Monday evening, 28 January 2013

It's a heat wave, 13 F.  No problems here.

I stayed home all of Saturday the 19th, working on some must-finish project, so when the following Saturday rolled around (two days ago) I just had to get outside and do something.  It was cold, about zero, but sunny.  We have wanted to see if we could see some ice sculptures at Gorky Park.  We had heard, somewhere, that they could be found fairly often there.  So, we did our chores, bought the groceries, and headed for the Metro.  About half of what you will see tonight are pictures from our little adventure wandering the Park and its environs.

I don't know how it works, but every time we go where there is statuary we see that our friends have been to Russia, posing for these works of art.  Judge for yourself.

The children who visited us in October will recognize some of these scenes.  We retraced the steps of that pleasant afternoon.

The other half of the pictures (the first half) will celebrate Andy's homecoming from Afghanistan.  We are so grateful for his safe return.  This is the result of prayers, fasts and blessings.  We give thanks to a kind Father in Heaven.

The family had arranged to have this sign made.  Everyone chipped in except Benjamin.

I keep wondering why this, and all the other signs the children made, refer to CW4 Grover.
Certified Warrior?  Chicken Wings?  California Wonderboy? Celestial Widgit?

Two babes, one of them a little more excited that the other.

A 3/4 happy family.

A moment very long anticipated.  I am sure the reality matched the imagining.

Who is that guy!?

An entirely happy family.

Truth in advertising.

They welcoming crew, minus Rod, dragooned into being the photographer.

The ward scouts (I think) put these flags in the Grover's yard.

A recent sunrise.  We notice when the sun is out.

We have not had so much snow, but of course it never melts, so they have to pile it wherever they can, to clear the walks and the streets.

This is one of the stranger things we have seen in Russia.  This is exercise equipment.  Whoever installed it did so in quite late November, just about the time winter was arriving.  Every once in awhile someone shovels the snow away from the base of the equipment so the occasional fool can exercise if he wants to.  In three months I think we have seen three people using the gear.

In addition to the exercise equipment complex the 'contractor' built a hockey rink.  Both are just outside our front door.  The rink makes at least some sense.

Marlene noticed this billboard on way to buy groceries on Saturday.  I think that is Ben skating on the left.

This statue is sitting at the entrance of what I think in an apartment building.  I asked Marlene if we could take it home but she pointed out this it would not fit in our luggage.

This is the happy Burger King patron--the same store we ate in when the children were here.

The entrance to Gorky Park.  It's about zero degrees, but who cares?

For Rachael.  The only ice sculpture we saw in the park.

Maybe Rachael was here?

Either this is Emily and Joe's new home or , 

this is it.

The park had several optical illusion thingees to look at and photograph.  These girls are all actually about the same size.

The shuttle has landed!  The shuttle has landed!

I don't know how they keep catching me modeling for these pieces.

We could not wait around for it to get dark, but if we had, the lights on this tree would have been lovely.

It is so cold in Moscow that they put scarves on the trees and hats on the snow cones.

I don't know why but this reminded me of Thomsen shrugging his shoulders.
Can't you see the resemblance?

Fletcher contemplating his next move ... south.

A symbol of a land of peace and plenty.

Dave Paull wondering why the latest club he bought off the internet is not helping his game.

Christ the Savior cathedral and Peter the Great's statue.  They are separated by the Moscow River.

For the girls in the family.  Hurry over on 30 April for your one chance.

I think the venue in the Olympic Stadium, where we watched the soccer game.

What will it be like to have 90,000 screaming teenage girls in one place?

January 13, 2013, Rachael's birthday.

It's Sunday evening.  Marlene is off partying with some of the senior couples while I languish at home nursing a cold and my tender feelings.  Just a short post tonight, because of my delicate condition and Bro. Thomsen's inability to look at more than 325 photos at one setting.

Marlene attended a mission conference on Friday, I think.  this Elder is playing the piano and leading the music with his (unseen) foot.

Here is the Mission President, Stephen Sorenson (a very good man), accompanying an Elder playing the tuba.

The large park behind our flat attracts many fun seekers.  These young girls are about to ski down a small hill for about 30 meters.

More cute children.

For winter every child has one of these things.  For summer every one carries a plastic shovel.

A week ago, Saturday, we felt cabin fever and decided to so to the Tsaritsyno's palace (that you have seen previously) but this time we came at it from the next Metro stop down the green line from our 'normal' approach.  This was much better.  You come at the palace through a forrest instead of a seedy part of town.  It was quite lovely and snowing lightly.

Here it is in winter.  Our visit was during the 10 day, start of January Russian holiday, so most of the museums (of which this is one) have no entrance charges.  We waited for about 45 minutes to get in an saved, probably, 800 rubles.

We neglected to buy the option of taking pictures so I guess you will just have to come and see the interior yourself.

On what would be the back lawn of the palace folks had built several snowpersons.  I think this was modeled after Connie Peterson.

Sister Johnson making friends.  Notice the 'hands' touching?

The man's hair was modeled after Elder Johnson.

The palace at dusk.

Cat on a cold, snow floor.

We saw three volleyball courts in use.  The temp was about 30 F, not bad.

Snow flakes flashing.

Creative use of a banana peel and orange rind.  Modeling after ... congress person Wasserman-Shultz.

Batches of old men playing chess in the dark and cold.

A statue in the park.  I have previously mentioned, (pay attention Dave) that the Russians like to think they have link to Rome.

A lovely bridge to nowhere.  It could be in Pleasant Grove.

Ice and winter does not stop some river cruisers.  (He turned around and retraced his route after about 50 more meters.) I guess his ice-breaking capabilities were limited.

The little red church, just near our flat.  We keep threatening to look inside (the doors are usually open, and they don't mind) but we have yet to do it.  Something to do before we come home.

We are looking for some statues that I have wanted to see since the summer time and our route took us past the Tretyakov Gallery.

Crossing the canal toward the statues.  There was a line of these 'trees' used for holding the locks of brides and grooms. The keys are thrown in the canal.

Proof that size matters.  The names are Igor and Olya.
Sept. 14, 2012  Not long ago.

Marlene and the Walker's are reading the explanation of the statues--which signify adults treating children badly.

Pretty striking.  Unfortunately the lighting was not good and my hands were freezing trying to get pictures before my fingers feel off.  Maybe another summer expedition.

The other half of the semi-circle.

We try to always get a picture of a bride whenever we go out.  The couple had just put their lock on a tree and had tossed the key onto the ice.
I could not get a good picture because the wedding party had about 20, or so, young men and women in it and they did not seem too excited about my taking pictures.   And while I am Mr. America I am not Captain America and did not think I could take them all.