sneezing sheep

 

Susan said the lady got sheep snot sprayed all over her as she was milking.  That is the reason for the "That's disgusting" look in their faces.

milking the goat

 

milking sheep 1

 

lunch

 

This is a partridge type bird that lives in the mountains.  These boys killed it with their sling shot and I am sure it became lunch.

MMMMM grass hoppers

 

these big grass hoppers were all over the place.  We were cooking meat over the coals and I saw Megan and Michael killing them and putting them in a big leaf.  I asked them why they were keeping them.  They said they were going to put them in the coals and eat them.  I could hardly believe Megan was touching them.  the next thing I know, they put them in the coals and Megan plucked the legs and head off one and Michael did the same thing.  Believe it or not (I have it on video) Megan and Michael both ate one.  I could not be out done, so I ate one too.  Not to bad if you cook them all the way.  I was so proud of Megan.  She's the son I never had. LOL

2 friends

 

Megan and Kaveen have become good friends. They are the same age and really like each other.  They are swinging together.

ladies

 

The K girls are Kaveen's sisters, and the white lady is Irish.  she is Michaels fiancee.

Kurdish lady

 

Susan is the best looking lady in a K dress I have ever seen.

3 guys and a tent

 

This is a tent of a guy who goes to his land and stays all spring and summer and goes home in the late fall before the snow comes.  this is me and Michael and Kaveen's dad.

Garden

 

This is Kaveen's dad and uncle working the garden in the village.

Where is this

 

This is the area we went to on June 26th.  It was nice, up in the mountains close to the TK border.  Hard to believe this is Iraq in the 40 hottest days of summer.

strange familiarity

 

Thanks to friends from the US, we can enjoy cholate chip cookies on occasion.  The main reason we made them was b/c we got fresh sheep milk from a couple of families and needed something to go with the milk.  

Kurdish Thin Bread

 

This bread is really thin and crisp after it cools.  It's a two lady job.  One lady rolls in out on a short three legged stool, and another one throws it on an oversized upside down wok like thing.  It is cooked over a fire or a propane burner.  When they get ready to eat the bread, the ladies splash water over a piece and it's wrapped in a small quilt made especially for the bread.  It softens and is folded up next to your plate.  They tear off a piece and use it to pick up their food.  Mmmm Mmmmmm!

Blessings

 

This is food from all our friends just the past few days.  There is Kurdish bread from one home, a carton of fresh apricots, sheep milk, sheep yogurt, sheep butter, sheep cheese, and eggs.  Another neighbor brought a Kurdish kotilk in yogurt dish which we consumed already.  All of these things came from about five different homes.  Sometimes life is difficult here, but there are numerous blessings.

big moon

 

The moon was so beautiful the other day.  Picture does not do it justice.

Megan's cake

 

This is Megans yellow cake with chocolate icing.  I purchased some candles that relight after you blow them out.  Megan decided to play and try out and few of the candles before she decorated the cake.  When she put candles on the cake, she discovered that there were only 8 candles, but she turned 9 on her birthday.  She puckered up, and told me there were only 8.  I told her, "Well I guess you have to be 8 for another year."  She refused, went to the trash can and found a half burned one.  I told her, "You can be 8 and a half then."  She still didn't think that was a good idea.  

new friends

 

The little girl in the yellow is the girl I hit with my truck.  The lady in red is the mom.  When you invite one person to come to something, you can count on atleast 2 others coming with them.  They are curious and I am sure wanted to see where and how we live.

Megan's presents

 

Megan with a couple of friends opening her birthday presents.

Megans hat

 

This is Megan's friend Leyla.  She likes Megans hat.

twins

 

Twins are not real common around here.  But since the gene pool is really shallow and not very deep, kids look a lot alike anyway.  Everyone marries their cousins.  YUCK!!!!

happy couple

 

This is a couple Susan took a picture of.  She wanted to get them a little more natural.  She told them to get close to each other, but that is all they would do. they are actually smiling a little.  LOL

pretty rug

 

rug washing season

 

Most people here take up their rugs in the summer.  They say it makes the house cooler.  dont understand that, but that is what they say.  We leave ours down.  They wash them, roll them up and put them in storage for the summer, and get them out when it gets cold.

Wal mart on wheels

 

We love the trucks that come by and sell stuff.  They are really handy for stuff and also a good laugh.  The lady is cleaning the street out in front of her house.