HAIL in Jerusalem!

On Friday, we drove about an hour from Jerusalem to Kochav Yair where spent Shabbat with wonderful friends, Sam and Adina Cooper. We got to their neighborhood, dropped our bags, and went to the pool. The girls swam for a couple of hours
while Noam and I played in the field outside the pool. The weather was glorious - a perfect day for a swim.  We lounged around all of Shabbat. The kids bounced on their trampoline, we mozied over to their local zoo, and lounged around their yard trying not to get too sunburned. We passed Shvil Yisrael, the national hiking trail which crosses the entire country, and it was covered in cyclamen.

The rosemary lamb was a brilliant creation, the Coca Cola Chicken was a treat for everyone.

And then we returned to Jerusalem after Shabbat under the cover of night.  We woke up this morning to a desert sand storm, followed by blustery rain, followed by ... HAIL!! It's been hailing for hours now. Big pelting, noisy smashing, tinny tapping HAIL. 

And poor Noam keeps getting woken up with a start by each clap of thunder. My Baby Barometer is not happy, to say the least. The skies are rumbling and he's roaring.  Poor guy. 

I think we'll go back to Kochav Yair.  Fast.

Agam Motza

On Friday afternoon, Racheli and I went on a hike with our next door neighbors to a beautiful spot called Agam Motza - the Beit Zayit reservoir. It's just under Beit Zayit, hidden in the hills between Ein Karem and the Sorek Valley. There's a man-made dam there and the water backs up into a sweet lake, with lush foliage on the banks. As we're in the midst of the rainy season in these parts, the banks were super muddy. We spent 2 hours sloshing around in the mud with plenty of flops and giggles.

Racheli enjoying the afternoon

 Just above the banks of the dam is a moshav called Beit Zayit, one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in the area. One of the families of Beit Zayit owns a horse farm, and the girls had a wonderful time going up to see the horses.


Our next door neighbor, Lia, with Racheli



Take a look at what Racheli is holding in this photo - it's a porcupine quill! 

Thanks to Don who held down the fort for the few hours before candlelighting so that Racheli and I could go on this completely rejuvenating hike and come into Shabbat with clear minds and plenty of energy.