Christmas and birthday time

 

Garry and I celebrate our birthdays very close to Christmas. I was planning a bigger party for his 65th on the 22nd at the farm gym, but my plans took a turn during the day when more family members had positive covid test results. The grandkids were positive but were never really sick. Two daughter in law's were also positive with more symptoms. So it became a small group at home, with a lot of leftover Napoleon cake. It took me hours to make that cake! 

We went back and forth on Christmas Day plans and finally celebrated with video in three houses, with the last presents exchanged the next day on my birthday, when the final covid free family arrived to celebrate. There were two identical birthday cakes- one for the covid families and one here that I blew out candles on.

Back in Ukraine, the students got the warm sock presents (and board books for the babies)  I left for them, I got some photo thank yous on Facebook. They also got the first snows of the winter this week. 

We're here in Canada for about five weeks yet before our flight back is scheduled. 

Keeping busy

 Garry has been keeping busy, although he'll say he has nothing to do. He's out in the barn a couple times a day, looking for heifers in heat or helping one of the boys with something. This week he's going to start reffing basketball games at schools with our son Josh, apparently there's a shortage of vaccinated referees. Garry's been going to choir practices on Wednesday evenings because he's singing with them for Christmas this coming Sunday. 

Last week it was cancelled and he was able to go play basketball in Winnipeg with the boys, he even scored. There's a video, Crystal was at the game because I was babysitting the girls. 

Garry now has a physical Manitoba Covid vaccine card, so we don't have to make sure we have a charged device with his on to get into basketball games, or the arena. Last week Friday we got to see a very goal filled Winnipeg Jets game with Josh, thanks to our vet Ron.

This last weekend we got to see all the kids and grandkids together, there's even a photo.

I did my 30 minutes mile and a half on Jonah's treadmill this morning, now I need to get the Christmas letter written and hopefully in the mail by tomorrow morning!

Too much to write about

 

If you're wondering, yes, we are enjoying our time in Canada. Two weeks ago today we drove out to Saskatchewan to see our son Matthew and family. We had a lovely weekend and met some of their church family, actually sitting in the front pew with the same view as we get virtually when watching his sermons. We went on a few walks with them and got to know the girls again. How they have grown! 

Monday afternoon we drove back to Manitoba to join our friends Doug and Marcie and spent the next couple days hiking, hot tubbing and playing board and card games. It was a bit strange, not cooking, and we thank them for the invitation to vacation with them. 

We're home in St. Labre, starting to get ready for the holiday season, hanging out with the rest of the family. 

One week

 

We arrived one week ago, we're mostly over jet lag, especially Garry. He's trying hard to keep busy. He went to choir practice Wednesday. He enjoyed a couple quick fishing trips early this week in the new boat, before the snow arrived Josh caught the only fish, a huge jack.

Thursday it was Seth's birthday. I made his cake for the first time in about ten years.

We're here

 Saturday was a long day for us. We left for the airport at one am Ukrainian time, with Max driving. He knew how to find the Zaporozhye airport because he had picked up his mother and aunt there the day before. Max enjoyed the trip to Egypt so much he sent his mother on vacation to Hurgota, the other Red Sea spot for Ukrainian tourists.

The new Zaporozhye airport is where Austrian airlines flies from now instead of Dnepro. It is a shiny new terminal, opening just before the pandemic. Our check-in was a little more complicated for the staff, checking out what we needed to fly. Garry's ultrasound machine carry-on (for checking if cows are pregnant) required lots of looking over, but eventually we were on our bus to the plane, taking off at 4:30 am. 

We had a four hour layover in Vienna, which stretched to five because the plane had arrived late. We finished up the breakfast sandwiches I'd packed, and more of the snacks. Garry found some place to stretch out in the terminal. He had to reset his phone and took it out of the case.  There was a document check hours before boarding. This used to mean a visa, permits, resident document check, but now they also have to check your vaccine status and test verification so you can fly to Canada. 

Eventually, we were on board. There were empty seats in economy, but we were in a full row and legroom was tight. It's more of a problem for Garry than me, but when the guy on the aisle in front of us took off for greener pastures, I squeezed past the guy on our ailse to get his seat, so we both had an open seat next to us. I just handed my dessert and roll over the seat to Garry when the meal came. At least Air Canada has gone back to hot meals this year, last year's cold eggplant parmesan "salad" wasn't great.

The plane pulled up to the gate in Toronto an hour and a half before our flight to Winnipeg was scheduled to take off. We were making great time until I got pulled for the random covid entry retest. The guy told Garry it would just take five minutes but it was closer to twenty. However, all was well as we made it with time to spare as the plane  boarded a little late. Garry even had time to notice his phone might be missing, as he was looking for his power bank to charge his tablet.

We were met by a very excited Abby and her parents at the bottom of the escalator, and after drive thru Popeye's chicken sandwiches, we were on our way to the farm, where we fell in to bed at nine pm.  Saturday night, more than 24 hours with all the hours of time zone changes from when we left the village.

Sunday morning Garry was up by four am, out of the house by five I think. Time had changed, but the grandkids didn't care, so I saw Noah and Carson around six am. We had breakfast at Josh's house and we're a little late for church at the nine am service and missed the choir singing. Garry had thought it still started at nine thirty, like it did pre-pandemic, and we had to open suitcases to find his pants before leaving home. Afterwards we drove home to hang out with the kids for lunch, Garry went on the farm tour, we forgot about his family's zoom call, since it's not in the evening like when we are in Ukraine, we watched Eagles football on the big screen and had tacos for dinner at Noah's house.

Monday morning I logged in to find out I'd once again tested negative for covid, and checked the email, since I'd filed a lost item report with aircanada. That afternoon Garry went fishing on the new boat, before the weather turns colder in the next day or so. Hurray, they found Garry's phone and it's being shipped here. 

Counting down

 We're busy ticking things off our lists, we are 80% packed for Canada. Thursday morning we are off to Dnepro for our preflight covid tests, and I'll get us registered with arrivecan. Our flight is with Austrian airlines and leaves Zaporosia at 4:30 am Saturday, so we'll need to leave for the airport around one am.

Monday morning they decided to replant as much wheat as possible with the forecast calling for a little rain Tuesday, it looked like a lot of the first fields planted had seeds that had sprouted and died during this dry spell. They just used the untreated wheat from the shed for seed. By the time it was getting dark (an hour earlier than Saturday, time changed here over the weekend) they had the two fields by the highway planted. They kept planting until five am, using the new tractor with autosteer they could plant all night. They got 35 hectares replanted, or about 90 acres. 

Tuesday morning it was a little wet out when Bear and I went out to walk to the barn. I went in the milk house to look for his usual morning milk snack very cautiously. Saturday morning we were attacked by the barn cats. There's a couple half grown kittens in there, and the mother cats decided that Bear was a threat. I got my leg shredded and bit. I poured peroxide over it, applications of antibiotic cream were repeated, and somehow it hasn't gotten infected, but I don't want a replay. I took this photo the day before when no one cares we were there!

As the morning passed by, we actually got more rain than predicted, maybe enough to get the wheat up. There's more rain in the forecast, hopefully it's not like last week, when it never rained at all. There were puddles this morning and some slippery mud when Bear and I walked.

Garry has been making lists of cows that will need to go dry and will calve while we are gone. He's checking and cleaning the milking machines and pipeline, and balanced the feed ration.  The corn is combined and in the new Quonset barn. The mill has been moved from the attic of the tent barn to the old Quonset, the two Sashas were filling bags with ground corn for feed. 

I've stocked up on cat and dog food. Box is still outside, I don't know if she will come in while we are gone, I've caught her but she escaped immediately. She's not a fan of children, Angelina is a very active toddler.

Monday night we had one last student dinner. We think they eat a little less with the students eating lunch together. Kolya and Julia are the chief cooks, they both milk cows too. 

Getting ready to go

 Well our plane tickets are bought, Garry and I fly out of Zaporosia November sixth at 4:30 am. Vienna to Toronto, then on to Winnipeg about twenty real hours later, landing at 6:30 pm. Our return flight is three months later, so we are leaving the staff and students to adjust to the new routine. Garry says he feels good about handing off the student work, pay, and problem behaviour off to Oleg three weeks ago. If we are not here the students can't come complain about his decisions, although they may try over Facebook.

The student lunchroom is going well, except for a couple guys who think they'd rather have the 500 grivna that's deducted from their new higher salary for it. Garry and I told the staff that would happen, but they need to wait them out now that they did it, they just say it's not an option to opt out.  The food is good, Valentina goes down to the new house at noon on weekdays to get hers in containers and brings it home, everyone else eats there.  Elena has helped them, but Kolya and Julia have done most of the cooking, so far.

We dropped in Monday about 12:30 with the twins' birthday presents and desserts. Misha had asked for Napoleon cake, and I made apple pie for Vasili as usual, since he prefers it to cake. It was my first try at Napoleon but they all liked it, including Garry, who had two pieces. I had one bite, since I am avoiding sugar.

Of course, we are busy getting ready to be gone so long. Garry is working on the remodel of the bathrooms at the barn, one back to working order, and one to be turned into the guard room. Three of the guys are working  rotating twelve hour shifts at the barn on the new schedule. Last week he tiled the floor to raise it up so water from the milk house doesn't flow into the rooms anymore. Today he was working on installing the doors, one new, one was reusable. Dima was his assistant since he loves the handyman jobs.

Fixing the bottom of the wall is next, I think he left Dima working on it, he's off to get a massage. Garry made the mistake of helping the students pull up drip line three days ago, so his knee is sore and this morning he woke up with a stiff neck too. 

 

One of the cornfields has been combined, the other should be done this week sometime.Garry was excited to check it out on Saturday afternoon when we got home from Dnepro. If you look closely you can see the combine in the above photo. The corn is going in the new Quonset, as planned. I can even show you a photo of the doors since my phone is working again.

Garry decided to mow and bale up the cornstalks this year as part of the dry cow ration instead of straw or oat hay they have been using in their TMR mix. There's some stacked in the shed already.

It still hasn't rained, although it's in next week's forecast. We'll see if it stays and actually rains, because it's had rain in the long term forecast a couple times this fall that has disappeared. Garry's considering replanting the first wheat fields they planted before it rains, it's been so dry they think some seed has died.

Saturday and Sunday afternoon we were in Dnepro as Garry did his last English classes for a few teachers, just two lessons for another and he's done until February. 

While we were in Egypt, Dnepro, and Zaporosia, along with several other areas of Ukraine went into red zone for covid. You are supposed to show a vaccination certificate to do many things now. Garry decided to buy tickets for the English movie showing in Dnepro Tuesday and we were the only ones in the theatre to see the Bond movie! At least we had bought the cushy couch chairs in the back of the theatre to make it worth it.  Afterwards we had interesting ( and tasty) hotdogs.

 

Egypt

 

It was a relaxing time away for Garry and I, except for a few injuries. I shouldn't have tried out step aerobics the day after I fell and hurt my knee on the beach. Garry got hurt playing volleyball and has very sore ribs, but he had fun playing everyday.

Our guests enjoyed the whole experience and went on a couple excursions, including a 28 hour visit to see the pyramids by bus. We also saw them at the pool, beach and meals sometimes. Garry took a long snorkel every morning, I went with him a couple times, but mostly did shorter swims, a few exercise classes, read and drew some on the beach. He did find his sharks again this year, they are reef sharks. This year I just saw pretty fish and coral.

Of course first thing Sunday afternoon when we got back, Max and Garry checked the wheat field. It didn't rain while we were gone and it still isn't growing. Hopefully when it does rain it will grow. No rain in the ten day forecast. They may combine corn in the next week or so.

Between two sabrallies

 That's what the students call our meetings every other Monday. On October fourth we met here at our house and I have photos to prove it. I made salads and there were pickles and... Let me check the photos because I don't remember the main course from two weeks ago! I know we had apple/pear crisp for dessert. 

Now I see, it was pierogy. Not perogies. Those are really vereniki. These pierogy are more like a fried donut filled with potatoes and meat. Valentina helped me put them together. We had made them in cooking class the Friday before also. Somehow it was easier on Friday, but everyone had two! Garry had a memorable talk, about how we can get help avoiding life's traps, complete with mouse traps and a blindfolded obstacle course. Misha was the first to try (ironically, since Misha is what you call a mouse in Russian) after he made it through with directions from his friends, his brother Kolya did it before dinner. There we're some attempts to remove a prize without being caught in a mousetrap, too. The bigger the prize, money, candy, the more likely that someone wanted to try.

Garry and Max spent the week trying to finish some projects before the weekend. One of which was that cement in front of the shed. And on the sides to seal it. Friday morning they got a lot done before Garry, Max,Yana and little Vika went to Dnepro for covid tests. Why? Did I not mention we were going to fly to the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el shiekh with them? Since Max's wife Yulia and I are both fully vaccinated we didn't need tests for Egypt, so I had cooking class with the students and made lentil soup. I gave directions and they did all the work.

Not quite enough, so they did more Saturday. Unfortunately, still didn't finish the remodel project at the barn, so there's another pour to come this week. They are pouring a higher floor in the bathrooms so water from the milk house doesn't come in. One bathroom will be returning to working order, while the other will be turned into a room for the guards with heat to warm up between rounds. It's part of the new schedule and changes for this year.

Anyway, everyone was packed and ready to go Sunday. However, we didn't fly out until 3:30  in the afternoon so Garry and I went to church in the village first. It was full, twenty people to celebrate Pastor Ivan's birthday. I went and hung out with Angelina and David in a different room during the sermon.

After the service there were cakes, tea and candies to enjoy, and then we were off the the airport. Max's brother Artom came along to drive the van home. It was actually Max's birthday on the day we left. His daughter Vika was very excited and Yana ( we used to call her the milker lady, now she's more the barn manager) was both nervous and excited. She threw up before we got on the plane.

No photo of that, thankfully, and she really enjoyed the trip. Everything was fine when we got back, too, in spite of both our ten year employees being on vacation with us.

There's plenty of photos to come from our trip, and unfortunately none of tonight's meeting and dinner because my phone seems to have died after I took them. Possibly to never to be seen again. We had shepherd's pie, coleslaw and pickles with cherry crisp for dessert. 

My phone is off for hopefully repair, but somehow the photos uploaded to the cloud. I'm still having issues with getting them here though. 

I didn't have to make a cake because Oleg and Elena helped Leila celebrate her birthday Sunday afternoon as we arrived home. There are photos of that. She really liked the cow onsie PJ's I bought in Canada.