Just for a change I decided to ride the east bank of the Jordan. So I crossed the bridge and then up the big hill. Round past a beautiful avocado grove to see the avo's about half size already. Then a surprise as there were about 30 pomegranate trees simply laden with fruit. Followed the track down to the actual riverside trail through several tiny olive groves (30 - 40 trees) planted on favourably-aspected terraces. After a bit of a portage cruised along the riverbank to The Dead End. Coming back along the same track saw a Dwarf Kingfisher. Amazing birds, they fly at top speed less than 6 inches above the surface and they have a perfect rhomboid shape when you see them from above. Must be something aerodynamic. Then back up past the fish pools and through mature date groves to the main road.
Along the promenade/bikeway for 1/2 a k or so . Deciding to cross the road to get into the fields towards the Jordan Border I looked for a gap in the landscape gardening on the roadside. Finding a likely looking spot I portaged and was getting tangled up. Looking down I saw some white, 5-petalled, star-shaped flowers. No! I thought but on looking at the round light green leaves I knew it was jasmine. The smell wafted up as I trampled and dragged the bike through to the roadside.
Then another hour among banana plantations and avocado groves divided by windbreaks of tall skinny cypress before a baguette brunch and 4 km home .

A missile fell just up the hill from us this evening. "Town" bombarded all day again, but no deaths. Lots of fires - all the poor little animals . Endless Air Force overhead - God help whoever was underneath *that*.

shalom salaam peace pax