Tuesday February 17, 2026

Hi Folks,

We are hoping your work week is moving along well.

Yes to the question about the grain fields flowering in multiple regions. Not as much as I was looking for this week but that will change with the heat which is about to increase in the near future. For those who do not know what the flowering stage is please look to the information band above and review the Zadok Scale attachments.

The first photo from yesterday will illustrate it in real time for you to familiarize yourself with it.

However today we are going to travel along with Ron and see my favorite part of Israel. That is the high country way back off the main roads. So many tourists take the time and effort to go to the Land but never get outside of the tourist traps as I refer to them.

I will start out with photos of the Bedouin shepherds who flock into the highlands during winter because there is so much green growth. Food for grazing everywhere. They also bring cattle there as well if they possess some. Just think in a month from now all those goat grass areas will be brown and no longer green. Then the shepherds move down the slopes to areas that can provoke squabbles.

Lots of places to overnight as you will see.

Also note the full utters on some of the ewes. Many Bedouins separate the mom and the lambs during the day while they feed uninterrupted. The landscape speaks to why.

And then some additional photos from around the Land.

Our peace we give to you.