Ice storm hit and this morning Boza and I were able to walk almost anywhere we wanted to. I have special chains on my boots that allow me to walk in ice. They were only around 1000 rubles or more and they work like magic. So we walked and walked this morning. I got weak at the end of the walk, but compared to the last few days, I was 100% stronger today. I am still going to rest, but it looks like I have been fighting the flue going around. The big difference is that in the village, it was only a quarter as bad as in Moscow. It was -6 out and almost clear skies. It was simply a perfect and most beautiful morning. I have a headache this morning, but that is okay!
I have a grumble this morning and it has to do with the forest rangers that run their snowmobiles around the village. They could use the roads and help us get around. A snowmobile path is perfect to walk on after they come around, but since few people have brains in this world, at least government employees, they do not care to make it easy for us to get around. A few passes up and down our roads would make life much better. Duh…
Okay whatever; I am going to rest again and take some flu medicine that Sveta had put in the pill bag for my heart medicine. That will make me sleep and get better…
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Sveta is going to try to come on the 12th of February and it looks to be good at that time. I doubt we will be out in a vehicle, but walking should be available at that time. I will walk to the main highway and get her from a taxi…
I am still not hungry and what I have eaten the last few days, I have thrown up, but that is okay. Like I said today, I feel much better and will goof off…
I lost a bucket full of potatoes. They froze, but only froze when the temperatures went down below -30. I guess I should have been smarter, but I was not. Our under home storage place is not deep enough and though -20 and above was still okay, below that, they froze solid and now are rotting. Looks like this summer, I will be digging the basement area deeper and sealing it better against the elements. I knew I had issues when I saw recently, snow build up around the trap door…
Makes me sad that I was stupid and I will learn from my mistakes. It was a whole big bucket of potatoes and I really wanted some today… 🙁
This winter I have discovered that things are easy to protect and deal with at -20 and above. But that below -20 starts to make things rough and when you get below -30, life gets dangerous on top of everything else…
I sent a few months back, an e-mail to a certain important organization located in America. I gave links, proof, locations of the computers and even names involved. This was a direct slam back by me against Washington D.C. and it worked. At least as far as the e-mails of hate and death are concerned. The website attacks are part of an organization within the Admin and they do not care. But names and people will make a difference to the ones doing the attacking. The comment section JavaScript that I am using has also slammed the door in their face. I really think that comments are a bad thing on a website and my point has been proven, by my experiments…
Now communication is becoming better and not a continual farce that it use to be. I let Google and Yandex filter the worst of the mess and what I get left over is easy enough to deal with. It seems that a comment section is so terrible anymore, that people may read, but never comment. I see that even trying to read the comment section on news sites is simply pathetic and demoralizing to all involved. Trolls are a huge, as in 75% of all comments on the web now and this is being done to control what you think. Facebook is becoming nothing but Troll city and it is on purpose…
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What I do get more and more are e-mails from people who are going under. They all come from America and it is starting to sound really bad in many areas there…
Then I sat and sipped a coffee and realized something; Our government will make a big deal about food stamps and stuff and actually cut these benefits or use the cutting mechanism to create chaos and fear, but our government will send billions upon billions of dollars and weapons to terrorists in other countries, while we worry about a much cheaper and beneficial to support food stamp program… 🙁
That is a basic, but simple way to look at things, but that fact is; people should eat, drink and be merry before terrorists get weapons and cash to kill us with. Yes I said us and our government is supplying terrorists with the wherewithal to attack us and kill us as we sleep…
Seriously people, who the hell needs enemies? When we have a government that will suffice for that devil themselves…
Sad but true; we are all so predictable and manageable in 99% of all cases and the powers to be know this. Thus, I am not sure why I even care to mention the fact that we are acting bovine, but we are not, and why we allow ourselves to act bovine? Yes some of us are fat, some are gay, some are rich, some are stupid and some are playing the system. But, in general, most of us have a brain and we do see what is happening…
That is why I say we are too scared to take care of business…
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I will leave you with this video. We should be worried about what the video says and not whether we get rich, feed terrorists and or who we can conquest in our drive for power upon this most wonderful world we live on. We are lucky that we have been allowed to live here. It is not by accident and we are not natural to this world. The world would be a better place without us and that is something we need to change. The world should be a better place because we are here. Is it?
I have to thank several people for donations. One healthy donation in particular was sent for me to put towards a 4×4 truck that I mentioned a few posts ago. The other donations are from college students from all over the world. It seems that Windows to Russia is being used as a resource on Russia now and between students and displaced Russians and such, the blog is growing again. Now that is something to make me smile…
I have a bunch of years in this blog and it looks as if I will have a bunch more, if the world hangs together…
Vova and I just had lunch and his girlfriend as he calls her from Paniki, a village nearby, got two bags of food to him. Not easy, but they plowed the road on the other side of the river and they found a tractor to get to the river on that side. Vova made it there on skis, but he said, he was sick the rest of the day after he fought his way through the snow. Vova gave me a huge bag of food, to compensate for what I bought for him the other day. Now that is a friend…
Vova also told me that the people in Sisoy, where I went to get food, had caused a stink with the local government and wanted to know why the road on their side was not better plowed. What is that American to think about us? Vova got testy with admins from several villages and is asking for someone to get out here and plow us out. Vova also said that the people in Sisoy took pictures and some have ended up on the internet on personal blogs and an official admin website. I guess Boza and I are celebrities again…
He said he told everyone that there are two pensioners and one American living in the village and we can not get out without killing ourselves… 😉
I got pretty sick and that is why I did not post yesterday, but I feel much better today and now after an hour walk, lunch at Vova’s and a couple of cups of coffee. Life is starting to get sweet again…
Seriously; I want to thank each and everyone who has donated. The hosting is paid again for a year, the domain is paid again and now I have money sitting that will go strictly to getting a 4×4 truck. That is my next goal and I promise that if you stipulate what you want the money to go for, I will use it for that purpose… (Unless it is a bad purpose!)
Oh yes! It snowed a foot last night and it looks as if we will not be able to get out for another week again…
The bridge and straight ahead is a drift over my head
Thank goodness for snowmobile tracks
Worst part
Endless road
Never ends
Food on sled
Boza and I made it…
It took between six to seven hours. I will be honest and tell you that I hurt, but am happy as a fat butter bean…
The snowplow didn’t make it, no one else made it, but Boza and I made it and we are going to toot our horn, just a little bit. Sisoy was dead as a door nail when we got there, then the grapevine went to work and when I left the store, twenty people were standing outside and watching me. The word went fast threw town that an American living at Kommuna walked all the way. This is not a small feat and people took pictures of Boza and I. One thing is for sure, I have changed the minds of many Russians about how they think about Americans and yes you can thank me… 😉
To be honest, a year ago I could not have done what I did today and for that I thank God and Sveta and her family for allowing me to finally recover somewhat and get my life in gear again. I also have to say thanks to Boza, for he was there by my side and if I seemed to struggle, he would come up to me and stare with a worried look until I would tell him, “It’s Okay!” – then he would keep going…
Vova had a friend try to get up here in a huge 4X4 and they failed. The drifts are deep, the snow is wet and you never know what is below the surface. I used my walking stick and poked the ground 1,000,000 times to make sure I would not fall into a hole over my head. Boza was lucky and I only had to save him once as he sank out of sight in a drift…
I am sitting here typing this with a wonderful cup of steaming coffee and feel good about myself. I am finally over the hump and healing,instead of regressing into a hole that I could hardly crawl out of. Vova could not have made it and he had gotten himself between a rock and a hard place. He was out of food, out of cigarettes and vodka. Been out for a week and he was in trouble, as everyone gets who are stuck on vices, they will drag you to hell and farther…
One of those sacks on the sled is for Vova and he acted tough as he talked to Sveta on the phone, but a couple of tears in his eyes, told a different world to me…
Tomorrow, I go to Vova’s and he will have a soup going (I bought chicken legs for him,) and him and I are going to rejoice and watch TV. Then when the news talks about Obama, we will make disgusting faces and thumbs down, until they stop talking about him. It is just perfect…
I bought a bunch of extra food and will keep tabs on what Vova is eating. Then I will make sure he has more when needed. I also will in a few weeks walk back to Sisoy to get more. Vova is financially broke right now, for they have to go to the post office to get their pensions and right now the post office is a long ways away. He will pay me back when he gets his money…
Well I am done, Boza is sound asleep and I will be also in a few minutes. The sun is setting and I just spent a full days work and I will sleep good tonight…
Looking at news from America is like looking at Three Ring Circus, with a Mac Truck driving across all the rings as the clowns and animals do their acts. Nothing makes sense and nothing holds to a certain moral structure or standards…
We have a Clinton running for democratic president, that everyone knows she is the worse thing since rotten eggs and half the people ignore the demon and still dance the streets for her. What is wrong with us? Hilary would pull your heart out and let you watch it beat its last as you died. Can you not see that?
We have a man who is a multi-bankrupt billionaire and while he can talk a good spiel, is he good for the country? Trump is actually the best person running, democrat or republican and yet he is still the best of a pile of stinking trash that has rotted for years in the equator zone. Trump is one of the elite and are you not able to see that?
This is some serious stink people and we seriously need to clear or sinuses to smell what is cooking in our country. Trump could be president of the U.S. and the fact that he is better than all the others is not saying much for who we have running. But hey, you have a Psycho Hillary Neocon or a Horn Tooter Rooter Trump, who can make money, even if he goes bankrupt to do it…
Now when Ted Cruz (Definitely Canadian born! So what the Duh?) is the next best thing to Trump, then we know we have some issues in the cupboard and we really do not want to open that cupboard to fast for all the crap will tumble out. The rest running for republican president nominee are a waste land of wasted humans…
Then we have basically only Bernie challenging the demon Clinton and his strength is so pathetic, that he is not able to run all over a woman who has more skeletons hiding than a cemetery and seriously he should just let Clinton have it all? (Or is that what it is all about anyway?) Seriously, do we want to just give away any chance of electing someone to president? Or do we just want to allow our government to pick and chose who we have for president. They do it anyway, so why care?
When a man like Trump and a woman like Hillary are the top runners for president, then you can see how someone like Obama was able to be elected twice even. It is called, “Crap in and Crap out!”
Really just look at everyone who is running for president on either parties side. Seriously look and have an open mind. Would you be friends with any of them? Would you want them to touch your kid? Would you eat dinner with them? Would you bet your life on them? Seriously people, are these clowns worthy of being president of a wonderful country such as America?
No they are not, not a single one of them…
Not a single person running is there for the country. They all have personal agendas and or personal goals and they are not capable of putting anyone but themselves ahead of anything they do. I see Trump being spouted about as for the country! Seriously people, Trump is for himself. Others say that Hillary is a woman and we need a woman for president, seriously again, that is a criteria? Not hardly, kinda like he is black, he needs to be president…
Why all the ones running and know that they can not make it, are simply there to make a name for themselves. I know that if even if someone comes along who is good and has their heart in the right place, as with Ron Paul, they would crush him and laugh all the way to the bank. We had our last chance with Ron Paul and we turned on him and allowed him to be buried, even as we laughed with the establishment as they did it to him…
Being president takes commitment and desire. The commitment to do the job for the country and do the job free if need be. Commitment is never a paid position in life. Commitment comes from the heart and soul…
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What is it with the “Dog and Pony Show” that us Americans have to have just to open our eyes?
Have you ever had someone you dislike, yell your name out from across the street? That person who seems to follow you and want your friendship, but they also have no commonsense about then at all. We all know that person and they usually cause havoc whenever they come around. They are the ones who look at themselves in the car windows as you walk down the street and they only want you around because they are sure that they are more beautiful than you and you make them look good…
Well, I hate to tell you this, but America is one of those kind of people. We stand across the street and yell out names, point fingers and in general stir up crap all over the world. We do anything to draw attention to us when it is good and draw attention away from us, when it is bad…
Right now the world is watching the Circus we call presidential elections and really we should be worried that our so called friends are trying to run away. For we have embarrassed them too many times and now as we threaten even our friends, by calling them out on the carpet for no reason… (80 Swiss banks – Seriously)
Sveta says it is good for me and learning patience is a virtue. But Big Bear does not like being told what to do, even if it is Mother Nature doing the telling. Most of my issues are not planning ahead. No skis, no snowshoes and such. I have good food for over a month and can stretch it for two months easily. Boza has food for three months, thus we are not going to starve… 😉
Path cut through village…
Therefore, tomorrow if the weather holds and it should, I have found a place where snowmobiles have been transecting the area. These are forest ranger snowmobiles and they lead to were I want to go. Maybe not straight there, but regardless to the village I need to go to. I have been practicing this morning for over an hour and I am able to walk on the snowmobile paths if I exercise caution. Otherwise I am up to my waist in snow and it is wet snow right now…
It will reach -4 tonight and that will freeze my path better and make it stronger. I watched four snowmobiles playing around on the lake bed this morning and I am here to tell you, they can go anywhere, literally…
I am checking everything twice and making sure I have a snack to eat for on the way and will have matches, flashlight and a knife with me also. Boza will stay home(?,) for regardless he is better off stressed at me leaving, then trying to walk, what it seems to be about 4 kilometers one way through the woods. Now he may argue with my thinking and I know he wants to be right there with me. For what ever I do, Boza wants to do also. We are a team and best buddies; You know!
I keep telling myself that he needs to stay home, but I also know that he is my right hand and we go down together or not at all. So I have to do some thinking if he goes or not. It is not often in my life that I am indecisive and this is one of those rare times…
This is a challenge to me and that is the way I am. Can I do it? Am I able? Should I do it? Do I need to do it? Nothing matters except I want to do it and prove to myself that I am still able to fulfill what needs to be done when it needs to be done. If Sveta was here, I would be gone, for Boza would have someone to watch over him as I was gone for about 4 hours…
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So yes, If the creek don’t rise and the snow don’t fly, I will make it out to the store…
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I am going to make a chicken soup today. I use one half of a chicken breast and cook it down until it starts to come apart. Then add some potatoes, carrots, salt n pepper and onions, then cook it until everything is done. The chicken is literally gone and mixed throughout all the liquid of the soup. The second day is the best for this soup, at that point the potatoes have gone to starch and the soup is thick and creamy. Oh so good…
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Winter wonderland…
You can see the path Boza and I take to the bottoms. Everyday this path has to be stomped out again, for it snows all the time. This truly a winter wonderland and now that it has warmed up a bit. I hope to get out and buy some goodies to eat…
Boza and I want steak, baked potatoes, asparagus with cheddar cheese sauce and a huge piece of cheesecake with cherries on top…
Boza and I simply get tough and force or way through to thin areas of snow. The bell tower is one of those areas and Boza and I can stand in awe at how beautiful the world is from the top of the hill. This morning we had a rare occurrence and I just happened to have the camera, since it is warmer. A Red-Tail Hawk and or Chicken hawk floated over us as it hunted. I was lucky enough to get a few shots of it and I am so pleased with myself…
A solitary bird unless breeding time and this bird is always alone and lives by the small pond down below us. He is a successful hunter and I have seen his handy work all over. Mice are history with him around. This hawk has successfully defended himself against the Huge Mamma Eagle and thrives in his little spot of life…
Finally got a good image of him…
I could not help the song above. It just is perfect for today and what a beautiful day it is. I was thinking of Sveta in Moscow and she is taking some psychology classes this weekend and I am so glad that she can do what she wants, when she wants and I love that she loves to learn. Sveta is one intelligent girl and is truly what I call an intellect…
Father Pavel left this morning; a snowmobile came by and picked him up. He waved at Boza and I and off he went into the wild blue yonder. He spent three days meditating and I understand that is part of their training and such…
I seriously scooped about three hundred meters of snow trails yesterday. Hundred meters to the dump, hundred meters to Vova’s and a hundred meters of old trails that were filled up with new snow. Today, it has not snowed and I am blessed, but I feel better than I have in many many years and could do it all again today, if need be…
The path you see is all the way to Vova’s home…
But I am smart and will rest today, for I need to pace myself and not over do it. Boza said it was okay and his paths are good enough, so that he can run around and check on the village… 😉
This morning, not so bright, but very early. Boza and I got up and walked around all the paths that I have cut. I specifically cut paths to the four big trees in our front yard and Boza appreciates that effort as he visits each tree several times a day and does his doggy business. Boza ran his paths and checked on his yard. We found several mouse tracks and what looks like a kitty cat has been hunting those mice…
The Doma
Just gets deeper
It was a rough night and Boza and I both tossed and turned, as we were restless. I had to rub my arms, legs and neck down with my favorite muscle and joint cream. It works, but when you hurt as bad as I do, nothing solves the problem and I refuse to take pain relief, for I just do not believe in covering it up and getting to rely upon such crutches…
During my heart attacks, I would get grouchy and upset as they kept trying to push morphine for the pain. Several times they sneaked and gave it too me, but I stopped them as soon as possible. I want to die alive, not drugged up… 😉
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Therefore this morning as I decide to go to get supplies or not and sit here sipping my second cup of coffee. I am thinking about how I wonder at and about things. Things that happen all over the world and what is the problem with humans. We are suppose to be a step above the other creatures on our planet, but seriously, sometimes I wonder…
Humans are so easily made dependent. Dependent on who ever gives them the most toys and food. Humans willingly become slaves just to have what seems to be an easy life for them. Hardship seems to be a dirty word in most human minds and doing something for yourself is not priority, but last on the list. Well behind iPhone and Android syndromes…
We accept people controlling us…
Such as fluoride in our water, police/cameras on every corner, politicians making decisions about our children, being told when we can think about God, being told what we can eat or not eat, who to kill or not kill, who to hate or not hate, we are told and taught might makes right, rich is better and a million other propaganda/fallacies/manipulations/untruths/lies and power is always the best…
And probably the most problematic issue that humans have is; we see what is wrong, we know it is wrong and we still look the other way as what is wrong is committed, time and time again, flagrantly right in front of our faces and then to our relief, we finally accept such depredations and become happy that all is well in wonderland…
Therefore, I have no choice but to wonder at all around me…
We live in hives called cities, in mass numbers of humans, masses so great that a single bomb would wipe out 10’s of millions in one big bang. We live en masse on earthquake fault lines, river banks and other tidbit of areas and then cry our eyes out when Mother Nature takes her toll upon us…
There is enough land upon this planet to support everyone and everyone could eat, drink and be merry, but we gather in huge groups to be able to support ourselves in misery…
We allow money to be god and we put God on the back burner, only acknowledging him, when the going gets rough and the rough kick our asses…
We live in a world that the man or woman preaching the pulpit at the front of the room, is sleeping with your spouse or maybe you also and we accept such a person to spout about sins and then to top it all off, they tell us to pray for our service men overseas, for they fight for our freedoms and what they do is all good in the eyes of God…
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The government has it all under control… Nothing to see here! Just go back to surfing on your iPhone and tablet and ignore the truth… Drink some more fluoride water and it will all be good in the morning… Nothing to see here! Just go back to surfing on your iPhone and tablet and ignore the truth… I repeat… The government has it all under control…
It snowed a foot last night and drifted so deep in places that there simply was no way to get out from the village, much less get around the village. Therefore, I cleaned snow until I could not move and at the same time, cut a new path to Vova’s…
Food at Vova’s
Drifts over my head in a few places
Straw Boss makeing me work
Straw Boss checking my work
Eating at Vova’s again
Our world
Boza can go no farther; too deep
Cut a path
I zigged and zagged until I found the shallowest areas. I made a path all the way to Vova’s and ate lunch there…
We are going to try to get out tomorrow. Vova has a plan to get to the bus stop and him and I will take the bus to Majara a medium size village. It looks like more snow, so I doubt we will make it, but sooner than later we will get out. I think that fact that I cut a path to him has woke him up a little bit and now he is ready to get-er in gear…
Vova is doing much better today and it looks like he is over the hump of having no alcohol. I would like to keep him this way, but that is easier said than done. He is into his emergency stash of tobacco, he rolls his own and that slows down his consumption. All in all life is looking good…
I am going to take a nap and I just thought I would show you some of the small images I took…
WtR
PS: I want to thank people for the donations. Anything counts and a few of these donations are coming from people who just cannot afford it. I get wonderful letters with most of the donations and never in all years I have written this blog, have I felt so good about writing and continuing the blog. 5084 posts and climbing. People do not realize how much information I have on this website. It is literally a proverbial database on Russia and I have been posting for almost 10 years now…
