my first digital fractal image...

...I have always been fascinated by fractals. This is one of the first ones I've "created" (using fractal creation software). Wikipedia has a good article on fractals.

This image reminds me of a typical Tamasheq necklace...thanks Brian for helping me to rotate it!~

I've been meaning...

...since starting this blog to post photos of Tagola. Christiane Thiere-Rostaing brought back Tagola (Tamasheq for 'princess') from the 2007 A.B.I.S. expedition to the Sahel. Tagola was always one of my very favorites and I pray for the day she will be bred, Insh'Allah.

es-Sahel...

...photo by Christiane Thier-Rostaing, A.B.I.S.

Kel Afara-Hewhin Masi...

...is one of two taidit owned by Doug Koger in Miami, Florida (the other being Afsoon (Kaisoon X Iman). Doug sent this nice photo from this morning of Masi (Hekewel Kel Dahoussahaq X G'Toufat of Wuthering Heights) with her puppies by Sheshonq (Fasiqqi X Chenna), who also sired Afsoon's litter. I believe Doug might still have puppies available. His email address: domiko@mac.com, and his website

and there is Tafraoute...

...who has such beautiful eyes, al hamdullilah, full sister of Tintzirit and Adal (from the litter of Amenzu X Tawinak). She lives with Danielle and her boyfriend Justin in Gainesville, Florida. Danielle and Justin are cool...she is a vet-tech and he is a veterinarian, and they just relocated from the north (as in yes they are Yankees! lol). Thank you Danielle for sending the photos and forgive me for taking so long to publish them! jazakAllah wa rahmatullah!

Tawzalt...

...(Aslam X Semteende...now nineteen weeks old, al hamdullilah). Tawzalt lives with Brian Reiter, his family, and their first Azawakh "Azelouan" (Tombouktou's Qulood X We Wille Dari) in DC. Azelouan is a paternal grandson of Kusaylah, as Tawzalt, through her dam, is a great-grand-daughter of Kusaylah and his sister Iman. Al hamdullilah. I think Brian is a very talented photographer...his photos always have a feeling of the essential, and of purity and light.

es-Sahel...

photo by Corine Lundqvist, A.B.I.S. (and also the breeder Azawakh de Garde Epee, en France)...and also my friend...al hamdullilah

from yesterday at cooking time...

another anecdote from The Conference of the Birds by Farid-ud-Din Attar...

The Grateful Slave

One day a good-natured king gave a rare and beautiful fruit to a slave, who tasted it and thereupon said that never in his life had he eaten anything so delicious. This made the king wish to try it himself, and he asked the slave for a piece. But when he put it into his mouth he found it very bitter and he raised his eyebrows in astonishment. The slave said: 'Sire, since I have received so many gifts at your hand how can I complain of one bitter fruit? Seeing that you shower benefits on me, why should one bitterness estrange me from you?'

So...if you experience suffering in your striving, be persuaded that it can be a treasure for you.

Tamasheq poem...

Ekkaalegh deffer giiten n amekkar
Wa ikfen ii n tiit tekkooret amiar
S eed yowet ed aglin midden awaal
lekkiim afoos yennoottef d amawal.

I'm amazed by the works of God,
Who blesses a mere violin*
So that where it plays men fall dumb,
Only stirring a hand to pull the turban over their eyes.

(Note)
*"the one who has an eye that isn't living," referring to the soundhole of the Tamasheq single stringed violin, the amzhad, traditionally played by women in the evening."

just more!...

...Raba, Kusu and Samhan, Kidal, Kidal, Azil, Choum, Semteende, my laundry!

My sister...Judy....

...am trying to pull together some photos of my family...pullin teeth! But finally managed to get one of my ONE and ONLY! sister.

photos from sleepy yesterday afternoon...

From top: Raba, Tamgak, Azil, Azil, Hawa, Hawa, and Tamgak with Semteende behind.

The sun, the moon and a head...

...oh, and a dog in a truck. The head shots are of Azzat (Fasiqqi X Tafzint) and the dog in the truck is Anazar (Fasiqqi X Chenna). As you might have noticed...Fasiqqi gets pretty lucky around here. Well, he is Italian. And sired by a desert bred (Agarouf). That must be like a jackpot combination for, well, breeding.

where I live al hamdullilah...