This rare, protected Hermon Iris startled me, on that trail near Israel’s border with Lebanon. Startled me? Yes, there they were, a handful of them, unexpected and starkly beautiful. A trail that sees few, though you may have seen a post on this site of cattle grazing here about.

It was nicely warm that day, and butterflies and wildflowers lined the trail, Nirvana! The kind of morning that we in the U.S. are just some weeks away from enjoying. A winter antidote, No?

What brought this to mind, now? This spot is a 5 minute hike from the border. At this moment that I write, Israeli IDF forces are massed nearby, reports anticipating Hezbollah terrorism in this very area. Very rare wildflowers, butterflies, cattle foraging and terrorists from Lebanon nearby, terrorists who were not born in Lebanon, who trained in Iran, and whose work is training to kill civilians.

Jeff