Proud Father

For those of you who do not know, Lucas completed his second triathelon this weekend in Huntsville and finished second in his age group. This traveling is great but it also has its price. But I have great pictures for anyone who has not seen them and I am thrilled beyond words. I truely am the luckest man in the world and I cannot wait until Lucas and I meet in Barcelona on December 15th?

Bonya II

We went to the Bonya again Sunday for Racheals birthday. Racheal is a past volunteer from Minnesota who is just here visiting friends. She has volunteered twice for a total of two months. Anyway her, Andy and I were the only Americans so this one was a little different. Nadia set it up and coordinated buying all the food, (we grilled out--thanks Ilya)and we were joined by her daughter Liza, her friend Tanya and Tanya's daughter Katya, Dasha (one of our interperters who appears in many previous pictures) and her boyfriend Ilya. It was super. Everyone I have met here has been so nice and friendly and this was no exception. We spent about three hours there and I left feeling very relaxed and ready to take on the week.
But wait...we forgot about the watermelon we carried all the way to Yaroslavl. So suprise...Nadia invited us all over to her apartment ( I say apartment but she owns it) to eat the watermelon. Anytime someone in Russia invites you into their home, or at least this is what I read, it is a real honor. I was honored. The place was fanatastic. Nadia has lived there since she was 12 and she has redone most of it. It was so cool and we had a blast. We laughed, ate watermelon, laughed, sang karoke, laughed, drank tea, laughed.....you get the idea. A great Sunday.
This week is different since it is only Andy , Harry and me. We are doing the deaf Kindergarden every morning and the Shelter and the City Camp in the afternoons. And Friday we get a big treat. It is the first day of school (a big deal in Russia) and Nadia has arranged for us to attend the ceremonies at Liza's school. One of the traditions is that the graduating seniors each take one first formers (graders) and walks them around the school and shows them around. A sort of a passing of the torch. More of the first day of school this weekend.
It is very quite with everyone gone. Like a new trip.
And I finally figured out how to sign my name..until next time
ьорис

Brian and Joan

Boy I miss these guys...........

Joan did this volunteer project to get our of her comfort zone. She was great to have as a partner and we spent several night preparing projects since she is not much more artsy than me. But in the end it was fun. And at the placements she was great either one on one or leading the project. All of that from someone who was afraid of children. I was very impressed and we miss your smile, enthusism and spirit.

Brian...what can I say..My Hero. A few days shy of his 70th birthday and still going strong. Brian does two of these projects a year and will be in Brazil in Februrary. His patience, spunk and never ending knowledge and energy are missed by all. But none more than me. Thanks Brian, it was a privledge to cross your path and dont forget the "two nights free room/couch and board" when I am penniless in New Jeresy.

And on the way home, in a misty rain, we came across fire dancers performing on the banks of the Volga.

Tricia and I misread the menu. This was our meal:)

Nadia and Dasha at the farewell party

Brian, Joan and Bearus on their last night.

Tiffany and Derrick

Tiffany and Derrick are from Los Angles. Tiffany was our savior on more than one occasion. She is very creative and always willing to help us come up with ideas for crafts. Thanks Tiffany.
Derrick came out of his shell at the banya. We needed more honey. He also turned into an expert necklace maker at the shelter.

The last of out orginal group..Brian, Me, Joan, Tiffany, Derrick and Andy.

The view from my new home, room 537 которосдя

And afterwards we had a Tea party.

The "get on your knees and blow the balloon " race

The great potato race :)

More fun and games.

Dasha giving instructions.

This was the last day of summer camp so we were partying and playing games.

At the City Camp on Thursday we played games. Mre and Mike were the captians and Dasha, in red, is explaining the rules to us in English.

Looking back across. In winter you can walk across. or dive, as the river is completely frozen.

Getting in and out was a bit tricky but the locals did it with high heels on. for several weeks in the fall and spring the river cannot be crossed.

Finally, me and Elaina ( our historian and guide, get to cross. She is sitting beside me and the other lady is a local.

Nadia, our director, crosses with her daughter Liza.

We crossed the river in a ferry :). This is Derrick, Brian and Andy.

Our field trip this week was to Tutev. It is about an hour north of Yaroslavl and is on both sides of the Volga.

Marsha, my new girlfriend, made me a good luck charm that I attached to my backpack.

Andy, from Washington DC, is one of the three of us that are still here. He also was here for 4 weeks last year.

At the shelter, this boy stopped making his necklace to make his little sister one first, and then finished his.

Tree climbing and playing with friends at the Kindergarden

Tricia, from Denver, was also at the kindergarden all week. We played and went in early a couple of days to wash windows.

Mike and Mindy (from Georgia) were here for a week and brought a lot of energy to the Deaf Kindergarden--Thanks