Hi A!

This idyllic scene was up in Arkhangel'sk, at the historical community we visited. It was late in the day, and there was a great breeze. We watched the clouds and relaxed. It was really nice. Especially since this part of the world is normally covered in snow 9 months out of the year and darkness 3 months or so.


The lush grasses and wetlands were stirringly beautiful, and we were even visited by a magpie who sang at us for a while.

Of course, you have to appreciate that on the horizon is a factory belching all sorts of nasty stuff. Not sure but I think it was a paper factory. Nasty though. Nasty nasty nasty.

Oh well. maybe it will be a desert in another century. On the other hand, in another month the whole thing will be snowed under. Hard to imagine. 

Hi A!

A traditional Russian samovar. Used for making tea and keeping it hot for a long period of time. There is actually a long tub that runs down the middle that is used for putting a burning log in it. That way it keeps the tea warm as the log burns down, and a small tea pot can be placed on top. During the tsarist era, they taxed samovars, and so the really good antique ones have a stamp from the tsar on it.


I don't know if this is an antique one, but I would guess that it is. Families who have these are often very proud, as they are passed down through generations. Of course, there is a nasty habit of expats to try to buy them from people in desperate straights, and so they end up paying peanuts for valued family heirlooms. It's sort of sad, but at the same time, something of a status symbol of families who managed to hang on to them through the post-Soviet period.

Still, makes great tasting tea. 

Dear A,
This is my other darling traveling companion, Vitaly. He's one of the nicest people on earth, and a very very well respected scientist. He did lots of neat nuclear stuff and is amazingly good at explaining it to neophites like myself. Plus, he's very pleasant, even when we are all exhausted, tired and moody. He's AWESOME!!

And this is the Arctic, not Florida, though he'd fit right in there too! 

Hi A,

This is a wooden church we visited. Out in the country from Arkhangel'sk there is a very interesting village of historic Northern buildings. It was created of buildings moved there during the Soviet Era, and is well preserved. It was a lovely way to spend a hot summer afternoon.

 

Near Arkhangel'sk and the White Sea. Quiet. Too quiet. So much pollution that nothing lives in the water. Too bad. It's pretty. And we got soaked when the thunderstorm, complete with hail caught us unawares. Actually, very funny. Anatoly ended up taking cover in a police car. Vitaly and I were stuck under a tree. Still it was refreshing!! 

Here's ANATOLY!!
 

This is Anatoly. He's lots of fun to spend time with in the SWELTERING arctic. Actually a nice guy. Very photo-genic. Obviously. 

Dear Adri,

Note to self: When returning from a 5 week trip, if possible, avoid having to draft a project proposal within 4 days of returning... Good heaven's. I mean I know I am invincible, super human and all that, but I am also aware that it's sort of stupid.

We have a proposal on the Orange-Senqu River to get out fairly quickly. I know what needs to be done, and thankfully I have some great folks helping me. Jennifer (my grad student) is doing very good back ground research, and Teyyub is coming up with good, novel public involvement components. Everyone else on the team will have their go at it tomorrow, after I get the first draft out. Then I have a 2.5 day reprieve to do billing stuff, write other reports, sections etc. until I have to turn it around and mail it out again, and then a 12 hour turn around and again incorporate comments, etc. It has to be in Copenhagen by 4 August, and has to be mailed in hard copy from Windhoek, Namibia.

On the other hand, if we manage to get this project, which I hope we will, it will be great! It has some wonderful potential, I love working with the folks I work with and it will be neat to get to do some work in Southern Africa. So really this momentary discomfort is unfortunate, but really just that... temporary.

And really, so is everything.

The boys are doing well. Or well enough. I miss getting to spend time with them, but they are so deeply buried in their computers that I'm not sure they notice that I am home. But the dogs do!! And yes, the boys do too!!

Anyway, no, no photos yet, though in all honesty, I do have some really beautiful photos! It was a good trip, and I'm glad I went. I'll be even more glad once I get to unpack.

Oh, by the way, thanks for getting Tom to call me! I was really impressed, A., I knew you were keeping an eye on all of us!!

He sounds good. Happy as a bug in a rug in LA with Polly. I'm so thankful that they have found each other. It is nice to have Tom back again as a happy, positive, optimistic guy. And I would guess that the past cold war nonesense he's been through, and Polly's influence, will help him be even more human. I'm thankful to have him as a friend and a brother. He's a good boy, A. You done good.

Okay, must dash to solve the problems of transboundary water management of Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. It's a cloudy day here in Georgia, and ever so conducive to getting some good work done.

Miss you.

Love you!!

Kissy kissy!!

p.s. Talked to NM last night, he sounds good. I'm looking forward to him being here. Any thoughts on what we should do about the swimming pool??

Hi Adri, et. al.

I'm back. The trip was very good and I am overwhelmingly swamped with work. When I have some free time I'll post photos et. al.

In the meantime, if you could somehow communicate to Tom that I need to talk to him, I'd appreciate it! E-mail, phone whatever.

Gotta dash!

Kissy kissy!

HI Adri!!

Well, Happy Anniversary!! (sort of) I think it would have been your 26th, if my calculations are right. But they may not be and it would have been your 27th. Either way, maybe this year you and Dad would actually remember it. That's bitter sweet, isn't it?

I hope you are keeping a close eye on him these days. It sort of sounds like he might need it. I know, you and all of the other guardian angels that surround him.

I talked to Bill this morning (your time, or at least his time) and he'd just returned from a visit with Dad. He said thigns went fairly well. There is so much to do to get the house ready to sell and NM moved. I hope everyone will pitch in and get it done. My schedule is getting quite busy, so I am not sure how much I'll be able to be there to help, but I will do what I can.

As for me, I'm in Tbilisi again. It's a lovely city, though hot and dusty, especially compared to the Caucasus Mountains. I was at a meeting (I was running a meeting) in Gudauri, Georgia at a lovely ski resort. No skiing this time of year, but still is was really nice. The food is great, the facilities are amazing, and the people are delightful. I'd love to go back for a few days to just unwind. Somehow working there doesn't allow for the R&R that the place has to offer.

The meeting went well. We got unanimous (sp?) approval of the NGO Charter, and elected representatives. I was sitting next to an OSCE colleague who made a comment that this was probably one of the most transparent elections ever in this region!! (heehee) It was a bit touch and go, and I had to continually explain that I did not have the budget to have an extended meeting, or another meeting. They came together after all. But really last night as we were all enjoying the "Night Bar" and the bad music here-in, it occured to me that we had Armenians dancing with Azeris and Americans dancing with Iranians, and really that in and of itself was a complete success!!

I have more meetings tomorrow, including with Tim who will be in from Baku. And then I head home on Sunday, via London. I'll have a 25 hour lay over in London and will have the chance to spend some time with another consultant friend who lives there. That will be great fun and I'm looking forward to it.

It has been a long haul here, but a good and productive trip. It looks like I'll have another in September, and I'm excited about it already. THe project is pulling together well and I really enjoy the people I work with.

Being home will be good too though. I've got a lot to do and will be smacked with with to do. It beats the alternative though, as you would say. And it will be great having Dad nearbye. He's such a trooper, and I'm looking forward to having some time with him. And it will be wonderful to see the boys again.

Anyway, I need to get back to work. Something about the Orange River needs sorting out and my bleary brain needs to produce it!

So my Dear, I will catch up with you later!!

Kissy kissy!!

Bye bye!!

Dear A,

Hi THere!! No I haven't fallen off of the face of the planet, it's just that the travelling thing gets terribly busy.

I'm in Tbilisi Georgia at the moment. We are having a working meeting drafting the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis. Things are going well. We've got folks here from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Iran and everyone is working hard. Very hard. Though at the moment, everything is very quiet. I think it is because we were all watching the World Cup match last night. It's a subdued group.

I totally win points though because I said Italy would win, when everyone else said Germany would. Of course I based my prediction on the fact that they have cuter players and make better shoes than the Germans. I just love it when I'm right!!

Anyway, I've been snagged by a nasty head cold, but I seem to have rallied. It's cold and rainy here. (As opposed to baking in the Arctic? - something isn't right with this planet of ours!!)

Work is good and last night I met with Tim and Martin and we had a good pow-wow about Tethys et. al.

Anyway, I need to go since I'm playing hooky and hogging the internet connection.

More when I can.

I miss being home. But the work is good and I'm enjoying it.

More soon,

Kissy kissy!

Mary