Here is Boza’s and My World; How is yours?

We climbed the mountain today. It was not without mishap, I broke a walking stick today, my favorite one! It really was only good for summer, but it was light and strong and that is a good thing for the strength. Boza and I were on a huge snow drift and truthfully, I should have not been there, but we like to crawl up things and see what is on the other side. I had walked up the hill without breaking through and decided everything was cool. I got to the top and actually the picture “The top looking down,” is where I went almost under. You can see the edge that is not covered in snow at the right, that edge was also under me and I was out in the deep drop off. I was stepping gingerly to get a good shot and after I took the image, the ice cracked under me. I dropped the camera and it skittered away down the hill. I had the walking stick in my left hand and pulled it across my chest horizontal. That was where I ended up, almost to my shoulders in a drift and could feel no bottom under me. 🙂

The walking stick held for now and with a Boza licking my face, I decided how to get out and after a few moments; I got myself raised slightly and used the back of my neck to snap the stick. Then I had two, almost sharp sticks to use as spikes to pull myself out of the hole. Therefore, it was spike in the snow and pulling myself along. I finally got to where it quit cracking under me and was able to crawl. Then my knees quit breaking the ice and I got up. I was sad my stick was no more…

Then Boza and I had to go down the hill and find the camera. Camera came out okay (slid like a sled, never hit a tree and traveled a good 200 meters into the woods, skittered on ice all the way) and I was glad of that. Sveta bought me that camera and it is my favorite camera of all…

I found another stick as I walked and it is better yet than the one I had just destroyed. This is a nice stick and believe it or not, it was a stick that someone in the summer had cut to us as a long spike somewhere and left it…

What a wonderful way to live life. No wonder I am getting better and better everyday. Life is meant to be lived, not hiding and scared. Boza and I live life and that is that…

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Yesterday Vova had buried his Niva in a deep snow drift. I am not sure why he thought he could get his vehicle out, but he soon found out that it was definitely too deep. I spent another morning helping get a car out of the snow and felt that exertion this morning as I got up, ouch! It was strange, after I got home I found an e-mail about LADA Niva and what wheels to put on instead of the stock rims. Then you can put better tires on the Niva. I was told that Ford Bronco rims are wider, an inch less in diameter and fit perfect. this allows a better tire and much wider tire, for the footprint… Interesting… The information came from a man in Iceland and he worked with Niva as a work vehicle for many years. He would know… Now to find a Bronco in Russia?

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Father Pavel came by yesterday. He wanted to say, Hi! He was going to the monastery and check on his bees. They have 20 or so beehives at the church. I noticed that bees, honey and Orthodox goes together almost everywhere I see a monastery. Honey in Russia is highly valued and considered almost medicinal in use and purpose. Father Pavel is a good man and I really like him…

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That is it today, I am going to sand on my new walking stick and get it better suited to use. I love walking sticks and Boza and I will have to send our favorite stick on a good burial. It might have saved my life, for at the very least it allowed me to not go in over my head and use it as a way to escape easily. that is why I do not walk without a good strong stick to help keep balance and use in emergencies…

Have a nice day…

WtR