Muse Food – Mounted Police And Setting The Mood

By Cynthia Sax on February 17, 2025

I was completely enchanted by these mounted police in Qatar.

And…I shouldn’t have been. Because they ARE the police. They have the ability to arrest me and others and perhaps do worse to us.

Those beautiful horses? I suspect they have been trained to kill.

But someone from North America, like myself, associates them with parades and other peaceful events. We don’t view them as possible weapons.

If you want to change the mood of a story, that can be as easy as changing a small detail…like the mode of transportation the rule enforcers use.

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Muse Food – Rambo, Falcons And What We Value

By Cynthia Sax on January 27, 2025

When the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I were exploring Doha, Qatar, we ventured into the section of the city (Falcon Souq) where the falcons were bought, sold and tended to.

(There is an awesome high tech hospital dedicated to serving falcons!)

Falconry in Qatar is a BIG DEAL. The falcons sell for thousands of US dollars. They are prized and well taken care of and valued for a number of different aspects.

As you can likely predict, yes, some falcons are valued for their hunting prowess and for their flying skills. They are graceful in the air, like deadly little dancers.

But some falcons, like Rambo shown here, are valued for their beauty. Rambo has entered and won many beauty contests and his male handlers were adorably proud of that fact. (smiles)

That says a lot about Qatar culture.

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Brush With Royalty In London

By Cynthia Sax on January 18, 2025

Recently, the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I had a full day layover in London, England. So we stored our luggage in lockers and headed out to explore.

(First, we had to visit the post office to exchange some ancient pounds for current currency, a task we were given by the elders to complete.)

The streets around Buckingham Palace were blocked off. The Qatar flag was flying everywhere.

Some guards on horseback passed.

We stopped and watched.

Then a carriage with King Charles III clearly visible in it passed. (He was looking his age.)

A carriage with Kate, Princess of Wales, visible followed. (She was looking extremely regal.)

The parade continued for many moments after that.

Dear Wonderful Hubby joked that every horse in England was in attendance. (grins)

It was all very exciting!

But not everyone was as enthralled as we were. During the display, one woman was enthusiastically taking photos…of a squirrel in a nearby park. (laughs)

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