opps! it did it again- with update

Victor just called(around 6:30 pm)- Maxim was on his way back from visiting his folks and the green Lada broke down about 120 km away. Remember when the timing belt broke and the mechanic was surprized that it had lasted so long because you need to replace them about every 30,000 kms in a Lada? Garry said he was thinking the other day it had been about about 30,000 kms.
Garry is off to pick up Max (in the mission Lada which luckily happens to be here)and they are going to try to find a garage nearby to tow it to- it is too far away to try to pull it home. Seth and Jonah got the heifers in the barn from the street, and fed the cows hay. Now we will watch McGyver and eat pancakes by ourselves- and its the last pancake and McGyver Night until September when the boys come back form Canada. Good thing the car didn't wait to breakdown on Monday when we are driving them 6 hours to the airport in Kiev!




Yesterday there were 15 people in to buy brewers' grain and so far 6 today- Garry thinks Victor may be right we need to have hours when people should come- maybe three days a week from 5-7 pm. Remember what how full (and piled up over the top) the pit was when the load was delivered yesterday? Now look how much is gone already.




Now if we only got paid for the milk from last week---I knew this middleman thing was going to be trouble. If it doesn't work out we have the co-op thing in the works. Victor says that there are only a few things to fix on the application and then he can go around to all the government offices (I assume to get it stamped by everyone, so all branches of government know about the Franzfeld cooperative group. Here's photo of the meeting where they developed the rules of the group last week- that's Victor with his back to the camera.




Sadly the chance of thundershowers has disappeared from the forecast- just hot and dry- see how the ground is cracking- this is in the yard where it wasn't tilled up. The grass is looking browner- really the only thing that's growing well in the yard is the bineweed (wild morning glory.)













Yesterday it was pleasant and cool inside the barn while the ladies were milking, in spite of the hot afternoon- you can see the side of the barn is up about two feet behind the new bull calf. That's Yana's mom milking with the blonde hair and Luba is milking at the far end of the barn.




Today there was no wind, so Garry rolled the canvas up higher- as you can see. Not as nice as yesterday but cooler than outside. Momma Duck is still sitting on her eggs- since its been 4 weeks Garry snuck in the nest and checked one while she was getting drink this morning- he says it sounds like there was a live duckling in it. Poppa duck is getting even more protective so maybe they will hatch soon.













UPdate
I hung out some laundry in the dark tonight- hust before 10 pm - the ladies are just finishing up milking in the barn. I could see the pins clipped on the line- as long as I didn't drop any of Garry's socks it should work!
You can hear a few people talking next door, some birds settling down for the night- including some chickens and ducks. The crickets are chirping and longer I was out there the more dogs were barking in the village, down the street, then over on the next street in the village, like never-ending chorus.

Garry and Max made it back shortly after that- Garry said they pulled the car back to Nickopol (big city- almost the same name as the village- its about 80 km away I think.) Maxim is going to take a marchushka back there in the morning to talk to the guys at the garage about fixing it- they parked it in a parking lot near a garage. Garry had to go breed a cow for someone after he got back- I think he just came in- 11 pm.