Windows to Russia

When Sveta comes back in January, I want here to bring her ice skates and we have the perfect pond to skate on. It is frozen solid already and I will scrape the snow off for her to enjoy life. The big lake at the Fish Village, has guys fishing in the bitter cold. Some guys just love to sit on the ice and fish. I see these kind of guys sitting out on the lakes, even at -30 below, they have fire pots for heat and drill lots of holes in the ice to set out as many poles as possible…

Boza is in heaven, as am I and Sveta even is, as she dances with joy at the wonderment of the village in winter. She will be back and Boza and I will look forward to that trip. We went yesterday and will go today to stock lots of food supplies. This weekend is the last weekend to work on the car easily. The temperatures will reach +4 and I have to take advantage of that. For in a few days, it will go back to -10 and lower…

Boza and I got up at 6:30 a.m. and walked for an hour. It was crisp and cold and we followed cat and fox tracks all over the fields. Boza loves chasing up a kitty and taking off on a wild chase. Thus it is time to lay back down and let Sveta sleep her beauty sleep some more and Boza and I will gather our energy for another long walk later in the morning…

Have a nice day…

Kyle, Sveta and Boza…
Windows to Russia (WTR)

A reporter had a driver in a “3110 Volga” brave the weather and they came out to the Tiny Russian Village, all the way from the Big Village. They got their interview and got out just in time before the huge snow hit and darkness enveloped the countryside. They were worried and left on the run…

Sveta and I did the interview, mainly I allowed Sveta to translate, because this lady talked real fast, like a reporter in a hurry. I could not grasp anything she was saying, at all…

We went to Vova’s home, since he set this all up! Vova is so excited that I am going to be in the village and it looks like his love life has settled down and he has no love life again! 🙁

Thus, he is glad that his bestest friend from America is here, but actually I am his only friend from America and the only American in the whole damn area for hundreds and hundreds of miles in any direction…

We are going to wait to see what is printed, before I say things like, “Cool!” or “All Right!” or “How good!”; for I do not trust reporters nor politicians… 😉

The region is excited about the fact that an American would desire and want to stay all winter in a Tiny Russian Village. But, how could you not want to when the TRV is so beautiful and just plain perfect in all aspects?

Have a nice day…

Kyle Keeton with WTR…

Today, after the wild snow last night, we will attempt to get to the Big Village. Looks good outside this morning and Sveta and I moved the car to the top of the village to allow us to sit on level ground. Nothing else, we can sled down the hill with the car and hope for the best… 😉

Sveta picked the best time to come to the Russian Village, for it will actually warm up a few days, then it will scream, cold at us for the next month or two. Sveta will be back in Moscow before the screaming chill starts. We have to get to the Big Village and stock up on supplies. For I most likely will be snowed in for at least two months. We are hoping that Sveta can come down at my birthday time in January and stay a week. I can walk to the bus stop and meet her if that is what needs be…

When Sveta leaves on Sunday, it will be plus 6 or 7 degrees, now how is that for perfect timing?

Have a nice day and the next article is about a reporter who came from the regional newspaper and did an interview with me. I have Vova to blame and thank for that… 🙂

Cup of coffee time…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia

Fake gates on the bell tower!

That is what we found yesterday as we walked in the rain. They had someone with a huge printer print plastic sheets with an image of a gate from another monastery somewhere. I could see them from the road and thought at first, “They are putting up gates; yippy!”

But alas, not to be true and they are fake… 🙂

They also are putting concrete floors in the complete lower section of the bell tower and decent stairs all the way to the top of the tower. Looks like there will be lots of school field trips this next summer.

It also looks as if there will be soon a full time person living at the bell tower, it really is needed, because kids/young adults like to damage the tower in pranks as they are drunk and such. Sad, it seems that you cannot get away from kids that do that stuff…

Kyle Keeton at WtR

We bought Sveta a pair of valenki with rubber soles and a pair of pants, super well insulated. Those, with her fur coat and two sweaters allowed her to be comfortable all the way to the village. Sammy the Volga has an issue with heat production in really cold weather. I guess I need to fix that issue? For Russia gets really cold.

The village home was frozen and it took several hours of burning wood to get the home warmed up. The lakes are frozen and we saw guys ice fishing as we came in yesterday. Then as we pulled into the village, life became a better place to visit. The air is crisp and clean, the monastery radiated life and you could just feel the re-energizing of your soul. God is truly in this place and it is very obvious…

December will be warm enough in general, that I will be able to get the chainsaw out and at least cut up all those trees brought for firewood. The wood is seasoned oak and I must get a splitting maul this week to start splitting wood with. Looks like enough wood for two years easily. Plenty more where that came from…

Gotta go, Sveta is getting up and I have to cook breakfast. I already took my pills, drank two cups of coffee and time to sit down to eat. Have a nice day and I will be back tomorrow…

Windows to Russia
Kyle Keeton