Something Very Strange

 Every now and then I look at the stats on my blog - I can see how many people have viewed it, and the number of comments (very rare).  Over the past couple of months, if these stats are to be believed, which of course they obviously aren't, it would appear that thousands of people have read my posts.  I cannot see in which countries or areas these people live, and as there are no more comments than usual, I find it impossible to believe.  Something must be wrong with the set up, but I haven't attempted to change anything on the settings - I wouldn't dare!!!!!!  I am technologically challenged.

At the end of June I lost a large amount of files on my computer that I had neatly filed into appropriate boxes which I had opened over the years.  I just couldn't find anything.  All empty, gone ---- into the ether. I do have a back up time machine, and everyone assured me it should be there. Those who know about these things attempted to help, with zooms, remote viewings, screen sharings. Nothing, nader - 6 weeks now of trying and nothing has been restored. I went through all the stages of grief; horror, denial, shock, anger, bargaining, sadness, self anger and guilt (these are MY stages, not necessarily those of Elizabeth Kubler Ross) despair, and although not acceptance, resignation.

When I moved to Israel I did not bring any electrical appliances because the electrical requirements here are different.  Because of the above terrible loss which apparently thousands of people are reading about, and my state of resignation, I decided to buy a printer.  The reason being that I will revert to old time storage of papers and real - not virtual files.

This week I bought a printer and yesterday managed to install it and connect it to my wi fi.  Now I know many readers will look at this and think - so what, anyone can do that.  I can assure you, NOT anyone can and I feel very proud of myself.

And from now on all important information will be printed out and filed away.  Of course it will also be on my computer.  I only hope that somehow I can keep hold of these records.

Some Art

 I have been sequestered, firstly because of covid, and now the weather, and general malaise.  I have been reading a lot - someone here bought me about 5 very large books - about 800 pages each, the first being The Seven Sisters.  She insisted I have missed out by not having read them - worse even, I had never heard of them. Until I became ill they took up space on my bookshelf unopened. One of my days in isolation I leafed through the first one. Having nothing else to do, or to read, I began reading. Hmm, I thought, as I read - predictable, contrived, artificial, and I continued reading despite my severe criticism. I am now on the fourth book, and totally engrossed.  

I had also reserved The Covenant of Water on Libby - as an audible book.  A note informed me I had a 21 week late.  3 days later I received a text that the book is ready. So while I listen to this book I began to try watercolours - a medium I find very difficult.  Also some sketching with graphite.

Here are the fruit of my labours:

Dog Days

 Is the "Dog Days of summer" an American expression.  Is there, in fact, such an expression?  It came to my mind this afternoon when I opened the glass sliding door to my patio to look at a new plant I put in this morning.  The sliding door and all the windows are closed. The air conditioning is on. My outdoor bumble bee thermometer registers 100 fahrenheit. That is about 34 degrees centigrade.  Outside the late afternoon air is hot - it feels like stepping into a bowl of hot soup. It wraps itself around you clinging to one like a veil.  If I am out for longer than 5 minutes sweats drips into my eyes and onto my clothing.

I never did like the Israeli summer, but at least when I lived on the kibbutz and in Jerusalem it was a dry heat.  An oven that was not sticky.  In the long ago days of kibbutz life there was no air conditioning.  Electric fans were placed in strategic positions, dark shutters were pulled tight in the morning and only opened again in the evening.  We didn't have refrigerators either.  I would go to the dining room, foam jerry can in hand, and fill it up with soda water that came out of the middle tap in the kitchen. That was a refreshing blessing.  Every evening a breeze would sigh through the cypress trees and we spread out cotton blankets on the grass and sat outside.  But there was no humidity, and that was fine.

Jerusalem evenings even required a shawl or light sweater. Another blessing. 

Of course this was long long ago. Long before one heard mention of global warming, or climate change, or tipping point, or HEAT LOAD, or wind chill.  I might even say "the good old days."

I thrived in the fog and chill of the bay area - I have mentioned this ad nauseum.

All to say is that I am NOT thriving now.  The quality of the heat has changed, as has the quality of the rain on those rare occasions that it rains. The weather report here states for example, 35 degrees with an increased heat load.  I am not sure what this means other than that it is absolutely unbearable.  Some days when there is no heat load it almost feels pleasant at 35 degrees!

My brother lives in rural New Hampshire amidst beautiful trees near a lovely lake.  They had a tornado last week and all the beautiful trees are gone. Thank goodness at least their home was spared.  

 So along with all my other concerns about the ever worsening political situation is an all pervasive overriding anxiety of climate panic.   I know I am not alone in this, but that does not help  particularly.   What have we done to our beautiful planet?

Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday - July 22.  I have to say it was the strangest birthday in my 76 years  on this planet.  Of course I have no recollection of my early, formative years - who knows, there may have been a foreshadowing - speculative.

I am at the tail end of my first bout with Corona!!!!!!  How I got it is a mystery, but exactly the Saturday before my birthday I was slammed!  

I came out of quarantine the day before my birthday, and my first and only foray into the outside oven was to the recycling bin.  

To add to the strangeness of it all, I have spent my past many birthdays in the United States, in California. Israel is 10 hours ahead of California, So speaking to people was as topsy turvy as is everything these days. In other words, I did not speak to friends in the States until late in the day.  As my day was finishing, greetings came in until late into the night.   

A birthday dinner arranged by my sister was celebrated without me!  

All of this adds to my surreal experience of the present times.

Amidst all these happening, it is  uplifting to witness, once again, the wonderful, brave, resilient, humanist, indomitable, spirit of the Israeli people.

Is this going to prevail?

Day of Disruption

 In my geriatric bubble everything is carrying on as usual, EXCEPT for the looks of despair, and sadness, and resignation omnipresent in the faces of the residents, many of whom have served this country as judges, doctors, pilots, soldiers, teachers, nurses.  Of those residents who came from England, the USA, Australia, South Africa, Ireland - they came for idealistic reasons. The chose to come to a country they believed had a right to exist, and would be 'a light unto the nations.' 

This light has been extinguished by a bunch of fanatic, extremist, racist, would be dictators.

It is a sad sad day.  And the people - the wonderful people, who still love this country are out protesting in the streets, at the airport, causing disruptions that are still legal in the eyes of the soon to be gone judicial system.  

Everything has taken on a surreal quality.  All of this that is happening, can't REALLY be happening.  And the weather - hot and humid.  The weather is insane all over the world.  What have we done to our planet and its peoples?  It is time for everyone everywhere to wake up. 

Recent Sojourn

 I was on the Island of Aegina and in Athens for a few days.  Here are some photos - will write shortly.

As usual, since my last post, so much has been happening and I have been unable to write - hope these pictures will replace words.

And Another

 Outside the sky is carpeted with grey clouds, the burning sun is not visible, but is felt as soon as I open the door. It is like opening an oven door.  Next to my front door frame, the needle on the bumblebee clock I brought with me from overseas, is creeping toward 110 degrees fahrenheit.  I purposely bought this with me so I wouldn't forget fahrenheit.  All the while I lived in the States I converted the temperature to celsius by deducting 30 and dividing the sum by 2.   This would make today 40 degrees centigrade, which it is.  In other words, hot, oppressive, not a day to be spent outside.  This began last evening, high temperatures, a howling wind which blew dust everywhere.  Maybe three heavy drops of "rain" - drops that splatter on cars leaving dusty blotches.

Was it just two nights before that I slept in a guest house on a kibbutz in the north of Israel, on a birding expedition? My whole sense of reality seems  to have changed.  We went up to the Golan Heights, right on the Syrian border. We walked to a natural spring to see the wildlife - toads, water snakes, soldiers, their submachine guns left on the ground as they dunked themselves.  A sign on the path warned us not to step away from the marked path because of land mines.  Just three feet from that sign was a sign for an ice cream shop to be found through Waze.  I tried to photograph these signs but the sun spoilt the photographs. It is the glorious season  of platinum and gold, interspersed by the green of grapevines and cherry trees. 

We saw Frankolins, Mallards, cormorants, terns, warblers, pink ladies, barn owls. - the last of the spring flowers, glorious clouds, heard muffled explosions from Syria, ate delicious dolmas and humus and pita in a Druze village. 

Such is life - and we must celebrate each moment.