COMPANIONS 

Two years have gone by quickly, but Tagine and Couscous are so ingrained in my daily life, its hard to remember life without them.  I've been negligent keeping up with my blog, so I haven't even introduced them.  So here is a quick look.

Born of a stray cat dropped off in the park, my friend, Linda, fed the mother and knew, when she showed up without a bulging belly on April 1, that they had arrived.  But where?   Several days later, someone readying their boat, found them, set them in a bowl on the ground.  I guess they figured mama cat would come get them.  But Linda was afraid all four would not survive until that job was complete so she moved them into her shed.  Over the next eight weeks, she let mama in and out, fed her, and then the kittens, and together we played with the kittens, socializing them and having fun ourselves. I was going to take one.  Little Tagine with her tortoiseshell coloring appealed to me and with her mix of colors looked like a traditional Moroccan tagine (sweet and savory stew). I think most like a beef and apricot mix, but perhaps camel and prunes, or chicken and prunes.  

Linda, and a woman I greatly respected at church, both encouraged me to get two, so they would be company for each other.  I resisted.  My last cat, who lived to be 24, was a single cat and very affectionate. If I had two cats, would they be as affectionate towards me?  The pressure was high, but the final push was when Linda announced I had to have Couscous with my Tagine.  And with his orange tabby coloring, he does resemble couscous.

I did not need to worry about affection. Even as kittens, these two were close.  They played with the other two, but if mischief was in the making, if an escape was being hatched, if a toy was going to be snatched, these two were behind it.   Between an April Fool's birthday and their behavior as kittens, I had plenty of warning.   I could have opted for the coach potato of the four, the one who loved to curl up.  

They are close to each other but affectionate to a high level with me.  Distinct personalities, but both very loving. They even influenced the feral, Kimchee, who has lived under my RV for years.  He was happy to be fed, but no matter how many treats placed along the ground, next to me, I had never touched him.   He is still a bit skittish but now tolerates me petting him and scratching his ears when I put the food out.  I guess he realized I treated the kittens well so I could not be all bad and scary.  

Besides the changes in his attitude toward me, he took the kittens under his wing.  They were suppose to be indoor cats.  I was overruled and outsmarted.  But Kimchee knew these little ones didn't have outdoor smarts and in the early days he followed them around and kept an eye on them.  Now, like me, arthritis has slowed him down.  He prefers sleeping on my steps and patio most of the time while Couscous and Tagine races down the hill, up the trees into the highest branches, onto the roof of my trailer.  All three catch gophers and I usually have several offerings at the front door during any given week.  Kimchee will finish them off, the young ones are only interested in the hunt.  

So, here are a few photos of the last two years.

Tagine carried this pink ball around with her for weeks.

The innocence is all faked.

Kimchee, still very suspicious of me.  It was okay that my feet are on the top step (picture below) as long as my hands and arms stayed close to my body and didn't move.

Photos below are recent.  Tagine and Couscous are a bit over 2 years old, love to climb trees, race down the hillside, and favorite inside activity, other than eating, is helping me make the bed.  Takes twice as long.

Couscous in first tree, his sister in the tree to the right.

Couscous and Tagine were suppose to be indoor cats.  Couscous has acquired a second name, Houdini.  Early on I put them in a fabric\mesh carrying case to take them to the vet.  Got my stuff ready and turned around to find that they were out.  Couscous Houdini had undone the zipper.  Added carabineers.  Then he figured out how to open the sliding glass door.  He is both clever and very strong.  The only way to keep it closed it to lock it, but after my knee surgery I had neighbors coming in to look after me and locking the door wasn't practical.  Now that they have had a taste of outside, they are not content to be indoors although they spend nights inside and come and go regularly during the day.I worry about outdoor dangers; but after all my years as a nomad, its hard to deny them their independence and adventurous spirits.

MOROCCO 2022

 In late April I  flew to Abi and Min's wedding in Washington, DC, and from there to Morocco for 15 days.   This was not my first trip to Morocco.  In fact, I set this blog up initially to record my 2009 trip to Spain and Morocco.  (You can read about that trip and see some photos if you go all the way back to the beginning or click on the panel on the right for 2009). I loved Morocco and when I heard that Margot Taussig Pinkerton and Arnie Zann were leading a photo workshop there, I was eager.

Then, as the time grew near, I wondered if I would be disappointed.  It was so good the first time, would some of the magic  have worn off?  Absolutely not.  I love Morocco and would go back again, stay for longer, and if I weren't so poor with languages, I'd even consider living there.

What is the appeal?   I've tried in the photos posted to give you an idea of the diversity of the land, the beauty of it, the rich culture, spectacular crafts, architecture, and great food.  But the real joy is the people.  It was still Ramadan when we arrived.  We were warned people might be a little testy   If we experienced "testy" we need to send all Americans for some classes in  behavior, in gracious manners, in respect for people, and  gentle humor.

For those of you who like looking at photos, there are plenty here.  Some of you may not be as into that, and the photos are broken into categories so you can look at the things that interest you most.  Regardless of how many posts you look at, I suggest that you read the text and then click on the first photo in each category.  This will enlarge the photos for far superior viewing.  And also because, like Facebook and other sites, blogs do sometimes cut off part of the photo when viewing in the site format.  Some photos may show in a couple different posts....I did the posts over time and could not always remember what I had posted, or the photo was great for two different stories of Morocco.

At the end of each page, there is a prompt to go to previous posts, or you can go back to the top and pick them by topic.

I recommend you all head to Morocco.

If you have questions or comments leave a post at the bottom of any page.   Or, email me.  Please NO FACEBOOK MESSENGER.  Every time I have used it I end up getting hacked.  Don't know why, but if you are a friend, you have my email and we can communicate that way or text.

A few favorites:

Click on first photo and you will see them as a slide show and enlarged.  These are small for viewing.

FACES OF MOROCCO

Why do I travel?   There are lots of reasons I suppose but the most important part is that traveling causes me to learn more about myself, understanding there are different ways of doing things (and learning that the way we do it at home is not always the most valid), and seeing that we have more in common than we have differences.

 So, while I loved the food of Morocco, the varied landscapes, the beautiful crafts, the spectacular   architecture with its arches, soft corners, integration with the environment, doors, and scary stairways,  it was the people who made the trip.

Margo and Arnie, the workshop leaders (Barefoot Contessa Photo Adventures) were adamant about not sneaking photos of people, of asking for permission.   Exception were made when people were far away, especially it their faces were not visible.  In other cases we did ask for permission, even if it was as simple as pointing to our camera and waiting for a "yes."  And if there was no affirmation,  then we found something else to photograph.   It makes sense.  I know I had plenty of photos taken of me when I worked in Yellowstone and Glacier, especially when I was in uniform, with my bus.  I knew it went with the territory.  But it can get to be old if it happens every time you are loading your camel or donkey, arranging the fruits in your stall, or  hanging up clothes on the clothesline.   If we were purchasing, or  made arrangements  to have tea or a meal with the family, then photos were welcome.  In other instances, we gave them something for their time.  Sometimes they were fine with photos for just the chance to chat a bit. 

I do have a photo here that was unintended.  I was photographing down a long, narrow passageway in a medina (walled part of a city).  A mother and son were almost to the end when the light would hit nicely.  Their faces would not show.  Just as I was ready to shoot,  a woman leaned out her door and tossed soapy water into the alley.  I didn't know she was there and didn't expect the shot.  In fact, I expected it would probably be out of focus and not useable.  But it wasn't.  Sometimes we are lucky.   Because of my position leaning against a wall, I don't think she even saw me.  Had she, I would have apologized.

On my last day in Casablanca I was eating lunch at an outside café.  A shoeshine man came by.  My shoes did look pretty awful.   I knew I only had a rather large bill, by local standards, but I asked the waiter if he could give me change.  He said yes, but it would take a little while....I saw him talk to someone inside and then jog down the street to a couple of shops.  He came back with change.  In the meantime I had asked the gentleman who was going to polish my shoes if I could take a photo.  Since I do not speak Berber, Arabic or French beyond hello, thank you and other simple transactions,  I pointed to my camera and then with my hands indicated I wanted a photo of  him shining my shoes.  He shook his head.  I set the camera down.  But then he put his hands in front of his face, and indicated no, but pointed to his hands with the brush and my shoe and smiled and said "yes."  And so there is a photo of my shoes being polished.

Even as he was polishing them I knew they were not going home with me.  I jettisoned some clothing, the shoes, and toiletries to make room from treasures.  I sent the items I was jettising  to the desert to be distributed to whoever could use them.

Here are some of the faces of Morocco.   Clicking on a photo to enlarge will allow you to see the detail and appreciate the scene better than these small images..

Weaving is an ancient and honorable art.  Wool comes from sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.  They also provide meat and milk.  Agave plants are striped for their long, silk like fibers which are used for scarves and the purse I purchased.  The first set of photos show weaving from the wool on the hoof to the weaving, to selling and to washing family rugs in streams. 

carding the wool

Weaving a light weight blanket\coverlet

Weaving agave strands which have a silky sheen to them

These women were washing rugs in a stream.  They were delighted at our interest.   Here the rugs were placed on a plastic tarp and then walked on to help get dirt out.  

Lis, one of the photographers in our group, took off her sandals and helped with the washing.

The wash houses in Chefchouen are quite elaborate.  The river runs over cement causeways where carpets and blankets can be spread without the tarps.  Inside the wash houses are scrub boards for smaller items.   On my previous trip to Morocco one of my fellow travelers and I did some of our laundry on the scrub boards here and then took it back to our lodgings to hang on the roof to dry.  On this trip there was less activity at the wash house (perhaps because it was Ramadan) but there are some blankets carpets drying on the roof of the wash house.

Leather is another art in Morocco.  Again, the same animals provide the hides.  The city of Fez is famous for its tanneries.  When you enter they give you a sprig of mint to hold under your nose because the smell can be quite disagreeable.  However, it was a fairly quiet afternoon and the smell wasn't bad when we were there.. 

click on this to see mom's smiling eyes.

As I look through my photos and think about the trip, I realize there was plenty of laughter, from out own group , our laughing guides, to people we met in our travels.   I think kids take on a lot of responsibilities, but it is also clear the families and communities are affectionate..

This young man worked in a small gift shop with quite a few antiquities.  Here he is getting something off the roof.

Pottery is also a well practiced art.

A

Overlooking Fez.  This was the last day of Ramadan.  Many gathered with picnics on the grounds of mosques and in parks to break the final fast.  These young men are on the cemetery hill.   A loud blast (cannon?) went off at the official sunset time.

And best of all the funny, caring, conscientious, warm guides: Hamid, Mouhammad, and Aziz

Mouhammad and Hamid

Hamid

Aziz

Mouhammad

Hamid

Hamid, Aziz and Mouhammad share a laugh with Margo.

And last but not least, the smiling camel