Beit Gemal

Tonight I was coming home from the beach at sundown from a quick bit of surfing when I looked up in the sky and spotted a couple of jets launching a couple of missiles. Again the missiles and planes were pointed west but you can be sure the missiles took a couple of turns and wound up to the south. No alarms today so far. Yesterday there were 3 in an hour span. The first I was at the sand dune with the kids and we took cover. For the second we were all home. And for the third Everett and I were out walking. The majority of people avoid going out these days or if they do they go way out, like Tel Aviv or further to get out of rocket range. Being outside you can hear the rockets hit, in both I was outside for two loud thuds sounded a minute after the alarm. The impact noises don’t make it through the safe room walls.

There is talk of a cease-fire by Israel tonight and we are all hopeful this happens. I’m worried though. The cease-fire… I’m back from a trip to safe room for an Alarm, girls were sleeping, Anita had just gone to bed and grabbed Everett… will give Hamas room to retaliate. If Hamas doesn’t stop shooting rockets I don’t think Israel will stop the attack. Let’s see what the next few days bring. Now queue the sound of Apache Helicopters flying to Gaza. If rocket fire from Hamas increases we will take the hotel in Tel Aviv if needed.

Today we went to a monastery closer to Jerusalem than to us, Beit Gemal. Get out of the city for a few hours. We had fun and a picnic. The off photos are un-aimed arm extended pointing back at us. The nuns make pottery and we bought some. We also crawled around on the ruins near by.


I was turning over rocks and found a new friend.


Yesterday was Mt Bike race #3 of the corporate cup. I’m 3 for 3 in the win category. The second place guy from the first two races crashed out. The promoter also brought out the Israel National Mt bike champion to be a carrot for us today. I could out climb him but he put more time into me on the single track and finished before me. Since his was a guest appearance and not an official result I got the win.