That was…interesting.

Another storm seemed to be blowing in. I was looking out my studio window, and couldn’t figure out the intense light I was seeing, so naturally, I went out. Winds were about 25mph when I stepped out, and were ramping up quickly. I found the intense light, and was laughing, because it kinda looked like a portal to another universe was cracking open. Sometimes, I can truly understand why religious people get such fucked up ideas. As I was clicking away, it dawned on me that winds were now about 40mph, and branches were whipping and cracking. Where I am, you’re surrounded by trees, every which way. As I’m making my way back home, broken bits of tree begin to fly. Made it safely back and indoors. The wind reminded me of the ones generated by a nearby tornado years back. The high winds have gone intermittent now, and the sunset is a lovely, lurid orange. The ‘portal’ is gone, but it was certainly worth seeing! Most photos behind the fold, because lots of them. Click for full size.

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Jack’s Walk

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One of the reasons that Jack and I started walking trails is because he’s allergic to grass. Walking on the stuff makes his feet itchy and he pick, pick, picks at them until they bleed. He takes allergy pills in the summer which help, but mostly we try to avoid the stuff once it starts to green up in the spring. That’s not easy when you live in a town where most everyone has a front lawn, so we took to adventuring on dirt paths and forested areas. Turns out we both love to traipse around and explore. We treasure hunt for stones and bones and pretty pictures. Sometimes we chat. Sometimes we sing, but mostly we just be together in companionable quiet. We’ve had so many wonderful times and it’s all because of those itchy feet.

Jack’s Walk

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We were overtaken by a swarm of mosquitoes today on our walk by river. We were nearly at the end when the cloud of them descended. Poor Jack got a belly full of  itchy, red bites. His mostly naked belly and groin are the only places the buggers can get to him because his fur is so dense. Little bastards got to me too, but my bites are more all over because I am handicapped by not having fur. I don’t know where we’ll go tomorrow, but I do know we won’t be walking beside this beautiful, serene, swampy breeding ground for pestilent, disease carrying, vampire insects who want our blood.

The Moscow Canal

 

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Our ship traversed most of the Moscow Canal at night so I don’t have many photographs, but I think the story of how the canal came to be is tragic and deserves to be told.

The Moscow Canal was built between 1934 and 1937 under the direction of Stalin. It was a massive engineering project, larger in scope than either the Panama or Suez Canals. The project included 7 concrete dams, eight earthen dams, 8 hydroelectric power stations, 5 pump stations, 11 locks, 15 bridges and the Northern Passenger and Cargo Terminal.  This massive system was built rapidly, being entirely completed in under 5 years. It was a huge accomplishment for the fledgling Stalinist regime and was celebrated. What wasn’t celebrated or even spoken of was the forced labour of  the millions of gulag prisoners responsible for its construction. Their work was brutish and constant, relentlessly continuing throughout the harsh Russian winters. Food and supplies were scarce. Many prisoners lost their lives. Our group was told that if the project needed more workers, Stalin would simply direct the KGB to make more arrests.

The canal connects the Moskva River with the Volga River and gives Moscow access to the Baltic Sea, the White Sea, the Black sea, the Caspian Sea and the Sea of Azov. Because of this, the interior city of Moscow is known as the port of 5 seas. Today, the canal is an integral part of life in Russia. It connects the current capital city of Moscow with the former capital city of St. Petersburg and it’s vitally important to doing business in the country. It’s also beautiful, passing through areas of forest and farmland and dotted with picturesque bridges and cottages. Our ship slipped through canal at night, but there was still a bit of twilight as we entered the first lock. This was the first time our ship had moved out of harbour and there was an air of excitement on board. Passengers crowded the railings and spoke excitedly about the adventures that lay ahead. I felt that excitement too, but it was bittersweet because I couldn’t stop thinking about the story of the canal and all those millions of lives ruined or lost in its building.

 

Link to previous Post – Leaving Moscow

Jack’s Walk

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Most of the wild iris that Jack and I find is small and purple so I was quite surprised to come upon this patch of tall, bright yellow plants. I’ve never seen iris this colour or size in the wild and that makes its finding a special treat. Only one plant was still in flower, but I’ve marked the location and next year I hope to get here when the full show is blooming.