Almost the end

Empty Damascus Gate ... everyone
eating dinner at home

The metal barriers ... hundreds of them in and around the Old City have been stacked in street corners after yesterday's Jerusalem March. They're not likely to be removed because tomorrow is the last day of Ramadan and there will be hundreds of thousands of muslims flooding the Old City again .... and the metal barriers will be re-employed to control the crowds. So we're almost at the end of the fasting season ... the Ramadan cannon will stay quiet till next year ... and life goes back to normal. Or as normal as we can get in this country.

I'm quite worried, to be frank, because tomorrow I must go to Nazareth hospital for several tests and am not sure if I will be able to go out and come back if the City Gates are packed with muslim pilgrims. It's a scary thought ... or as someone said ... it's a nightmare going out.

All types of cherries

And talk about nightmare ... Israel bombed a 2nd time Syria's military bases, killing several people. Russia and Iran ... Syria's allies ... are certainly not happy. Let's just hope things do not flare up and this summer becomes a tragedy for everyone.

The heatwave has created chaos in our fruit industry. Fruit have ripened before they reach their mature size. And those which reach maturity have all turned mushy due to the heat. So the plentiful cherries and plums are all very small and red and colourful but still dry and sour because they had no time to develop juices. What a pity. The farmers must be facing a big lost ... except those growing watermelons. Due to the heatwave, melons become sweeter. Strange but true.

On a happy note, Israeli scientists think they might have discovered a way to help victims of pancreatic cancer.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-researchers-find-potential-hope-for-some-pancreatic-cancer-patients/?fbclid=IwAR13spvH4xVLRQyuOFcRGLfgFetmaeNIKh0NrCCRSBHkejfvqUFuHJLOesQ