation for their dedication.

So let’s join together and give a resounding cheer for our feathered, furry, and moo-tastic friends! They deserve our heartfelt recognition for the many ways they enrich our lives.

Types of Farm Animals

Mammals : Goats, Sheep, Pigs, Cattle, Zebu, Donkeys, Dromedary camel, Horse, Yak, Llama, Alpaca, Gayal, Bali cattle, Domestic rabbit, etc.

Birds : Chicken, Domestic duck, Domestic goose, Domestic guineafowl, Domestic muscovy duck, Domestic turkey, Emu, Egyptian goose, Indian peafowl, Mute swan, Ostrich, etc.

Insects : Bees, Butterflies, Silkworms, Lac insects, Cochineal, Waxworms, Crickets

History of National Farm Animals Day

In 2005, animal lover Colleen Paige created National Farm Animals Day to give these hard-working friends the appreciation they deserve! Why? They provide us with delicious food like milk, eggs, and wool, but often get overlooked.

This day isn’t just about treats (though they wouldn’t say no!). It’s about understanding their importance and the challenges they face, often crowded in large farms with less-than-ideal living conditions. This can lead to health issues and the use of antibiotics.

Similar to National Farm Animals Day, World Farm Animals Day (October 2nd) also aims to improve their lives. Both days remind us that happy and healthy farm animals contribute to better quality products for us. Spreading the word and supporting relevant organizations can make a real difference! Read More @ https://rejoicingtoday.com/national-farm-animals-day/

[writingguild]

Gingerbread (Box Mix)

We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open. Jawaharlal Nehru Jump to recipe According to my mother, Dromedary always made the best gingerbread mix. It’s been gone for several years, but I still occasionally crave gingerbread. This should probably have been a product review,…

[uncommunication]

UN 2024 - INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF CAMELIDS

The United Nations declared 2024 the International Year of Camelids (IYC 2024). The Year will highlight how camelids are key to the livelihoods of millions of households across over 90 countries. From alpacas to Bactrian camels, dromedaries, guanacos, llamas, and vicuñas, camelids contribute to food security, nutrition and economic growth as well as holding a strong cultural significance for communities across the world.

Camelids play an important role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to the fight against hunger, the eradication of extreme poverty, the empowerment of women and the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. From providing milk, meat and fibre for communities to transport for products and people, and organic fertilizer, camelids thrive where other livestock species cannot survive.

Camelids play a key role in the culture, economy, food security and livelihoods of communities in Andean highlands and in the arid and semi-arid lands in Africa and Asia, including Indigenous Peoples. Even in extreme climatic conditions they continue to produce fibre and nutritious food. Indeed, the International Year of Camelids presents a unique opportunity to raise awareness of the role of camelids in building resilience to climate change – particularly in mountains and arid and semi-arid lands.

The International Year of Camelids 2024 aims to build awareness of the untapped potential of camelids and to call for increased investment in the camelid sector, advocating for greater research, capacity development and the use of innovative practices and technologies.

Happy New year greetings to you all.

Pooma Educational Trust - Affiliates UNGC

The National UN Volunteers-India

[smallislandbigsong]

Mercy Mercy Me (the ecology) - Small Island Big Song from Small Island Big Song on Vimeo.

'What will we tell our children if we fail to protect the planet? - Vaiteani

Thanks for watching our video, we are artists of the Pacific & Indian oceans drawing on our islands cultural voice and our love and fears for nature, the heart of our communities to create music which speaks for our island homes and ocean.

Marvin Gayes powerful eco-anthem, connected with us during the recording of our album 'Our Island', with each of the verses speaking directly to us and our islands environmental issues, sadly still relevant 50 years later. Once the groove got going we wanted to keep it going so we added more verses singing out for current eco issues, in the language of our islands, (of course).

We feel apart of a movement across our small island Earth, reshaping our relationship to nature, more like waking up to the fact that we are nature, we are all (everything) is a dynamic part of an incredible living eco system. There are better minds than ours expressing this, we are artists so we hope our music uplifts, consoles inspiring hope in action. - Tim, the producer.

Our version of Mercy Mercy Me (the ecology) features,

Emlyn from Mauritius singing in Creole. Putad of the Amis peoples of Taiwan singing in Amis. Sauljaljui of the Paiwan peoples of Taiwan singing in Paiwan. Vaiteani of Tahiti singing in Tahitian. & Selina Leem with an excerpt of her spoken word piece, 'Just a Blue Planet'.

Selina was the youngest delegate at COP 21 Paris speaking just after the hopeful 1.5 threshold was committed to, her speech touched the world and moment. We have placed her 'Just a Blue Passport' excerpt over these images as a reminder to the commitment the world made at that time to protecting our planet and large ocean nations.

'1.5 is all we've got' - Selina Leem

Mercy Mercy Me (the ecology) by - Small Island Big Song

Song Credits Composer - Marvin Gaye Produced, Arranged & mixed by Tim Cole. Project Producer - BaoBao Chen

Music Sammy of Madagascar played the Kabosy Putad played Bass Sauljaljui played a few layers of Moon Lute. Luc Totterwitz played Ukulele Kokol of Mauritius played the Calabash Airileke of Papua New Guinea played Kundu Drums & Conga Tim Cole from Australia added a shaker.

Nature Sounds - Dawn on Mount Gulaga, Tilba Tilba, Australia Opening & closing statements by an 11 year old after the devastating 2019/20 Black Summer forest fires. Both her and and the wildlife of Mount Gulaga (Dromedary) narrowly escaped the fires.

Video. Concept by Sammy Directed & Post Production by Tim Cole Filmed & Recorded on location by Kan Chan Kin, Tafita, Kui Taruzaljum, Luc Totterwitz, Airileke & Tim Cole

Fridays for Future Rallies - courtesy Guardian News, ‘Students around the world go on climate strike’ - Creative Commons Selina’s COP 21 Footage - courtesy 350.org, ‘Selina Leem, 18 year old from Marshall Islands, speaks at final COP21 plenary’- Creative Commons Earth from Jupiter - Courtesy NASA - ‘Earth and Moon Seen by Passing Juno Spacecraft with Music by Vangelis’

Marshall Islands drone footage - Stock Footage, Shutterstock.

Dedicated to all the artists standing up for nature.

a SMALL ISLAND BIG SONG production 2023 WWW.SMALLISLANDBIGSONG.COM

[vanessavg]

Global Nomads Productions presents Sahara 2023 Vanessa v G. Marche Nomade

One day I joined the oldest Amor, dromedary herder,  his place in front of the caravan. The wind was strong and his song was constant. I realized as were were approaching the open desert, high on the dunes, that there were pathway appearing before us. It was like a moving highway opening up before our eyes. 

[sillybub]

(edit: FUCK I FORGET TO POST THIS IN ANSWER TO AN ASK FKSJSJFJSS but this was from @ride-a-dromedary )

26. What is your most favourite of your own headcanons?

That Sillabub becomes the next Jellicle Leader!  There's so much kindness and hope in her eyes, and she's established to have a strong sense of spirituality,,, it makes sense to me and also she's a very good girl who deserves it.  I also just like the idea of her having this dark legacy of having been Macavity's favored heir when she was born, and then coming into leadership of the tribe who saved her and her mother from him,,, it just gets me ya know,,,

34. If you had to choose one production's interpretation of a character to write about for the rest of your life, which character and interpretation would you pick?

I spent a really long time trying to come up with a solid answer for this, but there really isn't one.  I don't have a favorite production or favorite interpretations, tbh. 

And sure, I could write about Sillabub all day, but that's because I have a ton of lore for her that I made up.  She's also just the type of cat to not have too much variation in personality across productions due to her smaller role; she's a nice kitten who's childish innocence lends her sympathy towards Grizabella.

I will say that I do enjoy Arianna Rosario's Sillabub very much. I like her fun and playful energy, and one thing that I see a lot of Sillabubs do when they sing to/about Grizabella, they take on a very solemn tone, like they're coming under a trance, but Arianna keeps this sweet, kind smile on her face, and I like it!! The design used for the Broadway Revival and US Tour 6 do like a little more "grown-up" than previous US designs, but that's what I go off of for her Jellicle Leader look anyways. Arianna also just has one of the prettiest voices,,,

40. Make up a new OC on the spot!!

Okay I started writing shit up but then I wanted to make a quick design as well so

Coricopat and Tantomile's father!! His name is uhhh *spins wheel* Thalion and he's a loner, unattached to any tribe. He has intense psychic abilities, and the thoughts of other cats are so loud and clear in his mind that he gets headaches from being around groups.

He had a fateful meeting with Jemima (the adult swing) one night, and her lack of shame for her impulses and sense of humor were so charming that he fell a little head over heels for her. They spent one magical night together, and then never saw eachother again.

Not on purpose, though; Thalion knows that he has powerful abilities that certain nefarious cats would love to get their paws on, and he would rather avoid that. He's had a few encounters with Macavity before, and all of them were slimy and icky, and Thalion really wanted to be left alone, so he skipped town, and now he spends all of his time wandering around aimlessly.

[longagoitwastuesday]

Do you have favorite actors for the various roles in "Cyrano de Bergerac"? I would love to hear your thoughts!

I do! I actually rambled a lot about this while I was watching the different productions I could get my hands on (I tagged it "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "I talk too much").

My favorite productions are the one with José Ferrer and the one with Benoit Solès, and those actors make the best Cyranos in my opinion. Though that's probably something in part beyond the actors' choice, their dynamic with their respective Roxane and Christian are the best ones, I think, and I find how Cyrano moves around these two particular characters at the core of a good Cyrano characterisation.

José Ferrer's use of his voice, which is arguably Cyrano's true most characteristic feature, is unmatched imo (although McAvoy does a very good job with this too), and he manauvers very well several of the different aspects of the character, such as his playfulness, his shittiness and longing. By the end of the play you believe he is the most beautiful man on Earth. Cyrano, however, is a bit pathetic (not just in a "pathos" way), and I'd say Ferrer gives off an air full of dignity very fitting of many scenes, but that eats almost entirely this aspect of Cyrano; Benoit Solès manages this very well, while also playing well with some of the other ones, such as the playfulness, the longing, the pain and the despair. Both Ferrer and Solès are hilarious, tender, a bit shitty, vulnerable, playful and sad. Albeit neither of them portrays 100% what Cyrano is, I think both come pretty close in slightly different flavours, and by the end of the play one ends up being terribly fond of them.

My favourite Roxane is Clara Huet in the production with Benoit Solès, but Mala Powers in the 1950 film is a close second. I think they portray wonderfully Roxane's spunk, and her mix of honest playful cheerfulness and her haughtiness, her intelligence and wit, and how much like Cyrano she is.

I've not come to love for now any Christian as much as I've loved Ferrer, Solès, Huet and Powers, but again I think the Christians in the 1950 film and the Solès productions are very very good. I love the dynamic they have with their Cyranos, especially the one Christian and Cyrano have in the 1950 film, enhanced positively by the added scenes (they actually work so well in showing their developing as friends, their deep love and care for each other!). I don't want to expand too much on this to avoid spoilers (beyond the already known 'Christian dies' ones I mean), but some things they do with both these Christians are a thing of genius, and both feel vulnerable, kind, ready to fight and truly desperate at times; I like when they do that.

There's an Italian production which has a Cyrano I truly enjoy as well, despite how they dumbify him more than I usually like my Christians. His mix of anger and deep pain when he discovers Cyrano's feelings for Roxane were so well made, and his physical presence makes you identify who Christian is even before the play starts.

The Podalydès production has two different Christians. The one in the version on youtube isn't bad, but @ride-a-dromedary likes Éric Ruf a lot. I actually adore him based on the clips and gifs she's posted of him, but I haven't been able to find the version with him online, so I can't know. But he truly seems one of the best. Based on what little I've seen, I love his intense gazes and subtle gestures.

I'm not entirely sold on any Le Bret, De Guiche or Ragueneau yet.

I think the German musical has a decent Ragueneau in vibes, and the 1990 French film does as well. I found his poem made song for what I think is a Spanish production (I'm not sure if it's a fan creation based on the Spanish production), and while I've not been able to find that production online, the song works well in vibes too I think.

The German musical's Le Bret in vibes is very good. He encompasses well his deep love and worry for Cyrano while also being done with his shit. They truly feel like close friends. The 1950 film kind of combines Gaston de Castel-Jaloux and Le Bret into one character, which sadly changes Le Bret's dynamic with Cyrano a bit, but that's a very good Le Bret as well. The one in Solès' production is pretty good too. He has my favourite delivery of the scene in which Le Bret chastises Cyrano for risking his life sending letters.

De Guiche is complicated. I think productions often make him too pathetic and laughable or too bad, so bad it makes the last act kind of not make sense. The 1950 one, the 1990 French one, the Kevin Kline one and the Solès one are all good, but I am not passionate for any of them either.

And basically that's it!

[theimpossiblescheme]

“I’ve been dreaming, none of this happened.”

The first few years spent among the Ladies of the Cross in Paris, Roxanne felt as though she were walking through a dream.  Every day spent in quiet prayer and solemn contemplation, every mass accepting cold Communion and singing praise to a God she wasn’t certain was listening, every evening wandering the gardens and noticing the blooms slowly fading from the lilies along the stone walls... none of it felt real.  Each step felt immaterial, as though her feet had been caught in the air and never managed to fully touch the ground.  Her voice never sounded like her own voice--she could barely hear herself when she sang, and she said very little to the Sisters.  What would she even say?  No doubt they wouldn’t be very interested in literature and philosophy that didn’t apply to scripture, and with their vows of chastity they could never truly understand what drove her to them in the first place.  Thankfully, they were kind enough to leave her alone most of the day, and she was usually the only one left in the garden before final prayers.  Just her and her embroidery, and the wilting blossoms and falling leaves of the tiny orchard.

Before she went to bed, part of her almost expected to wake up back at her old villa, the sound of her Duenna calling her and the smell of Ragueneau’s pastries beckoning her down the stairs.  She had been dreaming--none of this had really happened.  Christian was still alive and bringing her letters every day.  Cyrano still walked with a spring in his step and spoke with a laugh in his voice.  There was an invitation to another lecture sitting on her plate.  All was well.

How rude of reality to insist otherwise.

The day it truly sank in for her, Roxanne donned her darkest gown, swept her hair hurriedly under her veil, and went to the chapel for morning prayers as usual.  Dipping her fingers in the well of holy water, she quickly crossed herself and started to scan the pews for an empty seat... but not before catching a glimpse of her reflection in the water.  None of the Sisters had mirrors in their cells since they were considered a vanity.  All at once, Roxanne realized she had no idea what she looked like now.  And the woman looking back at her was a stranger.  Her face was creased with hard, gloomy lines, especially around her eyes and forehead.  Her eyes themselves were dimmer and heavier than she remembered.  And her hair--those glorious coppery curls she’d always been so proud of as a girl--had gone limp and white.  When had all of her hair turned white?  How could she have failed to notice?  Had she truly been sleepwalking through all of her time with the Ladies of the Cross?

It really had been eight years, hadn’t it?  Eight years of this terrible vigil, living among women who were still so strange to her.  Eight years since she’d opened the locket at her throat (which, she now noticed, was beginning to rust) and read Christian’s last tear-stained words to her.  Eight years since she’d last seen any of her friends on the outside...

Save for one.  But he wouldn’t arrive for several more hours.

More than ever, Roxanne felt very alone and very tired as she sank down into an empty pew and bowed her head before the altar.  She sat there until her Rosary beads had worn grooves into her palms, and Sister Marthe had to shake her by the shoulder to rouse her.  For the second time in as many hours, Roxanne felt as if she’d been slapped out of a horrible daze, and now the world around her was too bright, too noisy, too much for her to comprehend.  Every bite of food she ate that day was too sour, every song too strident.  Even her own fingers felt too clumsy, and her hands shook so much that she was tempted to tear her new tapestry in half and throw her needles into the bushes.  Another grey evening found her slumped over in her old chair, head in her lap and fingers clawing at her veil, wishing desperately that she could still wake up from all of this.

It was the sound of a cane tapping against the stone walkway that roused her this time.  She stood, smoothed out her skirts, and prepared to greet her guest.

Cyrano never missed his Saturday visits--even before the bell chimed six, he would be there, full of news and high spirits, if not necessarily cheerful ones.  Tonight, however, there was a heaviness about him Roxanne had never seen... or perhaps it had always been there, and she’d simply never noticed.  His cane was in his non-dominant hand, so as not to aggravate the shoulder full of shrapnel he’d once favored.  His cheekbones jutted almost painfully from his pale face.  And beneath his hat, he’d gone almost completely white as well, only a few strands of his old dark auburn remaining.

How had they both grown so old?  Was it so long ago that she’d watched him effortlessly fend off braggarts impugning her virtue and his pride at the theater?  That they’d talked in secret in Ragueneau’s old bakery, and she’d blushed and fawned over a man she’d only begun to love?  It seemed both merely yesterday and an eternity away, and her heart clenched so tightly she feared it might burst.  And to think they saw each other so little now... this time she all but hurried to his side, her feet slamming heavily against the ground with every step.

“Cyrano!”

He raised one hand as if to tip his hat to her, but his arm froze in midair as she threw her arms around his neck and squeezed, forgetting herself completely.  He was real--he was solid and warm beneath the threadbare cloak, he hadn’t changed so much that he wouldn’t let her hug him (even if he seldom hugged back).  Only when he let out a gasp of pain and hurriedly tapped her arm did Roxanne let him go, and Cyrano summoned a grim smile as he massaged his bad shoulder.

“No need to injure me further, dear lady,” he quipped, rolling the shoulder backward as if testing to see if it still worked.  “A fine way to repay my long generosity... or did you doubt I would come today?”

Roxanne shook her head.  It was the most incredible thing--there was so much she wanted to say (I don’t thank you enough for coming, how have you been, how has everyone been, please tell me you’ve been to see a doctor, do they still talk about Christian, do they still remember me, where did the time go, the routine here is a blight on my soul, I came here to remember so why do I find it so easy to forget), but she couldn’t make a single blessed word crawl out of her throat.  Was this how Christian felt around her every day?  The poor man, no wonder he felt so overwhelmed...

All that came out was a sigh that was almost a laugh and almost a sob, and she could have kicked herself for how young and stupid she sounded.  A grown woman in mourning with white hair no less, and she’d never felt more like a lost, confused schoolgirl.  But Cyrano didn’t utter a word of judgement.  The way his eyes softened spoke of understanding, not pity or scorn, and there must have been tears on her face because he reached up to dry them with his free hand.  Somehow he always knew, better than she knew herself, and God bless him for it.

“There is still more in this world besides our regrets,” he said.  “Is that not why I come here every week?”

She tried to summon a smile of her own, but found it wouldn’t stay put.  Instead, she contented herself with taking his hand and, when he did not object, squeezing as tightly as she dared.  “Tell me about the world, dear Cyrano... I am still a part of it after all, and I should like to know how it keeps turning.”

[mad-hare]

Farm Goals

Just for fun wanted to post my future plans as a producer. My main focus for income hopefully would be market lambs, of which I’d like to run two Canadian breeds together developed for this purpose. Alongside productivity I would hope to breed a parasite resistant group of animals since those are such a nightmare with sheepies. Since I’m from North America I like to keep the focus on breeds developed here, with a few other interests sprinkled in. The rest of the animals would just be for personal use. Will leave rabbits out of this, I’m plenty happy with my satin angoras (actually first invented in Ontario!) and my horrible hares.

A herd of Outaouais arcott kept as registered breeding stock, (all sheep pics from www.sheepbreeders.ca)

Alongside probably mostly Canadian arcotts for terminal sires, though could always mix up breeds.

~~~~~

Then for the less profitable part I would love to raise Blue Face Leicester sheep, not as soft or famous as merinos but still they make great soft fleeces!

If I really wanted to get more into fibre production I would also probably get some Cotswold, these are famous for their beautiful shiny locks that you can spin or craft with!

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Likely I would like one breeding cow for meat and dairy, I’m absolutely in love with the Lynch linebacks, a landrace of my region. If I ever move to the east coast I think they would adapt well. It’s a lower milk production breed perfect for family cows.

Not really a horse person, I like them as much as any other animal and I think I would be interested in breeding them, and maybe using them for farm work and driving. Canadian horses are a beautiful, rare, old breed that I think would be fun to produce!

My poultry again will be all North American breeds. The Narragansett turkey though hard for me to spell, is a lovely natural breeding turkey that I’ve been fond of for years! At one point they were maintained in a way that they crossed with wild turkeys, and some retain the ability to fly and roost in trees.

I love geese a lot, and American Pilgrim geese I think would be a good fit for me. Perhaps a very small flock to put one on the table a few times a year.

And for chickens, of course Chanteclers! The beautiful famous birds bred by monks here in Montreal, genetically adapted to the cold in a way no other chicken breed is!

And just for fun, my wild pipe dream, would be to have bactrian camels for camel fibre and perhaps riding and personal amusement. So far I think I’ve only seen dromedaries for sale but who knows what’s possible!

[wisdomrays]

TAFAKKUR: Part 177

The Camel: A Monumental Creature: Part 1

The camel is a mighty animal and was historically used for transportation in desert lands; thus, it earned the name “the ship of the desert.” Interestingly, a camel’s gait also resembles the rolling motion of a ship. A camel moves both its legs at the same time on one side of its body. They can travel great distances without needing food or water – from anywhere between a week to a month. . A number of unique properties allow them such endurance. They store their water and energy sources in their humps. Some camels have one (Dromedary) hump and others have two (Bactrian camels). Baby camels are actually born without a hump.

Humps store fat and also protect camels’ other tissues from heating due to sun light. It has also been reported that camels’ coats insulate them from heat by reflecting sunlight. This extra fat tissue (about 10-15 kg) provides not only energy in long desert journeys but also water through a biochemical process which leads to the production water molecules (1,111 g of water per 1,000 g of fat converted). It is also noteworthy that sparing a specific part of the body for storing fat and refraining from storage in other tissues provides decreased fat density, thus lessening heat retention due to fat.

Water is scarce in the desert and needs to be stored in large amounts when available. Amazingly, camels can drink up to 150-200 liters of water at once, and yet, after three days, there is no sign of water in their stomachs. Drinking so much water in such a short time could be a problem; this would be like a human drinking 20-40 liters of water in 10 minutes, which would induce water intoxication. The oval shape of camel’s red blood cells, and their ability to swell until double in volume provides plasticity in this situation.

Camels can lose up to 25% of their bodily fluids without showing signs of dehydration. This provides an extra durability against long-term water shortage. For comparison, most mammals can only withstand about 3-4% dehydration; further water loss might lead to cardiac failure due to thickened blood. Another protective property given to camels that allows decreased water loss is that they drop feces that are so dry they can be used as a fuel. For comparison, a dromedary camel loses 2.5 liters of water daily through feces (about just 40-60% water) while cattle lose 20-40 liters.

Camels also regulate sweating in a unique way. Their body temperature does not need to be constant; it can move between 34 and 41 degrees centigrade. They don’t sweat until it is over 40 degrees. These regulations allow them to preserve approximately 5 liters of water per day. A camel’s kidney function is also tightly regulated according to the availability of water. If they don’t drink water for days, urine production is limited to approximately 500g. On the other hand, if water is abundant it could go up to 7 liters. This urine is unusually thick, too – it resembles syrup. Remarkably, camels never run, which would increase transpiration; instead they just amble quickly.

However, dehydration can be still an issue, which will negatively affect the flow of red blood cells. Remarkably, camels have oval red blood cells, which better resist clumping when compared to round, human red blood cells. There are no other mammals with oval red blood cells.

Food is another problem for animals living in the desert, especially for big ones like camels. Interestingly, camels have split lips, which allow them to graze easily. They can eat thorny twigs without any injury. Eating green plants also provide the moisture that they need.

Sand is often a problem, especially during sand storms. Remarkably, camels are equipped with systems that allow them to close theirs nostrils to get protection against wind and sand. In addition, camels have two layers of thick eyelashes, which provide additional protection from the dust. The specific shape of their nostrils allows them to preserve vapor and allows returning it to the body.

Traveling over sand is difficult. Camels are created in a way that allows their four legs to kick in all directions. Remarkably, Camels are equipped with paddy hoofs and two toes to protect them from sinking in the sand and burning of the hot sand. In addition, they have long legs, which keep them further from the hot ground.

Though the modern world seems to have replaced them as a major mode of transportation, they are still widely used in areas such as North Africa.

It seems likely many more remarkable discoveries about camels are on the horizon. Medical researchers are studying how camels function – because these amazing animals might contain a secret which could save human lives.