Earlier this week I shared with you photos of the first almond tree blossoms, and now I thought I'd also share with you some photos of the little hike I took with my boys on that same day. We are fortunate to live just a skip and jump from a small forest and nature preserve, so appreciating the wonders of nature isn't difficult, though in the winter we have to wait for Rosh Chodesh, which is a half day. Okay, it is true, Fridays are also a half day, but I am generally really busy with cooking and getting the house in shape for Shabbat, so that isn't usually an option, though I'm hoping to get out today again with my camera, as the blooming trees are calling my name.
Speaking of blooming trees, this almond tree whose flowers are just opening is one of many very old trees in our neighborhood, and so beautiful when in bloom.
A hike with my youngest boys always means climbing of some sort, so here you go!
And this time it also entailed searching for "black rocks" which when rubbed together can be used to make fire, another topic of interest to these guys. Not sure what those "black rocks" are exactly, but it may be granite.
A grove of olive trees in the late afternoon sun.
A puddle reflecting the cloudy sky. As I was taking this photo my youngest son said (in hebrew mind you, which is always more to the point.....) "how embarrasing, my mother is taking a picture of sewage." Not sure why he thought this was sewage, silly boy, so I pointed out the reflection and the fact that this was left over from our recent rain.
A view looking up towards the spot where our house is located, a holy spot where Jews have lived for hundreds and hundreds of years. And in fact the well known Kabbalist, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria Ashkenazi, the Arizal lived here before us, well way before us, around 1530.
I don't know what this plant is called but it is a bulb that comes up right around now, together with wild cyclamen, that I was not fortunate enough to see this time.
And what is this? Wild poppies, which are native to our region and a protected flower, so please don't pick them!
And yet another wild flower whose name I don't know, that also blooms in the late winter, and is found especially in shady rocky areas, where I'm gathering its bulbs are more protected.
Oh dear, the sun is going down, so it is time to start the uphill trek home, hope you enjoyed our little hike!
