Well the house is just a disaster, with my son and his family staying with us for the week. That little toddler, Ariel, leaves a trail of toys and cookie crumbs behind him as he has the run of the house. He especially loves that I have stairs inside the house, something he doesn't have at home, so he loves climbing up and down the steps the whole day long. Enough to make a grandma's heart beat extra fast--and sometimes skip a beat!--as he wobbles his way from one step to another.

So it was a perfect time to get out of the house a bit and escape from the mess, when we headed yesterday for the Dead Sea. This is the lowest point on earth. Going down from the mountains of Jerusalem to the low spot of the Dead Sea valley, our ears were "popping" from the descent.
This picture was taken from the top of Masada, overlooking the Dead Sea. Masada is a huge flat-topped mountain, where a group of nearly 1000 people lived for 2 years during the Roman occupation of Israel, 2000 years ago. From archaeological finds, it is possible to piece together the life they lived up on the mountain.
Because of the high salt content in the Dead Sea, one can actually float on the water without sinking. Even people who can't swim can float on this mineral-rich water without effort.

Here is a view of the mountains nearby:

The whole area is arid desert, with gorgeous cliffs and valleys as far as the eye can see. In a way, the scene always reminds me of the Grand Canyon.