Completely unknown………I’m at a loss, bereft of ideas, an empty vessel floating on a sea of inertia. On the up-side, I've started Sunday nights blog and Monday and Tuesday's should be easy !
I’ve got some photos that I promised Amy I would take the next time I was around at the security compound, so we could start with them and see where it leads us……
Some time ago I commented on the new air-conditioned dog kennels which we’d been making for our explosive sniffing dogs, and that they were better looked after than us because they have somewhere to exercise. Well, I went over to see them today because I’ve heard a lot about them and here are some photographs of them at home (it’s a bit like Hello Magazine). I’m afraid I don’t know their names at the moment so don’t bother asking me ! (I have heard their names in the past though, and they’re Western names not Arabic which I thought was interesting)
We use them as part of the search teams at the gate, but, and I didn’t know this until now, the Iraqi Muslims have a major problem with dogs and we had uproar at the gate when we started using them the first time, because the dogs we standing with their front legs in the cars and sniffing around the seats and the things that were being left in the cars when the occupants got out to be searched……and don’t get me started on what happens when a dog sniffs your lunch and you’re a practicing Muslim over here ! I will have to talk to my Muslim friend when I get back about all this and try and understand whether is an international problem or just an Iraqi one.
The upshot is that the dogs can sniff around the car with the occupants in it and the windows down, and then the occupants all get out and go and sign in and the cars are then searched manually by two specialist searchers.
We use the dogs for other things as well, such as searching some of the thousands of cubic meters of fill we have been using to compact the sandy ground to an acceptable level to dig trenches in (you’ve all tried to dig deep holes on the beach, well this is a thousand times worse because the sand is not intrinsically wet underneath the surface – we also have to put thousands of gallons of water onto it whilst we are compacting it). I’m drifting off the subject a little. This stuff comes in from outside, in lorries, gets dumped in roughly the right area, then it’s spread out by diggers and at this point we turn the dogs into it. They can sniff out bullets and bits of old munitions, and if there aren’t any, then handlers will go and hide a couple of bullets in the dirt so that they always find something and get a fuss made of them. It’s quite nice to watch them whizzing about, their tails going ten to the dozen……
You will notice from the photos that they’re all completely different and it was quite funny to walk past the German Shepard, the Labrador and end up with the scabby yapping mongrel – I guess it takes all sorts, even in the dog world !
Today’s inventory:
1 cigar – I’m out and the usual supplier didn’t come to work today because it’s Friday and there’s nobody for him to manage when the subbies don’t show up. I might well have lost my sense of humour by the time I have a site meeting in the morning at eight – time will tell, but if we have any childishness then the fur will fly !
0 units and $0 dollars
No Gym
Weather was hot hot hot (so get a grown up to help you get it out children !)
Food – there’s nothing wrong with it but it’s just getting a bit repetitive, however, tonight there was a sign up advertising a BBQ tomorrow night with all the different meats and kebabs, and salads, and baked potatoes……..and Ice Cream ! It’s my last night here for a few weeks so it would be nice if it went off with a bit a bang (but not literally thank you) although it’s the first time we’ve had one here so I’m setting my expectation levels somewhere between flame grilled and charcoal, but I’ll do it with a big smile on my face !
Countdown – Two ROO Camp Sleeps, One COB sleep and One Dubai sleep. I think tomorrow night will feel like I have started the journey home and I think consequently it will be very difficult to concentrate all day on Sunday (mental note to self – don’t fall down a trench and break your leg !)
And on that cheery note I will bid you all a very good night.
I’ve got some photos that I promised Amy I would take the next time I was around at the security compound, so we could start with them and see where it leads us……
Some time ago I commented on the new air-conditioned dog kennels which we’d been making for our explosive sniffing dogs, and that they were better looked after than us because they have somewhere to exercise. Well, I went over to see them today because I’ve heard a lot about them and here are some photographs of them at home (it’s a bit like Hello Magazine). I’m afraid I don’t know their names at the moment so don’t bother asking me ! (I have heard their names in the past though, and they’re Western names not Arabic which I thought was interesting)
We use them as part of the search teams at the gate, but, and I didn’t know this until now, the Iraqi Muslims have a major problem with dogs and we had uproar at the gate when we started using them the first time, because the dogs we standing with their front legs in the cars and sniffing around the seats and the things that were being left in the cars when the occupants got out to be searched……and don’t get me started on what happens when a dog sniffs your lunch and you’re a practicing Muslim over here ! I will have to talk to my Muslim friend when I get back about all this and try and understand whether is an international problem or just an Iraqi one.
The upshot is that the dogs can sniff around the car with the occupants in it and the windows down, and then the occupants all get out and go and sign in and the cars are then searched manually by two specialist searchers.
We use the dogs for other things as well, such as searching some of the thousands of cubic meters of fill we have been using to compact the sandy ground to an acceptable level to dig trenches in (you’ve all tried to dig deep holes on the beach, well this is a thousand times worse because the sand is not intrinsically wet underneath the surface – we also have to put thousands of gallons of water onto it whilst we are compacting it). I’m drifting off the subject a little. This stuff comes in from outside, in lorries, gets dumped in roughly the right area, then it’s spread out by diggers and at this point we turn the dogs into it. They can sniff out bullets and bits of old munitions, and if there aren’t any, then handlers will go and hide a couple of bullets in the dirt so that they always find something and get a fuss made of them. It’s quite nice to watch them whizzing about, their tails going ten to the dozen……
You will notice from the photos that they’re all completely different and it was quite funny to walk past the German Shepard, the Labrador and end up with the scabby yapping mongrel – I guess it takes all sorts, even in the dog world !
Today’s inventory:
1 cigar – I’m out and the usual supplier didn’t come to work today because it’s Friday and there’s nobody for him to manage when the subbies don’t show up. I might well have lost my sense of humour by the time I have a site meeting in the morning at eight – time will tell, but if we have any childishness then the fur will fly !
0 units and $0 dollars
No Gym
Weather was hot hot hot (so get a grown up to help you get it out children !)
Food – there’s nothing wrong with it but it’s just getting a bit repetitive, however, tonight there was a sign up advertising a BBQ tomorrow night with all the different meats and kebabs, and salads, and baked potatoes……..and Ice Cream ! It’s my last night here for a few weeks so it would be nice if it went off with a bit a bang (but not literally thank you) although it’s the first time we’ve had one here so I’m setting my expectation levels somewhere between flame grilled and charcoal, but I’ll do it with a big smile on my face !
Countdown – Two ROO Camp Sleeps, One COB sleep and One Dubai sleep. I think tomorrow night will feel like I have started the journey home and I think consequently it will be very difficult to concentrate all day on Sunday (mental note to self – don’t fall down a trench and break your leg !)
And on that cheery note I will bid you all a very good night.
Loved the Dog photos, my parents have been waiting ages to see these ;-)
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