This picture is supposed to shock and amaze you. And give you a teeny tiny peak into what it means to live in the middle of no place. Where apparently there are no rules about having animals live where you think they're supposed to live. Fish in water. Birds in trees. Camels near sand. Nope. Camels in Central Illinois.
Those are camels. Camels. In central Illinois.
See that sign? It's an Illinois road sign!There is no sand here. But there are camels. Well, not so many camels, just these camels that live about 15 minutes away from my brother's house. I haven't figured out why it bothers me so much to see them here. On the one hand, it's always very cool to tell the kids, "There are the camels!" as we drive by to go see my brother. But it just feels so incredibly odd.
I don't know much about the camels or who owns them. If you know them, I mean no offense to the camel owners. Apparently, they must live in that house right next to the camel pasture.
See, there it is again. The absurdity to say the word pasture and camel in the same sentence. It just doesn't feel right. Probably camels were always meant to live in a place with 4 distinct seasons and very fertile soil, but I just can't get sand dunes and turban-style head wraps out of my mind.
Uh Oh. Looks like we have a visitor. I promise no animals or humans were injured during this photo session. However, it did down right freak me out as I stayed on the road to take these photos with my long lens. 
Apparently, when camels live here in the Midwest they have to grow very shaggy coats to stay warm.
Do you know what sound a camel makes when it looks like this?
It makes this loud gurgling sounds not too far off of what a motor sounds like on a little fishing dingy. Crazy, I tell you! I thought someone had just pulled a cord or something. (Therein lies the entirety of my knowledge about motors.)The lips. Are they cute?
Or is it just me? They might be exceedingly scary.
And this will end our little tour of the camel farm on the way to my brother's house. The land of the free. Where desert animals are at liberty to walk on solid ground and live in barns that look a little wobbly.
10 comments:
WHAT? I have never seen a camel in Illinois, besides at the Niabi Zoo. I think it's hilarious. They must be so cold though. I agree, they belong in the Sudan, not the Midwest.
When Andy was in Iraq and port calls in the middle east, and I was staying with Dad, I noticed the camels for the first time and laughed. Andy had just had a ride on a camel in Dubai (he makes excellent camel noises by the way), and I couldn't help but giggle that I was in podunk-town IL seeing camels too. :)
That is indeed freaky. I wonder what they DO with the camels--I mean, is there a point to having them?
Go knock on their door and ask!
I want a camel for The Rowland Ranch!! :)
that's hilarious. Lucky you didn't get spit on!
oh Jody, I was just at Kelly's and drove by the Camels and thought of your blog. The very strange thing is that the camels are no longer weird to me, and that's weird. ;) Megan
I know who owns them. He has them just to have them, pretty much. I don't think he lives next to the pasture though. Too funny.
Lauren, You're a celebrity if your friends with the guy who owns the camels! You go, girl!
Megan, repeat after me. "Camels in IL ARE weird...camels in IL ARE weird..." Don't let the Midwest sink it's delusional talons into you! Don't do it! Hold on!
Jane, I think YOU SHOULD get a camel. I actually googled "camels in texas" for you. Not much I found though.
Got a text from my sister in law today. The camels have been sheared. Will keep you updated on any other camel news.
I hear they taste like chicken.
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