Late summer adventures

When I look back on all the days I spend at home, acting like a desperate housewife, I sometimes feel that my life is a little bit boring. Then I can just look in my image library from the last few weeks, and my mind switches. Certainly, it is not that satisfying to be somewhat stuck at home a lot, but hopefully things will change soon. I am doing some graphic design and translation jobs from home, but in the beginning of October we have another appointed battle with Misrad Hapnim to deliver our wedding certificate, and hopefully my residency here will be a bit more legal shortly after that.

In the meantime the camera documentation proofs that I am living the good life, roaming this blessed land. One evening, we took the horses on a longer ride from the stables. We visited Beit She'arim and the Alexander Zaïd statue, and stayed there until the sun set behind the Carmel mountain. The breeze almost felt a bit cooling for the first time in three months. However, the extreme summer does not seem to let go of its intense grip just yet. We still sleep with the fan all night long, butt naked on the bed. I have neither used warm water for any shower yet, and it is mid September! People have a hard time believing me, but I am totally loving it!

Jojo and the black mare Laila

Alexander Zaïd statue in the sunset

Last Shabbat we took the kids on another kayaking adventure. This time we started off a bit further up North, in HaGoshrim instead of Kfar Blum. The water in the river was now definitely cooler than when we were there in August, but with the mercilessly frying sun above, it was with pure joy that we spent more time in the water than in the boat.

We succeeded to match our trip with Eid ul-Fitr, the Muslim holiday that marks the end of the Ramadan, and it felt like all of Israel's 1,2 million Muslims had come to HaGoshrim to do some kayaking, or at least the adolescent ones. We all know what happens when adolescents with strict and religious parents go on holiday. They act like obnoxious testosterone-poisoned monsters, screaming, brawling and littering all around. All the boys tried to win the famous macho war, while the girls tried to squeal as high as possible if the boat rocked a bit too much. You who know me understand that this has nothing to do with bashing Muslims. I have enough Muslim friends to be able to speak up against bad manners among them. I do that with whoever deserves it.

Baptised? I don't think so. Blessed? Yes!

Beautiful Hasbani river, a tributary to Jordan river

Nevertheless, in between the herds of wild youngsters we enjoyed some quiet time on the river and after the kayaking we went to Kibbutz Dan for some time at the pool with the cousins of the boys. We got some nice tips for spots to camp on along one of the rivers that are well hidden from kayakers and the rest of the Israeli camping populace. After Sukkot we have five days in a row without kids and then we will put ourselves and the dogs on a river bank far away from civilisation. Or, as our tipper put it, "It is that far up North that if you meet anyone, it's Hezbollah".