Rain! Winter's Back

Shabbat was such a spring-like day. On Friday when I took a walk I even spied an almond tree in bloom. The middle of the Jewish Month of Shvat, now, is when almond trees are supposed to flower, so we just made it.

These are actually two photos combined. See my Instagram page, shilohbatya

We'd been enjoying the break from winter weather and knew to expect winter's return this week. According to the forecast for Shiloh, the entire week will be rainy. 

It's winter, 

and we need rain, 

so can't complain.

But can still kvetch...

yes?

Just before the rain fell this morning

There was enough light from the dawn to make the returning raindrops look like diamonds on leaves and the chair.

Our merpeset, terrace, gets the extremes from all weather, since it's on the southern side of the house. The twenty 20 meters of clotheslines are fantastic for quickly and easily drying multiple loads of wash. When it snows, this is the side of the house that gets the most, though it is also the first to melt.

I have so many things planned for this week, which I hope to accomplish while sneaking past the raindrops. I may arm/protect myself by wearing my father's heavy Land's End winter coat, which we left here when moving him to Arizona.

Looking outside, through south-facing windows, it looks absolutely stormy.

shot with a flash

shot without the flash, plus a drop of "tint" editing

It's the Jewish Month of Shvat when the last of the heavy rains are supposed to fall in the Holy Land. May it be for a blessing, Gd willing.

It's Not Even Purim, but Don't Try to Tell it to The Plants

Here are some pictures I took yesterday while wandering around the neighborhood, while on my "fitness walk."

Many of the almond trees are losing their bloom and getting ready  for fruit/almonds.  It's all very pretty now, but it has been much too dry.  We're definitely suffering from drought and it will only get worse later in the summer.

Searching For Almond Blossoms

The Jewish month of Shavat is long gone, and now we're in the middle of the first Adar of this leap year. In Israel, we expect to see almond blossoms, certainly by the middle of Shvat, about four weeks ago, but this year we didn't.

A couple of weeks ago there was a serious, for Israel, snowstorm, and another is predicted for tomorrow. Actually, last week the experts were insisting that we'd have lots of snow by tonight. Today was supposed to be stormy, too.

But G-d had other plans and this morning we enjoyed an unusually beautiful sunrise. At least I made it to the livingroom just in time to see and photograph it.


Then, instead of a storm, we suddenly had gorgeous, warm spring weather. Just the day to stay home and open the windows and air the place out a bit. Don't forget about hanging out the laundry.

I certainly couldn't stay in all day, so I decided to take a walk and search for almond blossoms.

I started with the almond tree by my front door, not that I expected to see any on its pathetic branches. It's the "Purim Almond Tree." Quite a number of years ago, we've been in this house 22 years, we planted a rooted willow branch from the "arba'a minim," four species of Succot. The tree never really took well; though I watered it as much as I could. Suddenly, one Purim we noticed almond blossoms. Willow trees don't blossom like almond trees, though they have similar longish leaves. Looking carefully, we could see the runty willow growing right next to it. A few years before, someone must have dropped an almond which took root and grew. It's really miraculous, since very few of our agricultural efforts have been successful.


As you can see, it's pretty bare.

Next stop was the next door neighbor whose almond tree is just a few yards or meters from mine, but strangely, it's the most precocious of all in the neighborhood.


I continued walking and found just a few trees showing almost blooms.


Last years's beauty has barely awoken from its winter slumber.

Strange Erev TU b'Shvat sights

While I was hanging out the wash this morning, I saw a strange sight. It was a purple iris in bloom, rather precocious, weeks before I'd expect it. Of course I had to take its picture.

And while I was out, especially since it's the eve of TU B'Shvat, considered the Holiday of the Trees, symbolized by the almond blossoms, I just had to take a picture of almond blossoms, but my usual tree was bare!

How could it be? An early iris and a late almond, just meters apart? Maybe since that almond tree is slightly higher than that iris? The other irises nearby show no signs of flowers. Rather peculiar, I'd say.

Then I walked back to the sidewalk the iris decorates and saw some almond blossoms in the neighbor's yard.

חג ט"ו בשבט-חג השילוני--שמח

Have a Happy TU B'Shvat--The Shiloh Holiday!

We're celebrating 29 years since we've returned to the Holy City of Shiloh!!