A little present for Maestro

[Mira]

Bet you would like to take personal private portraits of these guys, eh?

Seriously, I'm sending you this because I like your work so much.

[Maestro]

1. Hey Mira, thanks so much.

Are those pigeons (Rock Doves)? Even though they are ubiquitous and sometimes quite messy, they really are adaptable and beautiful birds. Darwin would be proud. ;) In a little over a week I will be back down on the Central Texas Coast looking for the magnificent Whooping Cranes.

[Mira]

2. Yes - doves - that's all I know. This was at a place called Sekem in Egypt

where they take the birds out of the nests up to two weeks of age and eat them.
It's a bio dynamic farming community, possibly the most fascinating place I've ever had the luck to see.

I look forward to you sharing photos of the Whooping Cranes, be careful in Texas, *W* is returning.

[SpookyCat]

3. Is that in Mali?

It looks like Timbuktu. I want to go there someday, on my long list.

[Tindalos]

4. Are those bird houses?

Bird condos? What's the story behind those, if you don't mind me asking.

[Mira]

5. Read what I said to Maestro. Google Sekem-Egypt. Poke around about their mission

then if you have a question ask again.
Reason for my being hesitant:
I was able to stay there a week. If I go to my photos, and talk about it, I will never ever shut up again.

[Mira]

6. My first answer was poor. Let me try this differently and show

a couple more pictures while I'm at it.
In Sekem a Visionary Egyptian native, educated in Austria, created a huge Oasis in the desert. He started by digging into the Nile delta beds in the sand of the desert deep enough to find water to bring up.
He brought in animals whose manure he composted.
After he had created land with the compost he grew crops, built factories, schools, a hospital, a home for the retarded, and taught Egyptian farmers how to bio-farm without chemical fertilizers.
Now in a huge area the desert blooms, people have jobs, children learn, and health care is free. This man is a medical doctor.

The dove houses serve two purposes, in the new picture you see doors in the houses. Helpers go in the doors, get their fill of young new doves in the nests to eat, and get out the dropppings to add to that of the cows, the sheep, the donkeys, the camels and the food leftovers for composting.
I have hundreds of pictures.
Am adding 2 I like in addition, believe me there is no way to chose.

Thank you for asking.

[Tindalos]

7. It looks like a wonderful place.

Not sure how I missed the explanation above, but thank you for posting the additional info and pictures. It sounds like an ideal place to live. No wonder you liked it so much. It sounds a much more sustainable way of life than ours. No doubt we could learn a lot from them. It looks gorgeous too. Egypt's on my list of places to visit. Maybe one day.