IT FEELS LIKE SPRING....

It is Saturday morning and other then our 6:30 work project, we both have the morning off.  We have a few more staff members then we need at the present time.  Groups have slowed down.  The Nigerians are all back home.  Other countries are just getting going after the Christmas season.
So this morning was haircut time.  We brought our clippers and have a converter from the 220 current.  Our clippers did not get the message.  Donna just about had her hand vibrate off.  The job is done and it feels so  much better for me.

Of course , I may have kept my hair  longer if the weather had not warmed up so much this week.  We are amazed that the flowers in the garden seem to have all sprung back up after the beating in the snow.  Our gardener is Dutch background so is very happy with her first tulip.

She also managed to borrow a chainsaw.  It was not too busy on Tuesday, so they asked if I would cut up the large limb that was left from the tree that was broken in the snow.  After that there was another tree that had a broken top.  All the needles are in the broken section.  Both trees are pines and very brittle.  I was more nervous with the second tree as it is shaped like a snake.  We did not want to break other trees or benches but it was really hard to figure where the weight would be.  I ended up going up a ladder and cutting a section higher up first before taking down the rest of it.  So here are a few pictures of the logging adventure

.The tree above is the one that broke off by the tomb.  The one to the right is the snake tree.  Rami is up trying to cut off the broken piece hanging down so I could go up and cut off the horizontal section below him.  The next picture is finishing this tree.  Then to cut all the logs for firewood which is very valuable here.

Nice to be able to do something I have done before.
It is very expensive here to bring in people to cut trees and right now they have so much work around the city as a result of the snow.

On Tuesday evening a group of us went to the large Lutheran church in the Old City to listen to a Holocaust survivor.  We thought it would be in English but thankfully they had someone translate from the German.  It was very special.

The couple in the middle are the ones that shared.  His family were mostly all killed.  He shared some of the miraculous ways that he was able to get to Switzerland as a young teen and his life had been spared.








We try to get out some evenings or on our days off and keep exploring and enjoying the walking.  This week we went  a block from here to what has been called Solomon's Quarries or Zedekiah's Cave or....We do know that it has been a huge quarry for stones for the temple and walls.

It is just to the left of the Damascus Gate.  You can walk in for over 1000 feet.  Some places it is over 300 feet wide.  

I had Donna stand across from me in one of the quarry areas so you could get a sense of how big the areas are.  The picture above is to try and show you the lines from where they cut the large stones.  The Freemasons use it here in Jerusalem as they see Solomon as being the first Freemason.  I think he would be very surprised.

Another wonderful building is the Hurva Synagogue. It is in the Jewish Quarter of the city.  Has a long history.  Sadly, the Jordanians made sure it was bombed in 1948.  Since 1967 when the Jews again could go into this part of the city, they put up one of the large arches as a way to represent the former building.  In 2010 they completed rebuilding it.  We went in the one evening during evening prayers.  I could go to the main floor area.  Donna had to go up 4 floors to the women's gallery.  There was an elevator but seeing as she does not read Hebrew, she decided the stairs would be a better choice.

The curved building is the old Jerusalem city hall.  It is pocked with bullets as the Old City  is behind me and at times Palestinians would fire bullets at the building.  This is the corner of Jaffa street.  Now the light train runs up just past the building on the left.  Of course no buses or trains today as it is Shabbot.

 Donna and I have been out for supper at this little restaurant a couple of times.  It is just inside the Jaffa Gate.  It is owned by Palestinians and is beautiful and clean.  Come on over and I will treat you to supper....

The picture above is right near where we buy some of the groceries and the stall on the right is all candies.  We live half a block from here.  I know Glenda and Don are looking and wishing they could be walking along here right now!  We were walking in the Jewish Quarter two nights ago and a salesman was displaying his wares on the edge of this stairway.  These are the Yarmulke or Kippah hats that the Orthodox wear.  The black hats are the Ultra Orthodox.

 I have a few others sites to include from this week.  The Ultra Orthodox do not like you aiming a camera at them.  This one above is taken with the camera held at my waste so I did not know if I would get it.  We did a few night shots and sort of turned out.

We will be having our three day break starting tomorrow.  We may take the bus to Tel Aviv and walk along the promenade in the sun....That is if there is still a warm day.  We have not taken a ride on the city train as yet so that may be another thing.  Not sure if we will meet up again with our friend Roni.  He had talked about getting together on Tuesday.  He will be at the Garden late in the week with a group of pastors from Canada brought by Christian Journeys.  We plan to go out for supper with Roni and Brian at that time.  We were down by the Western Wall two nights ago and Roni was walking near us with a group.  He invited us to go with the to the Western Wall tunnels but we did not want to interfere and were showing a new couple the Old City.  This is all for now.  We look forward to having the Jutras from Poland here as of the 29th.  We have arranged our days off so we can guide them for the two days and the Sunday.  Blessings to you all.  gord and donna