Backing up just a bit.

On Saturday (22nd), I woke up at my regular 6:30-ish time, and staffed a pretty mellow, low-volume clinic until noon. As usual, the medics and I hopped in the Mitsubishi dust-bus and headed out to the large DFAC for lunch. At some point, while I was eating my “Krab Kakes,” and drinking my Saudi Cola, I felt myself getting more and more sleepy, in that inevitable way that sometimes comes on during PowerPoint presentations, and very long sermons. By the time I made it home, around 1:30 PM, I flopped onto the bed, figuring I’d “rest my eyes” (a euphemism I have learned from both my mother and my wife) for a half-hour or so. You know what happened next.

At 4:30, I finally awoke, feeling prune-dry and beset by a dense grogginess which bordered on intoxication. I have had a cold for the past week, and I think that the combination of virus and antihistamine were conspiring against me. Knowing that if I did not get the blood flowing soon, my day would soon become a total loss, I dragged myself out of bed, put on my ACU uniform, grabbed a big bottle of water from the fridge, and began to trudge towards the clinic. There, I hoped to pick up the truck and get over to the PX, where I needed to pick up a couple of essentials. A few moments later, I was walking out of the clinic, keys in hand, and accompanied by LTC Bullock-Price, our clinic’s nurse practitioner, who wanted a lift to visit a friend. LTC Bullock is Jamaican by birth, American by citizenship, and has that kind of island accent which makes her sound happy all of the time, even when she is complaining (which she doesn’t do much, anyway). As we drove, I remembered that she had previously spoken of an oasis on Al Asad, and I asked her if she’d mind taking a detour in that direction, since we currently had transport. A U-turn later, and we were on our way.

I can’t tell you our exact route, but I will state that this trip took me to areas of the base which I had not yet seen, past more yards full of mechanized stuff, some camp areas, and out towards some newer construction. After a few turns, I looked up and saw them: palm trees! Green palm trees, in fact (and green is not a color which generally makes up the Al Asad landscape). They were in a low-lying area, maybe 1/2 mile square, with some standing, swampy-looking water in certain areas surrounding the oasis. Reeds and tall “cattail”-type plants rose out of the water.

This shot of my travelling companion, LTC Bullock-Price, demonstrates the sterile brown which surrounds and abuts the lively green of the oasis, behind her.

The reedy swamp which surrounds the front of the grove.

This trail leads into and through the palms.

A cement marker designates the oasis, and discusses the myth that this is “Abraham’s well” from the bible (Genesis 24, among others). There are other, likely better theories as to where this well is actually located. The papers enclosed in this “monument” (written during the Army Corps of Engineers’ restoration of the oasis circa 2004) describe a lush, verdant grove, replete with frogs and minnows. Looking down at the thick, swampy water, I figured that those would be some pretty tough minnows, and I did not see or hear any frogs, but perhaps those are only around during the rainy season.

This shot shows the date palm’s fruit, hanging in bunches in a circle around the base.

As we walked through the area, in almost complete silence (no talking, and far enough away from the helicopters that they were less than a dull roar), the darkness began to descend. I have noticed that here in the Al Asad “bowl,” once the sun drops near the “rim”, things get dark pretty quickly. I have gone into the gym at 6:45 in seemingly bright sunlight, and left at 7:30 in complete darkness. The sunset afforded a few pretty shots of the palm trees.

Looking back at the grove of palms, I was struck by how much this view reminds me of one of our favorite vacation spots at home, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Before the sun completely set, I got one final shot of the “wire” which surrounds this and all army bases, and beyond which I will likely never set foot during this deployment.

We headed back to the main post, and I dropped LTC off at her friend’s place, and then I dropped the truck off at the clinic, and walked home.

I have been waxing poetic far too much lately, so I will try to avoid it here. But there is indeed something very unique and (dare I use the word?) special about being in this part of the world, the very cradle of civilization, where so many history has taken place. While walking in the oasis, as the sun went down, and the silence took over, I had a bit of that “put off thy shoes” feeling. It is not the first time that I have had it here.

Next trip to the oasis, I’m bringing my scrips with me…