9/9/08

Dacha Days

My mom's in town, and after a long day of wandering the city, we spent the evening at a dacha in the charming town of Pravda. (Not kidding.) Since some of you have been asking for pictures that do not come from Google image search, here you go.

Isn't it beautiful? I have been asked to mention that the above-pictured shed is NOT part of the dacha we visited, but belongs to the neighbor. The shed that was on the property we were visiting was in fact dismantled many years ago to make way for...

This!

This is our lovely host and my mom's best friend. She is a wizard at maximizing flower growth while minimizing time spent mucking around the garden. She is also a very funny lady with a well-developed sense of irony. I can tell why she and MomGote have been friends for so long.

Here are some of her accomplishments. I have no idea what any of these flowers are, so you botany buffs, go ahead and chime in with the Latin.

Another thing our lovely host conjured right out of the ground is a pair of hazelnut trees! This is actually why we went to Pravda - to help her with the harvest. Have you ever wondered where your Nutella comes from? Well, partly, here. Hazelnuts grow on trees:Here I am picking them out of their little cocoons:
Look out for squatters!
They can also be used as decorative accessories.
After a hard day's work, we went inside for some tea. (That's right: electric kettle!)
My mom cuts up the juiciest nectarines of the season.
And then proves her Gotely chops by climbing the apple tree!
Good night, crow.
Good night, Pravda!

4 comments:

Buster said...

Dacha days look splendid.

But more importantly:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7607460.stm

Cookie4Breakfast said...

My goodness - this was so pretty and refreshing after a long day of blahness. Summer and your new tattoo (the first real pic) are lookin good.

kg said...

"Poezdki za gorod"? Was that really necessary? :)

MasterGote said...

Ahh, good eye, kg.

And cookie monster, don't be fooled, it began raining the day after the dacha and has not stopped since. My newest friend, BicycleGote has had to wait patiently for his own trip out of the city.

Buster, it goes without saying, that I am in favor of Bovid Liberation in all its varied forms. Thanks for the update.