Baa baa black sheep

The last few hours of morning here, before waking, were quite strange.

Because of Eid and the animal slaughtering, some people bring animals to their apartments and tie them up outside, and then have a butcher come to them instead of just buying an animal from the butcher.  I don't know how common that is, but the last couple of days, we've been listening to a cow (or steer/buffalo/something!) across the street, and also a sheep or goat somewhere nearby.

Hearing this animal make noises on occasion (probably from some kid irritating it) was slightly disconcerting.  Not a noise you expect to hear on your residential street.  Out in the country, sure, but in the city??

In any case....as I was saying, the last few hours here have been strange.

I turned the light off at the somewhat decent hour of about 3:50 a.m.   It wasn't long before I slept, maybe 10 or 15 minutes.

The morning call to prayer would have happened sometime around 4:50 or so, though I don't recall hearing it.

What I do recall hearing was rain.  Lots and lots of rain.  Heavy rain.  The thing that made it so entirely loud, aside from being able to hear it on the tree leaves outside the window, was the rain coming down hard on the outside portion of the window a/c's that everyone has.  Not quite like hearing rain on a tin roof I imagine, but maybe something similar.

I remember thanking God for so much rain, because I sat and listened to it come down for some minutes, but I also remember asking God to make it last so that when I got up in the morning I could see it.  lol

I had wanted to know what time it was when the rain was coming, but I was also very tired and didn't want to open my eyes and focus enough to check the time and risk not being able to get back to sleep.

Sleep won me back shortly though it was broken intermittently by the cries of both of the animals that were down on the street.

At some point after that I was awoken by the sound of people going to the morning prayer for Eid, during which people speak (not exactly like chanting, but something like that) a particular phrase on their way to the mosque (only during Eid, not for regular prayers).  I remember wondering if it was still wet out and if they were going to get rained on, and if so, what would happen.  I don't think too many Egyptians have umbrellas.  No idea what time it was when I heard them.   I asked hubby later and he said around 6:30.

And then next thing I know hubby is out of bed and through my bleary eyes I can see that he's getting dressed to go out.  I ask him where he's going and he says that he and his brother are going out to the butcher to get the sheep that the family has purchased.

I look at the clock.  It's 7:39 a.m.

I wonder to myself why it can't be later and am resigned to the fact that I'm going to be up for a while now, and hopefully I'll be able to sleep later.

I ask if he heard the rain in the night and he said yes he had heard it.  I hadn't wanted to ask him while it was raining, as he had gone to bed with a toothache and if he was sleeping, I didn't want to wake him.

I told him it lasted for some time, but that I wasn't sure what time it was when it rained.  He said it was around the time of the morning prayer, as his brother had mentioned it to him.

Well, it was a strange night/morning.  A little less than four hours of sleep, which was broken up by rain and prayers and bleating animals.

Hubby and his brother will take some time at the butcher, depending on how many other people are there.  The butcher doesn't actually kill the animal til they are there, and they actually WATCH!!!!
Gross yeah?

I guess it should take about an hour or so for the whole process, but if they have to wait for anyone before them it could take longer.

They will come home after that, with the WHOLE sheep, and stick most of it in the freezer for the time being to store it.  But, they will give a lot of it away as you are supposed to.  Some to the poor, some to friends and family and some to keep as well.

After getting up I opened up the balcony door to see what it looked like outside and if I could see any traces of the rain from the night.  The air was unexpectedly thick with ... mist?  I don't know what it was, but it was thick and the skies were gray.  I didn't go all the way out as I was still in jammies, so I couldn't see if the ground was wet, but I'm assuming it is still damp.

Not sure what the rest of the day will bring.  I hope sleep is included somewhere.

Eid mubarak!