Happy Halloween

click for more pictures
I wanted to get the pictures from yesterday, Halloween, up for everyone to see! Sorry for the lack of storytelling about what is going on in each picture. Check back a little later--and we will add it! Enjoy the pictures for now!

Russian school Harvest Festival

click for more pictures

Aleksei's Russian school had a little celebration for the fall harvest. I think that it is wonderful to be living in a farming region that produces so much--and that many people embrace this local produce. (even though we had to 'embrace' it with a million other people by waiting in traffic last weekend...) We are able to have so much more appreciation for the food that we eat since we see how it grows and where it comes from. The kids had a good time singing songs and feeding the goats carrots.

More publicity for WSC / Рок-н-ролл и лосось

Ребзя,

это знак, раз уж гитарист всемирно известной рок-группы "Пёрл Джэм" обратился к вопросам о сохранении красной рыбки, то и всем вообще пора задуматься о том, что нас окружает и как мы с этим уживаемся. Я имею в виду природу, друзья.

Смотрите статью на сайте группы.

Look where else the Wild Salmon are swimming--they're mentioned on the Pearl Jam site news...click here to see the original post: Pearl Jam News





"STONE SWIMS WITH THE WILD SALMON
10.21.06
Among the many environmental endeavors that Stone Gossard tirelessly pursues is his latest passion, The Wild Salmon Center. Check out this cool article on a Russian wild salmon habitat."

Greetings to Steve from Sillamae

Сегодня Юбилей Стива! Наша силламяэская семья и ближайшие друзья - мы с Рудольфом, Олег, Люда, дети, бабушка, Борис Николаевич - поздравляем его с этой знаменательной датой!
Здоровья ему на многие годы, семейного счастья, полезной и благородной деятельности на благо Грэма и Техаса, уважения коллег и друзей, интересных путешествий!
Пусть он всегда остается таким солнечным, заботливым, чутким, любящим, каким мы его знаем!
Привет и поздравления всему Грэму!!!
Спасибо Женечке, Ромочке за знакомство с родителями, с бабушкой, с сёстрами, с Техасом, за радость наших необыкновенных и незабываемых встреч!

Борис Николаевич принёс вчера свежие осенние пейзажи. Пусть это будет его подарком Стиву.
Целуем-обнимаем. Силламяэсцы.

Today is the jubilee of Steve! Our Sillamae family and close friends Gala, Rudolf, Oleg, Ljuda and the kids, Babushka and Boris Nikolaevich congratulate Steve on this glorious day!

We wish you health for many years, family happiness, effective and noble works in Graham and Texas, to be held in high respect by your friends and colleagues and interesting travels!

Let him keep his sunny, attentive, keen and lovely character like we all know him.

Hello and congratulations to all of Graham!!!

Thank you Jennifer and Romka for letting us get to know your parents, Grandma and sisters in Texas and the extraordinary joy we have to have made an unforgettable welcoming trip to Texas.

Boris Nikolaevich sent his latest fall photos of the landscape in Sillamae. Let them be a present for Steve.

Kisses and Hugs--Sillamaeskies

The finale of the harvest season

click for more pictures

On the way back from Sauvie Island this evening, Romka and I counted around 500 cars an hour coming and going from the farms (from one half of the island....double it from the other half and other farms!) It took us an hour to drive what usually takes 15 minutes or less! Needless to say there is a big celebration going on for the wonderful weather and end of the growing season. Our meager little car load only spent 12 dollars for the whole time we were there...we didn't do the corn maize (we did it last year--and have already visited the farm many times this year) nor did we eat at any of the food booths-- and we bought a little 2 dollar pumpkin. So, 500 cars an hour times how much the average car spends----I imagine that this little farm is going to definitley make about a million dollars this week! But that is what farmers do...work and work from morning until night until this month--and then comes Thanksgiving and a rest before it starts all over again.

This is our express analysis made during the hour of waiting in traffic--which in turn made us think about what prevents farms in Estonia to benefit from public festivities? We think probably because up until about 10 years ago, and some people even still do this with their dachas, people had to have their own produce to supplement their food supply, and now it is not interesting to them to go out and see how food is grown for pleasure—rather it is a pleasure for them to go to the grocery and not think about where it comes from. However, folks celebrate маслиница (Mardi gras), May 1st, Jaanipaev (summer solstice), Independence day—and lots of others. For major celebrations people do get together and have money to waste—but there are few entrepreneurs that have even thought to organize and profit from these cultural celebrations. So we decided that this venue is wide open in Estonia, for an open minded farmer or a bum off the street (like ourselves) to come and put a steak and keep traditions going. (Jennifer claims the summer solstice celebration—leave the cold ones for the tough Russkies)

Happy Birthday Steve

This evening, exactly right now, everyone is at Edelweiss in Ft. Worth, Texas saying..."Surprise!!" to my dad for his 50th birthday. A little later, these pictures and this speech will be shared with all....here it is for the people who can't be there.

Flash Slide show

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

The wild salmon go national!

Congratulations to Romka and everyone in the Kamchatka program at the Wild Salmon Center! After a great year of finally getting 2 rivers in Kamchatka designated as protected zones and now the great possibility of getting 5 more by next summer--the whole project is being featured in tomorrows NY Times on the front page! Here is the Article: Salmon Find a Surprising Ally in the Rugged Far East of Russia. (Here is the original link) по русски

Baby Due Date!

Everyone keeps asking me "How much longer until the baby is here?!" I can never remember and keep saying the same over and over--about 5 weeks! Well, that is wishful thinking, it is more like 8-9 weeks...so here is a little help for me and anyone else interested: