Ne robotid

One of the first words we learned with the word for work because the first summer when we came for the month of July 2008 when I taught at English Institute we lived off of Rabotcha (street) or work street.

Since Garry returned from his trip to Canada more items have gone ne rabotcha (not working)- just before he left his two-month-old drip coffeemaker quit working, and while he was gone the motor went on the paddle that stirs the milk inside the milk tank. The new one they put on this week is so quiet you can hardly hear it running when you are in the milkhouse- you could hear the old one across the street I bet.

When Garry got home, he was going to mow the lawn, but the new electric lawn mower we bought last month wouldn't work- the motor also- he had mowed the lawn 3 times so far. Of course we can't find the receipt - if it would help in trying to return it- we didn't stand in line for the warranty (time consuming, and does not help for returning things either we've found.)

This morning the compressor would not turn on and cool the milk in the tank, so after a few phone calls to Victor and from Victor to the dealer and back, a fellow came out to fix it this afternoon. He got it running - well, jury-rigged it- it will turn on but not off on its own now and the part is ordered. It will have to be turned on manually (and off) until the part comes in. The joys of used equipment!

I have been busy with my other jobs as the boys are double-timing through the remaining schoolwork, they are keeping me busy grading. And via the web I have been doing some cow record and registration work for the boys in Canada- it was one of my jobs before we came to Ukraine, and we have discovered that I can do it from here- helping the guys out at home on the farm.

The other thing not working- apparently they are not making beer at the factory- Garry called Victor who called about getting a delivery of brewers grain and we were supposed to get some on Thursday or Friday- apparently they had sent many trucks full 500 kms away and we still have not gotten any (because they haven't made more). On Thursday they had to turn away the villagers that had been buying it for their animals- telling them that they could get more today for sure- so today Garry was telling numerous people who came to get some that there was none.

Our cows have not had any since Friday morning, so production is surely dropping- brewers grain is the cows third favorite thing to eat, it used to be what they ate first, but then they liked the rye silage better- now they eat it second after the green grassy hay that Garry and Max cut for them. Hopefully the truck comes with a load on Sunday (or it could be Monday at last phone call Victor made.)

It is still hot and dry- today Maxim was cultivating the big corn fields- with no rain the corn isn't shading out the weeds that survived the weed killer! Of course the 20% chance of trace amounts of rain today didn't work either! Zero percent with highs of 31 C next week (almost 90 F.)