PART II ... Exploring Personal Limits.

Although the official date and location has not been set, our camel trick is most definitely on.

this post was originally posted on the Camel Dairy Diary Blog at cameldairy.blogspot.com. But the enormity of the project demands its own blog. So here we are!

The preliminary response has been so overwhelming, funny and positive, even at this early stage, there seems to be no turning back now.

Being away from our farm for two solid months while we "trek away" seems to me as though it would possibly create strain here at home. But one month... that seems quite do-able. I am trying to talk Gil down to one month! (I could use some help here people!)

We have determined form the get-go that this trek is NOT to be a test of the camels' limits. They will not be asked to go without food or water. The trek will be an adventure . And the only limits to be tested will be ours.. the human participants. And as Gil and I discuss the trek in more detail, I am discovering... I have limits.

Please forgive me if you were looking for a more GI Joe Survivor type rendering... my mom took my sister and I camping at National Parks as a kid... but that was a long time ago.

Here are some of the "limits" we've discussed so far...

Eating nothing but dried dates and camel's milk:
Bedouins crossing the desert have done this for centuries. I am kind of excited to do it. I teeter on the brink of high cholesterol and think this might actually be an awesome way to counteract it! Gil and I are going to get complete physicals and blood work done before the trek so we can compare our condition before and after.
We are also planning a trek-less trial... perhaps at at the State Fair or the Riverside County Fair. We can lock ourselves up in our Camel Dairy Adventure Exhibit for the run of the fair and eat nothing but dried dates and the camel milk we collect during our milking demonstrations to the public.
How is that for weird fair food. Riverside is 10 days... State fair is 18 days! Hmmmmm... I am anxious to try either one!

Heat:
Well, that one might not be too bad. We are planning the trip for fall or spring. And I like heat. I do. As long as it's a dry heat. And I'm sure the desert will accommodate that.

Cold:
I'll bring a sweater.

Lots and lots of walking:
At the risk of sounding like a Tum's commercial... "that's something my body needs anyway!" My doctor has prescribed lots of walking for me. Whatever my health issue is, hip pain, some joint and leg pen become pretty unbearable when I don't walk regularly. I can walk the camel ride for six hours and feel better than if I stand at a camel display for one hour.

Dirty hair, face, feet, etc:
Did you know that it isn't good for your hair to be washed daily? It robs your hair and scalp of natural oils. So, going long stretches without washing your hair is in actuality a type of spay treatment. (and that will be my mantra ever day) And besides, the many seasons of Survivor contestants have eased us into the wilderness grunge look quite nicely.

Chapped lips:
errrrrr. I hate that! This might be more than I can stand. Chapped lips are the worst! Gil has great desert lips and just doesn't have a problem with any of that sort of survival stuff. But I am so dang white! And I have yet to find a single lip treatment that doesn't make chapped lips worse the moment it wears off! (I am open to suggestions)

No bathroom:
Ok, that's it! I'm out! When Gil and I started talking about the facilities of the great outdoors... we definitely hit a snag. I just can't see squatting in the bushes for anything other than to secretly observe nature. And even then, I would probably not squat... I would sit.

So there it is: my limit. I am not a bear and I do not do THAT in the woods or the desert.

So Gil and our friend Lori and I sat down to a brainstorming meeting (translation: pizza dinner at Momma Rosa's in Ramona... best pizza EVER I might add) to figure out a solution to the bathroom dilemma.

All I need is a seat and some privacy. That's it. And some paper. A seat, some privacy and some paper.

So here is what we are thinking. I can get one of those camping toilets. Not like a porta-potty or anything heavy and elaborate like that... I can rough it a little better than that! No, just one of those folding thingy's with a toilet seat and a bag! There you go! There's my seat! The camping toilet would be very light-weight and could pack on one of the camels. The trek is back on!

But what about privacy? I know we may be in the middle of nowhere and Gil can just turn his back... but still. What if we aren't in the middle of nowhere? In fact if you think about it, it is pretty much nearly impossible to be in the middle of nowhere ANYWHERE in the U.S.!

So here is Gil's idea: One of the camels will be the "bathroom" camel. We'll call him Lu or maybe John. On the lower edge of Lu's saddle pack, would be long, swatches of material that can be rolled up or down like a window blind. When I need my privacy, we simply stop. I set up my throne under Lu and drop the curtain.
Is he SERIOUS! How do you train that?! As intriguing (and functional) as the idea sounds, I would sure hate to be in the middle of something when the camel decides to go. Or for that matter... to GO!

So here is my idea. I will purchase one of those little, nylon kids folding play tents. They fold up in seconds (like those car windshield thingys) don't weigh much and "spring" into action when needed! Ta da! I will make my own automatic, "johnny on the spot" So now I will search for the perfect springy kids play tent.

... the trek is on!