With my job in the Army, I am bound to the base. I don't get to go "outside" and mingle with the locals like the average infantry grunt. I can, however, get really close to the fence.

I live on a huge base (formerly Saddam's) and when I have business on the West side, I like to take the 'scenic' route. I can drive right next to the fence separating us from the rural villagers that harvest the land and just kinda hang out. I guess they're curious.

I've been trying to get a picture of the locals so I usually ride shotgun hoping to luck out. One day, a buddy and I drove past a family picking sunflowers less than 30 ft from our vehicle. The little girl saw us and began to wave franticaly. I was so wicked excited that I nearly jumped out of the passenger window waving back at her. "Here's my chance," I thought. I picked up my digital, hand-held camera to get a shot. Well, I guess she thought it was a weapon because she screamed in terror and ran to her mother. It's not something you can shake off with an "oops..my bad." I felt absolutely horrible for the rest of the day.

But that was then. Today, however, it was different. I was driving back by myself...just zoned out. The fields were hopping with Iraqi's. Most of them were harvesting weeds, it looked like. There were a few cattle or goat herders, and some curious children of various ages just scopin out the scene. The adults and some of the children were dressed in the usual garb an Iraqi would wear. The long black robe with head covering for the females. The rest were stuck in an 80's time-warp.

Casually glancing as I drove, I saw a different little girl standing with her hands on the constantina wire. Coincidently, she saw me just as I drove by. She waved. I waved, this time without the addition of my camera, and she got really excited and smiled real big. I think she even jumped up and down. I was overcome with warmth. It was the sweetest thing ever. After that, I was peachy keen all day.

I see all kind of stuff through the fence line that surrounds our base. From pygmy-albino donkeys to merry nude boys playing in a ditch....oh yes..naked little boys. No one seems to be frightened by the large guard towers looming overhead, though, even if the 249 muzzles are jutting out from their hatches.

I guess ordinary people are just living their lives as they usually would, but in an extraordinary situation.