I CAN SEE MY REFRIGERATOR FROM HERE.

SATURDAY 6.26 ... DAY 10... THE END IS IN SIGHT

There is just nothing like the warm sun burning the morning haze off the coast. All at once warm and cool, it eases you into the day like waking up to a whisper or a lullaby rather than a buzzing clock. Under the morning fog we cleaned the camel enclosure, swept the tent and walked the dogs. Gil does his yoga (which has gotten easier and easier since the Camel Milk Challenge Diet) while I relax in the tent and gather my thoughts about this "adventure".

I would like to say this diet of camel milk, dates and water has been easy for me too... but it is hard! Partly because we just are not getting enough milk. Jamila was the best choice to bring to the fair for our show... her five-week-old calf, Diego, is a fantastic attraction. But she isn't giving us enough milk. Partly because she is stubborn about it but also because she just isn't a big producer. When she does drop her milk, Gil often gets less than a pound. I am grateful we aren't crossing the desert with this camel.

Interestingly, we have been getting reports from new friends across the globe that say the nomads also consume quite a bit of rice, lintels and bread along with the milk and dates. THANKS! I wish we had known that before we committed to our crazily restricted diet! I would love a bowl of rice! Those contestants on Survivor have it made!

I am looking forward to Tuesday night like crazy! Although we have to ease on to regular food slowly, I am looking so forward to eating something besides dates. Gratefully, the milk part of the Challenge has been delicious! It really is the lightest, loveliest tasting milk I have ever had. Too bad we didn't have more.

I've lost I've lost 13 pounds. Which is always nice I suppose but I am anxious to bring this strict diet to a close. Yesterday I started getting heart "flutterings". Fairly strong ones too. I can actually feel a smallish one right now. I'm not sure why. I would like to get a blood test to see what I am low on. I'm going in to have my elbow x-rayed on the 1st, perhaps I can schedule a blood test then as well. Anyone have any suggestions about what sort of deficiency could cause your heart to feel like it is fluttering?

Three shows today, three shows tomorrow; then home Monday to do laundry and take care of errands. We should have enough milk to get take home and get us through Monday and then we'll milk on Tuesday during shows. Tuesday night the Challenge Diet ends.

Gil and I have decided to stay on the diet as much as Jamila will give milk for and "modify" it by adding rice, salt, and simple nomadic breads. Maybe also some nuts and seeds and... well I'm just not sure yet.

We are both very sure that when we do our one month death valley crossing, we will not do it on camel milk, dates and water alone. So while we are still in sync with this diet, we'll try adding some things.

Although this has been rough on the appetite, this experience has been abundant food for the soul. Doing the shows and sharing our experiences with everyone is wonderful. All day long, people come up to Gil and I at Camp Camelot next to the Camel Exhibit to wish us well, sometimes tease a bit, and mostly, encourage us! People we've never even met before. I think that is my favorite part of this whole thing!

Four more days... I can do it!

You can follow us on twitter, become a fan of the Oasis Camel Dairy on Facebook and become a member of our farm family by joining on line at www.cameldairy.com

Thanks so much for your positive thoughts and support!

The LONGEST Day..........

Mondays are "dark" days at the San Diego County Fair. The fair is closed on Mondays and all that roam the grounds are fairgrounds employees, vendors, exhibitors and livestock keepers; all busily tending their "shops" and restocking their supplies.
This Monday, with our camel milk diet going quite strong, we woke early, milked Jamila, drank our breakfast, cleaned the enclosure, fed the camels and then headed home to Ramona to pick up our own supplies. We packed our milk and dates for the road, and with Doc and Noodle in tow, headed home for a few hours of laundry and on-line soap order processing.
Wow! What a mistake! Leaving the safety of our fair routine and venturing into the outside world proved close to unbearable for my appetite!
With every new mile, a new craving simmered into my head. Triggers everywhere: fast food, Momma Rosa's, Jeremy's on the Hill, El Michuacan, Subway... I had had enough dates! I wanted food!
But we drove right on past everything, stopped at Henry's Marketplace to pick up, you guessed it, more dates and drove all the way home.
It was so great to see home. All the animals and birds greeted us heartily as Gil and I strolled around the fruit trees, marveling at all the delicious, sweetly ripe fruit.... we could not eat! We did our chores, I picked up and kissed all my kitties, played with parrots and we even watched a l little TV. In between we drank our pre-packed camel's milk and dates and although the milk went down smooth and delicate... the dates where really starting to bug me!
The trip home jump started all my food cravings with the jolt of a truck battery. It's Tuesday morning and I am still really, REALLY struggling with it.
Gil and I continue to lose weight. For the first time during our Camel Milk Challenge, we are both concerned. In my case, I'd like to lose about fifteen pounds so on one hand... this is quite convenient. However, this diet is supposed to maintain our normal levels of health and function. Other than initial water loss and a little weight loss as things get aligned into their right places, theoretically we should not be experiencing such loses and certainly do not welcome them next year when we are doing our one-month desert crossing. We both continue to drop about one pound a day.
We need more food. We need more milk. And it doesn't look like we're going to get it. Jamila, as lovely a camel as she is, is still very temperamental about sharing the milk she makes for her young son. We milk four times a day: alone at 7:00 and then three times for shows at 12:00, 2:30 and 5:00. Due to Jamila's fussy nature, Gil milks one side only and one teat only. We are only getting about 18 to 20 ounces per milking. So Gil and I are averaging about 32 to 40 ounces of milk daily plus water and dates. (Did I mention those dates are really starting to bug me?)
As we drank our morning milk today (Tuesday) Gil and I had a very serious conversation about what to do next. We came up with a few options:

1. We do have frozen milk stockpiled in the refrigerator. We could start thawing that. (although next year in the desert... that will not be an option) But we could see how much milk we need to maintain weight and energy.
2. We could "add" something to our diet. Something that would help supplement for the milk. Perhaps chicken or other protein. (the nomads probably shot and ate what they could on their desert treks)
3. Perhaps one of us could just stop doing the diet while the other one finished out the Challenge having twice the milk for themselves.

Interestingly, although each of us is seriously craving something savory and satisfying, neither of us wants to give up the Challenge. We both want to continue through the designated finish of June 29.

So what to do, what to do... perhaps we leave it up to you

If you have a thought, suggestion or even just some words of encouragement; please post or email us.

This has suddenly gotten serious!

Learn more about Gil, Nancy, The Oasis Camel Dairy and the CAMEL MILK CHALLENGE by visiting our website: www.cameldairy.com. Subscribe to this blog and get immediate updates. See the latest pictures, comment and video on our facebook fan page: Oasis Camel Dairy

Day one update

It's 4:25. Iron Chef America is filming next door at Juicy's. I did pretty good this morning but now, I really want to eat! And not a date. I want a huge bowl of rice or pasta or salad or something! Gil is fine.... Totally fine!

Testing the Iphone ... Is this thing on?

Haven't been camping since I was a kid yet here I sit, be-jammied and jacketed, on our cozy little canvas tent next to our milking camels at Camp Camelot at the San Diego Co Fair.

Today, after the 5:00 show, Gil and I gorged on our "last meal" of fair food. Little tip: chocolate covered cheesecake is best when allowed to warm up a bit.

Gil and I watched Predator vs Alien on DVD and then separated mom and baby camels for an early morning milking.

Our dogs, Noodle & Doc are here and are a great addition to the exhibit... They are our official greeters.

Tomorrow morning, we start our diet. I'm actually excited it's finally here!

Goodnight and sweet dreams....

"HUMPS" IN THE ROAD!

THE MEDIA PARTY... A "MINI" TEST

With just a few weeks away from the start of our Camel Milk Challenge at the San Diego County Fair, the euphoria of all the media attention matches crescendo with the hard reality of what we are about to undertake.
Friday, June 4, in the midst of the Taste the Fun Media event at the fair grounds, reality came knocking! I decided to promote the Challenge that evening by sipping from a chilled jar of fresh camel milk throughout the event. .... seemed like a great idea at the time. But this was the first time I would come face-to-face with my nemesis... fair food.
So there I stood, smiling schmoozing and sipping while an endless parade of bar-b-cue, sticky confections, grilled delights and deep fried delectables perched in the fingers of friendly passers-by.
Hour one... no sweat! The creamy cool milk kept me energized. Gil and I smiled, shook hands, posed for pictures and answered questions with ease.
Hour two... here comes a Cinnamon roll... that looks AMAZING! (sip... ahhh) back to schmoozing. Is that a battered potato smothered with ranch dressing? It smells like manna from heaven. What did that lady just say? I wasn't listening, I was sizing her up; determining if I could "take her" for her plate.
Hour three... Please God tell me this is almost over! I am blind to all I see... my olfactory sense has taken over as my primary scenery organ. And by the way... this camel milk is warm now... and here comes a chicken kabob. The girl carrying it is small and looks easily distracted... this could be my moment.
Hour four... somehow we are headed back to the trailer, Gil and Clyde as happy and as ever and me somehow surviving.
It was a great event! We met lots of terrific media representatives and visited with old friends.
We met David Moyer from AOL News. (David writes an amazing article about us that goes international and Gil and I spend the next week on dozens of radio shows!)
I finally relax, feeling completely calm and human again... of course, we are now sitting in McDonald's and I have eaten half an order of french fries!

I'VE FALLEN AND I CAN'T GET UP!
It's Monday morning, June 7 and less than a week away from our move in to the San Diego County Fairgrounds. We are up early as we have a morning tour at the ranch and our telephone interview with David from AOL News.
To insure we have enough milk for our challenge, Gil and I will milk Tula from both sides, each collecting at least a quart of milk in our glass jars. Although this isn't new, we have been milking in the chute: a small coral like structure with Tula inside and Gil and I outside the bars. But since we won't have the chute at the fair, we decide to ease her into milking free standing.

Gil takes up Tula's left side and I take her right. My bucket hangs and an awkward level and I have trouble getting the milk to squirt down into the bucket instead of out sideways, missing the bucket completely. Tula stands munching her grain as I reposition my hands trying in vain to re-direct the stream. I've almost got it... I'm deep in concentration when I feel what seems like a wet baseball glove on the side of my head. I look to the right to see Tula's face... right in my face! Apparently, she had had enough of my contorted hand manipulations. Like a mythical dragon her long, graceful neck turned her huge face to me as she, without moving so much as a toe, reached back placing her lips on the side of my head.
More than a little surprised I leaned back. I should have stepped back. For just as I leaned backwards Tula tipped her hip towards mine to nudge me away. Off balance already, I began to trip and stagger backwards, building momentum towards my obvious destination... the ground.
I fell backwards trying to "save" the milk only to end up wearing it.
Damn it! How inconvenient! Now I have to go change and I lost all my milk. But when I went to stand. I couldn't. At least, I couldn't seem to lift my right arm. I don't remember landing on it or hitting it particularly hard, but as I looked over at it stretched away from my, palm up... I could not lift it. All I could do is look at it... I couldn't make it do anything.
I tell Gil, "I can't move my arm" and he moves over to that side. We just stare at each other for a minute. It was just so weird to see it laying there but not be able to do anything.
So I ask Gil, "pick up my fingers and try to lift my arm up" As he did, we both heard a huge crack-pop, and taa-daa... I could move it again! It heart like hell but it worked.
We finished our chores, did our private group tour and then drove down to the fair to begin our set up.
Tuesday we went in for our pre-challenge physicals. While there, I showed my elbow, which was very painful and could not straighten all the way, to my doctor.
She immediately sent me in for Xrays.
Wednesday, while moving the camels into the fair and finishing building camp Camelot, I get a call from the doctor. She sends me to the orthopedic specialist who confirms it is broken. (for those of you who know me, insert applicable and typical obscenities here)
The dislocation was severe enough to cause a small fracture and a chip to the radius.
The good news: no cast! Nurse Gil got everything back in place perfectly, the chip is small and the fracture should heal on its own.. as long as I am careful. The bad news is I must use the arm as little as possible for the next eight weeks.
Gil and I are relieved that we will not be doing the fair with me in a cast. That would be very distracting to the visitors and would take attention away from what we are doing with the camel milk. So, unless a person reads this or one of my facebook posts, they would not know about it.

DOWN TO HALF THE MILK!
Our biggest concern about my arm is that now I can't help milk. That means half the milk for our challenge! Today is our first day of shows... and we'll just have to see how it goes. We don't start the challenge diet until next Wednesday so Gil is going to save all the milk he milks over the next five days as surplus for the Challenge. (He is so smart!)

Just a little twist to make the adventure more interesting don't you think?

TASTE THE FUN!

Camel Milk Challenge becomes part of "TASTE THE FUN" at the San Diego County Fair.

The San Diego County Fair opens June 11, 2010. Between our Exotic Bird Show, Wild West Turkey Stampede and the Oasis Camel Dairy Exhibit and Show, we have been fortunate to be a part of this American extravaganza for nearly a decade.

When deciding what to highlight at this year's fair, it was an easy decision to share our experiences with Mike Rowe and the Dirty Jobs crew by bringing our Dirty Camel Dairy stars to the fair!

But let me ask you: Do you ever get really excited about something and say a crazy idea out loud without really ever thinking that people might actually get excited too and then you find yourself doing something... well... crazy? If you have, then welcome to our world at the San Diego County Fair!

Gil and I thought the 22 day event would give us a perfect field laboratory to test the diet parameters of next year's Camel Milk Challenge. Surely you would agree that going a month eating nothing but camel milk, water and dried dates while caravaning five camels through the desert wilderness sounds like a pretty major challenge! We would be smart and rather scientific to test some of the elements before hand.

So, in a flutter-by, breezy conversation with San Diego County Fair exhibit and program designers, we opened our big mouths and sort of mentioned the idea... and they LOVED IT!

And as an extra bonus, it just so happens to be pretty hilarious that the theme of this years San Diego County Fair is Taste the Fun! Well my friends, for two weeks... TWO WEEKS... of the fair, Gil and I will live inside the Camel Dairy Exhibit in a tent, eating our Challenge Diet: camel milk, water and dates. I can just taste the fun now!

What in the world were we thinking?!? I can tell you what we weren't thinking. We weren't thinking that we would be in survival mode while completely surrounded by the BEST FAIR FOOD IN THE ENTIRE WORLD! I'm talking cinnamon rolls that roil scrumptious globs of brown sugar down your throat and the freshest, crispest battered corn dogs ever stabbed by a paper stick! It's everywhere! It's boiling and grilling and deep frying and filling the air with the most delicious, enticing, intoxication aromas joined in unison singing TASTE THE FUN twenty-four hours a day. This is going to be a looooooooong two weeks!

Came milk will most likely be provided fresh daily by Tula and Jamila. This in itself ought to be interesting! Our Camel Dairy Exhibition stars have always been steady, reliable, loyal old gals like Sheba and Goldie. Both are great with people and very bonded to Gil. But Tula has only been with us since last May and although she is much more trusting than when we first met her, she is still likely to give us a nip or a kick when unsure.

And Jamila, although one of Gil's first camels ever, is a diva through and through!j For those of you who say us on Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe, Jamila landed a beautiful round-house kick just eighteen inches from director, Dave Barsky's, lens.

Let me put it another way. We've nicknamed this year's milking team: the Drama Queens.

We are also planning a few ways for our friends and fans to get in on the fun!

FAT TUESDAY: Help us choose our last meal.

On June 15, Gil and I will have one crazy taste of the fair before we embark on fourteen days of our Challenge Diet. We are compiling a list of 25 fair food favorites. You can go to our Camel Milk Extreme Challenge page at http://www.cameldairy.com/ and click on up to five of your favorites. The top ten delicious selections will be our smorgasbord!

WHICH WAY SHALL WE GO? THE CAMEL MILK DESERT CHALLENGE

Come visit our exhibit at the fair and help us plan next years trek. California, Arizona, Nevada? Death Valley, Sonora, Borrego... even the LA River Wash have been suggested as routes for our Camel Milk Caravan to take. Come view the trip option highlights (and low lights) and vote for your favorite.

WHERE IS THE LADIES ROOM? Design my portable bathroom:

If you have been following our blog, you know how squinky I am about being out in the middle of nowhere without a bathroom. Well, thanks to our friends and fans, I have gotten some pretty cool suggestions. Submit your prototype for display at our Camel-Lot Base Camp at the Fair and be eligible to win great prizes from the Oasis Camel Dairy.

GILLY & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY:

Gil will host a special presentation (date to be announced) at the Taste The Fun Exhibit featuring Camel Milk Chocolate! Learn how this camel milk confection is made and maybe even try a piece. We are also working on having camel milk chocolate available at the Tast The Fun Gift Shop.

TASTE THE FUN: #1 Fair Food Reveled!

With our Challenge Diet officially ending on June 29th, June 30th Gil and I will be at the San Diego County Fair's, Taste the Fun Theme Exhibit to enjoy a taste of the fair's #1 fair food voted by the Taste the Fun visitors!

Sounds like a full plate doesn't it? For those of you who know us, that's just how we seem to roll! Gil and I are really excited. And admittedly, I am getting a bit nervous. Just the other day, Gil and I had finished milking Tula and were pouring her warm milk into bags for the freezer. Gil reserved the last few ounces, tipped the bucket to his lips and drank it! I immediately curled my lip and said, "eww"!

Then it hit me... Come June 16th, that is going to be me... all day... every day.. for fourteen days. I don't think my wilderness potty is my biggest concern any more!

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Taste the Challenge!

In thie midst of camel calving season, bird show training season and a business as usual, so hectic you wish vacation was over, "off" season; preparations for the Camel Milk Extreme Challenge Desert Crossing are underway.

The weather is so gloriosly beautiful today, February 15, 2009 that Gil and I are more excited than ever about doing the trek in late February, early March 2010!

We have had several brainstorming meetings with friends and coleages (translation: dinners with friends saying "are you two out of your minds???!!!) Admittedly, most are conserned about the Challanges diet. To reitterate: Gil and I will eat nothing but camel milk, dates and of course water (we aren't crazy) for the month long duration of the trek.

Waking up to scorpions in shoes or weathering spring rain or riding the camels daunts no one. It's the diet! How does a person go from eating like an average, drive-through American to eating such a restrictive diet.

I must admit, as my friends waver, I pause for consern as well. Perhaps we need to do a trial run with the diet portion of our Challange, just to see how it effects our metabolism, energy levels and to see if we can go a couple weeks without a hamburger or roasted chicken (let alone Trader Joe's chocolate covered joe-joes)

This will be the first "trial" of our Challange. Frankly, I think it will be much more difficult to engage in our normal daily lives with such a dramatic change. Especially when a Jac-in -the-box is just a few miles away.

What need to create a "lab" type of environment, a place where we are away from our normal routine and can make the diet a functioning part of it.

So this is my mini quest. Any ideas? Post them here!

Remember to visit us at www.cameldairy.com to get the latest news including up-coming tv programming.