How about a cup of coffee? Even a cup of tea would be perfect, just grab something and stay warm. For it is snowing and snowing and snowing. I look out and the world has gone white, again and now I can not see past our fence and the fence is almost faded away. It reminds me of a book about the end of the world as we know it…
A man who was very set in his ways and patterns, noticed the world was fading. Slowly going away. It became understood to him, that the world was disappearing and that his familiarity in the secluded pattern of his life was the only thing keeping the end at bay. But the end would not be stopped and he sat in his favorite chair at the end, as the world finished fading around him. Just being slowed down by his own abilities of familiarity of his surroundings…
Today feels like that, as the snow has now faded the fence from sight and I can no longer see the weather station in the yard. Therefore, I will have another cup of tea and then cut my hair. For there is not a whole lot I can do outside and I do not feel like writing too much today…
I drove to the Big Village and picked up some food. It was rough and Sammy the Volga had to be on her best behavior. We ended up sideways in the road a dozen times. But she is a Volga you know and understands Russian roads…
I decided to buy a treat…
I found a new product; Black Angus Burgers and at 79 rubles ($1.16) a box for three of them. I decided to splurge. I normally do not buy food that expensive and try to make the ruble go as far as possible, but when you want a burger, no; I mean really want a burger… 😉
So I decided to buy two less cottage cheeses and buy the burgers. I bought a pack of 10 buns for 19 rubles, the burgers at 79 rubles and I had cheese (267 rubles a kilo) at home. I wanted nothing else on the burgers, but Russian beef, real Russian cheese and the buns made at the local bakery…
I sliced the cheese thin, cooked the burgers well done with the cheese melted on top. I toasted the buns and a little salt and pepper to taste, and I had the best meal I have had in a long time. I made two of the patties into burgers with bread and one left unseasoned, un-cheesed but cooked for Boza. I ate one and a half burgers and Boza ate one and a half burgers…
He has spent the last hour trying to check every pocket, corner and nook and cranny we have, at the outside chance I sneaked a burger and he did not see it. He loved them and is one happy dog. I am just as happy and we both have decided that we will eat this once a month if we can afford it! ????
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Life is easy to make happy, you just have to accept what is and what might be. Then look for the small treat of life and enjoy…
The burger patties cost; .38 cents each + a bun at 3 cents each + 15 cents each for cheese = 56 cents per burger…
See kinda expensive when you are use to eating much cheaper. $1.50 for the meal…
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Milk ran 36 rubles per liter.
Grapefruits ran 79 rubles per kilo.
Navel oranges ran 89 a kilo.
Cottage cheese ran 32 rubles per pack of 200 grams. I buy expensive cottage cheese to be able to freeze the packs.
Bananas ran 49 rubles a kilo.
Salt Pickles ran two liters for 89 rubles.
Eggs ran 5 rubles each.
Vodka for Vova was 189 rubles a half liter. His brand.
Cigarettes for Vova were 40 rubles a pack.
A pack of 20 Gillette disposable razors ran 200 rubles. Ouch that hurt.
Canned corn 340 grams at 39 rubles.
Kilo loaf of black bread for Vova at 17 rubles and a loaf of white at 20 rubles.
Whole chickens at 79 rubles a kilo.
carrots at 9 rubles a kilo.
Potatoes at 9 rubles a kilo.
Cabbage at 5 rubles a kilo.
I could go on, but you get the drift. Try buying that stuff in America for that price? Well maybe the razors?
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Well Boza and I are going for a walk. Boza and I are going nuts at the smell of the burgers and we want more. Good thing we do not have anymore, for we would eat too much. It really was a good treat and now I know that when a burger is desired, I have the option to get the products to make them. This was a very good quality products and the taste was fantastic…
See we are almost civilized at times in Russia and I am here to tell you that Russians are producing any and all products to satisfy the taste buds. Sanctions have been wonderful for Russian productivity…
Vova has rabbits and more rabbits. Rabbits to Vova are very important and a very important crop, for food and money. People come from all around to buy his rabbits and he has a never ending supply of them. Rabbits breed like crazy and thus a sustaining entrepreneurship…
Yesterday, I helped Vova feed the rabbits, little piglet ducks, chickens and Big Mia. He has a happy farm and the ducks just quack like crazy when daddy comes around… 😉
This morning after the wind swept it all
Lake
Our bridge is history
This morning
We were lucky and some of the snow melted. It was -4 all day, but since the sun is positioned better and the days are longer, we had enough heat from the sun to do some melting. I hope today does the same. Last night was -15 again and it was crispy cold this morning as we walked. We found our bridge has finally washed out and will miss the ability to cross the river…
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Malaysia Airlines Flight 17: do you stop to wonder why the west refuses to give answers, or at least straight answers? I do and then when another jet goes down, such as the one recently in Russia. I find that 99% of the time straight forward information is the norm. Not hiding all the facts and twisting facts to meet the narrow criteria. It has been very hard for the west to spin the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 as a Russian issue. They have tried and we now see that it has become a hidden Pandora box, for if the truth becomes known, it opens a whole nest of lies. These lies from day one pointed at Russia and the liars know this and still cover it all up. The problem I see is that too many people in the west, want to believe that Russia is evil and Putin is a dictator…
It really is simple; they lie and we accept the lies as truth…
What does that say about us?
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Chimpanzee
Myself, I think that we should put a chimpanzee as president of the USA. No, seriously…
I think we would find that we would be better received in the world and we would find that nothing would change as to our policies. For the presidential position of the US is probably the most restrained position on earth. For anything else would be called a dictatorship by the west…
Some people would say that we have one (a chimp) now, but that is really stupid and ignoring the fact that a chimp would have at least a 50% chance of getting things correct. Just simply throwing a dart at the board would do a better job at world affairs than what we have allowed to become our government. Obama (who is white when he needs to be and black when he needs to be,) is just the puppet and figurehead for a whole power structure that tries to look like they care about us little guys…
The truth is, there would be many more people backing a chimp (think power of PETA,) than who we have running and have had as president of the US, for as long as I can remember. That is the level and state of affairs that we have allowed our country to fall to…
Seriously; I would vote for a chimp, before voting for Hillary or Trump and or any one of the others, that are trying to run as president. That is the state of affairs in America…
Does that make me a racist?
Na, I am just a realist…
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I have got to say something about Trump; I would not vote for him (see above,) but I see that he has woke a serious storm and if the powers to be are not careful, this storm will become a hurricane… (Trump is good for TV ratings I am sure!)
With a huge chance Hillary will be ramrodded into the presidency; Lets hope the storm does flatten Washington DC with the winds…
I think (I hope,) that it is time for God to step in and show us he cares about us as humans. For soon we will be in trouble over our heads and trouble that we can not control. But then it is our fault and God does not have to help self induced folly at its finest…
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I guess I am going to try to get to the Big Village today. Or maybe not! I am thinking about the subject right now and am not sure that I can get there. Oh well!
Spring has sprung, the grass has ris’, I wonder where the birdie is? There he is up in the sky, He dropped some whitewash in my eye! I’m alright, I won’t cry, I’m just glad that cows can’t fly!
March 20th, 2016 is the first day of spring… And the picture is small, because spring has sprung the wrong way. Spring in fact got lost and we are in the middle of winter, but then it is Russia and I have said we have long, long, long winters…
How about what Boza and I experienced this morning? Is that called spring? I am not sure, but I think it looks kind of like winter still. Oh well, I guess our little weather station was correct and the big weather stations online and TV were wrong… 😉
I have said very little about Ukraine. It is a subject that upsets me tremendously and a subject that causes me anguish. East Ukraine is one of the most wonderful places in the world, or at least is / was until Kiev and the west decided that killing the people was the answer to all the worlds issues…
I have seen much in life and I have been involved in this same sort of destruction of a country. It seems that whether we want to notice, see and or accept the fact, our country (USA) is a country that will take lives of innocent people and use them to destroy anyone in her way…
We do not target just the military in countries, but we sanction and bomb the civilians in that country and I know, for I have been there and done that. A perfect example is Japan; we nuked out of so called necessity, two Japanese cities. We Nuked these cities of civilians… Why? Because we could and because we don’t care about human life…
It is “WE,” for “WE” accept such behavior on the part of our governmental services…
Russia had nothing to do with what was started and agenda instilled in Ukraine. The fact that we have installed Saakashvili and other passport hold Americans into various governmental positions in Ukraine, is the perfect answer to any inquiry. And actually Russia was very constrained as to what was happening and America would never let something like what we did to happen in Mexico or Canada. So what is the issue and why is Russia condemned? America started it…
Ukraine was a favorite place of mine to spend time in. I have spent many hours walking the streets of Kiev and many hours, days and even months, living in Ukraine. What has happened to Ukraine is a crime against humanity and I can attest to that personally. I do not and have not lived for long periods of time in Syria, Libya and other war torn countries. But I have lived in Ukraine and spent many hours talking and getting to know the people there. I know what Ukraine was and it was a wonderful country…
I have helplessly watched my government destroy Ukraine, all for a geopolitical game of checkers and I have seen Russia play chess back and America losses at every move…
I do not have to try to see what is wrong with the picture. I live what is wrong with the picture everyday and it become more clear as everyday goes by. I watch a emboldened US government brashly expanding its death squad and our gov knows that we will do nothing…
We are exactly where the western admins want us. Under their thumb and they will slaughter us to keep us there…
I hurt everyday because of what we have done to Ukraine and yes, we did it and allowed it. Even after we found out the truth, we still looked the other way. Just look at Europe, they have all stuck their heads in the sand and let a handful of politicians rule their existence. Sanctions that bite the EU more than Russia…
I had to cry, then I had to post it and as my soul reached out to cry with me. I realized how important Russians are to me now. Russians have a soul and it is old, wise and deep…
It was -15 (Weather station said so!) at 5:00 a.m. and it had snowed most of the night. This morning was a frozen winter wonderland and it was so beautiful as the sun came up in a crystal clear sky…
So beautiful (our home)
Walked up the hill
Everything is white
The valley is snow covered
We follwed some tracks all around the village
Almost home
It seems like a fairy tale as just a few days ago, I was burning rubbish and cleaning the yard. But if you remember, I had to get to the Big Village and get food and supplies. For my weather station was predicting snow and lots of it. It said Thursday, but the snow held off until Friday night. Regardless it was accurate enough for me…
The three big weather reports online said some snow to no snow at all. Our little station said, “Bull!”
Now the weather station predicts, “-5 and sunny all day!”
It will be about two weeks before I can get out with the car again. Thus you see why it was important on Tuesday to get to town…
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Seriously! What is it with people in America always telling me and many others online, to go live some where else if I do not like the USA. I never said I do not like the US. I think that the principles we now are upholding suck…
Everyday I get told to move out of America. They toss it at me like it is a great big and powerful insult. They attack me with a statement such as typical as this, “Why don’t you find you a country that best fits the freedom that you seek? I never been to any other country where there is better life than this one, why do you think there’s millions that want to come here? And millions more that want what you have, so suck it up and change what you don’t like, be senator or a president .”
I get this all the time…
It makes me laugh, I live in Russia and oh, I know that you believe Russia is the next thing to North Korea and China, but I can burst your bubble and prove it different about Russia, but China and NK, I do not live there and can’t express what it is about. But I promise that it is rapturous information against them, being spewed daily by the west…
Seriously, I am told most of the time and presented as hate and spite, “Just leave!”
I have been to at least 50 plus countries in the world. I have yet to find a country that is as we are told it is in the western media. Not a single country…
Yet Americans act like telling someone that they should leave America is a threat. It is not a threat unless you simply believe all the western media tells you. It is an incredible world and the attitude that I see from the west is what makes me wonder,what is wrong with us…
Do you truly believe that the world stops at the US borders?
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Besides for all you people who think you are scaring me, humbling me and causing me to shiver in my boots. I already live in Russia and I live in a Tiny Russian Village with three people living in it, including myself. So I think I am seeing the real Russia and not the Russophobia Russia that the west constantly presents to the masses…
I also lived years in Moscow and found Moscow safe and wonderful. (No wild gangs of native Russians cutting heads off and raping and pillaging the dogs and cats. No really!)
I am not living in fear…
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A Flydubai Boeing-737-800 (FZ981) has crashed during landing in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. All the passengers and crew on board have been killed…
Need to say a prayer this morning, for all the relatives of the people who died…
The other day I counted sixteen ravens floating above the bell tower. Our family of huge ravens has discovered a new treat in life. They float on the updraft created when we have a northern wind and play for hours during the day. I have watched them just float in place, like a helicopter and not move hardly at all. They can rise and fall and turn and never flap their wings. It makes me wish that I could do the same…
Several years ago we had only two huge ma and pa raven. But the family is growing and doing well. They actually are a blessing around the village. They clean the village of all the junk that people toss around. I watch them and they are really good about keeping the Tiny Russian Village scrubbed up. They play in the village all day, but live in nests in the huge forest nearby. I have yet to find their nests, but I will this summer…
The tower was covered in pigeons, but the ravens have moved them out and taken over the tower. That is fine with me and Boza and I have reached a neutral territory with these ravens. At first we (Boza and I against Ravens from Hell!) fought and disliked each others presence. Now we tolerate each other. They even land near me as I sit and watch with one eye on food and one eye on us. Boza likes to wait a few minutes and then run as fast as he can to chase them. they seem to have gathered a delight for teasing Boza and it is a win win for both parties…
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Our road is frozen every morning and can be traveled, but after noon comes, it becomes a sandy mud bath and it is steep enough to stop almost everything that tries to come up it. There is one UAZ that has fat aggressive tires and it makes it. Other than that, we have people get to the second hump in the road and slide back down. They are making a mess of our road, but since mainly sand, it all smooths out in the end…
As you see we still have snow…
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I have been cleaning the side yard and the back of the house. I have to get it all cleaned up and all the good wood stacked. Before I can build a chicken coop. It is a mess and yesterday, I burned and stacked half of that mess…
Back Yard
faint but the geese are home
I listened to the geese passing by overhead all day and it was wonderful. I also heard what I call freshwater seagulls. They are coming back by the thousands…
I worked too hard and too long yesterday. I am paying for it today. But I made a huge dent in the mess and maybe tomorrow I will feel up to hitting it again. I can not wait until it is clean. You can not even walk through it, or at least until yesterday. Boza and I can now walk around and through the mess now. I am burning the rotten wood and to the left of the image above, you can see the piles of boards I am building. These boards are going to build a chicken coop and by next year, we will have chickens. The old chicken coop is on the right of the image and is on the house. that I have to change. I have to make a free standing unit not attached to the home…
Soon the yard will be done all the way around the home…
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I want to thank people for donations, the last donations are going to go for getting the garden supplies bought. I also am trying to find some white lilacs. The purple we have are fabulous, but I want to have white on the opposite side of the yard. I have not seen white yet in Russia, but I am sure they are available. The yard I am working on was a jungle of wood vine and cherry trees. The cherries were wild and terrible. I want to have white lilacs in there place…
I also want to try to grow Tea Roses. My favorite type of flower. I am not sure if they will survive the winters here, but I want to try. Vova has looked over the garden area and is getting ready to rototiller it up, as soon as the ground warms up and snow is gone. This year we plan carrots, potatoes, beets, radishes, turnips, pumpkins and who knows what!
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Yup!
We talk about flying like an eagle, but after the last few days, I would be glad to fly like a raven. They are having so much fun and I wonder why we as humans have forsaken such fun in life. We have many things that we can fly like a raven or eagle at and we seem to keep ourselves grounded and unhappy…
I am going to fly like a raven today and float in the air…
I am so happy with Windows 8.1 and so unhappy with Windows 10. There really is no comparison between the two and livability is the reason that Windows 8.1 is the best. Windows 10 has so many idiosyncrasies that it makes it hard to love unless you simply have plenty of resources to waste and throw away into Microsoft’s lap…
But Microsoft continues to “TRY” to put Windows 10 on my computer. Five times I have had to remove and or hide updates and I can not allow updates without my looking them over first. I have installed two programs to watch out over this occurrence and it is getting old, old in the fact that Microsoft is trying to shove something down my throat that I have tried and dislike so much that if they continue, I will switch to Linux and be done with Windows…
First program below in block quote and I run it every time I have Windows updates and this is actually a redundant program, but has helped me to keep Windows 10 at bay…
This program removes the Get Windows 10 (GWX) update (KB3035583) from an infected Windows 7
or Windows 8.1 system.
How to Run
==========
Click on “I Don’t Want Windows 10.exe”
“Side-by-side configuration is incorrect” Error
===============================================
Run “vcredist_x86.exe”, located in this folder.
I think I have removed the necessity to use this, but it’s there just in case.
REDISTRIBUTING THIS SOFTWARE
============================
You may redistribute an unmodified copy of this software for free to anyone that wants it.
This file, and both the application and the vcredist file must be present, with all their
contents unmodified. The VC++ files are property of Microsoft Corporation and are subject
to their terms of use.
The program above is a non installed exe and you run it manually as needed…
This next program is a watch dog type program and it installs and gyards your system. It works and works good. I use the above program as a feel good situation, simply for my brain to function better… 😉
This is a free tool that can remove and disable the ‘Get Windows 10’ notification area icon on Windows 7 and Windows 8. Recent versions can also disable ‘Upgrade to Windows 10’ behavior in the Windows Update control panel and do much more. See the user guide at the Ultimate Outsider blog. You can still download GWX Control Panel as a standalone executable if you don’t like installers. Please see the “GWX CONTROL PANEL RELEASE NOTES” section at the user guide for MD5 and SHA-1 checksums of all official releases.
I am giving these links not because I get anything for doing it. I think people need to have ability to stop companies like Microsoft from invading your life if you so desire…
The GWX is the best and just install, read what to do and do it. It also allows you to reverse everything and allow Windows to update…
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To be honest Windows 10 was smooth and worked good. At least on the surface, but things that mean alot to me were showing up and not least of all; the data usage on a very limited data situation was not controllable. That just makes n sense to me. For I am sorry Microsoft, but not all of us live with a golden spoon in our mouths and we have limitations to what we can spend on things…
I personally thought that Windows 10 is going to be a huge expensive financial mess in the future and I guess my distrust of Microsoft makes me think that we will pay for “Free Windows 10” at one point or another. I won’t and that is simple. I will ride Windows 8.1 to the end of its life and beyond…
I am not going to review Windows 10 and or Windows 8.1; I will just say that Windows 8.1 is the best Windows I have ever used and I really liked Windows 7…
Windows 10 just stepped on my toes and tried to upset the apple cart…