Running around

 This week Garry has been keeping busy. On Monday morning he and Marguerita went to Zaporosia to drop Alona and Danil at the hospital to maybe get his tonsils out. Mothers always stay in hospital to take care of the kids. They were supposed to pick up a cake because it was Nikolai's birthday (yes, Danil's dad) but they forgot to buy one. 

In the afternoon they drove to Dnepro to pick up some crates to put milk bottles in when they are selling milk. Garry said he was surprised to find they went to a familiar place to get them. It was the building where we went to church for years as Morningstar rented the auditorium for services. At that time it was an old military truck driving school facility. 

Unfortunately, while they were running errands, the van wouldn't start again. This time Garry tried the fuel pump trick, but it didn't work. Garry and Marguerita hadn't had lunch by late afternoon, so they had waited in a cafe, and Garry was getting a huge burger when he called me to tell me about it. Max did come this time, and the van started when he turned the key. It's beginning to look like a timing thing- just wait and it will start.

They did get a cake this time, but he was pretty tired by the time he got home. Tuesday he was  busy running around the village looking for tools. Remember how they weren't going to build anything this time while he was there? They did so well selling the bull calves they were raising last year that they are going to keep more this year, that they decided to build another heifer shed for bull calves.

Wait, isn't that what they were building in the fall with Jack's team? Yes, but that shed - and the first two sheds -are full of heifers. They didn't get started building trusses on Wednesday, however.

Garry and Marguerita had to drive the van to Zaporosia again (he said he had her drive there- she is part of staff, and drives the milk delivery van sometimes) to take Valentina and her little boy to an appointment about his need for special assistance. They have been trying to get him officially classified so they will get assistance. He's two now, but can't do normal things, like sitting without pain. 

Garry was supposed to meet with a British man about how to set up a self sustaining farm mission while they were in the city. He talked to him for an hour at the Mennonite Center, but then the van wouldn't start again... they had already picked up Alona and Danil, so Garry walked everyone down to a cafe and bought them lunch, because the building he had been in was closed. 

Meanwhile he was waiting by the van for a mechanic to come look at the van. He'd called me (yes, he calls when he's waiting for the van to start for the third time) and he turns the key and it starts, and he went to pick up the girls and kids.  So they were able to proceed to Valentina's appointment- not really appointment, they had to wait in line for a couple hours, but not have to come back the next day. 

Oh, I forgot on Monday Max had them take potatoes to sell somewhere in Zaporosia, but they only sold half of them. I don't know if the mechanic ever looked at the van, or if he'll be calling me from the city while he waits again. 

Thursday and Friday mornings he started using the ultrasound machine he brought to preg check cows. On Thursday 14 of 15 were pregnant, but they were the very pregnant ones, more than 5 months along (it takes nine months).