A few more pictures from Israel

See the jeep?

See Dolly?

 Dinner in the desert! Prepared by Itzik (above) who drove the jeep.

Thank you Judith for arranging such a wonderful day!  Happy birthday Shimon!

In Israel

Winter oaks

The decidous oaks are all bare. Huge, statuesque, California's trees.

The "live" oaks--evergreens--shed some of their leaves every day, but hang onto enough through the winter to hide their branches.

Sunny Sunday

An American Robin enjoying the red berries...

... Fury sneaking a few minutes in the sun...

... the new rose garden...

... and lots of pots of bulbs and daffodils waiting for spring.

January

This mild, dry winter has allowed me to spend several days outside during the Christmas and New Years' holidays, and this weekend. I now have a rose garden, where last summers' tomatoes grew; several bare-root, floribunda, grandiflora and one or two hybrid tea roses, all fragrant (of course)... and mulched with leaf-and-grass compost from last year.

Today I planted a plum tree (Prunus salicina 'Santa Rosa') and a "common" lilac (Syringa vulgaris), both at the back of the garden at the boundary with the green belt. I wandered here and there around the whole plot, brandishing the plum sapling, trying to find a spot where it would have enough light and yet not grow up to shade the vegetable garden, nor be under an oak tree. I hope this spot is the right one.

The broad beans are growing well under their chicken-wire nissan huts, which the turkeys have not yet overturned. I will plant more tomorrow, and some peas.

Maybe it will rain at some point this winter. Maybe.