Givat Ha-Turmusim

[Note: For those of you who make it through today's entry, there is a fun reward at the end!]

My last journal entry mentioned the special wildflowers that grow in the Valley of Elah on one specific hill. I only got a fleeting glimpse of these flowers on Sunday morning, and admittedly not in the best viewing area. I still want to get back there, but I’ve promised Zahava and the kids that I will take them with me.

So, until that happens, I’d like to show you these special flowers through the lens of more talented photographers, as well as my own meager attempt from this morning at shooting a secluded pasture in a different part of the valley.

First of all, a little history: The Valley of Elah (Elah being the Hebrew word for Terebinth – a tree found throughout the valley) is where the battle between David and Goliath took place (1 Samuel 17). The hill where the Philistine camp stood is called Tel Azeka. The Hill where the Jewish camp stood is called is called Har Soha, but is more commonly called Givat Ha-Turmisum (Turmus is the Hebrew name for the Lupine flower) after the flowers that grow there during this two week period each spring. Today the only Giants around are the enormous Bezeq Satellite dishes that dominate one end of the valley.

These two pictures are courtesy of a neat (and helpful) site called The Israeli Mosaic. I’m sure my pictures (when I finally take them later this week) will not measure up:

Here is another spot in the valley where a simpler flower forced me off the road this morning. I took these shots with my nifty little Canon PowerShot S400 (Digital Elph):

I'll try to get out to Givat Ha-Turmusim on Friday morning with the family (and my camera).

But, in the mean time - as promised - I want to reward those of you who made it though the intire entry today. Here is a link to a site selling software that seems to be targeted at a very narrow demographic; the crazy cat ladies of the world. Enjoy!