Al Sorat Farm

17/09/2026

This weekend is supposed to be lovely, low to mid 30's, a nice breeze from the north, none of this hot stuff that we have been suffering under all summer. Everyone knows that the farm has lots of dogs all waiting for people to come to scratch their bellies, and provide cuddles. But one of the changes here has been the girls' cats, Oreo and MishMish. They have been living here at the farm for a while now, and becoming part of the farm scenery, especially since the orange short-hair, MishMish decided that he didn't like the air conditioning in the girls' house... too cold for him, so he demanded to be left in the catio (the ex-bird cage in the garden) with their canine buddy Basboosa during the day to enjoy the shade and breeze without freezing to death according to MishMish. They have also been sleeping in the catio with Basboosa guarding them. We do have owls big enough to take a smallish cat and neither of the boys are that large. Plus, by day they have entertainment with all the birds in the garden. Over the summer the two cats got used to freedom and romping around the garden, so now we hav 20 dogs and 2 cats. No, I'm sorry we can't take in anymore, but it is fun with those that we have.

17/09/2026

Anything but the US

The European Union's top official backs the Canadian prime minister's push for his country to become the bloc's first "associate member," as Brussels seeks to deepen ties amid pressure from the U.S.

14/08/2026

Part of my reason for having a summer camp at Al Sorat Farm was to provide service for working parents whose jobs continue for a good part of the summer so that their children could spend time in a natural setting with animals and be out of doors to explore this part of life for themselves. There is very little green space in Cairo/Giza and we are losing it daily. To be honest, another part of the reason is that every time I do something like this, I learn something that adds to my knowledge and soul. So it isn’t all altruism. We are going into our last week of camp next week and my learning basket is very full.

Quiet time and choice are vital

07/08/2026

Learning isn't something that only happens in school or with papers. It is something that happens all the time and that is often remembered best when it is a hands-on activity. All of the things that the children do at the camp teach them things, whether it happens in the midst of a game or a preparation for riding horses. I know that the children remember these lessons because many of the children who come to camp also come out to the farm with their families later, and they tell me something that they have learned in the course of a conversation. I am always delighted.