The last of the season

The olive harvest is just coming to an end in our area and this morning the machinery at the mill owned and run by friends of ours was working for the last time until November. This oil is coming out of the first process of separation from the rest of the olives (and there was a lovely tapenade-looking mixture left over which will be spread on the vineyards and olive groves as fertiliser). From this stage on the oil is first mixed with water and then put through a separator, which looks just like the cream separators I remember from when I helped on farms in Wales when I was a child, and then the oil emerges from another pipe, having had any remaining impurities removed by the water. It smelled wonderfully of olive oil and it was warm in the mill too - the olives have to be between 19° and 23° for best extraction of the oil.

Some progress made on planning the renovations in C's house yesterday, decisions made, and the demolition phase (just a couple of walls) will start tomorrow.

And news of more non-violent resistance in Palestine: the creation of a new village on occupied land, Bab Alshams.

250 men and women from across Palestine establish this morning a new Palestinian village named "Bab Alshams" (Gate of the Sun). Tents were built in what Israel refers to as area E1 and equipment for long-term living was brought.
The group released the following statement:
We, the sons and daughters of Palestine from all throughout the land, announce the establishment of Bab Alshams Village (Gate of the Sun). We the people, without permits from the occupation, without permission from anyone, sit here today because this is our land and it is our right to inhabit it.

Whenever I write or post about olive trees, olives or olive oil I think of Palestine because of the destruction of Palestinian olive groves by Israeli soldiers and settlers. I'm hoping for the best for this new village.