Tiyul Report #1

BAW here, and as promised, I'm sharing our first tiyul with you.
(for the uninitiated: Tiyul = trip/ hike/ experience)
Stats:
Distance: around 1 mile
Time: 2 hrs
Location: Hills south west of RBS A
Wildlife Count: 1 jackal 1 gazelle, numerous lizards,and a shed snake skin


Took the kids for a short hike on the hill opposite our home. Walked along a dirt road that skirted what seems to be a cultivated field, crossed a dry creek bed and followed a trail up into the hills. Lots of thorns and brambles, everyone got pretty scratched up. We have been hearing the jackals howling and barking almost every night, but today we actually spotted one, we tried to be quiet and get a closer look, but it ran away as soon as he saw us (B didn't help matters much by shouting at it "Hey Jack, your name is Jack! Jack the Jackal")


Further Along the trail Ak found a shed snakeskin,which was promptly appropriated to begin our "collection of weird and gross stuff that only children value" (pre-publication note by NekudaTova: after finding said snakeskin on my kitchen floor, it has been promptly chucked into said garbage bag).


Cool find of the day: a Mishna era wine press and Mikva. The place must have been an archeological site at some point, there were still some signs of excavation, but it was mostly overgrown with weeds now. On a different trip (or when I'm feeling braver) we can go down and explore the underground water cisterns.
The trail ended rather abruptly at the edge of a different field, so we had to hack our way, jungle style, through the last few yards of heavy brush to get back on the main street.


All in all a good time was had by all. 


P.S. 'Till i figure out how to get the pics from my phone onto blogger, you can see pics on my FB page