World Veterinary Day today

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Happy World Veterinary Day!

Let's appreciate the veterinarians who keep our livestock and pets healthy.

I don't have either, but I really admire vets (and for years wanted to be one). 

These are some good-looking cattle at a private farm not too far from my place. 
They also raise goats and we go there to buy creamy yogurt, tangy labaneh, and wonderful cheeses. 

Enlarge the photos and you'll spot the new concrete security wall just across the road.
Less than two years ago there was only a rather useless fence. 
On the other side you can see Palestinian villages in the West Bank. 
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(Linking to Camera-Critters.)
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Bored police horses

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In Jerusalem I would from time to time see mounted police riding around, usually just outside the Old City (e.g. as in my posts here, here, and here).
Today was my first time to see a police horse in Beer Sheva.
He was just standing in the shade near the Central Bus Terminal.

On the vehicle towing the horse trailer is written Mounted Police Unit, Southern District.
Wait! -- Is that horse in the drawing wearing a gas mask??
THAT I've never seen, but I guess it would be needed in riot control.
Actually, maybe it's just my imagination working overtime, maybe he just has a black nose.

I walked in back and discovered a second horse.
Really wanted to ask the officer in charge if I could talk to, I mean pet, one of the nice horses.
Alas, he was in the middle of an animated conversation on his phone and didn't even notice me.
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(Linking to Camera-Critters.)
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Seeing eye dogs, eyes, and balloons

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It's not every day that you see a guide dog; but today I saw TWO.
This beautiful mature one stayed quietly at its master's feet in the Wilhelmina Auditorium from 9:00  to 2:30.

Beer Sheva's Soroka Hospital gave a study day about various eye problems and treatments.
How the dog sat through all those lectures I don't know.
Poor thing was too low to even see the slides on the screen.

One of the talks included videos of eye surgery, including sticking needles into the eye.
Oi, not for the faint of heart!  But amazing what the surgeons can do to save vision.

Comic relief came unintentionally, haha!
At the end of the day the Eye Department balloon decorations had somehow gravitated to the EXIT stairwell and the old folks were trying to climb through them.

Then at my bus stop a sweet younger dog was waiting for the bus.
Her jacket says she is a guide dog for the blind puppy in training.

The bus stop is right outside Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Many students there volunteer to take such puppies into their homes for a year and go everywhere with them in order to socialize them.

You can see how the Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind works in my earlier post.
And this post shows some playful puppies at our President's open house.
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(Linking to Our World Tuesday and Camera Critters.)
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An alert Golan Heights cat

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A cat on high alert!
Among the ancient stones of Yehudiya-Gamla Nature Reserve. 
It's best to enlarge this photo to see the cat's special stance. 

I'm just coming home from a wonderful few days up in the beautiful Golan Heights and down around the Sea of Galilee. 
I'll get my notes and photos together and start sharing the adventures with you tomorrow.

UPDATE: Just learned that Feb. 17 is World Cat Day in many parts of Europe!  :)
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(Linking to Camera Critters.)
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Camels in waiting

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Does this camel have its own prayer rug to kneel on?

The camel's handler was busy on his phone while waiting for paying customers.

A second dromedary was hitched to a fire hydrant, probably hoping someone would want to take a short ride just for fun.

From our bus I could see more camels on the other side of the highway.

It's a long outdoor market selling ceramics and souvenirs.
Gas station and restaurant.
And everyone knows the Last Chance coffee bar here.
It's on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, and it's your last chance to make a pit stop before the desert, before making the descent to the Dead Sea, hundreds of meters below sea level.
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(Linking to Camera-Critters.)
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Donkeys and olives

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My new friend, Malka! 

"THE HOME OF MALKA AND RACHEL" says the sign. 
Last year the donkeys lived in the kibbutz olive grove, grazing on the underbrush and contributing manure fertilizer.
But this year they were spotted eating olives (!) so they were moved to their own paddock, at least until we harvest all the olives. 

Nothing like a good dust bath on a hot day. 
Yes, it's still hot and dry in Israel, despite it being "winter." 

After she saw Malka roll over, Rachel had a go at it too. 

Two donkey friends and a cloud of dust. 

They are so sweet! 
Gotta love donkeys.
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(Linking to Camera-Critters.)

An electrifying kiss

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Suddenly crazy dazzling streaks across my laptop and TV screens, then a huge flash of light outside my window and a loud PATZ!!  And then my place and the whole neighborhood were plunged into darkness. 
I grabbed a big flashlight and walked down to the corner to check the big electric pole, the one that says "HIGH VOLTAGE,  DANGER OF DEATH!"

Our town's security team was already there, calling the Electric Company's emergency repair line.
Curious neighbors were milling about and pointed out to me what had fallen from above to the hard pavement below.

One pigeon sitting on one high tension wire had touched a second pigeon sitting on a parallel wire, forming a short circuit and causing the big bang and their own electrocution!
Totally charred wings, so sad.

The poor pair of pigeons had only wanted to kiss each other good night.
Even in death they were locked together. 
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(Linking to Our World Tuesday, signs signs, and Camera Critters .)

For Dog Day, our growing dog training promenade

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In honor of National Dog Day (in America, at least) and for Camera Critters meme, here are some fresh photos of our town's dog training promenade.

It is a work in progress, made by volunteers, friends of our local veterinarian Dr. Doron Avishai,  who died before his time.

The builders left their names and messages in the concrete next to the water bowl.
To see how much has been added lately and to check out the various wooden training things, see my post from 2015.
And here you can enjoy pictures of the happy Dog Day that was held there in cooperation with the vet's widow.

The main rule listed here is to keep your dog on a leash.
This is in contrast to the official bare-bones Dog Park built by the Meitar Local Council right across the path; see the difference here.

Another welcome new addition is a patch of bare land where the sign invites you to scatter seeds of wildflowers from our own Negev desert region.
There's also a caveat: Please do not spray here.

Happy Dog Day!
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(Linking to OurWorld Tuesday.)

Pigeon in a bad place

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This is the first time (fortunately!) I've ever seen a pigeon on the shopping carts just outside our town's Shufersal supermarket.
It was standing on the slot where you put in your 5-shekel coin deposit.
The poor bird looked like it could not fly, as if its tail was too short or something not quite right.
Poor thing. . .
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(Linking to Camera Critters.)
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Davening birds?

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This is the spot where I often walk out of Meitar and into Nature.
It was Friday just before sunset, Sabbath Eve, and all these birds were on the wire as if in a long prayer line. 

I approached quietly, slowly, respectfully; but there came a point at which they could no longer abide my presence.
And they took off. 

Shabbat shalom! 

(Linking to Camera Critters and to SkyWatch Friday.)
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Die goldene Medina

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Every spring when these Israeli trees shed their flowers, turning the sidewalk a bright yellow, I am reminded of the Yiddish expression Die goldene Medina.
The Jewish immigrants disembarking at Ellis Island probably did not expect to see America's streets literally  paved with gold  in "the golden country," but they knew that with hard work and patience they would rise out of poverty.

The trees responsible for my reverie look like this, with rough bark.
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(Linking to Camera-Critters meme, for the sweet black cat.)
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Cool campus cats

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Cats are EVERYWHERE on the campus of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. 
Even indoors, it now appears! 
This one was feeling right at home inside the Student Administration Building. 

When she saw me sit down near her, the kitty perked up, assessing me: would I be a good source of food and cuddles? 
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(Linking to Camera-Critters.)
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Shepherds and flock on the move

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I was out walking when suddenly a cloud of dust started moving toward me from the west.
(Hint: you can enlarge the photos and solve the mystery.)

Turned out to be a large flock of sheep and goats!

Two young Bedouin shepherds and their dog kept them moving at a fast clip.

The fine dust coming into my camera (and my nose) was not a good thing but there was no way that I was going to miss this exciting photo opp!

I followed the flock.
 

Here we were walking part of the Israel National Trail.
Some of the goats took a minute to stand on hind legs and eat a bit of the Meitar Forest.

You can see the houses of Meitar up on the hill.

The flock moved on toward their home in the hills and I turned back to start the climb up to my home in town.

Because the sun was setting and night would soon cover the desert.
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(Linking to Camera Critters.)
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Never impede a millipede

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Just me and a millipede in my secret cave. 

(Linking to Camera Critters meme.)
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Still green, to the flock's delight

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Sheep grazing next to Meitar Forest!
(Enlarge the photo to see them better.)
For this lovely scene I have only to walk five minutes from my place here in the Negev town of Meitar.
I've lived here for several years and go out hiking often, but this is only the second time that I have sighted the flock.
The first time was in this post, where you can meet the young Bedouin shepherd and his charges.
Shabbat shalom.
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(Linking to SkyWatch Friday and Camera Critters.)
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