Almost like Christmas ... the first rain
By Alexandra Funk
You don’t notice autumn in Israel as usual by the leaves falling from the trees or the lower temperatures or the frequent rain. No! Autumn comes here almost creeping and silently. It remains a constant warm 30-35 degrees, it doesn’t rain either, the trees keep their leaves until winter.
Do you know how to recognize autumn in Israel? By the low sun, it doesn’t burn so badly on your skin anymore, by the wind that smells of a fresh breeze, by the yellow grasses that have dried up to the marrow and literally cry out for water. It’s almost as if the flora and fauna are fed up with the heat and are all waiting for one thing: the rain and the cooling!
All of us who live in Israel know that after the Feast of Tabernacles (which occurs in late September or early October), the rains are around the corner. At this time, my anticipation couldn’t be greater. Have you ever had the thought- What would I give for some rain right now?
Just thinking about fresh air and less intense sunshine puts me in a good mood. Legs are calling for exercise, hiking in the mountains, walking in the valleys. Jackets and boots are taken out of the deepest corners of the storeroom, although it seems a bit ridiculous at + 35 degrees. In the stores, umbrellas are already sold at the beginning of October. It’s like in Germany when the Chocolate-Nikolaus are in the stores. There comes anticipation.
“Jackets and boots are taken out of the deepest corners of the storeroom, although it seems a bit ridiculous at + 35 degrees”
Everything points to a new awakening. Soon the time will come, soon we may wake up from the “heat doze” and take a deep breath of fresh air. Soon… …and until then there is still a lot to do. Everything has to be prepared for the rain and storms after nine months of drought. The roof is being tested for rain resistance.
The water bulb and its electricity access should be checked, so that it does not suddenly fail in winter. In the garden, everything should be windproof. In some cities 
there is a flood every year where the water is up to half a meter high. Rain boots are brought out and warm socks should not be missing. The anticipation is growing! Although we are very much looking forward to this time, we must not let out of our sight the next year.
One of our tasks in the fall is to think about and prepare the garden, for spring. The soil must be fed with compost and the seeds should be in the ground soon, so that they grow optimally. We try to make our garden as diverse as possible. With lots of vegetables and herbs, and in Israel the diversity and the choice of seeds is very big.
Did you know that there are herbs here that were already used in Bible times? I always find it fascinating that I get to plant something that was around 2000 years ago. It makes me happy that I can occupy myself with something that fulfills me. In our time, many things are unclear, I have the feeling that I cannot plan far into the future, because many things are unclear, or rather, I lack a bit of vision for our future. The more security gives me the fact to be able to plan at least the next season in my garden.
