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Nice Blogs (more at bottom of page) 
First rain, promptly on Sukkot! This evening I climbed the big bare hill with the three mystery structures on top.

Tonight is the eve of the festival of Sukkot so, sitting on a rock under one of the wooden frames,  I pretended to be in a sukkah.

The International Space Station flew over at 18:02 but it too cloudy and not yet dark enough to see it. Clouds sliced the sun into thirds. Just before sinking behind the hills the sun took the shape of a UFO,  or maybe Noah's ark. Then I turned in the opposite direction, hoping to see the full moon rise (the blood moon and eclipse and all), but the clouds were too heavy.
The street lights coming on in my little Meitar were just as pretty, though, in a different way.

Sheets of lightning started flashing in the clouds to the west.
I started down the "mountain" when I heard voices in the darkening sky.
No, not angels.  But something equally wondrous and surprising.
Black birds started arriving in groups of about a dozen each.
The big birds disappeared into the top of one or two tall trees and became quiet.
There must have been a hundred of them!
I never knew that all these birds came at 18:30 to roost in the eucalyptus grove!

As I walked the four blocks toward home, thunder started rumbling.
And then raindrops fell!!!!   The first since last May!
What a happy Erev Sukkot it turned out to be!
Happy holiday!
UPDATE 11 pm:  Ynet just put up some dramatic photos and video of the unexpected lightning (and fire) and rains across Israel this afternoon.
Check out the palm tree trunk burning inside!  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4579085,00.html
(Linking to SkyWatch Friday.)
Posted by Dina at 10:07 PM Labels: birds, Meitar, rain, Sky Watch Friday 
we have one of the largest jewish settlements in our city and i love driving around and looking at everyone's sukkahs each fall.

October 9, 2014 at 2:06 AM 
The palm tree in your update link is something quite bizarre to these eyes.

Very dramatic, beautiful shots, Dina.

October 9, 2014 at 3:19 AM 
Happy celebrations to you on Sukkot festival!

October 9, 2014 at 10:06 AM 
I try again..
It must be a good blessing with rain on that day. Too bad you did not see the moon, it must be special. We can not see it here and we also had thunder, lightning and storm this night

October 9, 2014 at 10:31 AM 
jaz, shalom. Lucky you. I walked all around my neighborhood and couldn't find even one sukkah. Today I should take the camera over to the slightly more religious neighborhood of Meitar.

William, yes, I too found that burning palm amazing. I have seen similar in oil-laden olive trees in a forest fire.

Indrani, shalom! Thank you.

Spiderdama, thanks for your patience with the commenting. Sorry Blogger and iPhone don't get along better.
Yes, from this time of year the liturgy changes and there is a daily request for "rain in its season." So the rain did come as a blessing.
Every year it seems to start raining just after people have built their sukkot. Either the decorations or the meal get wet from the rain or the wind damages the little hut.

October 9, 2014 at 10:58 AM 
Enjoy your rain... even a lttle just feels good.

October 9, 2014 at 2:59 PM 
We will probably have some rain soon, but it is still almost summer now...

October 9, 2014 at 4:37 PM 
For the blessing of rain, Amen!

October 9, 2014 at 10:34 PM 
When you said rain, you meant it!!! That was quite a storm! I do like your images, even though they are not as dramatic!!

October 10, 2014 at 4:14 AM Nathalie Beaumes said...

I too was hoping to capture the moon but no luck here either. I'm so happy for you about the rain. I hope it was more than just a few drops.

October 10, 2014 at 7:26 AM 
Lovely shots. I love the hues in the sky.

October 10, 2014 at 8:50 PM 
beautiful images. Thanks for sharing.

October 11, 2014 at 5:40 AM 
I can feel the joy of the rain in your words. How amazing, those blackbirds! Belatedly wishing you a happy Sukkot, Dine.

October 11, 2014 at 7:34 PM 
PS: we were blessed with clear skies here that night and I was up at 2:00 in the morning outside watching for quite a while as the moon was covered by the earth's shadow and when it was fully in the shadow it still glowed in a strange dark way with a faint orange tinge to it. It stayed like that for a long time. I went to bed so did not see the reverse take place. It was very wonderful to watch, and the stars, especially Orion, were so clear and sharp in the sky that night.

October 11, 2014 at 7:39 PM 
Beautiful captures!

October 12, 2014 at 8:57 PM 
YAY for Rain!! Love these shots Dina. Did the mysterious wooden huts turn into sukkahs?

October 13, 2014 at 12:10 AM Petrea Burchard said...

I love this post, Dina.

October 13, 2014 at 5:50 AM 
Happy Sukkot!
I wonder: Can you see Jerusalem from your new home, like you did from the house in your former address?
Wil, ABCW Team.

October 13, 2014 at 12:10 PM