So tired :P

What an effort LOL. All that strenuous action going on this morning at the Nemaal Tel-Aviv, I'm exhausted, hahaha - When I arrived there around 07:30 I found thousands of people there. It turned out a Triathlon was being held there and many (I mean really m-a-n-y) were participating. It was a happy and cheerful atmosphere and people were encouraging the participants by cheering them on. I still managed to get to the waterfront (most parts were fenced off to keep the way free for the participants) and talk with "my" fishermen. They caught some Arasiem, a Miramera and a "Rock-fish" (dag ha-Sela), but nothing spectacular again. One fisherman said the big fish won't show up because at the pond behind the wave-breaker they are adding sand so the depth of the sea nearby the wavebreaker is becoming more and more shallow, thus keeping the fish further away from the shore. It's becoming too busy now at the beach on Saturdays. I like that a lot less. Perhaps I should start out earlier in the mornings on Saturdays...


Of course I couldn't show any self discipline and photographed some flowers on the way to the beach as well. The Bougainvillea's colors are so vivid and intense and make a quite an impression on me so I just have to have that 'eternalized' on photo. Then, there was a stem of a tree/plant having the 3 phases of life all in one on it: the bud, the blooming flower and the flower that had wilted. Like a symbolic kind of thing. At least, that's how I felt it.

Also, while absorbing the lone birds flying around and the pityful situation the Yarkon finds itself in at that particular part of its stretch, on the bridge over the Yarkon connecting Tel-Aviv with Ramat-Gan I saw "Shalit Now" (I suppose inspired by the "Shalom Now" slogan) written on the pavement. (I assume they demand Gilad Shalit's release)

1. Small clip of the finish line at the Triathlon.
2. Photo of a different part along the way of the Triathlon.
3. Three photos - one of a Akas, one of a Miramer, one of the Dag-HaSela.
4. Photo of a Bougainvillea along the way to the beach.
5. Shalit Now - graffiti

Endless

From a totally opposite situation I walk into endlessness. . . That is the feeling I get each and every time I approach the sea. Perhaps the first photo can express an associating sentiment that I feel. While sitting totally secluded at the top of the stairs running down to the pier on that same photo this morning (I almost couldn't believe it: there was nobody in sight for a good 20 minutes, just me -a few crabs, a pigeon, an orev, a sparrow- and the sea) I started thinking. I listen to the sea and he is always telling me the same stories, for years already. Perhaps that's why I feel like he's a close family-member - he doesn't change, he's always reliable - always there like one big, h-u-g-e shoulder for support. He doesn't complain when I come back to see him after not having been around for a while and just continues telling his stories to me.


Even without a cent to my name I felt that this is worth so much more than money. Suppose I would be a millionaire and would live in some cold, grey country deep inland? Of course the money could buy me fancy -perhaps tropical- holidays, but I would always have to return to that place while right now I pick up my legs and walk right into endless happiness that's absorbing every fiber of 'me' .... Now isn't that "rich"?

The photos:
1. "Endlessness.... as I feel it when looking out over the sea.
2. The cat (although it's a 'she' I think) who came straight at me when I walked up to the wave-breaker as if she recognized me (perhaps she did) from last week and welcomed me by rubbing up on my legs and even jumping in front of my face on the wooden fence separating the wave-breaker from the sea. (She eventually -as if she suddenly remembered- did look to the other side of her, the seaside and cringed - a little hahaha)
3. Yup!! They have arrived. I saw at least 5 of them flushed upon the beach. The Jellyfish that is. This one has his intestines so clearly shown that I just had to make a photo of it. I never saw the 'inside' of a jellyfish shining through the slimy, white substance I thought was the only thing they were made of. Here it looks as if he got "muscles" LOL.
4. A place where people fish during the day and at nights sometimes there are weddings. That stage up there is where they set up the "Chupa" (covered 'tent' where Jewish weddings have to take place under). Such a lovely place to get married... (Oh, and I DO have self restraint: the female Egret was sitting at 2 meters away from me there on the railing and I didn't take (yet another, hahaha) photo of her)
5. A small clip of a crab in action...

Left the house at 05:00 a.m. and the only 'traffic' was in 'opposite direction'. Meaning people were on their way home after Friday night's clubbing or what have you while I was heading 'out'. Interesting to be on the 'other side' - I like it.


The moon was still shining although it was already dusky and I found a lone (but very bright) star not far from the moon (seeing from here, that is. probably they're millions of kilometers apart from each other in space).

I heard the birds this early in the morning much louder than usual performing their morning concerts. It was fantastic!

Two Egrets and the fireflies were waiting for me near the Yarkon bridge and further down the way I saw a very young, black & white colored, cat hunt after a tiny little bird with a pointed beak that seemed to ridicule the cat with giving it a good tease.... the poor, but playful, cat was utterly frustrated :D

At the beach I met the fishermen again, same spot.... Only they were very dissatisfied. Not only was the water of the sea almost transparent but also two fishingboats had their nets spread out earlier that morning and sort of caught all the fish. At least that is what they said was the reason they didn't catch anything today. Still one of them caught a "Saragossa" (I'm becoming a professional on fish if this goes on this way) and I photographed it but because the animal was moving on the line so ferociously the photo didn't succeed. Pity. However, this time I did get a good photo of an Arash (the poison in its snappers having fish) - they caught later on.

I then went further north to check up on the hide away a Mynah has stacked her nest in. It is very hard to see the hatchlings - let alone photograph them. But if looking hard the youngster's face can be made out in the photo underneath. Because the camera makes a sound when I press the shutter button and because I was standing not too far from the nest and did not move (like all other people jogging there) I think the mother Mynah got stressed because she came at me. She jumped out of the nest and flew icily fast a few centimeters over my head (you can see her legs as she is heading for my head on the photo down here). So, I left. I don't want her to feel stressed or threatened of course ....

The last photos are made in the shallow water of the pond behind the wave breaker in the nemaal. There is a iron pipeline on the bottom there that's covered with seaweed and I saw this weed detach itself from the pipe with every retreating wave and clamp back on it with every incoming wave. That's strange. So -after thorough investigation hahaha- I discovered they were fish. They just turn green when being on the pipe.

Prophecy

I didn't leave early this morning. It was close to 7 already. But I wanted to be sure all bastot at the Shouk HaCarmel would be open, and if I'm too early they are not.

As I was walking I started getting conscious of a song that I was singing over and over in my head. It's an old Dutch song, from the generation of my parents still and called "Een Ballonnetje". It tells about a balloon on a string dancing in the wind. I never heard it anymore since I was a child. I wondered how it got in my head. . . . .


The Shouk didn't have what I needed (although it had a lot of what I would liked to have bought) but I thoroughly enjoy walking through it. It's one of the most colorful places I know. In every meaning of that word (colorful).

When I got to the beach I was met by a girl distributing flyers about a "Masshaat" - sort of organized sailing demonstration - in honor of the remembrance of the sinking of the Altalena - of which yesterday the ceremony was held for the monument. It was to take place at 10. Fine. I waited at the rocks out on the sea-breaker. There was a sweet looking pigeon that caught my attention that came to sit close to me but later flew off when a child came running in it's direction. The Masshaat was not much and I left soon after 10.

There I saw the pigeon again and decided to take photo of him - when I discovered why he looked so 'rueful'. He had a thread caught up between both of his legs. As much as I wanted to help him get rid of it.... it wouldn't work. Each time I got closer than 1 meter from him he flew away... Poor pigeon :(

As I was standing waiting for the moniot sherut to go home I looked up and there high in the sky was .................... A BALLOON ON A STRING DANCING IN THE WIND!!!!

And this is the Evening....

Again the Egret. But now wading through the subsiding -due to the tide- sea... hunting for fish and crabs. The lightening suits my mood. Tomorrow will be a new day. Perhaps more "rosy". Some crabs were out sunbathing as well.... but hurried back to let the sea give them shelter when they sensed the Egret:




As I was returning from the Nemaal I had trouble passing a 'ceremony' near "tshitsh" beach. It turned out that the new Altalena memorial was being 'uncovered'. Old men talking about their past on that ship were telling their story. It was very interesting. Ron Holdayi (T-A mayor) was there as well.

This is how I feel this morning....

:-(

Amazing morning

Left the house at 05:30. Beautiful weather, nice and crispy.
First thing on the ramp at the Nemaal I met was a cat (photo #1) - there was nobody else there except her and me. She came to welcome me - I felt bad I had nothing with me to give her to eat... Soon after another cat came along who took a special liking to my backpack as can be seen in (photo #2) - and after that in my legs (who were bare because I wore knee-length jeans). So much so that she put her nails in it, and me not particularly wanting to go have another tetanus shot (had too many already in the past) bid the couple farewell and went to sit on the mezach until an Orev showed up walking into my direction - Yes. I let an Orev chase me away *blush*.

When I got up further north in the Nemaal (I hardly ever go up north) - I saw "the" Snow Egret and got excited (it are the small things in life that do that to me) - So I took out my camera. I see "the" Snow Egret on each and every walk I make near the beach flying by and thought of it as a sign of saying 'hello' to me. Well...

The two fishermen who had their rods situated near the building the Egret was landing on told me there are 5 (!) of them and they all fight with each other. This morning there were only two, a male and a female. The male kept chasing the female away. The first photos are of the male - but finally the female got a chance and was able to accept a fish the fisherman I talked to offered her as well. Photos herebelow.

I then decided to walk up north even more and get some photos of airplanes landing and taking off at the Sde Dov airport which is situated practically 'at' the beach and within reach of Reading (power station). Ahum...... I walked and walked and walked..... and when I finally got there the guard at the airport told me that they land and take off near the beach (this was after a sivoev) - So, I walked some more. "Some" is the keyword here.... When I finally got to a place I thought I had to turn left -it looked Godforsaken with only new buildings being built there and I suddenly heard a voice behind me "Ma'am show me your ID".... WHAAAAAT??

An undercover policeman looked at my ID and said "It isn't you" - Boy.... what a relief. No idea what it was all about but sure was happy it wasn't me, LOL. He then proceeded in casual talk and couldn't get over the fact that I walked "all the way" from Ramat-Gan. He asked his friend over the walkie talkie if he had time to give me a lift to the beach (Tel-Baruch) and when the friend said he was busy and I said that it really doesn't matter he said that he hoped to see me at the beach one time..... Excuse me????

When I arrived at Tel-Baruch there actually wasn't much going on. I walked pass a fence - all the while through the water - and saw another Egret - but that was it. Not much airplanes taking off of landing at all. There is constant security there driving around the facility and I asked one man in such a car if I could proceed up to Reading (now from the other side) and end up in Tel-Aviv beach.

This man was very talkative and friendly and started -after asking what I was photographing all the time- explaining me about that part of the beach stretched out at that particular place. About the wildlife -more exactly about the sealife- and what I could photograph if................. I would sit there for hours and have patience.

After 20 minutes or so we parted and I walked back to the kiosk at the beginning of the beach and asked how to get back to Ramat-Gan. The guy said it is impossible to walk to Ramat-Gan. Obviously I told him I just did.... and his reaction was "WHAT???"

I feel good now. Having had at least 2 young men end up in total surprise about my walking capabilities Hahahahahaa