Monday

Garry was hoping to get the roof on his shed today. Unfortunately the steel and additional wood was not delivered until later in the day--really later, after dark. Jonah and Seth helped Garry unload the truck (in Ukraine the delivery guy only drives the truck- with the exception of when we bought the fridge- they had a guy who looked 20 carry it in on his back from the road) They took a flashlight out, somehow Jonah cut his hand when a piece of steel slipped- he says fortunately his right hand- he's a lefty- maybe half an inch long. Now Garry will have everything to get that roof on in the morning.
Maxim was busy milking (the third time of the day)- he's really ready for Yana to come back from vacation- she'll be back on Wednesday.
Since he couldn't do his roof, Garry found a few things to keep busy with today- He went and got two loads of hay- the last one by himself when Maxim was milking at noontime. The farmer has decided to sell Garry another 10 (or 15) tons of alfalfa. Garry plans to fill the third of the barn that was supposed to be heifer pens with hay now.
Before they left for the first load they repaired the side of the wagon, and before they pushed the loads in, Garry built some pieces out of wood to go on that side of the barn- the way the barn was attached to the cement on that side left a gap of about a foot- an overhang that would let in a lot of cold air this winter. You can see them in some of the photos.
Tonight Garry milked a cow after he got done unloading the truck- he went out to the barn- apparently Maxim didn't think he could milk a cow by hand. She only gave 3-4 liters.
Yesterday he did something else by himself- went to look at and buy a heifer- the one in the photo I took this afternoon after Maxim and his friend Maxim walked her here. Garry discussed the price for an hour in Russian- mostly with the babauska, before they agreed on a price. Garry started at half what she wanted for her, he was told she is out of a Dutch bull, he even went out to the field (with the village herd) to look at the heifer's mother (he says she was a regular black cow)- and finally agreed to buy her for more than the others he has bought (but quite a bit less than they wanted.) She is pregnant already, and looks like a Holstein- so worth a little more.