I couldn't bear sitting in the house any longer so I put on my coat and went outside for a walk. The dogs weren't very happy about it and kept trying to herd me back home. Cisco kept biting the edge of my coat and pulling me back toward the house. But I was determined to get some fresh air.
The sun kept trying to peek out from behind the clouds but it wasn't very successful. We've had strong winds blowing since last night. The air was cold but fresh, with the smell of wet grass. I walked in the far field and took these photos.
On the right, in the distance, is my (unpainted) house. Alongside, the water tower rises above. On the horizon the pine trees are bent over in the strong winds.
When I returned home I tried to upload the pictures but the internet had shut down. We turned on the TV to see what was happening and heard that there would soon be another speech. I went into the kitchen to start some chile con carne for dinner while we waited for the show to begin. sigh.... and what a show... I'm not sure if it was comedy or horror.
Are you ready for dinner? I think I've lost my appetite.
Khadija, I am glad to hear you are still safe. Thank you for keeping us updated on your condition. I pray for your safety and the safety of family and that this ends soon.
ReplyDeleteReports say the ferry is waiting for good weather.
News update
ReplyDeleteThe Pentagon is looking at "all options" it can offer Obama in dealing with the Libyan crisis, a senior U.S. military official told CNN, in the first indication the crisis could take on a military dimension.
"Our job is to give options from the military side and that is what we are thinking about now," said the official, who declined to be identified because of the extremely sensitive nature of the situation. "We will provide the president with options should he need them."
Thank you for these news.
ReplyDeleteKeep health and courage. The next days seem to be hard but determinant.
You probably heard the speech this afternoon. Are sure of the voice ?
I wonder if this wasn't another speaker.
Bye from France
Hi Khadija,
ReplyDeleteI came across your site and want to congratulate you for an impressive web site and content, and also wish you all the best through these difficult, but also liberating times, that all Libyans are going through.
I also wanted to point out a new mobile video app that you can download from the Android Market, it's called wifest (type "wifest" in the search bar) and it enables you to take video and instantly share it with facebook or twitter friends or post it on the Internet right away. It may be handy for people who may want to share with the rest of the world what is going on in Libya right now.
The only problem is that it currently runs only on Android smartphones.
All the best to you and all the people in Libya, stay safe!
Paul
PS: I tried to post this several times but there seems to be a problem with the site.
I love the way, despite the turmoil, you don't allow the issue of painting the house to be sidelined. ;-/
ReplyDeleteGary..,, wouldn't that picture have look a hundred times better if the house had been painted? sigh... I make sure to point out the lack of paint at least a few dozen times a day. Life would be loads quieter if he'd just 'PAINT THE F-ING HOUSE!'
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I have visited your blog and I just wanted to offer my best wishes to you and the hope that you and all those you care for come through the current situation safely.
ReplyDeleteFeeling useless writing about birds on my blog in New York but also feeling hope that many more people will enjoy basic freedoms and rights in the coming months.
I'm sending you news I received from a former Wheelus AFB classmate who maintains a connection in Tripoli, a doctor (no name for his safety).
ReplyDeleteHe says:
I do appreciate your concern. My family is not in Libya. They are safe. I am barricaded in an apartment with enough food and water for about two weeks. I am fine. We do have electricity and water supply, but the mad dog is threatening to shut them off. Cell phones are down most of the time. The Internet is very sporadic and extremely slow to prevent people from sending photos and videos. When my monthly internet subscription expires, I will have no way to renew it.
It is very bad. African mercenaries are shooting heavy automatic weapons, killing, looting banks, and raping. Mercenary Gunships & Choppers are shooting rockets and using paid snipers to hunt defenseless protestors. The mad dog is threatening violence has not started yet. Young protestors use pebbles to fight back, and are putting up barricades on streets to delay the mercenaries. I hope we don’t see Mustard gas being used against the civilian population. We have no functioning army or police, only mercenaries. The mad dog has never trusted the Libyan military, so the deserted military have very little weapons. Practically all the dead military have been shot for disloyalty by the mad dog and his family not by protestors. The mad dog has more than enough billions to pay the mercenaries.
Surprisingly, there are no reports of Libyan gangs roaming the streets. The Libyans are united against the mad dog and there is not going to be a civil war, only mercenary war against peaceful protestors. To get the support of the west, the mad dog is claiming the protests and the uprising are arranged and controlled by Muslim extremists. Nothing can be further from the truth.
Please urge the UN to arrange for Arab armies to go into Libya and to impose a no-fly zone.
Take care.
Dr. X
2nd message
We now have mercenaries from dozens of counties from several continents. Ukrainians are flying the choppers and manning the sniper positions. Serbs are flying the fighter jets, and hundreds of killers from eastern & western Europe, the middle east and the Indian subcontinent. Loads of planes continue to arrive.
We hear mercenaries are rewarded $10K to $30K a day and generous bonuses for every protestor they kill. Libyan oil money is being used to kill Libyans.
High level Defections from the regime is now rampant. Very soon the mad dog will be alone with mercenaries.
Take care
Dr. X
This Wheelus friend passed the info on to proper US sources. I hope we in US do something to help.
Victoria
Cape Town is used to howling South Easters. Grateful that we have moved to Porterville, where the afternoon breeze takes the edge off the heat, not the roof off our neighbour's house. Birders reaching out from South Africa.
ReplyDeleteI think it is time for us all to embrace the change!
ReplyDeleteFascinating blog - the pictures you have are amazing. I have put a link on my Libya page so hopefully others can see some news stories from within Libya. Regards Robert.
ReplyDeleteI have been reading your blog off and on for the past two years. I hope that you and your family remain safe. The whole world is in turmoil and what happens in one country affects everyone. We are all interconnected so be safe.
ReplyDeleteWhat's hapenning today, feb.25 ? Hope you are well.
ReplyDeleteBye from France
I'll be with you PAINT THE HOUSE!
ReplyDeleteJAK, for the pictures. I hope one day to see Libya when it is green. By the time my kids are on summer vacation, Libya is dry & brown & I spend my summer missing my garden.
Stay strong, stay safe, decompress often. Insha Allha. May Allah make it easy.