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Recent retiree--35 year's experience teaching reading, English, adult basic education and volunteer leadership skills. Started this blog to exchange ideas and commentary with friends and others having an interest in joining the discussions. Greatest life accomplishments include: 1.organized my 3rd grade class to check out library books for me to get around librarian's weekly limit--Amazon.com, the Mullins Elementary 3rd Grade Class of 1956 is still waiting for "thank you" notes; 2. volunteered in the Peace Corps, island of St. Kitts, West Indies; 3.taught adults to read, earn their GEDs., and speak English as a second language; 4. bought a border collie puppy for $6, got evicted rather than give him up, and began a life-long love affair with all things "Dog"; 5. joined a physical fitness boot camp in my mid-50s--don't mess with someone who's been doing regulation pushups in wet grass at 5:30 a.m.; 6. walked across Northern England with best friend Sally--over 80 miles from the Irish to North Seas; and 7. travelled to many foreign countries for pleasure and work.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Friday Fences - Rustic Russian

While in Russia I saw many styles of fences, grand to very homely and rustic. For this first one in a long series (warning!) I'll go back to Mandrogi village, our first stop from St. Petersburg, after a day's cruising on the Svir River. Mandrogi is a small, somewhat touristy stop, which has examples of Russian country crafts and buildings. This simple fence near the blacksmith shop was made from small saplings that were split at the top to hold the cross pole as you can see in the second photo. Since starting to participate in Janis' Friday Fences meme, I've noticed that fence builders use the materials that are readily available and often "repurposed". Fence builders: a thrifty bunch, no matter where they live:


And then a couple of other scenes from the village, like this old fashioned haystack which looks like it had a rake made from another sapling sticking out of the hay:


And then this log house with brightly painted and curtained window and flowers growing under just said
Russian countryside to me:

 

And every home had a corner for the holy icon, often draped with this traditional red embroidered cloth:

 

Finally, a personal anecdote on travel worries. I love to travel to adventurous places and make my own way, but boy can I worry and stress about things--messed up flight plans (happened on my way to Russia--sat on tarmac for three hours in Chicago which caused me to miss connecting flight from Helsinki to St. Petersburg--had to fly through Stockholm to get there), making it through customs and immigration when I don't know the language, having my money stolen, guides not showing up, getting sick, not bonding with other travelers, troubles back at home--you get the picture. Well, on this first stop on the cruise I looked out my cabin window to see this swinging bridge stretched from the boat to the river bank. Surely not! They didn't expect us to disembark on that--many passengers were using canes, one double crutches, one was nearly blind. For myself, I'm totally intimidated by heights, and the motion from swinging bridges.


So, I just figured I'd have to stay on the boat until I explored a little further and discovered this perfectly safe dock where we could walk down a gangplank and be on the island:


Moral of the story: nothing is ever as bad as you can imagine! Now for more Friday Fences go to our host Janice's site at Life According to Jan and Jer .

19 comments:

NatureFootstep said...

nice details from your trip. Gangplank? Never heard that word before. The roped bridge?

You are most welcome to join in NF Waters. :)

Lane Mathias said...

I'm with you on the rickety rope bridge. Would much prefer the gangplank.

Your ship look incredible Faye. Where was your cabin?

Faye said...

Lane-cabin 435 next to the yellow-covered lifeboats. Handy,huh?

Elizabeth Edwards said...

wow, too cool. great area. not sure how i would do on the bridge. such a chicken with heights lately. ha. ha!! (:

Jan n Jer said...

Wow Faye...you sure did have problems on this trip...oh well...sounds like you made the most of it! Your photos are awesome....something about that blue window n flower shot that really drew me in! The fence is so unique too!

Judy said...

I have never seen a fence made that way!! But you are right - use what you have!!
I like that blue window with the cheery flowers!!

Linda said...

Interesting fence! Glad you made the trip safely...I hate those delays that cause a chain reaction!

TexWisGirl said...

too funny on the rickety bridge. :)

love the rough fence. the split-top is rather brilliant, i'd say!

Lois Evensen said...

What a really cool post!!! Love the shawl draped from the shelf. We've been to Russia, too. You can't plan for anything. You go with the flow.

Grandma Barb's This and That said...

I like that old fence and the lichen on the wood. You would not get me to walk across that rope bridge.

Sayre said...

I love the blue window with flowers... what a gorgeous sight!

A Colorful World said...

The swinging bridge had me chuckling...I LOVE the window with its blue paint and the flowers against the brown wood house! Wow, what a great picture. Very nice shots of everything!

Pamela Gordon said...

I like the stick fences. The old window photo is beautiful. Pamela

Kathy said...

In Texas these fences are called goat fences. In Arizona they're known as coyote fences.

Carletta said...

A very unique fence, LOVE the log house shot and I too would have been weary over the swinging bridge.
With all that went wrong I'm glad you got great shots, made the best of the situations, and made it back home safely to blog with us. :)

Faye said...

Carletta-reread my last paragraph and it sounds like a lot went wrong. Actually, only had a messed up outbound flight and itinerary and got sick. Other things just on my worry list that DIDN'T happen. :-)

Ramona said...

What a tremendous adventure you've had, you can now safely laugh at the little mishaps you encountered, it all part of the experience!! ;-D That fence is just fabulous and that little window is just gorgeous. Looking forward to the next installment.

Living Life said...

Oh my goodness Faye! All of these glitches will make for a more memorable trip! I love the old fence pic. It really is unique. And I love the window and the yellow flowers. That pic would make a nice postcard.

I sure hope Chet will allow you to slow down and take some pics of the fall foliage this year. I have a feeling he will not want to take as many breaks as Willie did! lol

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