Windows to Russia

Crucian Carp:  *new to lake*

Scientific Name: Carassius carassius
Average Weight: 6oz – 1lb 8oz
Average Length: 6 – 12 inches
Life Span: 10 years

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Leather/Mirror Carp:

Scientific Name: Cyprinus carpio
Average Weight: 6 – 15 lb (2.7 kg / 6.8kg)
Average Length: 18 – 26 inches (45 cm – 65cm)
Life Span: Between 9 – 45+ years.

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Common Carp:

Scientific Name: Cyprinus carpio
Average Weight: 6 – 15 lb (2.7 kg / 6.8kg)
Average Length: 18 – 26 inches (45 cm – 65cm)
Life Span: Between 9 – 45+ years.

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Okay; I have done my homework and the new carp, which really is a normal carp for European area, is a Crucian Carp and is totally an delicious tasting carp. The meat is firmer, whiter and to me it is like eating a fat Blue Gill back home…

The issue that I see is that the fish will never be large enough in the normal summer season to be worth as a mainstay crop. The lifespan is shorter and the size is much smaller. But they are delicious to eat and most likely will be sold at a higher price than the Common and Mirror carp… (I have had two so far to eat!)

Farming is about volume, weight and speed. The big carps can outproduce the tiny Crucian any day. I do not see the Crucian being anything more than a speciality fish for high dollar situations….

Now I learned something new…

Post by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

Sometimes I cogitate back to my juvenescence. The days of yore, when the biggest consternation was whether or not you could live up to the calibre of morals that our country had set for itself. Many of us strove to obtain such lofty levels of competence. While we all perceived that we failed to do such a mission; Yet, it was a goal and we were better humans for having a goal and striving for it, with limited contraptions in our possession. Life became obtained by imagination, dreams and morals…

Never during the indoctrination of life would I think that a country based on morals, power and liberty, would have degenerates such as  Yellen, Obama, Kerry and/or thousands of hasbeens, that there seems to be an abundance of, or simply any other dingbat who would want to actually wield power over a country such as the U.S. How could such people even get close to running our country is a symptom of the disease we have allowed to deface us. We had already dealt with such demons as McCarthy-ism and anti-communism devaluation of our existence. We are suppose to learn from our past and definitely not repeat or expound on the mistakes we allowed. That means we keep detritus out of the government and not allow the rubbish to garner maggots. For those maggots become flies and then they invade all aspects of our governmental processes…

We no longer have society goals that are so lofty that we can not obtain them. For those goals would be hurting our feelings and causing us emotional turmoil. Thus, we must set the bar lower and lower, year after year, to allow everyone to obtain satisfaction, that they are perfect, deserving and can do all. We must allow the PETA’s, the racisms, the attenuated, the handicapped, the mentally impaired, the political correctness, the Gays, the Lobbies, the religious offshoots and again and/or anything that can squeak for attention…

There is not enough oil to stop the squeaks and thus we all must suffer. Then no one progresses and we start to see the results festering in what we use to proudly dream of as the home of liberty, freedom and the bastion of such principles for the world, America…

Post by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

Father Pavel came to do worship at the church in our village, but before he came, he sent the secondary school teacher for its English curriculum and she finally found me at my home. From where she parked I could tell she looked a long time and only found me by the neighbour gentleman telling her…

Father Pavel wanted to communicate and he wanted to do it with my language. I found that interesting and I decided to sit and communicate. The woman was named Tanya and she was about 50ish and very shy, but the idea of her being able to communicate with the first American she ever met, plus get in good brownie points with the local Father Pavel, over rode any fear and shyness…

At first I was taken back and was not appreciative of being bothered. I am a grouch and a huge bear of a guy. This makes me unapproachable for many people and that is the way I like it. I could live all alone in the middle of a thousand acres and be happy to never see anyone for years. Actually the only person I would care to see is Sveta and that is that. Though I do communicate with rare individuals and enjoy that communication. Just remember rare is the word and most I drive away, for it just is better for all involved…

Then I went to talk after I realized that Father Pavel was serious and really wanted to communicate. Though as I know in life, even clergymen have ulterior motives within everything they do, but as long as a amiable relationship stays amiable, then I will tolerate and be happy…

Therefore, I was pleased with the outcome and Father Pavel, like all Russians I know, is worried about me staying in the village all winter. He is worried and me being an American is driving that worry. Americans are known to the world to be soft, fat and whiny about the comforts of life and the lack thereof and many a exchange student has come to Russia from the west and cried all the way home. The Orthodox church has dealt with many a religious exchange person and found that most are not able to adapt…

You have to have an open mind to survive Russia and remove the idiosyncrasies that control you from your past…

Post by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

The next few days are going to be too hot to do any major work. We have been cold and almost freezing at night and now it has reversed. It is what I call Indian Summer…

So therefore, this morning after doing a few chores, I took a bath and got clean clothes on and will rest. This is the best for both Boza and I. Boza is so furry, that he really suffers in heat like this. Except it is not hot, not really, just hot for Russians who live as far north as we are. Thus, since I have lived here for almost 10 years, I am acclimated to this weather and not the weather I had in America. So it is hot and only 30 degrees Celsius…

That puts it at 86 degrees Fahrenheit and that is hot for us Russians…

Seriously, it is so hot they had to start pumping water back into the lake. They will wait for a few days to harvest, it is too hot and the fish will suffer and die. Most likely the guys harvesting will also… 🙁

I know people who live in areas that are 100 plus F. everyday, day in and day out, but, we are not and it is really is what you are acclimated to. The same goes the other way, -30 below C. and people in northern Russia are out playing chess. So no complaints, because I know that you hot lovers would die in that kind of cold…

Henceforth, I will read a new Jack Reacher book and let the world keep turning, then after the heat breaks, I will finish the back yard…

Have a nice day…

Post by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

They harvested the little pond across the way today. Not sure what type of carp are in that pond, but they were not big, so I think they are trying a new crops. You can see an electrician, maintenance, owner, managers and workers. All together in this image. These fish are important and they are carp, but a very special type. They have very small scales, firm white meat and are delicious… 🙂

In fact one owner is on the dock (hands in pockets) and another is walking to the dock (no hat) and the rest are either high level people or managers. The only one there who is from the fish house on the lake is the guy with no shirt and shovelling…

Very interesting! Big wheels are pulling in this small harvest of special fish…

When they do the big lake, they will have twenty to thirty guys, no owners, just a manager and they will work like crazy to get the fish in. There is a lot of fat fish in the big lake. They also feed the guys harvesting these fish. This is a big job to get this lake shut down. I am curious as to how many tons of fish this lake produces…

You will see images when it happens…

Post by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

The back of the village home. Taken at almost dark last night. That is why is is grainy and almost blurry…

This is the worst spot in the whole yard and home. This is what I am working on and have talked about the last few days. The left is a newer side room and it will stay, the lower tar paper covered section next to it on the right is the chicken coop. It will go and the exposed wood log wall is where the part I removed was…

I will tear down the chicken coop and then completely clean up the back yard, plus rebuild the exposed back wall and then I will seal the wall with something that is water repellent. All wood that is still usable either for firewood or rebuilding something will be stacked and covered. The rest will be hauled away, or burned in a outside fire…

But! The chicken coop could be rebuilt and re-roofed? It is strong enough to hold me standing on it, for I have been and is capable of being saved. I guess I have to think about this a few days. It struck me as I wrote this that I have everything I need to rebuild the coop. I even have the tar paper…

Maybe? I will empty it first and see…

Let you know…

Post by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

Years ago I noticed numbers on buildings in our tiny Russian Village. But this year, I started to look closely, for I knew what the numbers were for. You number the pieces of the building to take it apart and put it back together and move it to another spot. I know, I have done this several times in my life…

I took several hundred images and found that 80% of the buildings in our village have been disassembled and reassembled. The numbers are proof of that process…

From barns to homes and then I figured out where they all came from…

They came from the past…

Most of the buildings seen in the village now are from an era of when the village was a different type of village. It makes sense, for why waste a good home when you can move it from a place that is no longer and set it up in a place that is allowed. Most of these buildings come from the original layer of village below the old school…

Look at the image above…

Below the bell tower to the right is a whole bunch of buildings, from homes to businesses and barns. That was the village at one time and the village covered and area that is nothing but empty fields with basement holes left. A few of the original buildings near the road are left, the rest have been moved…

In fact everything has been moved several times over the years…

and or now…

Over the years the buildings in the village have shifted around and been recycled. At one time they were all in a mass near the lake area and far right of the bell tower. They would actually be in the lake if still there. They were then moved up the hill to the right even farther in the second image above and then spread out all over in the last image…

In the last image the area to the right as you look at it was full of village homes that were part of the school housing. The near lake area was the original business district of the village and the remnants are still there. The old blacksmith shop is there and a few outlay buildings from that era are still standing. There is an old sawmill in there as well. Basically the village was broken up into a residential and business sections. They semi-circled around the school. Which the school was in the old monastery…

The lake area was built in the 1930’s, but our particular lake was built-in the 1960’s, thus why you do not see any lake in the images, except the last one. The carp lakes were there, just not all the way to the village yet…

I even found numbers on our home and that stimulated me to see what the rest of the village was like. The village homes are all part of a past several village systems and it was spread out as the years went by. Spread to different locations as the village aged over the years. This explains the basement holes all over the village area to the right of the bell tower. The only thing I can not find an image of is the village area to the left of the bell tower. There use to be a huge farm village in the lower part and all that is left is outlines of the buildings…

Cool Huh? That is called recycling at its best…

Post by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

Fact:

Not long ago China and Russia started a visa free program. If five people or more want to travel to China as a group from Russia, then they do not need a visa; and I am not sure if that is vice a versa? This program with China is the basics for a visa free Russia and India, except India only cares if it is three people, then no visa. Thus, a basic family of mom, dad and child can go to India with no visa issues…  (Here)

Then the call for visa free BRICS has come forth and that looks like it will happen, soon…

Then I became sad, for I am watching the reversal of the world power structure and I happen to be sitting on the wrong side of the future passport freedom affair…

Instead of Russia being isolated, as even our president of the U.S. says; “Well, today, it is America that stands strong and united with our allies, while Russia is isolated, with its economy in tatters.” – Obama quote…

If you could be in my shoes, then you would see how pathetic of a statement that Obama made and he even made it with a straight face. So that tells me something and tells me I was correct all those years ago, about what I thought about Obama. Russia is thriving and less isolated than at any time in modern history…

But!

Everyday America becomes more isolated and Russia becomes more centre stage in world affairs. The process of peaceful negotiations has finally overridden the hate and warmongering from the west. The lies and deceit by the west is coming home to roost…

The call for boycotting the west is become a growing entity amongst the calls for world freedom from western pressure. America has lost its grip and they never saw it coming, for self-assuredness is a deficit not a advantage…

Things are changing…

But, But…

You know you have become second fiddle when your U.S. CIA sponsored ISIS is endangered of being killed off and you have to either go along with it or admit that they are your peeps…

And that would be worse than the slap in the face you just got as your bluff is called. Bullies have a limited life span and thank god for that…

It is what I think and have a coffee…

Post by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

I have studied for weeks and weeks. Literally the whole summer. I had to remove the back lean-to and literally it was leaned against the  home and putting terrible pressure on the back wall. The lean-to was collapsing from rot, but only the bottom half. The top half was still solid and attached to the wall with spikes. As the lean-to sank, the pressure on the wall increased and before much longer the wall would support the whole lean-to or what is left of it. The wall could not take that and with no one around, by next spring the whole rear wall of the home would be on the ground with most likely the whole home…

I had to remove the lean-to but remove the pressure from the home first and with some beams and a single hacksaw blade, I pulled the lean-to away from the wall. I had to cut twelve spikes as big as your finger around and used a crowbar to separate the lean-to from the wall enough to cut all the spikes. This was after I braced the lean-to up as self-supporting. To pry the spikes out, meant to tear the wall down and that I did not care to do. I am living here, you know…

Even yet, with all the planning, the lean-to was so weak, that I ended up supporting the damn thing myself, as the middle roof beam was so rotten it exploded as I finished the last cut spike…

I got out from under the old roof by bracing a thin stick within reach and the stick broke just as I jumped out. Then the lean-to fell against the house. I then started to panic and grabbed my hatchet that I had bought for this purpose and proceeded to cut the roof in half like a psycho bear and shoved the pieces to the ground. This was the panic part of the whole issue. I am going to have to sharpen that hatchet, for I cut several nails in half and there went that blade. Though it cut like a knife through butter for the most part, well that is, until the end of my excursion…

At some places on that roof, there was twelve layers of black tar paper, some with asphalt shingle grit and it was heavy. The rest of the roof area, is an old chicken coop and that will be much easier to remove. For some reason they supported the wall there and it is a whole bunch more solid at that point. In the next few weeks, I will remove the wood I tore down and the chicken coop. I then will soak the wall with termite killer and the ground, then I need to figure out the best mud to fill the missing mud packing (chinking) between the logs. Then as I am mudding, I need to try to repair any serious damage and I need to install two beams on the outside to match the inside already there and run four huge bolts through the wall, to bolt them tight together.I got that idea from Sveta’s father in-law. He is the one who saved this home the first time and I refuse to allow his work to crumble…

Then next year, I will rebuild the chicken coop and a lean-to, but along the back fence line, away from the village home…

Now since I have had six heart attacks and I am wore out, I am going to read a book, that same book I talked about in an earlier post. Time to rest, until tomorrow…

But I had fun! 😉

Post by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

I find life interesting and I find that I do dumb things at times. Yesterday, I was staining a walking stick and using a rusty nail and vinegar solution. It was strong and I mean strong, then after doing the staining, I realized that I had turned the tannins in the tea stain and most likely in my skin, black. I then looked at the bottle of vinegar and realized that I was using 80% vinegar. That means 80% acetic acid in the vinegar and that means some strong stuff… 🙂

The walking stick came out perfect and is the best I have ever done, but, I fried my hands and it is going to take time to wear out the colouration that has embedded itself into the skin on my hands. I am talking some serious deep colouring, like a tattoo… (LOL, it is really cool!)

I have scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed, but no way it will come out and it took scrubbing five times just to stop the acetic acid from converting the soap to lye. Or at least that is what it looked like and I can tell that it sucked the moisture out of my hands. Then I scrubbed three more times and soaked in plain water for 10 minutes to counter act the effect. At least stop the reaction…

Then I went back to work on my walking stick…

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Well the above is something that worked for the stick, but kinda messed up my skin on my hands. Now something that works for me…

Olympus sz-14! This is the camera that Sveta bought for me. It is small, 24X zoom and takes fantastic images. It is not the big camera (it is not apples to apples,) but it is a camera that I can stick in my pocket and take images when needed. It does take fantastic close ups and below is an example…

Or normal image…

And the colour is not bad…

It is what works for me…

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Well the above camera is wonderful and Sveta really picked out the best there is for what I do in the village. She is a smart girl and she just seems to know what is perfect or not…

The rain is falling and the lake is half empty…

Thus, it is a yucky day. The image above is an image of where they will pull the fish from. The harvest happens right there and if you look closely, you will see concrete pads laying out of the water now. That is where they do all there work from and normally it is all hidden under water. This all means that any day now, the cranes, fish trucks and a bunch of guys will come to harvest the lake. The fish are being squeezed into a smaller and smaller area. It is time…

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Another wonderful item, an item that just does the job is my phone. I talked about my cellphone last year and if you follow the blog, you understand that I kill cellphones as fast as I get them. Therefore, when I have a phone that has survived the onslaughts of life in my hands, then that phone is one tough device…

The phone is to the right and it just does what it should do! Survive dropping, drowning and big grouchy bears… 🙂

It really does look as good as when I bought it and it has outlasted a dozen phones in the past. It simply is that good…

http://windowstorussia.com/one-thing-i-am-good-at-is-destroying-cellphones.html

It has been a year and the phone is fantastic. The only complaint is the camera and I have yet to figure out why even put a camera on a phone, if the camera just plain sucks at taking images?

Got me…

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The rain has interrupted the day, thus I will read! I am hooked on these Jack Reacher books and now understand the controversy over the movie. I watched the movie a few days ago with Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher. If you never read the books and that is a huge portion of America, then the movie is Okay! But if you have read one Jack Reacher book and watch the movie, then the movie is a hill of beans and it it rotten…

Tom Cruise as a 6 foot 5 inch, 250 pounds of killing machine, is not at all appropriate. Tom Cruise is about the size of (the character known as Jack Reacher) one of his legs and camera angles just made me laugh at the attempt to cover up a shrimp playing a lobster…

Tom Cruise is 5 foot 7 inches people…

I realize Cruise is a money maker, but it only works in this case, because no one reads any more and the ones that do read, are few and far between. If we had readers, then they would never cast a tiny guy in the place of a big guy character…

That tells me something about our society…

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Time to go and see everyone tomorrow…

Post by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…