Category: Russia

Vova came down last night and asked me to drive him to the Big Village. I did not have plans to do that, but I will if he needs me to? I am watching Vova and seeing an issue. He does not want to drive out of the fish farm anymore. At first I just thought, “Okay, its just a thing!” But now I realize that there must be something wrong with him. I think maybe his eyesight and or coordination of hand to eye is getting bad, like very bad. I have to watch and see what is developing. He has been talking and being sad over some recent deaths of his friends. (Vova is 64) They (his friends) were all his age and I think that is getting to him also…

Life can be a drag sometimes and getting old, or at least the realization of getting old can hit hard at times…

I just do not look in the mirror and ignore getting old for the most part… 😉

* * * * * * * * * *

Raining again today! Not hard, just that lazy gentle genial rain. The kind that stops outside work, but makes you too lazy to clean house. The kind of rain that flowers love and veggies adore. Gentle and soft rain…

* * * * * * * * * *

Looks like Svetochka will come on Thursday of this week. She even bought lasagna from Globus and is freezing it, for travel. They make the best lasagna and sell it from their food court. Gives me a treat and change from standard village foods…

Oh, I can make what I want, but I stay so busy, that I just eat from a can or eat cottage cheese types foods. I ran out of cottage cheese this morning, so I guess it is a good thing that Vova needs to go to the Big Village…

* * * * * * * * * *

I had a bunch of thoughts on my mind and many of them are about the spiraling screwed up mess, that the elections have become in America, for president. It is so obvious that there is no one running for president that should be running for president. If Sanders can not slaughter Hillary, flat footed in the primaries. Then he is not strong enough to be there in the first place. Hillary has got to be the most unbelievable candidate for the next Emperor’s New Clothes, that I have ever seen. Obama was easy to see in this aspect (at least for me,) but Hillary came into this whole mess, as Queen of the Emperor’s New Clothes…

Sanders just is not strong enough and I truly do not care about the primary system. If he is that strong, then run as independent. He is not and the fact that Hillary can win it is proof. I can not image America after she, if she, becomes president. Sad thought, glad I am here in Russia…

Now in Trumps case, his situation is all a set up stage play. The actors all did their part and now we have Trump as the Lone Ranger, who is going to save the world and even America, as he rides off into the sunset. Oh Yes!

I have set behind a many of closed door meeting. In these meetings are what really happens in the world. Not the transparency that is offered, but the closed door meetings. I know how much laughter is expressed at the little ones of life and it is all accepted and adjured as normal. In these meetings, you plan what happens to increase the bottom line of the corporation and the ones at the top. Nothing else matters…

Meetings have taken place and we are now watching, within the amphitheater called America, a theatrical production, that rivals anything on the best world stages. We are and have fallen perfectly in line. The stage is set, the actors are primed and the curtain is rising and we sit on the edge of the seat in apprehension of who will be the next president of the USA…

We are such good little peons…

WtR

The Tiny Russian Village where we have a home…

WtR

I guess I am getting old sometimes. I wake on a Monday and find myself humming the “MAMAS AND THE PAPAS” song, Monday Monday… 1966 is the first time I heard this song and it rocketed the Mamas and the Papas to the top. Every Monday you could hear everyone going to work and school humming this to themselves…

“Monday, Monday”

Monday, Monday, so good to me;

Monday morning, it was all I hoped it would be.
Oh, Monday morning, Monday morning couldn’t guarantee
That Monday evening you would still be here with me.

Monday, Monday, can’t trust that day;
Monday, Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way.
Oh, Monday morning, you gave me no warning of what was to be.
Oh, Monday, Monday, how could you leave and not take me?

Every other day, every other day
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah.
But whenever Monday comes – but whenever Monday comes
You can find me crying all of the time.

Monday, Monday, so good to me;
Monday morning, it was all I hoped it would be.
But Monday morning, Monday morning couldn’t guarantee
That Monday evening you would still be here with me.

Every other day, every other day
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah.
But whenever Monday comes – but whenever Monday comes
You can find me crying all of the time.

Monday, Monday, can’t trust that day;
Monday, Monday, it just turns out that way.
Oh, Monday, Monday, won’t go away;
Monday, Monday, it’s here to stay.

Oh Monday, Monday
Oh Monday, Monday

I still do sing it many Mondays…

* * * * * * * * * *

Therefore, as I walked Boza at 4 a.m. I hummed this song over and over in my head. Of course when I burst out sing once or twice, Boza looked at me as he rolled his eyes and ran away, like I was spouting the words from a demon or something. Boza prefers quiet and me not to sing. If I sing in the home, Boza moans and sighs, as he tolerates the intrusion. Boza is funny that way…

* * * * * * * * * *

I am posting this image of our strawberries for Svetochka. We have blooms galore and Sveta will have fresh strawberries this year. Right from our garden…

Yummy Yummy for the Tummy…

* * * * * * * * * *

A Pilotka Hat was given to me yesterday. It was originally a hat for pilots, but was adopted by all parts of the Soviet Military. The hat is still used in the Russian army, but is mainly a dress uniform hat now. The pin insignia on the front is designation of the military branch that you were in…

Vova gave this hat to me yesterday. It was Saint Nicholas Day at the Tiny Russian Village. Very important day, for our village monastery is about this saint, The Saint Nicholas…

Personally, I like it and will wear it as I walk with Boza. It has ear flaps and is waterproof. Just the necessary hat for the village and since Vova calls me Nichole, I get included in all these special days in the village…

Yes I like it… 😉

* * * * * * * * * *

It has been raining like crazy. I have now over 200 liters of water in buckets and barrels. This is important, for soon we will not have much rain? Maybe; and then I need the water for the garden and other stuff. Just a good thing to have and in my world, no one tries to tell me not to collect water. I went through that in America. I was threatened for collecting rain water, kinda stupid, kinda seems silly. But; I had cops force me to dump the water down a street drainage area, so that I would not be fined and go to jail. Yes it was in a city… LOL… But I could water the garden with city water? Huh!

* * * * * * * * * *

I love the ever changing valley. It is so cool when it fogs over at tree level. I understand now about why we have so many songs about valleys in America. A valley is a safe haven, has a river and very rich fertile soil…

* * * * * * * * * *

Svetochka may come this week?????

Yippy Yippy Zippy Yea! Boza and I want our sweet pea to come and say hi! We miss her and enjoy when she is around. I said to Boza, “Mommy coming!” Boza runs in circles and then goes outside to see where she is at. That was bad of me, to get him excited to see his mommy…

But I followed him and ran in circles also… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

* * * * * * * * * *

Speaking of sweat peas; I have to build the trellis today. The peas are putting out tendrils and will want something to grab hold of. So wonderful to have peas fresh off the vine…

* * * * * * * * * *

Gotta go! Have lots to do and I have to get it done between waves of mosquitoes. The sun is shining now and the day looks simply delightful. So when the mosquitoes settle for the daytime, I will build a trellis and try to weed the garden. I cut the stakes for the trellis yesterday and the mosquitoes ate Boza and I up…

( ⚆ _ ⚆ )

WtR

This is the End by The Doors….remember this well…

All the children are insane…

The Tiny Russian Village…

Have lots to do today. Got to weed the garden…

Just some images of the Tiny Russian Village…

WtR

Took a walk and got soaked!

That is a tiny Russian village for you. You take what you get and just wait it out. I woke to the pitter-patter of rain. It sounded nice and pleasant. Rain is necessary and in my case, rain is vital for the garden. Except the rain is making it hard to weed and the weeds like rain also. Kinda a catch 22, I would say…

I did mow most of the yard yesterday and saw a marked improvement in the mosquitoes around the yard. A info for yards; Keep the grass mowed, mosquitoes love tall grass and they will sit in the grass and wait for you to disturb them. I cut the grass and while I upset the mosquitoes while I cut, they left to look for a better place to hide. Interest tidbit; as I cut the grass and weeds. The swallows swarmed above me. The mosquitoes being stirred up where flying up and away and as they floated above me, the swallows attacked them. I noticed that the afternoon was almost mosquito free. So since I was allowing all the tall grass to seed out, it caused some mosquito issues and I still have a few spots left on that purpose, but it was time. Snakes and mosquitoes is why we cut grass…

Boza decided even though he did not like the rain, he needed to go for a walk. Thus, we got soaked, but it was a good walk and we found we were alone all over the village. Vova is here and Nina the White House lady is here. But, no one else is here? There is a home down below with someone, but maybe they have left also. Most likely….A half hour was enough of a walk and while we walked, I downloaded a movie. Looks good, a huge alligator eats a bunch of people. Gotta say that that movie idea has been done many times, but we all seem to keep flocking to see alligators eat people in rivers and ponds… 😉

Now Boza has settled upon my spot on the bed, wet and all! He is snoring away and I do not have the heart to tell him to get off the bed, for he will get it wet. It will dry and he is happy. That is what is important…

Looks like rain all day…

* * * * * * * * * *

I find comments interesting, the new system I put in is great. But as always, a good comment attracts the auto-bots. I got a good expressive comment and because I have moderate on the comments, I stopped ten hateful comments. I allow approved people to show immediately and disallow the automated attacks. This might just work and we will see how it goes with time. I do want people to comment, but if you are attacking, hateful and a bot, forget it. Your opinion matters even if I disagree. Your opinion as a Troll does not matter, for most of the time you are a automated response. My favorite is to get the same comment in response four or five times on a comment. The issue is that it takes a bunch of time to sort through comments and I think that is a good reason that they do such Trolling. Trolling does affect the comments and countries promoting Trolling are just plain wrong. They all do it…

I use to read comments on RT (Russia Today) and now I just simply ignore them. many years ago, RT had intelligent comments and discussion was good. Then in RT’s case, the paid Trolls are running amok. It is so easy to see the process happening and makes the comment section worthless on RT (as on all MSM.) RT has had four new commenting system in the last year and nothing helps. They have huge traffic and thus they have a bunch of good comments, but the good is overwhelmed by the Trolls; 100 to 1…

Sad and we all know that the west is trying to kill RT as a news source. I disagree with much of what they say (many times they are a sounding board for western news bites,) but, they have more truth than any of the so called mainstream media in the west. You want good mainstream news? At least look at all of it, news from Iran, China, Russia and then you can look at the western news. Just look at it all and do not pay to be totally locked into one source. The real news is on Blogs! Yes it has become an interesting information cycle. Individuals are now the carrier of truth, not so called real journalism…

A journalist and or MSM is no longer a reputable occupation…

* * * * * * * * *

I moved two piles of wood scraps yesterday and became happy about that. Wood piles will attract snakes and I try to keep the snakes out of the yard. I have to finish the backyard, and that will solve the snake issue. This year has been good so far (knock on wood,) snakes are few and far between…

* * * * * * * * * *

The ducks have been busy as bees! We have baby ducklings all over the ponds and as soon as it quits raining, I will try to gather some images of the little guys. I also have to get some pictures of Boza and his friend Ralph the Raven…

Ralph (as I call him,) when he sees us walking, flies from the forest and lands in a field near us. Then he Caws and Caws as he waits for Boza to notice him. I sit on my bench I made in the lower field and watch. Ralph is a young raven from last year and grew up knowing Boza. Boza knows him and they run around the field like doofuses. Boza runs at him to check on why he is making noise and he hops in the air and lands twenty feet away. making Boza weave back and forth as they play keep away…

Boza has learned a new trick; Boza lays down in the tall grass and waits. The raven usually has been hopping and has lost sight of Boza. Several times Boza got close and scared the raven. So now when the raven looses sight of Boza, he flies to a telephone pole and looks down to see where Boza is at. The he screams at Boza to tell him where he is at and Boza, who likes this part. Runs to the telephone pole and like treeing a squirrel, Boza barks and barks…

They play this game for 15 to 20 minutes and then from the woods is a call. The raven is being called by either papa or mamma and he finally reluctantly goes back to the woods. He is one beautiful bird and allows me to walk under the telephone pole and he does not fly. The ravens have accepted Boza and I as the normal and we are not a threat. But this one raven likes to play with Boza…

Now isn’t that what life is about?

* * * * * * * * * *

Took my pills, wrote an article, drank two cups of coffee, walked the dog and it is still raining. I guess that means; I read a book. I have a book I am reading, it is about horror short stories and it is really good. Rain and a good book…

Have a nice day…

WtR

I did not post yesterday and that is rare. I actually only had one thing to really do yesterday and that was to get to the Big Village and get Boza’s food that had been ordered. I was feeling so bad that even that small task seemed overwhelming, but I made it to the Big Village and back with no issues…

Today I need to try to weed the garden, or at least start weeding it. Right now at 5 a.m. the mosquitoes are so bad that it was all Boza and I could do to just take a half hour walk. We found some areas that the wind blew good and Boza finally did his doggy stuff and we got home safe and sound. I think that between the weather and mosquitoes bites, I was knocked down for the count. Today I feel better and will even post an article. I have to be pretty sick to not post…

I was looking the garden over this morning and realized that everything we planted has come up or survived, except the two pear trees. I will be patient, but I am sure they did not make it. Dead, as in a door nail… 🙁

I am drinking a cup of coffee and going to work on my sites this morning. Then after the weather decides what it will do and some of the mosquitoes decided to go to bed for the day. I will try to see what I can do to the garden and or the yard. I may mow for awhile, but I really have to see how I feel. I still feel rough…

I have a good book I started to read, so maybe, just read part of the day. Boza ate four packs of dog food and is sleeping soundly on the coach next to me and really all is wonderful. Except no sweety pie Svetochka to keep her guys happy…

* * * * * * * * * *

I glanced at the western headlines for today. I have to say that we are stupid… I saw…

Human and Animal embryos created! (Not hard since we are animals!)

The Clinton’s crossed the line and when the Kettle calls the Pot black; you better be a clean Kettle… (Here and Here) Now Trump came out firing both barrels and we all know that Bill Clinton is a womanizer and we all watched the proof of the pudding during his presidency….Not smart on Clinton’s part…

Welcome to Control land of Chaos! (Here) I had a good laugh when I saw the games being played by the Gov. DHS and TSA; Sveta and I fly all the time and while things are far from perfect all over the world. But we do not have intentional squelching of or rights, freedoms and liberty; like you do in America….Enjoy…

Hows that Transgender smoke on the mirror doing for all you Americans? Bet many of you are on that propagandist bandwagon, instead of thinking crucially about something that is real and should be dealt with? Yup…

Every noticed how we; America is always so innocent when we fly near other countries and spy on them? (Here) I personally do not care if it is international waters and or airspace; We are doing it on purpose and halfway around the world. I agree with the Chinese and Russians on the forums….Maybe it is time to knock a few of these US spy planes out of the sky and get a message across to the US. Time to stop all this military expansionism. We (America) need to build bridges and not bombs, so the gluttons in the defense industry can quit raping the American public and or the world…

1,2,3 start screaming your American exceptionalism – War! War! War! Them commie b*****ds…

Thousands of news trash items to look at and it is all recent. Made me sicker than I feel and I quit. Time to look at the news from this side of the world. It is much saner and very much more truthful…

* * * * * * * * * *

Gonna have a second cup of coffee and then weed the garden…

WtR

 

Easy find link…

First I want to thank a few people for donations. One in particular was for a recipe that they used and loved. That made me feel good and in fact the money will go for buying food. I will most likely go in the next few days and stock up. Thank you very much for the donations and it is a very big help. Money is very tight, for I used it all putting in a garden. Now I can go buy food… 😉

Next I want to answer some hate mail!

Above is a link and image of where I live. Yes I am deep in Russia, but hey! The red tear drop is me….When you death threat me, take what you can get. Washington DC, decided to renew a few hate issues with me. They did not like a few posts that I just made. One was by John Stanton, yes they really hated that one and the other was my hero article, it stung more than a few DC characters and they swarmed with the death threats. Kinda sad really. Truth does hurt and I have proof all the time…

Therefore, I give all those who want to know where I live a good map to even the roads to find me. I get really tired of death threats and America should be seriously ashamed at even thinking they have the rights to present such threats as normal…

I will be weeding the garden most of the summer, so I will not bother to look up when I hear the missile coming…

Damn idiots in Washington, D.C….They came from a TSA computer station located on the server that this link resides https://www.tsa.gov/ and it was used by someone located out of DC and another(s) link were these…

• www.dhs.gov U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• www.fletc.gov Federal Law Enforcement
• www.ice.gov U.S. Immigration and Customs
• www.secretservice.gov U.S. Secret Service
• www.uscis.gov U.S. Citizenship and Immigration

All came from guard shacks located in DC and other parts of the country. I realize that it is a network and is being used to toss cyber attacks out if someone pisses them off. Nothing new to me!

Once again, it is a sad state of affairs when I get attacked for no reason. I guess they do not want Windows to Russia to garner the audience that it use to have years ago. I am happy with thousands of readers a day, but at one time, before the cyber attacks, that lasted for years. WtR was running 20,000 to 30,000 unique visits a day and growing. Too much work back then and I have life to live…

Well at least life to live that I want to live, the way I want to, but some want me dead. Very sad and they express such hate vehemently. Maybe it is just threats, but I take life threats seriously and the idea of ever going back across the US borders is not one I would consider good for my health at this point…

Oh this has all been reported to the proper authorities in America and I was told literally, “Who Cares!”

WtR

Everything is growing…

Something rewarding about growing a garden. Today I was looking at most likely weeding the garden. I wait to weed until things planted are secure and up, then I weed. I do not want to destroy any chance of missing the new growth and destroying it…

We have sweet peas, carrots, beets, spinach, turnips, rutabagas, garlic, onions and potatoes. The potatoes will be interesting, for they are called Blue Eyed Potatoes. We have great expectations for them and they are new to me. I am not sure if these potatoes are blue in color, but the sprouts are blue at the first appearance. Blue potatoes are common in Asia and Africa and such and we will see. We also have three types of carrots, two types of beets and the garlic is from the local store. The garlic is growing like crazy…

The peas will have to be strung up and I need to get heavy string/cord from the store. I have to build a fence/trellis of cord for them to grab hold of and it looks like today I will go to the Big Village to get the string. I also need to get more dog food for Boza. He is eating like crazy and I have only three cases of food left in stock (maybe walking six times a day does that.) I also need to stock some food items, that I hope they got back in. I bought the stores out of beef stew and some other items. I prefer to just open a can and eat from the can, when I am able… (I just wish that Russians had canned green beans! They do not and it makes me miss them…)

This morning though it struck me that growing a garden is magical…

There is something about seeing everything you plant come to life. It is hard for us humans to realize that that tiny seed grows into a huge plant, a plant full of delicious food to eat. But when they sprout, they become children and need care, just like children do. You have to weed them, feed them, water them and support them many times. Just like a child. Except these children, if cared for, will return the favor a hundred fold, as they supply delicious food to eat…

Even the carrots which are hard to get started many times, have responded with popping out of the ground at record speed and are happy to respond to such care as above. I get so excited and call Svetochka every time a new row of plants started to show. Poor Svetochka, she got lots of phone calls over the last few days…

But she helped and I know she is excited as I am about the new babies growing. She is saying yummy, yummy and yummy some more, as she thinks about all the salads we will have and root veggies to store for the winter. She is going to enjoy the young peas and they will be; Oh So Sweet!

I myself am looking forward to the fresh spinach. I just love spinach in a salad and we have so many turnip greens, beet greens, rutabaga greens and carrot tops to eat, that I will have a salad for several months, soon…

Something about a garden! It just makes you feel good and makes the hard work worth it…

WtR

Last night the Nightingale sang and sang! I have recorded the Nightingale last year and this year, after the many babies last year, we have Nightingales all over the village. It is really wonderful and it looks like we will have another nest on the fence as it was last year. (If ? He can find a girlfriend? I am sure he will and he is trying real hard, as he sings so beautiful all night long. How could a sweet girl Nightingale resist?) Mother Nature is wonderful…

Everyday the people in the Tiny Russian Village siesta. It is something I will do also, for it seems just the right thing to do. The people rest through the hot noon sun and come out to pay or work again when the edge of heat comes off the sun. So it is work early and sleep some more and then work later in the evening…

* * * * * * * * * *

I started this article many days ago and today I will finish it…

I will finish it with a worry. I am seeing many articles about Americans and Britain’s wanting to or desiring to move to Russia. They are attracted to the idea of free land and free Russia. Russia is free and liberty, reins true over all of it in comparison to the western world…

Russia is far from perfect and one thing Russia will do is to is to toughen your ass up. Russians do not have stigmas about political correctness and they do not care if life is tough for you. There is no safe hide hole to run to, when life bothers you. Welfare is virtually non existence and governmental interference is definitely non existent. You stand on your own two feet and or you die…

But, if you help someone, they will help you back when needed. If you are an ass to people, then you go down with your ass attached and people will not care. You have to have a huge massive mindset change to survive Russia and you have to be willing to become Russian to make it. Thus when you break your big toe and it hurts, you still walk and gather what life needs to survive. Then you share what you gathered if the guy next to you does not have what you have and vice a versa. For he has the same broken toe and you would never know it. Just a simple example…

Russians are intelligent and very philosophical. They all know what is wrong with the world and maybe that is why I fit in so well. I seem to act like I know what is wrong with the world also. It is important to understand that Russians are very deep thinkers and will remember everything you say to the last letter of the sentence. Do not lie to a Russian, drunk or not, they will remember how you act and think…

As with me, you do not want to make Russians an enemy. They are the worst kind of foe. They will take so much and you think they are weak, but then as you look away for one minute, they will smack you silly and take you down. They are quiet and methodological about their responses. But in the same token, they will become your best friend and never leave you. Russian women are a perfect example; they are ferociously loyal to their men and I know, My sweet pea is a good example of a Russian woman…

My friend Vova is a good example of an old Soviet type friend. His Vodka is important and good friends are more important. For friends are invaluable to survival and this last winter, Vova and I spent much time together and we talked about many things. One thing that is more true than anything; Russians have lost the starry eyed aspect they had about America and America was a fool to not befriend a country full of intellects, who will fight you to the ends of the earth and farther. Russians will push you into Hell itself and follow you there to finish the job. In the same breath, they will help you into Heaven and stay away, for they have done the utmost in service to life itself…

They are religious without even knowing it and believe in a God, but a God who helps only those that help themselves. If helping themselves is helping you, then they will. By this act, they live a full and eventful life and they do not fear anything to speak of. They are curious, intelligent, soulful, thoughtful and forgiving. They forgive if you are sincere in your apologies…

Russians want one leader for life. They do not and can not understand the charades played by America. Changing a president every four years makes no sense and they really have no desire to change their president at all. A president for life is considered the best and is not looked at as a dictator. They are intellects and want stability and realize that America does not offer stability, either abroad or within her boarders…

So what I am saying in this post is that people who dream of coming to Russia to live, need to seriously think what they want. Russia is harsh and brutal at times. It is a world of wonderment, but can be a world of hurt, for those who are weak. Winter is tough and it gets cold, not one or two days of cold, but months of deep freeze (some places all year long) that will take your life in a heartbeat. For two months I watched my breath freeze in the air and make a tinkling sound as it settled to the ground. But then again, Russia is the most free place I have ever been and freedom is part of that harsh and brutal world it is. People can not have their cake and eat it to….My cake is with out icing and I like it that way… 😉

Bottom line of all this; Do not come to Russia and expect government welfare! The government has better things to do, like protect the people from the western world morals and warfare attitude and that is exactly how it should be…

They do not have it or care for it. That is the way I like it…

If you come to Russia? Come to live a Russian life, not change what Russia is, to how you expect life to be…

WtR

I had thought yesterday was going to be slow and uneventful, but Vova decided he needed help in gathering supplies for his animals and truthfully; he did need my help and my presence garnered him supplies in some cases…

When you live in the country or as my case as growing up. Farmers do what it takes to survive. It is no different even in modern times in Russia as now days, many people in America have lost their deep roots to the land that they can not fathom how the world really works. This is the same all over the world, the only exception that I have seen with huge cites in the world, is Moscow. Moscow still has most people planting gardens to survive. Even in the big city of Moscow, they grow food anywhere….Maybe you have seen people do it in other large cities, but Moscow has the highest percent of people still attached to the earth and that attachment comes from the fact that Russians have Dachas and at these Dachas they grow food for good eating….Dachas seem to be a right and or freedom for Russians to have, not a burden against them…

Therefore, Vova and I spent 5 hours driving around the back roads of rural Russia. During this excursion, we gathered over a thousand pounds of food stuffs for his pig, rabbits and chickens. The whole country side was doing the same and the haves were giving to the have nots…

This is a very important function of society and probably the most important part that I know of, for a society to survive. People have to give and take as needed, to allow all to survive. When we start thinking that we own anything we touch or think, is when we fail as a society. Greed is the word I am looking for…

Lets look at two pictures…

I am not putting images of what we did, for that would be wrong. I was allowed to become deeper into the Russian society and welcomed with open arms. The first image is a typical Russian Village Main Road. This is how a village looks as I drove from one to another. Yes, they are rooted to the earth and live accordingly…

The next image is Vova and I at a woman friend of his. Very nice lady and a fantastic cook. She seems to fancy Vova and she knew ahead of time an American was coming. Vova makes sure to use that ace card to his advantage…

Yes, that was a great meal…

I want to talk about something I just said above…

The “ace card to his advantage,” Vova is smart, well sometimes. When it comes to survival he is smart. One thing we did was gather about a thousand pounds of grain for the chickens to eat all summer. That meant we went to a grain storage area and bartered for grain. Or better yet, used anything and or anyone to get the grain for virtually free. This grain is important to survival, but cost is prohibitive for people like Vova and me. Thus when the guy in charge of the grain storage, bulked at letting Vova get grain for free. Vova was in trouble…

Vova had a bottle of vodka, box of chocolates and chocolate bars to give all around. I was with him when he bought them and I watched the whole process of trading this for that and giving gifts to entice people to be friendly. Vova was looking like he may not get his grain, for the man was the boss and he was not the friend of a friend that helps people like Vova. Then Vova’s eyes lit up and he pointed at me and said, “My friend is American!”

The ace card was played and a man who two minutes before had decided not to take the box of candy and not allow grain to go out the door. Smiled and hugged me! I was kissed on each cheek and after several other guys decided to do the same. I was accepted and a boss of the complex was so happy to see his first American, he took the candy and the candy bars and spread the treats among the workers. After he hugged me again and waved us to the storage area. He left and drove away in his UAZ… I became that Ace In The Hole!

The bottle of vodka went to the man in charge of storage and he took his bottle, buried it deep in a corner of the grain, to get later and left us to our work. About a thousand pounds later, we took off and we found about six people at the gate of the storage area, who all came to see the American. It was interesting…

Now the original reason I was needed was because I do not drink vodka. It was easy to turn down vodka on this trip, because, I was driving and Russians are smarter than they use to be. No drinking and no driving. I was the designated driver and thus excluded from all the social shots of life…

Very important socially that Vova sat with friends and others and drank his shots of vodka, to be one and the same. Not that Vova suffered in the least. He enjoys his vodka and he enjoyed this trip. For every stop was another shot or two of vodka and I could see why he needed me to drive. Kinda hard to drive with a bottle of vodka in you as you travel the countryside… 😉

I learned a bunch about the real Russia. I learned that Russia and Russians are just like me and just like it was as I grew up. I realized that the friends I made yesterday, will all come in helpful in a future if needed…

I also learned that you play the cards you are dealt and if you have an Ace; play it when needed…

By the time we were done yesterday, we had packed a Niva LADA to the max and more. We had rutabagas, onions, beets, grain and assortment of various equipment, needed to raise his chicks getting ready to hatch. The Niva was sitting on her springs and the trip home was slow and easy…

That trip back gave me time to watch a whole world of Russians doing the same as we were. Many had horses and carts and they went door to door gathering potatoes and other root veggies to feed farm animals…

Yes! I was right at home and realized why I fit into Russia so well…

I just love Russia…

WtR