Beating the dust

Headed to southern desert highlands today to escape the dusty heatwave in our part of the country, counterintuitive I know, but true. Was many degrees cooler in the high desert and the air was refreshingly clear and dust free relative to the murk around our home.

Delightful lunch with dear friends in their Beer Sheva abode, followed by an outing to the Ramat Hanegev nature reserve and Makhtesh Ramon, which gave its name to the technical term for this uniquely local type of geological feature.

We saw large numbers of spring birds all along the drive south, feeding in fields and flying overhead. Flocks of white storks, swallows, buzzards, kites and more.

On scrubland by the roadside at the entrance to Beer Sheva much to the kids' delight we spotted a camelherd with his dog and a herd of camels, including young.

Travelling through Ramat Hanegev with a short stop at Borot Lutz we noted how when we last visited this area Pesah two years ago, same time of year, the area was covered in a wealth of flowers in all hues. This time there were almost none that we could make out, a few scattered clusters of mustard and that was it.

Elsewhere the children were intrigued to be driving by an army base where recruits were doing basic training and PT.

Visiting Mitspe Ramon this time of year we saw lots of ibex (native wild goat) with their adorable babies effortlessly scaling the cliffs. We now feel a close affinity to the mothers with twins. The human kids were entranced by the animals and wouldn't leave until it was almost dark.