This guy is possibly burning trash. Most people do it close the curb in a grassy area. Some people do it in the middle of a street! This is the curb.

Fire close up. We were not close up. Spencer and I were wise enough to be across the street! 

If you cannot keep still you get the Mickey Mouse effect! This is my first attempt at taking a photo of the moon. 

Spencer's moon shot with the flash on! 

Spencer's 2nd try with my camera. He turned off the flash but the settings were still not quite right. He did a great job keeping the camera still!

I finally got it right. I changed the settings on my camera and I used the digital zoom at 48. Spencer was right about turning off the flash. I held my breath. We really need a tripod!

Most people drink from a cup when they get a drink. This person left behind the cup and the bottle when they finished their refreshment! 

Crowd of people lined up to play a slot machine in front of this liquor store. It is about 11PM. 

Militsia giving someone a sobriety test? Tom does not think they do that here. There was a car wreck on the corner near our apartment and it looked like this guy got out of the car drunk!

Slava Bogu!

Slava Bogu! Glory to God! Domo is a very good dog. We got a report today that Sasha had called to say that Domo is "ochen harashow subaka!" Sasha was going to take Domo to the farm where the rehab center is. Instead he took him to his own house. Sasha's kids and his wife are very happy. They like Domo a lot! He is good with children. He loves eveyone! He will lick you and lick you and lick you..... There are wide open spaces out there in Arteka and he can go the farm when Sasha goes to work. We are so grateful that Domo is happy!

Judy, Melanie, Museum, Remodel, Domo....

At ten this morning I went out to meet Melanie and Judy. We were trying to find a pottery shop that Melanie had seen while she was in a taxi one day. We did not manage to find the store... that's ok. We did find a park where the artists hang out and Judy found a painting for her living room. Judy is new here in town. She and her family had dinner at my house while I was gone. They will be in language school with us. Her oldest son may join the class with the boys and I. His name is Alexander and he is almost 12. He is a homeschooler and I am sure he is very bright. I can hardly wait to meet him! Melanie had seen a couch that is lime green in color at Krasnaya Ploshad when she took Judy shopping. She told Judy that I would love that couch because I bought a leather jacket that color. I showed up today all decked out in lime green. Shirt, skirt and shoes! Judy's comment was "so you really do love that color!" She needs to talk to Erin... I wore lime green every day for three weeks in Rome. I think I only missed one day. But, that is because I dressed the baby in lime green that day. I didn't want us to stand out too much!

Tom had to go over to the apartment today. There was a problem with where Nathan's door should go. And a problem with how low the ceilings should be. And.... well you get the idea! We do have some framing done and there is some progress being made. Which is good. Our contractor interviewed 7 people before he found one tile guy who was willing to work on Saturday and Sunday. That should help get the job done sooner. We aren't desperate or anything. We have just been without our own home since January when we closed escrow on the house in Costa Mesa! We would like to settle down.


Tom and I met his friend Valera and Valera's daughter Kate at the museum today. Kate speaks Russian, English and Modern Greek. She is very intelligent. She says she also understands French but does not speak it as well. They were great tour guides through the museum. They both knew a great deal about the art we were seeing and it helped to have them with us. I could read some of the placards below the paintings but Kate was there to give me background of the artist or to translate a word for me. Tom and Valera did more talking than viewing... they enjoy each other's company!

I tried to post more pictures from the museum but our connection was very slow tonight. I did get the Vatican Museum photos on the photo blog before the connection started to act up! Perhaps tomorrow I can finish the Krasnodar museum tour!

Domo left today. We are all sad. It feels a little empty around here. We know that he was not cut out for apartment life. He was having a hard time with all the people walking by. He kept barking at everyone... trying to keep them in line. When people were still he was ok. But, when they did not walk in a line he barked at them. He will be happy out at the rehab center... no, he is not an alcoholic, he will finally get the chance to do what he was bred for. The goat and sheep will love him! They will know exactly where they are supposed to go. And that will make Domo very happy.

One of Tom's favorites! 

Drawing about Pushkin # 1 

Drawing about Pushkin # 2 

We went to a Museum here in Krasnodar today. There are some lovely paintings inside. I had to pay 50 rubles per floor to take photos! Their were told by our friends that I am a journalist from America. 

Yes, Nathan deserves all the credit for taking such good care of Domo! 

Nathan and Domo spending their last night together. Nathan decided to send his sheep dog out to be with the sheep and goats on a farm just outside of town. Domo is going to be happy there. He can do what he is bred to do. Nathan can visit him whenever he wants... Domo is not very far away!

Tom got a little sweaty unloading boxes yesterday... and he was happy to find his pirate hat intact! 

Ponderings...

Joking about people who could "knock off" someone is something my family has done for long time. I do not think this is true... completely... I don't know. Our family in Chicago is very large. My father is one of 11 children and I have over 50 first cousins on that side of the family. However, here in Russia if one were to see an exchange of large quantities of cash on the street… one might get the idea that organized crime is involved. If one were to see someone printing money out of the back of a car to be used in a large transaction one might be curious about the ties this person might have. I am not saying that I have witnessed any of this because it might not be in my best interest to say that.

But one gets curious about such matters…

Where, oh where, have my walls gone!