Full of Feeling

Standing alone among a group of large camels in an open field.

Wandering around with them.

Being with them for hours.

Just standing, looking, looking, looking.

Camels stare away into infinity, in silence, standing or sitting, for hours on end.

When I'm with them I am soon doing the same, or similarly, as they do. A large part of what a camel is as a being, and a process, is found in this contemplative space that they hold.

They live profoundly full of feeling.

Another major part of who a camel is can be found within their emotional and social/cultural life.
Again, all the nuances of character and personality are discovered anew in each camel.

A camel's eyes communicate a depth of feeling and awareness.

When you've earned a camel's respect and trust you can feel it in your own body. It is energetic, and is that part of them that forms the herding bond. It is a tangible connection.

A couple of weeks ago six of the camels were congregated in a group, sitting about in the warm morning sun. About 20 feet away, also sitting calmly, was a lone coyote. It seemed as though the coyote was enjoying being around the camels as much as we do.

One day I watched a camel follow a mallard duck around the field as it sifted the grass looking for food... the camel had dropped her head to grass level and, walking a few feet behind the waddling duck, the two of them cruised about together, exchanging time and energy with each other, and learning who knows what about one another....