The Journey: Boring? Never!

Filigree trees that sparkle

As I said to my kids this week, I will settle for a few boring weeks when nothing happens. Not sure what I would have to write about, but it would be nice and peaceful. So what has this week looked like? Firstly we have had snow gently falling for most of last week so we now have a reasonable cover of snow on the ground. It brings with it all sorts of challenges, but it does look so very, very pretty. My favourite are the filigree trees with their frosted silhouettes that glisten like diamond encrusted lace. Can you have too many superlatives in one sentence to describe them?

I don't think you can have too many superlatives
to describe the frosted trees really. So delicate
and beautiful. Breathtakingly awesome!

Ian started to clear the snow that had slid off the
roof of the greenhouse

I mentioned before that I now -more often than not - stand while working on my computer. It is warmer in the kitchen in the morning, and the living room in the afternoon, when the sun shines through the windows that is. Standing by the living room window though is the most interesting to view life, so that is my favourite place to stand. One morning I was having a Latvian lesson when I saw a tractor heading down the road. It was dragging an enormous electric pole behind it. It was a good job the road was icy so that it could drag it, otherwise I'm not sure how well it would have managed. It was also a good job that no one else was travelling along the road at the same time. My Latvian teacher taught me a new phrase, that essentially means, anything can happen in rural Latvia and it does.

All cleared

Men preparing to take down the
electric pole

The following day I looked out of the kitchen window at the back of the apartment to see many men working on the electric lines, in the snow. I thought they were taking the lines down, but apparently they were just replacing the poles. Today felt much colder and so I worked in the little room at my desk with an electric heater on, but I still have a view of life. Today I saw the proper grader ploughing the road, not just the farm tractor like they normally do along this municipal owned road. I'm not sure if that is because of the electric work and the increased traffic associated with it, or that someone has been complaining. Normally the traffic is very low, mainly the milk wagon going to the nearby dairy farm or the odd tractor. Just before the really cold weather there was a gritter who spread so much grit that Ian thought the snow had melted down to the road, until I told him about the gritting lorry going up and down the hill numerous times.

Not the best job in the snow that
was falling at the time. Up a pole
trying to work with mittens on. Pity
the fellow on the ground though with
nothing to do but stand and watch
in case of accidents. A colder job by far

The grader going past our apartment.

Poor Turbjørn with his twisted
neck. However, he's not stupid.
He's the only alpaca that's
worked out that sunny spot
is really warm.

On another day I saw our old neighbour slowly walking around to the front of the apartment. In the one hand she held a bucket and in the other a spade. Strange I thought! I then realised she was taking her milk bottles out to be collected by the milk lady and she dug away at the snow to put them in a clearing by the side of the road. Putting your milk bottles out is a bit different around here normally, never mind on snowy days.

Now if it was me, I would be joining Turbjørn
round the corner in the sun, not sitting in the shade.
Ian has cleared the paddocks so they can get out or to
encourage them to come out.

Chanel back to near normal

This week though has not been without its challenges. Ian rang me one day. My heart always sinks these days when he rings. I don't think he's rung lately without letting me know some bad news. This time it was tell me that Chanel had aborted and she didn't look well, was I able to come out. Well I had put in enough hours at work to leave it and even if I hadn't I could make it up later. This was important. Ian tried to get hold of the vet but she wasn't in. When I got out there, Chanel was shivering. It didn't look like the cold but shock. We managed to get hold of our neighbour, who came down with her son who translated.

So no little sister for Ilvija. We did wonder if she
might be clingy with Chanel or jealous of the baby

Spruce trees with a dusting of snow

She gave Chanel some medicine and a pessary that she keeps for her cows who have aborted. Chanel let her stroke her and didn't even aim at her to spit. That wasn't like Chanel. Our spitty Chanel. Fortunately despite the sadness of losing what looked like a healthy baby, Chanel herself improved. She did stand up at feed time, and although she was slow, she ate okay. The following day she looked almost back to normal. The reason the vet was not available was because her phone had died and she was away trying to get a new one. She rang Ian the next day and they decided that they would send the foetus away to be tested for bacterial and viral infections. Ian's hand has now defrosted from taking the phone call on the way to collect our milk from our helpful neighbour.

The landscape loses all its familiar features in the
thick blanket of snow

Looking the other way from the greenhouse to the
girls alpaca houses

A rather frosty Ian. He would have
been warmer in the freezer.
Fortunately he has the clothing
suited for the weather.

This day was followed by one of those days that did not get off to a great start. Ian got ready to go out to the land, as he does everyday throughout the winter. Until we get a cabin out on the land, this is the pattern of our lives in this season. He was only out of the apartment for about five minutes before coming in in a foul mood. The car would not open. There was nothing we could do because any attempt to get in without immobilising the alarm would alert all of our neighbours to the problem. We've had that happen before. Ian put on his rucksack and walked out to the land. It took him just over an hour. Fortunately for him it was a glorious morning that despite the problems and the -28C weather it lifted his spirits. He was a little frosty looking when he got there though.

Generally the kittens are coping well with the
weather, but Rocket Ron was not happy with
his little walk in the snow. He couldn't understand
it was freezing his paws. Ian encouraged him to
go back into the greenhouse.

That's better! A sunny spot in the greenhouse

Or warming up in the caravan

The car that wouldn't open, gently warming in the
sun.

Meanwhile back at the apartment I watched as the sun climbed in the sky. I waited. I pottered about. I had a coffee and then went out to the car. I tried the automatic locking. It shut or did it open? Not sure but the lights only worked one way. I tried the door. Nothing. I clicked on the key fob again. I tried the door. Nothing! I then had a brainwave, I went around to the passenger door on the sunny side of the car. Success! I was in! I started the car, it was sluggish but it worked. Phew! I left the car to run while I gathered my driver's licence and a few other things and got back in the car, and waited. At those temperatures it takes a long time for the car to defrost - on the inside. I drove out to Ian and he drove me back to the apartment. The day was too cold to be just hanging around and there wasn't enough for me to do to keep me active, plus I had little dresses still to make.

Veronica in sunny mood

We've had several visits from the local wild boar
population and they've been making rather a
mess of our fields where the girls will be eating
or trying to in spring. So Ian called out the local
hunters and they've put up a hunting tower.

Silla does like to sit outside, no matter what the
weather, snow, rain, shine!

Today was fairly routine, apart from resorting to using an electric heater, as the lack of sun made the apartment feel too cold to be standing or sitting huddled under covers to work on my computer. I would have managed if I was doing something like cleaning or going out for a walk and then coming back where you feel the benefit of being outside. I had too much work to do, to do that. The wood-fired central heating went on just before 4pm as the sun slips down behind the horizon and plunges the world further into an icy grip. At least we were both warmed by the care and concern of friends and family who have comforted us with love and concern for us. So thanks so much folks!

The little greenhouse has proved surprisingly
warm this winter. It still gets pretty cold at night
but the chickens in there are tucked up in the arks
where they can keep each other warm. As long
as they go in though. Their choice!