Critters and Creatures

Wow... Time flies when you're having fun (or doing the same thing every day).

I didn't quite realize how long it was since my last post.  I promise to try to get better and post more frequently...  Try is going to be the key word here.  I'm somewhat working backward and foreward simultaneously so that eventually we will end up in the present time.

You had a tour of the Camp last time I wrote, so now I think I'm going to introduce you to some of the critters and creatures of Kuwait.

When we first arrived in Kuwait it was quite hot (and it still is...) which I thought would help keep the bugs away.  I didn't realize how wrong I would be.  Let me take the time to introduce you to Mr. Cricket.  Unfortunately, he is not the Disney type Jiminy Cricket who offers good advice to wooden boys.

Mr. Cricket approximately real size...

I know the Bible specifically mentions locusts as a plague, but I think crickets should be added to the list of plagues to hit the Middle East.  They were everywhere here during the first month.  Somehow they managed to find their way into every single building, closet, floor space, and bed here in Kuwait.  At least they don't chirp like the ones back home.

And yes, I said bed...  Lucky for me I didn't end up sharing my bed with crickets regularly as it only happened once, but other people here were attacked every night.  At least they don't bite, right?!?!?!

I continued the daily cricket body count as I swept my room out daily.  Sometimes the morning count was lowish and only around 10 or so, but most afternoons it reached upwards of 25 or more.  I was also rearranging the storage lockers and bookshelf in my room during this time--> BAD IDEA!!!  I moved the bookshelf and found over 100 dead crickets and similar numbers underneath the lockers.  I have a pretty strong stomach, but it made me almost throw up.  Yuck!

Luckily the cricket season ended about a month after we got here and that seemed to be the end of the biblical plagues.


Now onto other critters here...  The desert lizard met a desert lizard who decided to come to visit.  I ended up having to chase the silly thing around my room to rescue it.  It was tiny and I really wanted to keep it as a pet, but I did let it go.  I got some strange looks from a few people outside, but watched it for a bit as it promptly ate some ants and licked its eyeball...  I know, very exciting... sometimes we are starved for things to do here...



We have a ton of cats all over the place here that are supposed to help with rodent control.  The vets are supposed to humanely catch, neuter/spay,  vaccinate, and then re-release them and they are marked as "safe" animals.  However, I've really only seen a few ones that have been vaccinated.  They are used to being fed and played with from all of the soldiers that have been here and are decently friendly.  However--> cats can carry rabies... so if a soldier gets bit, then they have to come see me for rabies treatment.  No fun for anyone involved, including the cat.

 

Not a real Kuwait stray cat (I found this picture on the internet),
but looks pretty close to the one that hangs out by our building.
Look deeply into its eyes... it will steal your soul!

I recently came across a group of soldiers that looked pretty guilty (like toddlers) as they were walking to the bathroom trailer.  I said hello and they then told me that they were off to go wash their hands as the should because they were playing with the cats...  I'm definitely more of a dog person and am not a huge fan of cats, but there were some cute kittens here.  However, I stayed far away as I don't really want to treat myself for rabies.

I went to visit Josh a few weekends ago and had the chance to play with a friendly dog.  The vet services at his camp bring a civilian dog to come play about once a month.  This one was a yellow lab mix that was obsessed with playing catch with an empty water bottle.  He was pretty cute and made me miss our puppy Emma back home.

Cute dog with its water bottle... I miss puppy playtime!

So far we haven't really seen any scorpions or camel spiders here.  I have seen plenty of camels though that graze in huge open areas on the side of the roads.  It's somewhat crazy to see them wandering around underneath huge power lines.  The baby ones are particularly cute and I thought it might be fun to bring one home as a souvenir once we leave, but Josh said no.  Oh well...  Maybe I can talk him into it over this deployment or the next one.  Anyone think the city of El Paso allows camels?