February 16

A lot of shelling occurred last night, they used the GRAD missiles lavishly.

In the morning I went to the Site, took the barrow constructed the day before and made off for the nearest wood.

It turned out to be rather a crowded place as for a wood. While felling trees to cut out twelve poles for the Site's projected fencing, I spotted no less than half a dozen men (some with guns), a woman and a horse trafficking along the trail.

I brought the poles to the Site—an up-hill work most of the way. Straining at the barrow-handles was taking too much out of me. At times I simply had to stop for a rest and—swimming in the sweat inside my clothes—stretch out on the roadside beside the loaded barrow.

Back at the Site, no sooner had I untied the poles from the barrow but there broke out the Sodom-and-Gomorrah which goes on till now.

Today I saw:

• explosion bursts ahead and behind me;
• a huge piece of a tree trunk thrown aloft like a pencil stub among the spray of roofing parts madly spinning in all the planes;
• a large pack-house going up in flames;
• a mangy dog with his head completely lost desperately tearing off for life not knowing where to among those crazy thunder-bolts from everywhere.

And from the evening impressions:

• fatty red sparks and thundering flashes when a GRAD volley hit a block-of-flats in the street where I was pulling the handcart;
• a coal black stream of smoke bending under the blue sea of the moonlit sky;
• one more fire but from afar.

In the intervals I:

• took a bath (one pail);
• translated one page.

And I had:

• a quickie with Sahtik,
• yoga,
• supper,
• water-walk.

Now I've got all the right to call it a day and to wind up with a – "So long".