Rain

Rain in April ... it's been a very long time since we had this type of rain. Overcast skies, showers interspersed with drizzle, cold moderate winds. That'll keep people indoors; which is not a bad idea because John Kerry is in town and roads have been closed or temporarily blocked while his motorcade shuttles back and forth from King David's hotel to hold meetings with Israeli and Palestinian govts. Quite a bother for locals.

Enormous head of rose
at Ratisbonne

The rain is also good for the plants of course. Any walk down a park or garden will prove that. There're huge roses blossoming in the Ratisbonne garden. Impressive.  And another good thing about the large amount of rain we've been getting this year is, several "extinct" plants have resurfaced and re-discovered. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israeli-ecologists-spot-plant-thought-to-be-extinct-for-50-years.premium-1.514633

The bird/swine flu is quietly causing a panic though the govt refuses to officially declare preventive measures. Tamiflu is limited to 5 packs for each order by a phamarcy. I needed to get alot for the sisters of Mother Teresa in Gaza as they're all falling ill. And it's pretty expensive - 135 shekels for a box of 10 pills. Imagine having to buy over 10 boxes. Too bad the locals here are not educated to close their mouths when they cough or sneeze. It's awful. Well the weather is not helping in this case.