Greetings from Iraq

[Wahine]

Good to hear from you!!! I hope to see you sometime when you get back. Take care!!

BTW - I might be able to get a spoke for you. My BF runs a bike shop and I know he ships to other military type places around the globe. If you want to check it out you can reach him via email tom@gvhbikes.com. Tell him I sent you and he'll do what he can.

[Tri Girl]

great to see you around again I'm glad the tour has been "good." I'm sure your homecoming will be amazing!
I hope the time flies until you return stateside. Stay safe, and post a picture of you and your new bike when you get back home!

And thank you for your service!!!

[Biciclista]

wow, your rides sound amazing. Stay safe and come home!
(riding in the rain which is raining mud?!?!?!)

[bmccasland]

Hey BIAK! Glad to hear from you, and things are going as well as can be expected in the Big SandBox. Sounds like they're getting your bike fixed too.

Happy Mardi Gras!

[NbyNW]

Good to hear from you! Hope you have a safe trip home to your family.

[boy in a kilt]

All,

Thanks for the offers on the spoke. I think I have a solution in hand. Someone just bought a new-old bike and said I could scavenge what I wanted off his old bike. I've actually worked on this bike before and, if memory serves, the spokes are one of the few things on that bike worth scavenging.

Yes, it really does rain mud. There is usually enough dust suspended in the air so when it rains, the rain drops mix with the dust and make mud. Also, rain here is usually associated with cold, windy fronts. So, first it gets really dusty, then it gets muddy.

On the plus side, we had some brilliant thunderstorms this winter. When it was really hot this summer we used to have lots of dust devils in a row on the bluff above main post. I met an Iraqi Highway Patrolman who said they refer to August as "Flaming August." Not sure if his interpreter translated the name of the month of Ramadan for us (the word Ramadan implies deprivation and I think burning heat.) However, I think Iraqis also use the Gregorian calendar when it's convenient for them.

I was home on leave back in October. It was averaging about 110 (around 40-45C) when I left Iraq, and was about 60 when I got home. I was a little cold most of the time, but my body seemed to say 'Oh, so this is what you are throwing at me next.'

One of the interesting things here is Iraq isn't all desert. If you get around water, particularly the Tigris or the Euprhates, it's kind of pretty.

This is the looking east across the Euphrates just outside of Hit

And this is roughly the same area, but looking west:


Not surprisingly, it's hard to take a decent shot out the door of a moving chopper with a cheap digital camera. I was trying not to get the door gun in the shot, but the autofocus on my camera kept fixating on it.

[MM_QFC!]

Hi BIAK - great to hear from you and I'm glad that you have found a spoke source close by...will keep you and your wonderful family in my thoughts for a great homecoming soon!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!! and thank you also to SGT and kiddos for your sacrifice too!
Mary