Temp range 17-26 degrees C, at 4.30 p.m. ~21 degrees C and falling rapidly. Wind, west veering northwest and north, gusting up to 8 kt, humidity, ~35-40%

Finally! Nice big grey cumulus ominous towards the end of the afternoon.. didn't stop us going down to gazelle field. One gazelle sighted running, then stopping to graze at far north end of the field. Our faces splashed a little with raindrops on the way back.

I was checking out some pieces of masonry by the edge of the abandonned orchard when I noticed fresh mole rat (Spalax) mounds, at least ten of them within a few square metres and another couple not far away. Probably a whole little colony there. They're very like molehills but larger diameter, flatter and more coarse grained dirt.

As for the masonry, I was looking for clues to the past of the area. We reckon that some time before the bunker was built most of the gazelle field must have been farmed, though it's impossible to tell how long ago. The dry stone walls separated small fields that were probably worked with animal drawn ploughs. The pomegranate and almond trees in gazelle field probably benefitted the farm, as did the abandonned orchard just south of it. The bunker area was probably built on or by old farm buildings though the cistern seems more recent given the iron in it, but I really couldn't date it. The ruined buildings a few hundred yards to the south under the pines could have been the original farm house or associated buildings. They had been standing a year ago and had been used to house a donkey owned by some people on our street, then later taken over by some young squatters. That whole structure was then torn down probably to discourage the squatting there, but the original structure could have been very old.

Most active bird we noticed on our walk were the Syrian woodpeckers, several individuals calling and in flight between trees. The harsh calls of bulbuls and dusk 'chacks' of blackbirds sounded under the pines but most other wildlife was silent. Crickets have still been singing shrilly every night up till now, sounding like scores of abandonned cellphones.

At about 5.45 p.m. already quite dark and thunder began to roll almost continuously for the next hour or so. 7 p.m. we heard the first real rainfall since May. This is something you really notice, living in a country with a long dry season! Kids can hardly wait to get boots on so they can splash in the puddles they haven't seen in quite a few months. By about 9.45 p.m. it was back to drips so we hazarded a walk down the valley road, almost called it off but went anyway, and got caught in a nice downpour on our way back! We didn't get too wet though, we ran! When it pours it really buckets down with plenty lightning as a chaser, which gives extra motivation to get into the cover of buildings.