Dates

The dates are ripening on the palms and each day they are changing colour and getting bigger. Most bunches have turned to yellow from green and I noticed a few bunches in the higher palms are turning brown. This may not sound that exciting but when you consider the role dates have in the lives of the people in this part of the world, the harvest is as critical as the rice harvest in Asia or the wheat harvest in the US. Dates are part of the staple diet, a celebration food, a food proudly offered to visitors.

When I was a child dates were one of my favourite snacks, date scones an absolute favourite into adulthood. I can remember being about 6 or 7 years old looking at the picture on the date packet and thinking that I was going to visit the place where dates grow one day. That day has come, I'm here quietly watching the crop ripen waiting to sample the fresh dates. I know this will happen because I shared this with one of my Arabic friends and she takes every opportunity to feed me up on date products.

Last night a group of us sat under the palms, under the night sky and had a few quiet drinks, needed at the end of the week. It's cooled a little here, gone from consistently high 40's to the low 40's. What a difference. The evenings are balmy, wonderful for night outings and the days don't need the doors shut and aircon on full blast, restful. My next night outing is going to be the zoo, highly recommended by others who have been.