Travelin' with the Rev

R and R

2012-01-05T05:41:00.000-08:00

The first year of our contract is now done and that brought our first R and R trip. We decide some time ago to go to the States for a month and in particular to spend a promised Christmas with one Grand daughter, Lilly. We left Moscow on Thanksgiving day and arrived in Jacksonville later, much later, that day. We spent the night and part of the next day with brother Duncan and his family. We then headed to Dowling Park in a borrowed truck to spend an extended weekend with Mom and Dad Bell. Older sister Alyson and her hubby Richard arrived on Saturday. We had a wonderful visit and were sad to leave. We spent an extra day with Dunc and Kim on our way back through.

Off to OKC to spend a couple of weeks with Renee's family. Seems we were never stopped with visits, doctor, dentist, chiropractor, eye exams, CPA, storage shed.....
We got to see just about everyone and wished we had additional time with with everyone. I even had a chance to take the Sporty out for a spin.

On the 19th of December we flew to Seattle for the week. Shaun and Britty both live there now so it made visiting easy. We spent some wonderful time with little Lilly Bug.

After a day back in Oklahoma we hit the plane on Christmas morning to go back to Moscow. Flights were mostly uneventful and we actually got in an hour early.

One of the things I forgot to mention in the last post was a quick trip to Finland. It was actually Embassy related and a good excuse to get away. The trip took me through St. Petersburg but did not get much time there. Like Helsinki, just enough to want to go back.

Looks like the photo situation has been solved so lots to catch up on: Picasaweb.google.com/hairynleggz or the link on the right.

A bit of catch up

2011-12-09T16:25:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since the last entry. I'm having some issues with the Picasa web site so no photos right now. We made several trips to the Dacha since September. It sure is a nice place to relax and just get away. We took Dice out and she sure had a great time wandering the fenced in area. We also spent a last weekend with friends Mike and Sara. By the time we get from R and R Mike will be heading back to the States and Sara not far behind. One of the downers of our work, making friends and then they leave.

We also had the pleasure of attending our first Marine Birthday Ball. This very formal affair called for the formal kilt to be sent from the US. Photos as soon as I can post them.

I also had my debut with the local house band. Uncle Sam's Band now has a harmonica player.

Check out the two new blog links, on for our friends in Moscow http://chris-n-kala.blogspot.comand the other belongs to intrepid wanderer Suzy http://www.dreamnbig.blogspot.com/

Spartak - CSKA Football match

2011-09-02T22:50:00.000-07:00

Red Sox - Yankees, Bears - Packers, Carolina - Duke, Rangers - Celtic, that is the level of rivalry for this Soccer match. One of my fellow workers here has some Russian friends that asked if we wanted to attend when they found out my love for soccer. This is a huge game with all the goings on that surround European matches. I checked with our security folks and said just be careful and follow the normal "hide in the crowd" guidelines. Wouldn't you know the next day a notice came out to avoid the area due to "skin heads" and other security risks mainly rowdy fans, many of who take things way to far. We had tickets and were commited so off we went with assurances from our Russian guides that if we didn't look for trouble we would be fine. The Metro was as packed as I have ever seen it, full of chanting fans from both teams. The riot police were out in full force. There were several "incidents" at the metro stops and we saw some unfortunate folks being lead off in cuffs.
We only had one "oh shit" moment when a big drunk guy came against the flow of fans and grabbed a kids scarf right in front of me. Our friends pushed us to the wall and hurried us on. We passed Militia and Army stationed all along the entry to the stadium area. There were no more problems. The game was great ending in a 2-2 draw, probably the best result for a safe exit. They emptied the stadium a section at a time so we sat for over an hour before leaving. We avoided the Metro on the way out by getting a Gypsy cab (unsanctioned taxi) for the ride home.

My first European Match was an exciting time. I shot some very rough video and some photos, here.

Saturday, in the park, you think it was the Fourth of July...

2011-09-02T22:14:00.000-07:00

Seems we spent the whole day in two parks and they were on opposite sides of town. We had our last softball game of the summer at the northern most stop on the Green line (that's Metro speak). After that the fearsome foursome went to almost the southern tip of the Green line to the Honey Festival. We found the park with some helpful locals, yes they do exists here. We entered Lipki Park on the NW end and walked almost to the Moscow River to a large exhibit area. Inside were hundreds of honey vendors. As you passed each vendor you had the opportunity to taste the honey with a small disposable stick. I'm not a big honey person but some were quite good. The vendors were from many different areas and used different flowers to make the honey. There was even some honey wine. Renee tried it and lets just say not good.

After getting our fill of honey we hit the shashlik stands for lunch then wandered the remains of the park. It was odd to find signage in English. There were several beautiful churches on the grounds in varying states of refurbishing or remont as they say here. There was also a log cabin once used by Peter the Great. We wandered for several hours and as we were leaving noticed a group of American Indian style dancers. There is the thought that Native Americans crossed the Bearing Streight when it was a land bridge from Russia. It was nice to sit on the Metro for the ride home after a long day of walking.

Lots more photos here!

August goings on

2011-08-20T23:27:00.000-07:00

A few things happening this month here in Moscow. The first weekend several of us took a trip to the Embassy Dacha. Dacha is the term used by Russians for their get a way or summer places. They very from crudely built shacks to fancy homes. The Embassy Dacha is a single level log cabin maybe about 2500 sq ft. It has a large function room and multiple bed rooms. There is a large outdoor patio area and several acres of tree and grass area. It is still in the city but you would never know it. We barbecued and played some games and just enjoyed the evening. Saturday we walked along the Moscow River and just enjoyed a relaxing day.

We also said good by to friends Pete and Cecile as they start a new adventure in China. We will miss them. We also joined in on a scavenger hunt sponsored by the Embassy. Clues took us all over Moscow, great fun.

Last night there was a fund raiser poker game for a fellow worker hurt in a motorcycle wreck here. Guess who won!.

Final news is Renee is going to start a new job. No more washing windows and scrubbing toilets.

Check out more photos.

Summer in Moscow

2011-08-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

Not been in the mood to blog lately so just a quick "catch up". Weather has been wonderful with a few warmer days, nothing like back home in OKC. Tends to be 80s in the day and cools off nicely at night. There has been some rain. No major fires close this year. We have spent time walking and I just purchased a couple of used bikes. We visited Red Square again, so different in the Summer. We often walk the Old Arbat which is the stereotypical European street with vendors and street performers. Check out the Bagpiper:

I play soft ball with the Marines every Saturday and we are headed to the Dacha this weekend. I'll try to be a better blogger....

Happy Father's day and Happy birthday!

2011-06-19T20:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's day to my Pop and Happy birthday to my Mom. Mom's birthday great was a little late (16 June), but our family has a 30 day window on that sort of thing!

It's wonderful to have my folks, they've always been such a big influence on my life.

Thanks to both of you!

The great relax......

2011-06-13T00:07:00.000-07:00

A beautiful day brought the idea of a boat ride on the Moscow River. John, Jodi, Renee' and myself took a nice relaxing trip. The river ride is very popular and you do see sites from a different point of view. We had seat on the stern and enjoyed a couple of pivas (beer), took in the sites and rode the metro back. The most unusual thing we noticed was people actually swimming in the river. Not many but it's a nasty river.

I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

Golf at Le Méridien, Moscow Russia

2011-06-05T03:45:00.000-07:00

Several of us here brought our golf clubs only to find that courses are very few and far between. Out of 3 known places we found two, one by the German Embassy that was a 9 hole and very pricey and a club called LeMeridien. The latter was about an hour from the embassy and not near as expensive at 3000 rubbles a round, about 110 USD. The course is nice, maybe equal to a $75.00 club in the States. It hosts a stop on the Euro Tour of some kind. Fairways we good, lined with water or trees. The greens were a bit rough and hard to figure out, but the snow has been gone for just a bit over a month.

We had 2 groups go out and a good time was had by all. This may be only a once or twice a summer thing, but at least I can say I played golf in Russia!

Check out the photos here.

Also posted some pictures of a Sunday stroll.....

A little different take on Memorial Day...

2011-05-31T06:51:00.001-07:00

DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Sunday, May 29^th

This Memorial Day, remember the diplomats, too, says Clayton McCleskey

WASHINGTON — They are the proud, the few and the unarmed. They dodge bullets in the mountains of Afghanistan and brave the deserts of Iraq. They serve as America’s face to the world, from violence-ridden Mexico to the financial hubs of Asia to the capitals of Europe. They promote American
business and protect American citizens abroad. They are the men and women of the U.S. Foreign Service.

On Memorial Day, we rightly pause to remember those who serve our nation in military uniform. But we should also recognize the more than 12,000 members of the American diplomatic corps who serve in Washington and in 271 missions across the globe.

“They are the ones out there on the front lines trying to advocate and explain [American] policies, regardless of which administration they are
serving,” said Karen Hughes, former Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy under President George W. Bush. She praised the Foreign Service as “a very dedicated group of public servants” who “work and make sacrifices around the world in some very difficult assignments.”

You may think of diplomats as tuxedo-wearing statesmen sipping cocktails at summits in Switzerland, but American diplomats are deployed in places like
war-torn Africa and Afghanistan, where they often face the same dangers as members of the military. One diplomat I spoke to said he has been shot at
five times in the line of duty.

Yet, even as America’s engagement with the world is growing more crucial, budget hawks are circling over the State Department. Speaking to the National Conference of Editorial Writers this month, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned, “There’s a huge gap between perception and reality … and people think that we can balance our budget on the back of our foreign operations.”

The continuing resolution passed to fund the government cut $8 billion for the State Department and USAID — while increasing the Defense Department’s budget by $5 billion. The demands on the State Department are growing, but the budget isn’t.

“It is so out of whack with what we have to be doing,” Clinton lamented.

Part of the problem is that many Americans misunderstand diplomats’ role. Diplomacy isn’t about throwing money at the world. Yes, foreign aid — which
accounts for only about 1 percent of the total federal budget — is a useful diplomatic tool. But too often diplomacy is dismissed as wasteful global charity or useless hemmin’ and hawin’ at the United Nations. Whether working to secure access to natural resources (like oil), leading reconstruction in Afghanistan or screening hundreds of thousands of visa applicants, diplomats are producing concrete results. They are the facilitators of globalization.

In an interconnected world, diplomacy is becoming ever more relevant to the daily lives of Americans, especially when it comes to the economy. Diplomats pave the way for American businesses to make profits at home by expanding overseas.

“If companies want to grow, if we want to grow our GDP, if we want to be competitive on a global basis in the 21st century, people really have to
step up to export and export more, because that’s where the growth opportunities are,” said Lorraine Hariton, U.S. Special Representative for
Commercial and Business Affairs.

Texas definitely enjoys the dividends of diplomacy. According to the latest figures from the International Trade Administration and Bureau of the
Census, in 2009 the Dallas-Fort Worth area exported $19.9 billion worth of merchandise. And because of the Open Skies agreements liberalizing
international air travel,Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport will see “billions of dollars in new business,” Clinton said this month.

Members of the Foreign Service play a crucial role in making that kind of lucrative international agreement possible, part of a government-wide
campaign to help American businesses increase exports.

“We need to set up partnerships and relationships all around the world so we can understand the market needs in Kenya as well as the market needs in Fort Worth,” Hariton said.

Indeed, to maintain America’s global competitiveness and to capitalize on the opportunities globalization creates, we need a well-funded diplomatic
corps.

“Diplomacy used to be thought of as the quiet, behind-the-scenes, government-to-government communications,” Hughes told me.

It’s now so much more than that. “In order for America to enact the kinds of policies we want to enact around the world,” Hughes explained, “we have got
to build a public case for those policies, for our values and for our interests.”

Our diplomats are out in the trenches doing just that, often at great personal danger — remember the Iranian hostage crisis? Foreign Service
officers have also been the targets of drug violence, insurgent attacks and kidnappings. Yet they man their posts, safeguarding American interests and
protecting U.S. citizens overseas.

This weekend, as we salute our military, we also owe a tribute to America’s diplomats, many of whom are in conflict zones riding in the same Humvees as
the troops. The only difference is that they can’t shoot back.

Clayton M. McCleskey is a contributing writer for The Dallas Morning News based in Washington. His email address is letters@claytonmccleskey.com.

Links to the photos...

2011-05-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that to get to the photo site just click on any blue highlighted words with in a post like: Photos or click the top link on the right margin to Craig and Renee's photos or simply type in your browser: Picasaweb.google.com/hairynleggz. Enjoy!

Propaganda Park

2011-05-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

Sunday turned out to be a beautiful day, (after a down pour on Saturday that nearly canceled our softball games) so we took the Metro to whats known as Propaganda Park. It's real name is VDNKh Park. This was an expo area where the Soviet State was to showcase product made in different parts of the Union. Each region had a massive building, many with grandiose entry ways and fabulous art work inside. Huge gold water fountains and large green spaces lined the walkways. With the fall of the USSR funding for this center was dropped and many of the buildings fell into disrepair. Now many are homes for vendors and small museums or simply empty. Several buildings are under renovation and there are plans to return the park to its former glory.

The architecture and details on the buildings is something to see and I hope the photos give you some idea. There was even a mock up of a Soviet era power station and a Vostok rocket. We had some lunch with friends at a cafe near the big Ferris wheel and got home in time for a good grillin' evening on the compound with our neighbors.

Star City, the place of cosmonauts.....

2011-05-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I had the opportunity to travel to Star City. This is the facility where Russia trains its Cosmonauts and other folks prepping for space journey. US Astronauts also spend time here. I took a lot of photos of the trip out and back along with the facility. It's only 30 or so km from here but traffic is so congested on the route it takes 2 hours to get there. Saturday morning is a bad time for "dacha" traffic, all the folks going to their getaway homes. We passed many of them along the way, many no more than a few hundred square feet with no running water. We also passed a satellite dish that was at least a mile off the road and still looked huge, maybe 200 feet across or more.

The worst part of the traffic was near our destination where 4 lanes goes down to 2 to cross the train tracks, very busy train tracks. We arrived to a very wooded area with lots of rather nondescript 60's era buildings. It reminded me of a rundown or maybe unkempt college campus. The bus barely fit through the gate. When we got off the bus we were met by our tour guide, a very nice gentlemen who spoke some English and was in the space program for 30 plus years, first as a cosmonaut in training and then as an engineer.

We visited three different buildings. First was the Aqua Center where space work is practiced in the underwater mockups. Then we visited the simulator building and finally the centrifuge building. I was most amazed by the centrifuge as it is the largest in the world.
We then visited some of the grounds and the monument to Yuri Gagarin.

The trip back was uneventful and took much less time then the trip out. This was another unique tour I have been able to go on here and hope to do more.

Photos, photos, photos!

Another 3 day weekend....

2011-05-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

A busy 3 day weekend. On Sunday we took an electric train up to Sergiev Posad. We had been there back in February to stay at the Pancake Hill Bed and Breakfast. While there Sveta, our very gracious host, asked if we could look at an oven she had that would no longer work. (Renee had told her I was an appliance technician). She could get no one local to even look at it. So John and I did a little troubleshooting and found a burnt switch. It took me a while to find a replacement. John's folks are here from the States and wanted them to see the sights in Sergiev Posad so we all loaded up and headed out. Jodi was in tow along with Renee and one of her co workers, also named John.

The train trip was like dropping back a few generations with hard, thinly covered wood benches. Unsanctioned vendors wandered the aisles hawking everything from hand wipes to socks. We had a little bit of a time finding the right station after getting off the Metro, but with some local help we made it. The trip was about an hour and a half to get there but only an hour back. Lots of scenery along the way with many interesting characters getting on and off. We arrived to some fresh pancakes, fixed the oven, did some sightseeing and had a very nice late afternoon meal that Sveta prepared for us. She welcomed us like family and it made us all feel good!

Monday was one of Russia's biggest holidays, Victory Day. It celebrates the victory over Germany and its allies in WWII. The city is cleaned up from the winter decorated and a major military parade is held. The parade rout is very long but no one marches. Its all motorized equipment so it moves fast for a parade. The whole thing took maybe 30 minutes but there was some impressive hardware. After we wandered the Old Arbat with friends Dawn and Scott, had lunch at the Hard Rock and wandered some more before calling it a day.

Lots of photos here

The weather is here, wish you were beautiful.....

2011-04-24T02:12:00.000-07:00

Not a reference to my wife of course, she is always beautiful. Just one of my favorite Jimmy Buffett rimes. Finally seeing some nice, warmer weather. Maybe it's just us because we had some odd looks riding in shorts and Ts. It was around 60 but many were still bundled up like mid winter. Three of us took about a 5 mile ride along the Moscow River and back through the sidestreets. It's a fun way to see the inner city life. Took a few photos along the way.

After we went to Rosinkia which is one of the off compound living centers for a "hail and farewell" get together to welcome new folks and say goodby to those finishing contracts and moving on. A good American meal of chicken strips or burgers. Played a few hands of cribbage beforehand. Good to have a few passionate players of this game passed from father to son, at least that's how I see it.

"Skys are so clear, life is easy today"

Kubinka Tank Museum

2011-03-27T00:46:00.000-07:00

A group of about 20 of us from the Embassy signed up for a tour of the Kubinka Tank Museum. Since it is still on an active military base we had to be cleared by the Russian government in advance. We left about 9:30am for the all day trip. It was a relatively cold day but mostly sunny. Renee did not go on this trip, being more of a "guy' thing. After about an hour and a half ride we arrived at a group of rather nondescript building housing all the tanks. Six hangers that were colder inside than out. A long winter of cold setting into all that steel created quite the cold sink. There was a small cafe and information center. Our tour guide was Russian so we had an interpreter but my Russian classes are starting to help as I could pick out a word here and there.

We spent extensive time in the German and Russian hanger and then had extra time to visit the others without a guide. It was definitely sensory overload. There we many experimental tanks of all different countries. The smallest being a remote control tank to the 2 story behemoth "Adam". I really liked the Motorcycle unit and would love to duplicate that someday.

We learned the origin of the name "Tank". It was the code word the English used when shipping the prototypes to Russian. They just labeled the crates "tanks" as in water or fuel.

Lots of photos here.....

Links....

2011-03-17T00:08:00.000-07:00

Please take some time to check out the blog links posted. There is a lot of good stuff there and, ofcourse, a link or two to my favorite sport teams......

For Sale

2011-03-12T00:42:00.000-08:00

We now have our house on the market. We have it listed with Rowell Sargeant ,

Keller Williams Realty Edmond

10 East Campbell

Edmond, OK 73034

Office: 405-330-2626

Fax: 866-217-8959

Cell: 405-830-4849

Web: www.RSargeant.com

Email: Sargeant@KW.com

So if any one is interested.....

VIP visit

2011-03-12T00:29:00.000-08:00

Or should I say VP visit? last Wednesday Vice President Biden stopped by the Embassy for a meet and greet with the embassy crew. He was in Moscow doing what politicians do. He was staying at a hotel near Red Square and not actually at the Embassy. I signed up to help with courier work during the visit but at the last moment it was decided that we would not be needed. So much for some overtime!. Renee and I decided to put our political opinions aside and go see the VP. After all it's not everyday you get to do just that. It was about a 45 minuet program and he really had a good time with the kids that were there.

A few more photos here.

Sergiev Posad

2011-03-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

It has been a little tough sitting down to blog. We were a bit depressed for a time about the earth quake in Christchurch but believe they will rebuild and rebound. All of the nearly 600 participants in the USAP were accounted for. Please keep NZ in your thoughts and prayers.

Now on to better things. A group of us decided to take a weekend to the country to Sergiev Posad. It was about a hour and a half drive NE of Moscow. We stayed at a Dacha (or vacation home), kinda of a bed and breakfast operated by a very nice lady named Sveta. It is a famous place for pancakes, www.pancake-hill.ru and several monasteries and one famous cave monastery. The house was very cozy and Sveta was a great host. She lost her husband in a fire at the house five years ago and has been slowly rebuilding. After arriving and having a pancake snack we left for the Troika ride and campfire. Lots of fun and lots of photos. We cooked hotdogs on the fire and drank a little vodka. It was cold but a very good time.

We spent the evening with a delicious Russian dinner, some cribbage and time in the bayna (sauna). Tradition is time in the bayna then a dip in the cold pool or a roll in the snow. Invigorating!

We visited 2 monasteries that were very beautiful and full of history. The Cave Monastery, Chernigovsky Skit, was really interesting and still under renovation. Many of these monasteries were closed or even destroyed during "the Soviet period of time" as Sveta would say.

All in all a great weekend away with a great group of friends and a wonderful host.

Devastation in Christchurch

2011-02-21T23:58:00.000-08:00

A major earthquake has hit Christchurch New Zealand. As many of you know I have visited there many times deploying to the Ice. The famous cathedral in the main square has been heavily damaged and there have been deaths and many injuries. Please put these folks in your prayers as well as all the Ice folks coming off the summer season that are being accounted for.

Spaso House visit

2011-02-14T10:43:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday there was a reception at the Spaso House. This is the residence of the US Ambassador and has been since 1933. This is a grand residence that is located in the Arbat, an ancient area of Moscow. This is off the Embassy Compound and about a 20 minute walk. There are events held here throughout the year including the Marine Ball. Please take the time to Google this place because there is no way I can describe it properly.

We visited for a few moments with Ambassador John Beyrle who seems to be a down to earth guy. We wore our best jeans (it was very cold that night), had a nice time. Renee got a lot of compliments on her fur lapel. We forgot our camera, so thanks Pete for the use of you photos.

Renee's Ice Museum photos posted

2011-02-14T09:44:00.000-08:00

Go here to check them out.

It's cold outside so lets go to the ice sculpture display......

2011-02-13T10:08:00.000-08:00

We spent Saturday the 12th with John, Jodi, Pete and Cecille. We took a Metro ride to the NW side of the city and a large park. We were headed to see an indoor ice sculpture display. It was about 8 or 10 degrees F outside and about the same inside. They gave us bright blue overcoats and in we went. There were some very well done carvings and they sure like to freeze things in the ice. Lots of pictures on the picture site.

We stopped at an Italian restaurant and had one of our better meals here. We don't eat out much because of the prices and there is no Sonic near by.

Stalin's Bunker

2011-01-30T06:02:00.000-08:00

This tour started with a mass metro trip as 20 of us made or way to the east side of Moscow. We walked about 20 min through an area near the bunker. We were told that much of the earth mounds that covered the area had been removed for construction of area hotels. The bunker was built pretty much for one man, Stalin himself. It was built in the late 30s when war with Germany was a given. It was built on the east side of the city since the Germans would be advancing from the west. The construction would be covered by construction of the Moscow Metro and a huge sports complex with a stadium planned to hold 200,000 spectators. When the war started the bunker was finished but the stadium was not.

The bunker is connected to the Kremlin by a 17km under ground road that still exists today. It was so well designed that the Germans never knew of its location. The photos take us through the conference room (with acoustics so good you can hear a whisper) to Stalin's study and canteen and out into the stadium. We took time after the tour to revisit the Ismaliva flea market and have shaslink for lunch.

We finished the day with dinner with John and Jodi at a Georgian restaurant.

Don't forget to go to the picture site!

Beer tour and the flea market

2011-01-22T06:45:00.000-08:00

On MLK day a group of 12 or 13 of us headed out to a local brewery to take a tour. I think it is pronounced 'O chok oba'. It was a very good tour with a factory store stop at the end and some tasting of product. We had a Russian tour guide and an interpreter from the embassy. The factory was originally built in the late 70's for the 1980 Olympics to bottle Coke and other soft drinks. The day was cold so we didn't spend much time out side looking at the displays but I did get some pictures. We donned boot covers and white smocks and took about a 45 min tour. We finished where we started and did some sample tastings including "live" beer which is basically unfiltered an unpasteurized. Then we went to the company store for a chance to purchase any of their products. I bought a few interesting beers as well as some Kvas (a very low alcohol, fizzy fruity drink) and some canned sparkling wines.

Saturday Jodi, John , Nae and myself went to two different flea markets. It was snowing pretty hard but that stops nothing here. We wandered the rows of fur hats and trinkets and then ate kabobs in the cold. I am sure we will return to this place.

More photos on the link to the right ( Craig and Renee" photos)

Things of Ice Sculpture and Broom Ball

2011-01-15T06:15:00.000-08:00

During the last days of our holiday break we took a bit of a stroll down by the White House looking for a fabric store we had heard about so Renee could check it out. We found it without too much trouble after seeing some families sliding down an iced sidewalk in the park. They sure were having fun. We found a discount store that we wandered through and then headed for the Moscow River. It was just a short walk but it was on the other side of a major road so better photos will have to wait. We did spot what we thought to be a Mexican restaurant and will most likely be returning to check it out.
That evening we boarded the Metro with friends and headed to "Propaganda Park"(not the real name but I cannot pronounce or spell the real one), where a Ice Sculpture display was. There were many well done items including a space shuttle complete with slide. The Space Obelisk marking Yuriy Gagarin's first space flight is close by.

I also just attended my first Broom Ball game. John and I traveled to the German Embassy where they flood the tennis courts and make the rink. It is much like hockey with no skates. They use a rubber ball and small hook like sticks. Our friend Jodi was playing in her first game and she did well.... to stay on her feet!. The video clip describes it better then I can.

Don't forget to see more pictures by clicking the"Craig and Renee's photos" link on the right

A walk in the Sun and Red Square at night

2011-01-07T03:06:00.000-08:00

The Sun has been making an appearance over the last few days and we have proof! Nae and I took a morning walk for some Sun and to stop by Moscow Harley Davidson. It's not a big store but there were maybe a dozen bikes there some new and some used. One of the Orange County Choppers theme bikes was there, the Spider bike from an early show. I bought the most expensive T shirt I will ever buy and finished our walk. One fun fact: The folks there spoke a little English but knew exactly what a Shovelhead was!

We got an invitation from new friends Mike and Sara to go to Red Square at night with them. This time we took the Metro. We all had been craving a good burger and Mike had a place for us to try called Burgermeisters. Great burger but very pricey. Red Square is very festive right now and a good time was had by all.

More photos at:

http://www.picasaweb.google.com/hairynleggz

Walk to Red Square 1-2-11

2011-01-03T02:53:00.000-08:00

Renee and I decided to take the hike to Red Square. It was twice as far as we have walked so far and walking in the slush makes it seem a bit further. We cut through a lot of side streets and saw numerous other embassies. We arrived at Red Square (which is much like the National mall in DC but no pond) and wandered the North area. We visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and watched the changing of the guards. We checked out the food court to find the bathrooms which seem to be few and far between. Cost 20 rubbles (66 cents) but well worth it. We wandered a bit then ended up in Red Square proper where the big Christmas tree and skating rink are. We wandered and took pictures and then cut through the famous GUM department store. Huge to say the least and very fancy. Then we started home by just guessing direction. We passed the Bolshoy and wandered home spotting the Greek Consulate on the way back and took a photo for Larry. Another great day of exploring!

http://www.picasaweb.google.com/hairynleggz

New Years Day 2011

2011-01-01T05:25:00.000-08:00

Renee an I headed out a little before lunch on New Years day. Not sure how far we walked but we were gone several hours. We were up a bit late hanging out in Uncle Sam's Bar on the Embassy grounds. A group of about 15 of us brought in the New Year. As we left there were hundreds of fireworks going off and Dice was a basket case. Our first New Year in Russia was uneventful. We were told Red Square is like Time Square on steroids and to stay away from there for now.

Now to the walk. As we left the South entrance the Sun was actually poking through and the wind was calm. We could see a lot of buildings that are normally shrouded by snow and clouds. We walked East by the Old Embassy then South to the next major intersection taking in thesites. As we walked along the Novyy Arbat we saw the big Lotta Hotel, passed a Dunkin Donouts shop and a Chilies that will opening soon. There was an IMAX theater and a TGY Fridays. We found a grocery store where we picked up some milk and honey (that sounded strange) and then headed back.
Check out the photos of the walks.
Picasaweb.google.com/hairynleggz

Out and about.....

2010-12-27T12:27:00.000-08:00

I traveled out to several remote living quarters today to do a little work with Igor, one of the Russian Nationals who is one of the other appliance techs. It was eye opening to say the least. Several of my observations: Full size pick up trucks don't exist in Moscow, buildings no matter how tall have wires running from one to the other in apparent order or reason, two lanes of traffic means 4 in Russian, you drive right by the nuclear power plant, and Moscow traffic jams beats anything seen in the US.

One thing I say about my initial tour around the city, Moscow has a full range of architecture from plane tenement buildings to very modern sky scrapers.

And I hope to take my camera next time!

Christmas Day at the Zoo

2010-12-25T05:55:00.000-08:00

After opening the very few gifts we brought with us, we took a trip a few blocks down the street to the Moscow Zoo. I had never been to a zoo during the winter before. I'll give you some advice: dress warm and head out! We had a great time and saw many animals. The signs were in Russian for the most part with some English descriptions. And of course the "keep out" signs were fairly obvious. It was a big zoo with a lot of displays but not the high quality of the OKC Zoo, but we are kinda spoiled with our highly rated hometown zoo. It was an overcast day (normal) and freezing rain started as we were headed home. We ate our first Russian snack at the zoo, a donut shaped, funnelcake textured pastry that was very good. All in all a great day!

Time for a nap....

Make sure to see the photos at: Picasaweb.google.com/hairynleggz or the link on the right

Ho Ho Ho

2010-12-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas from Moscow! Still trying to work out some camera issues for posting more photos.

Have a great day and remember the "reason for the season"

New adventures...

2010-12-21T09:22:00.000-08:00

We ventured out Sunday to do some shopping with some new friends that have been here a while. Sure was a big help to have someone to point you in the right direction. Most the products were not in English but pictures sure help. We manages to spend about 2400 Rubles (maybe 80 bucks). So it seems you can spend money in any language. We are learning the rules here and we are starting to take some photos. It is dark by the time our day ends. Dice' and Gypsy are settling in with Dice' enjoying Frisbee in the snow.

First new postfrom Russia

2010-12-16T19:39:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Moscow safe and sound on Thursday the 16th about 1:30pm. We had an hour delay in Atlanta to deice and then 10 plus hours in the air. Plane was full but an uneventful flight. arrived to snow covered and cold. Dice was glad to see us and the Russian Delta reps were glad to hand her over and the cat did just fine in carry on. A hair raising ride from the airport to start us off and a great welcome from old Polie friends John and Jodi.
Thanks guys!

More soon with photos

The Antarctic Sun

2009-07-12T13:55:00.001-07:00

Follow this link to an article by Sparky Sean Bonnette at Palmer.

http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/aroundTheContinent/contentHandler.cfm?id=1201

Enjoy

Home

2009-07-03T13:39:00.000-07:00

Today is Friday The 3rd of July and I have just arrived home. We have had no internet connection since leaving Palmer. We left on schedule but with the intent of heading to Frei Base on King George Island to help the O'Higgins base with the bad switch gear. We were unable to reach Frei Base due to heavy sea ice and had to turn to the north and Punta Areans, Chile. It was a smooth crossing and I will fill in with more detals soon.

Not so fast.....

2009-06-25T10:44:00.000-07:00

Word has just been received that we may go tonight. One of the Chilean bases has lost power and we may have to go on a rescue mission. More as details become available

Time to go

2009-06-25T10:31:00.000-07:00

It is Thursday June the 25th and I am prepping to move to the LM Gould for the trip home.

I leave here with mixed emotions for the new friends I have made but also with great anticipation to again be with my beautiful wife.

So so long Palmer Station, It's been a great trip.

Mid Winter Celebration

2009-06-21T06:38:00.000-07:00

One of the big events for winter over crews in Antarctica is the celebration of Mid Winter. All the stations send greetings to each othe and some are very creative. The ones that come from the other countries are cool. I'll be posting them on the Picasaweb site when I get the files converted.

Palmer Station was no different and marked the occasion 2 days early, due to the LM Gould's scheduled arrival. We roasted a pig and had a fairly formal dinner, well as formal as you can be in Antarctica. Check out the rig used to turn the pig. It became known as "Craig Riggin' ". But It worked and we had a great dinner.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T06:01:00.000-07:00

I feel very, very fortunate to still have my Pop. A great man, a great Dad, a great Grandpa, and a great Greatgrandpa. Oh, and Mom, he's probably a great Husband!

Love you, POP

R.I.P. Gran

2009-06-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

I just received word of the passing of my children's grandmother on their mothers side. She fought a long battle with cancer but beat it for many years with out heavy drugs. Condolences to all.

Things of haircuts and Polar plunges...

2009-06-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

Don't worry, no haircut for me. Just some wild color. One of the guys on station was helping raise some money for AIDS relief in Africa. He raffled off tickets to cut volunteers hair. We had 4 victims: Myself, the cook, the Doc and our Logistics person (2 girls, 2 guys). Of course the girls ended up bald after a few different styles were tried, the cook looked like Fred Flinstone and I had some interesting color happening. A few shot are here and there are more on the Picasaweb site. A fun evening was had and several hundred dollars raised (remember there arn't many of us here)

One of the long lasting traditions here is the Palmer Plunge. When the boat heads back to Chile, we send off the North bound folks by jumping off the pier into the 28 degree water. This video sais it all: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soEdFkG7x8M. There should be a R rating on some of the clip. This was the first time for me and most likely the last.

The last item today was most likely my last boating trip on the Zodiak. The weather was great for once and we spent about 2 hours out traveling to near by islands. We only have about 5 hours of daylight so time is limited. We saw lots of furseals and elephant seals as well as giant pectrols.

Lots more photos coming up on the Picasaweb site

Deadliest Catch.... well not quite

2009-05-31T12:36:00.000-07:00

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One of the perks we get here is a chance to "fishing" with the science crews. The Fish Beakers need victims for their tests so every 10 days or so they swap places with the Whalers (the whale observers) and go get fish. They use nets and pots to catch several types of Ice Fish that live near the bottom. Some of these fish actually have no hemoglobin in their blood so it is white, very strange.

The LM Gould that I came here on comes back to take the science crews out for their tasks. This time 5 of us from station got to go. It's kinda a boondoggle because we only do what we want to as far as helping. They have plenty of help but it's kinda cool to get involved at least for a bit. I helped with a number of net pulls and catching the pots. We went through some rough weather and I decided it would be beter to stay in bed for the morning on the second day. We spent 4 days on the water.

While resting I managed to get through the "Long Way Down" which is the cronicle of Ewan McGreggor and Charlie Boorman's ride on motorcycles from Scotland to Cape Town, South Africa. It was a great compliment to "Long Way Around" which was ther first trip from London to NY. I highly recomend both.

Be sure to see more fishing photos and station activity on the Picasa web site

Where the Skype are you?

2009-05-21T19:40:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back one of our science guys (Neil, see his blog too) was part of an interview with Opra. It was aired today. Sorry I was not able to post in time but might catch the rerun. It showed some of the station and at the end a goup of us waving to the camera. Another 5 seconds toward my 15 minuets of fame. The photo is us watching the airing of in our lounge.

Happy Birthday Zac

2009-05-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

Today is my stepson's 21st birthday. It seems like just yesterday he was following Shaun and Brittany around looking up to them. Now they really look up to him, (he is about 6'4").

Happy birthday Zac

Two day weekend

2009-05-17T09:59:00.000-07:00

We work long weeks here, usually 6 day 54 hour weeks. Once a month we have a 2 day weekend. Our schedule has be messed up with the ship coming and going on the science fishing and whaling cruises , so this break was long overdue. Of course right before the start of the weekend something has to break. Friday one of our main glycol circ pumps went out. Fortunately the repairs went smoothly and we started the break close to on time.
A couple of people organized a scavenger hunt for Saturday afternoon. We were give a sheet of about 90 small photos taken around station of various thing. The object was to find all these things and take a photo with a marker and see how many we could get. My group got 63 but I think 78 won. It was a good way to pass the afternoon. Here were some of the examples;

Sunday I will make Dad's Chili Pie for dinner. Hopefully everyone will survive.

Palmer Station group photo

2009-05-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

This is the group photo of station personnel taken for the Opra interview. I think I am easy to spot. This group includes all support and the current science folks on station. And in case you were wondering, thats Neil. Photo by Sean Bonnett

Can't seem to keep up

2009-05-07T20:12:00.000-07:00

A number of things has happened since the last blog entry. Ill try to get you up to date. Around the time of the bumper rescue we had started GSAR training. This is Glacier search and rescue. If some one gets lost or hurt on the Glacier or back yard we have to bring them in. Our first day of training was cut short due to high winds on the glacier. We did some more training last Wednesday. We worked on roping together and climbing with cressix knots(sp?). It was challenging but a good exercise

I also spent several days building fish tanks for the research group from the U of Maine. They go out for about 4 days and catch these ugly fish that live in deep dark waters and bring them back and put them in the tanks we built. Then they do all kinds of things with the fish that I don't even know how to decribe. If this interests anyone go to the U of Maine marine science web site and look for Dr Bruce Sidel's work.

Today was a very interesting day. The morning found us watching one of our science tech interview with Opra. It will air in May sometime. The show is called "where the Skype are you" and was interviewed on the board walk outside my shop. Ill post when we know the air date. Funny thing about Skype is that it is banned here due to band width issues but they allowed this segment to work.
The afternoon found me helping the"Birders" out on a neighboring island track some baby giant Petrols. Two of the guys grabbed and weighed them while I recorded the info. They are big ugly birds with a fisty attitude but cool never the less.
There are lots more pictures on the Picasa site, so enjoy

Bumper wrangling

2009-05-01T16:18:00.001-07:00

Hard to tell but that's me. This past week we had some rough weather and one of our pier bumpers that protect the Gould when docking came lose. These bumpers are quite large. The chain on one end is attached in a pulley system to allow it to ride with the waves. The pin holding it all together is welded to the bracket and it broke causing the pulley and weight to go to the bottom but still attached to the bumper. The waves were very rough and we had to corral the bumper with a zodiac and the secure it to the pier while we figured out how to bring up the weight and pully. Things might have been easier except fo the 4 cargo millvans left by the ship to be picked up later. We don't have anyway to move them from the pier. We finally came up with a solution that included some one getting a chain hocked to the anchor chain and since I was already in the boat. In the end we got the hardware back and repaired the pin and bracket. It was a timely repair because the Gould was returning from a science fishing trip the next morning and with out the bumper they would not have been able to dock.

I am trying to up load some video to the Picasa site that is good. Check it out.

60 seconds of fame

2009-04-28T04:26:00.000-07:00

Check out this article in the Oklahoman.

http://newsok.com/antarctic-exploits-help-pay-the-bills-in-oklahoma-city/article/3364477

Sunday Hike

2009-04-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

Today is Sunday April 19th. I would like to remind everyone that this is the 14th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing. Please take a moment to remember and reflect.

Tom (my on ice supervisor) and I decided to take a hike up the glacier today. After getting settled into a good week of work without to many distraction it was time for a break. The hike to the top is only about 20 min if you don't stop to look around, which we did a lot of. We still don't have much snow so there was a lot of ice to walk on but we did so without incident. We saw some great views from the top.

This week we have GSAR training (glacier search and rescue). Hope to have some good pictures from that

More Phots of the hike on the Picasa web site

2 day weekend

2009-04-13T17:11:00.000-07:00

We had our first two day weekend since arriving here. (we normally work a 54 hour, 6 day week but what else is there to do). The days are getting shorter so taking advantage of time off during the day is important. We will never have the full 24 hour darkness I had at Pole but we will have some very short days. A group of us decided to do some rec boating on Saturday. We geared up in float coats and water proof pants and put a zodiac in the water. The morning had brought a lot of brash ice into the harbor area. This is chunks of ice mostly from the glacier as it calves off hunks into the water. We ventured out slowly until we cleared the ice. We decided to visit two of the near by islands that are not off limits. One called Jacobs Island was at the outer limits of the boating area which is about 2 miles from station.

We hiked around seeing great views and stumbled across some fur seals.

They sound kinda like dogs growling and are quite nimble even onshore. After a while we decided to head to Deluca Island and a giant Pectrol nest. On the way we slid by the wreckage of a ship (that I can't recall the name of) that sunk here 15 or 20 years ago. It's a 400 ft boat and only 50 ft or so is visible.
I'm told on a calm day you can see the props in the water. After seeing the baby giant Pectrol we headed back to station passing a raft of Penguins on the way. The are very graceful when they swim. We got back just in time for a nap then hamburgers on the grill. Played poker with a group that evening and lasted 2 hours before dropping out.

Sunday was a short work day (about 2 hours) then relax.

Don't forget to check the Picasaweb site for more photos

The first week

2009-04-07T16:50:00.000-07:00

I've been on station now for about a week. There has been huge amounts of training and "turnover" which is learning you job from the person leaving your job. Today we spent 4 hours in a Zodiac boat learning how to navigate, drive and communicate with the base. We also did "man overboard" drills. We actually had several folks get in the freezing water(in special suits) and then rescued them. I hope to have some pictures of this stuff soon. I need to learn to carry my camera with me more often. I am constantly seeing the glacier calf huge chunks of ice but never have the camera. I will try to do better.

catching up

2009-04-01T17:32:00.000-07:00

I know, a long time between posts. After a full day in Punta Arenas and a night of very interesting bar hoIpping we collected our ECW gear and readied for the boat ride. A good smooth start on the Straights of Magellan.

We have been without internet access since leaving port Saturday afternoon 21 March. We are sailing on the L M Gould, one of 2 Antarctic research vessels. We got word of “ridiculously high” waves in the Drake so it was decided to stay in the lea of South America until things got better. We spent almost 2 days going back and forth on a 25 mile pattern. Then we shot south between t storms. It was a rough crossing just the same. I have never experienced 35' waves and don't really want to do it again. At time the boat was listing 30 to 35 degrees as it rode the waves. We spent 2 days in that shite. I never got sick but felt bad enough to take a pill.. I will attach some rough video taken from the bridge. Notice how Fitz (the food inspector) leans with the boat. The waves had calmed some at this point.
(unable to post the video but check it out on the picasa link on the right)

We broke through the bad weather on the 26^th and arrived at Deception Island, our first science stop. Some of the techs are studying the fungi here. Mainly detecting new fungi and seeing how it effects the attempts to preserve the historical remains here. There are whaling stations from the late1800's and ruminants of early exploration. This is still an active volcano with visible geothermal springs. Some of the crew dug in the sand and made “hot tubs” to soak in. Many did a lot of hiking around playing tourist.

The time on the boat has been filled with movies, books and episodes of Lost and Weeds. Weed is a Showtime series that is worth the rental . The food on the boat is great and plentiful although some saw it two or three times during the high seas. I spent some time on the bridge and received the engine room tour.

Our weather bad luck continued as we got stuck in Deception Island during a day long storm. It delayed us due to the small narrow entry to the cauldron. We could have easily been swept into the rocks trying to get out. Our captians name was Joe so we decided to watch “Joe vs the Volcano” in his honor.

Finally on our way south for about 24 hours of sailing down the inland passage of the peninsula to Anvers Island and Palmer station. We had an uneventful docking and now am getting settled in.

Go to my Picasa site (see links) for a ton of photos

The Starting Line

2009-03-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

I arrived here in Denver early Monday morning for predeployment orientation. I've been through all this before but with every new contract we go through it again. had dinner with an old friend from Pole and will spend the next day and a half getting ready to go. The flight from Denver to Punta Arenas will take about a full day. then by Friday I'll be boarding the boat for the 9 day ride through the twards my destanation, Palmer station.

2009-02-23T09:24:00.001-08:00

I have decided to give blogging a shot. After making 2 trips to the SOUTH POLE I am heading to PALMER STATION on the Antarctic Peninsula leaving about 16 March. I have had many requests to send updates and I think this may be the way to go. Most likely will not post daily but as it strikes me.