Ventura and Kern County Tour

Pine Mountain

Hello again from Pine Mountain. This week we took a trip around Kern and Ventura county That is a rather large area. Most of this area is either ranches or national forest. It is still wild and primitive. You can drive for hours sometimes and not see another person. You have to be careful because you can come around a corner and find a deer standing in the middle of the road. It is an interesting trip and a nice way to relax and let the stress and problems of the modern world vanish for a while. First we have our usual sections on Alternative energy, Easy Cash, Nutrition and Health, Traveling, and Adventure.

Alternative Energy

First for those of you that have just joined us, here at the ranch, power is supplied by 2 wind turbines and a water turbine. We also have a few solar panels that charge up a battery bank. Our horizontal turbine looks like a small wingless airplane on top of it’s 80 foot tower. We purchased that one from http://www.bergey.com/. Our vertical turbine we purchased from http://www.pacwind.net/, it spins away on a 30 foot or 10 meter pole out by the barn. Our water turbine in the dam of our pond came from an Alaskan alternative energy company http://www.absak.com/. The wind has been normal for this time of year. Every day there is an almost constant 7 or 8 mph wind. In the late afternoon and early evening the wind picks up to about 10 to 15 mph.


Is your electric bill going through the roof? Are you paying $200 or even more per month for electricity? Do you want to cut costs or even learn how you can sell electricity back to the power company so they pay you instead of you paying them? Learn how you can supplement you electricity and reduce your electric bill for only a small investment of less than $200 in alternative energy. Go to http://deserthab.offgrid07.hop.clickbank.net/ and learn easy ways you can cut your electric bill.

The price of fuel keeps going up in price. Gasoline is now over $4.50 a gallon. Everyone is looking for anything that will increase fuel economy even a little. Most Alternative energy fuels are still years away but there is a way to improve your mileage, increase your horsepower, and reduce your emissions all at the same time. You will be able to turn your vehicle into a fuel efficient one with only a few readily available items from your local hardware. The instructions are easy to follow and there are many diagrams so you can see how to do it too. It does not matter if you have a gasoline or diesel engine vehicle it will work with either one. Go to http://deserthab.water4gas.hop.clickbank.net/ to learn more while supplies last.

Do you want to increase your fuel economy and create 30% less pollution? How about increase your gas mileage and increase your power too. An environmentally safe non toxic product called Ethos will do just that. It improves gas economy by reformulating your gasoline to allow more air to be mixed with the fuel vapor. This causes cleaner combustion and increases power. Your fuel burns more completely and thus produces less emissions. All you have to do is add a couple ounces per tank of gasoline or diesel. Go to http://www.thegassecret.net/ and learn more about this alternative energy supplement.

Easy Cash

Is the cost of living getting you down? Do you need to make some quick money to cover expenses? Go to http://www.freedom.ws/ , put in the access code mountain1, watch a free short movie and start making the money that you have dreamed about.

Nutrition and Health

These days everyone is concerned about nutrition and health. Most of our food is over processed and has very little nutrient value. Our food looks great but not much more. If we want to stay healthy in today’s world we are forced to take supplements. The question is: What supplements will provide what you need for the least amount of time and money? I believe one of the best supplements out there is called acaiplus. It is a blend of vitamins and minerals plus acai to promote health and long life. They also have vitamins to help improve your long term and short term memory. They also have an energy drink that gives you steady long term energy. To learn more about these products go to
http://www.acaiplus.com/desertstarproducts. Check out Acaiplus, Feed My Brain, and White Lightning.


Travel for Less


Are you tired of paying high airfares only to be crammed into a tight seat when you travel? Find out how you can save hundreds of dollars on your next flight. You may even be able to fly first class for the cost of coach if you know the secret. Learn how you can save enough money to take that once in a lifetime vacation. Go to
http://deserthab.airtravel.hop.clickbank.net/ and find out now while supplies last.

Discover how you can fly around the world on a shoestring budget. There are ways to travel for free. These ways are easy to learn if you know the secrets.. Go to
http://deserthab.fly4free.hop.clickbank.net/ to find out. You will be glad you did.


Have you ever wished that you could travel for a living. Does the call of far off places thrill you? Would you like to travel the world on your own schedule and see the places that you want to see? Would you like to enjoy your vacation and get paid for it too? Long to travel on your own schedule and enjoy your vacation? Would you like to travel for a living and see new and interesting places every day? Do you like to write letters to your relatives telling them about your recent vacation? Then you have what it takes to become a travel writer. All you need is a little instruction and you can have a dream job too. Go to http://deserthab.wp3033773.hop.clickbank.net/ and learn how you to can become a travel writer.


Adventure and Treasure Hunting

Do you watch movies like Indiana Jones and wish you could do that in real life? Do you like a good mystery and a good adventure? Would you like to use modern methods and tools to find long lost treasure?
All this is possible if you learn from the best. Stan Grist, world renown adventurer and treasure hunter has written a course complete with step by step instruction on how to become successful. Go to http://deserthab.infoshare2.hop.clickbank.net/
And check out his course “Creating Wealth Through Adventure”

and now this weeks adventure

Ventura and Kern County Tour

We will start our adventure at the Lockwood exit on interstate 5. This is in the grapevine area just north of Los Angeles. It is by the little town of Gorman. There are several truck stops at this exit. The largest is the Flying J. We head west on Lockwood valley road. The road starts climbing as soon as it leaves the interstate. About 5 miles up the road we come to the little town of Frasier Park. It is a small town but it has several gas stations, motels, hardware store, grocery store, and even a Laundromat.

Just past the town of Frazier Park, we turn onto Cuddy Valley road. The road is still climbing.

We pass ranches and other country views and enter the national park. Going past the little country store, video shop and pizza shop we climb through the pine trees and meadows until we come to a fork in the road. We take the right fork. If you take the left fork you climb Mount Pinos, which is a winter sports mountain. We are over 5000ft, ( 1666 meters), now. The road twists and winds through the pine trees. Finally we arrive at Pine Mountain Club. Here there is a golf course, general store, restaurant, pub, gas station, hardware store, and a real estate office.

There is a lake actually it is a large pond. There are many fine homes and vacation cabins here in this hidden valley. It makes a nice place to live and a pleasant stop on our journey.

Leaving Pine Mountain Club, we head out through ranches and breathtaking view of desert and wilderness.

Finally we reach state route 166. We turn left and travel until we reach route 33. 166 is a main truck route so be careful you do not get run over.

We twist and wind on route 33 for some 60 miles and through the Chumash wilderness and after descending through the Ventura river valley, 3 tunnels, and the Matilija dam we arrive at the town of Ojai. From here you can go west to the Ventura beaches or East to interstate 5. It takes several hours to make the journey because of the twisting and winding roads but if you like open country and breathtaking views it is well worth it.

Pine Mountain Evening

It is evening once more. I am relaxing in my easy chair. I just had a delicious pot roast with slice potatoes, and a salad for dinner. Squeekers my African grey parrot is sitting on his perch eating peanuts. Tonight our sample coffee from http://www.coffeefool.com/ is Fool's House Vienna. This coffee is a rich full bodied coffee with a smoked bean and oily taste. It was pulled out of the roaster just before it burned. Definitely a distinctive taste.
Squeekers and I just finished watching the another episode of an old series called Firefly. It was an old scifi series that lasted a year and a half in 2003 and 2004. Well it is getting late and I am ready to get some sleep. I put Squeekers in his cage and head off upstairs to bed. Good night all see you next week.

Camping on the Pacific

Pine Mountain

Hello again from Pine Mountain. This week it was time to clean and paint my workshop. My workshop is attached to the barn. It is where I make simple furniture that I sell to the local furniture store. I started first with the outside and scraped all the loose paint off. I then repainted it with a new coat of white paint. Inside I cleaned up the table saw and the work bench. I greased the bearings on the saw table. I sharpened my chisels and cleaned and oiled the rest of my tools so they do not rust. I organized my woodpile so I can find the sizes I need when I am working. I installed 2 more fluorescent light fixtures so that I have more light to see what I am doing. Finally I was satisfied that my workshop was ready for to go for the winter months when I make furniture while it snows outside. This week our adventure is about a camping trip at the beach on the Pacific ocean. `First we have our usual sections on Alternative energy, Easy Cash, Nutrition and Health, Traveling, and Adventure.

Alternative Energy

First for those of you that have just joined us, here at the ranch, power is supplied by 2 wind turbines and a water turbine. We also have a few solar panels that charge up a battery bank. Our horizontal turbine looks like a small wingless airplane on top of it’s 80 foot tower. We purchased that one from http://www.bergey.com/. Our vertical turbine we purchased from http://www.pacwind.net/, it spins away on a 30 foot or 10 meter pole out by the barn. Our water turbine in the dam of our pond came from an Alaskan alternative energy company http://www.absak.com/. The wind has been normal for this time of year. Every day there is an almost constant 7 or 8 mph wind. In the late afternoon and early evening the wind picks up to about 10 to 15 mph.

Is your electric bill going through the roof? Are you paying $200 or even more per month for electricity? Do you want to cut costs or even learn how you can sell electricity back to the power company so they pay you instead of you paying them? Learn how you can supplement you electricity and reduce your electric bill for only a small investment of less than $200 in alternative energy. Go to http://deserthab.offgrid07.hop.clickbank.net/ and learn easy ways you can cut your electric bill.

The price of fuel keeps going up in price. Gasoline is now over $4.00 a gallon. Everyone is looking for anything that will increase fuel economy even a little. Most Alternative energy fuels are still years away but there is a way to improve your mileage, increase your horsepower, and reduce your emissions all at the same time. You will be able to turn your vehicle into a fuel efficient one with only a few readily available items from your local hardware. The instructions are easy to follow and there are many diagrams so you can see how to do it too. It does not matter if you have a gasoline or diesel engine vehicle it will work with either one. Go to http://deserthab.water4gas.hop.clickbank.net/ to learn more while supplies last.

Do you want to increase your fuel economy and create 30% less pollution? How about increase your gas mileage and increase your power too. An environmentally safe non toxic product called Ethos will do just that. It improves gas economy by reformulating your gasoline to allow more air to be mixed with the fuel vapor. This causes cleaner combustion and increases power. Your fuel burns more completely and thus produces less emissions. All you have to do is add a couple ounces per tank of gasoline or diesel. Go to http://www.thegassecret.net/ and learn more about this alternative energy supplement.

Easy Cash

Is the cost of living getting you down? Do you need to make some quick money to cover expenses? Go to http://www.freedom.ws/ , put in the access code mountain1, watch a free short movie and start making the money that you have dreamed about.

Nutrition and Health

These days everyone is concerned about nutrition and health. Most of our food is over processed and has very little nutrient value. Our food looks great but not much more. If we want to stay healthy in today’s world we are forced to take supplements. The question is: What supplements will provide what you need for the least amount of time and money? I believe one of the best supplements out there is called Acaiplus. It is a blend of vitamins and minerals plus acai to promote health and long life. They also have vitamins to help improve your long term and short term memory. They also have an energy drink that gives you steady long term energy. To learn more about these products go tohttp://www.acaiplus.com/desertstarproducts. Check out Acaiplus, Feed My Brain, and White Lightning.

Travel for Less

Are you tired of paying high airfares only to be crammed into a tight seat when you travel? Find out how you can save hundreds of dollars on your next flight. You may even be able to fly first class for the cost of coach if you know the secret. Learn how you can save enough money to take that once in a lifetime vacation. Go tohttp://deserthab.airtravel.hop.clickbank.net/ and find out now while supplies last.

Have you ever wished that you could travel for a living. Does the call of far off places thrill you? Would you like to travel the world on your own schedule and see the places that you want to see? Would you like to enjoy your vacation and get paid for it too? Long to travel on your own schedule and enjoy your vacation? Would you like to travel for a living and see new and interesting places every day? Do you like to write letters to your relatives telling them about your recent vacation? Then you have what it takes to become a travel writer. All you need is a little instruction and you can have a dream job too. Go to http://deserthab.wp3033773.hop.clickbank.net/ and learn how you to can become a travel writer.

Adventure and Treasure Hunting

Do you watch movies like Indiana Jones and wish you could do that in real life? Do you like a good mystery and a good adventure? Would you like to use modern methods and tools to find long lost treasure?All this is possible if you learn from the best. Stan Grist, world renown adventurer and treasure hunter has written a course complete with step by step instruction on how to become successful. Go to http://deserthab.infoshare2.hop.clickbank.net/And check out his course “Creating Wealth Through Adventure”

Camping on the Pacific

Camping on the Pacific beach in California is a luxury. You have to be a multimillionaire and have a home on the beach or do like the rest of us and reserve a spot at a beach campground. As more and more people move to California the wait for a spot at the beach campground becomes longer. The campgrounds up by Los Angeles have a waiting list that is over 2 years long. The winter months are a lot easier to reserve than the summer months. We reserved our spot a number of months ago and now it is our turn.

We arrived at the beach campground and drove our camper to the designated camping spot. Our campground was on a bluff about 30 ft or (10 meters) above the ocean Each camping space was about 50 ft by 50 ft or about 16 meters by 16 meters. Each camp0site was separated from the next by a row of shrubs and trees.

We unpacked our supplies and soon had hamburgers and hotdogs cooking on the grill. I had been designated the cook while everyone else changed into swim suits and went for a quick swim. I had lunch ready when the hungry swimmers returned. We had hot dogs and hamburgers with potato salad. I had put together a large garden salad and put a pot of vegetable soup on the grill. We had milk and fruit juice and chocolate chip cookies for desert.
After we cleared away the food from lunch we sat at our picnic table and played games while our meal digested. My sister and her husband played a game of scrabble. My niece challenged me to a game of chess. An hour later the scrabble game was over but the chess game was still going on. Both my niece and I had tried different strategies to win but had not succeeded. Since no one was going to win any time soon, we put the game up for later so everyone could go surfing and swimming while it was nice and warm and sunny. I am not much of a surfer but the waves were small about 2 feet so even I managed to ride a few waves in without wiping out.

We finally returned to our campsite after several hours of swimming and surfing. It was early evening and my sister set about making dinner. We took some potatoes out of the camper and washed them then I peeled them and cooked them in a pot on the grill. My brother in law took fresh steaks from the fridge and cooked them on the grill basting them with secret barbeque sauce as he cooked them. My sister made gravy for the potatoes a salad and a no bake pie. When the potatoes had cooked I added a bit of milk and butter and mashed them. Soon we were ready to eat dinner. My sister brought out the camping wine glasses and we had a five year old Merlot wine with dinner. My niece had fruit juice in her wine glass but pretended it was wine as we all clinked glasses and proposed a toast to a fine day at the beach.

When dinner was over my niece and our resumed our chess game. My sister and her husband watched a movie on the DVD player. After a couple of hours I finally put my niece in checkmate. She is getting to be a good chess player. It was time to sleep and turn off the generator for the night. Everyone else slept in the camper but I decided to sleep out in the tent so I could listen to the ocean put me to sleep. I looked out through my tent screen door and watched the lights of freighters as they headed over the horizon bound for the other side of the Pacific. Soon I feel asleep.

The next morning I arose early and took a shower in one of the campground shower rooms. Everyone else awoke later. When everyone was up we made breakfast. We had eggs, bacon, toast, and orange juice. We had another relaxing day at the beach then headed home to Pine Mountain. My friend Dave looked after the ranch and the animals while I was gone. He was glad to see us return. That is the thing when you have a ranch and animals. Someone always has to be there to look after things. That was our beach adventure.

Pine Mountain Evening

It is evening again at the ranch. Everyone has left and gone home. I am sitting in my easy chair in the living room. Squeekers my African grey parrot is sitting on his perch munching peanuts. My coffee tonight from http://www.coffeefool.com/ is Sumatra Mandheling .This is a rich almost syrupy coffee that needs to be sipped slowly to let your taste buds take in all the flavor. Squeekers and I were watching a movie on TV. I finished my coffee and the movie at about the same time and now it is time for bed. I put Squeekers back in his cage and head off upstairs to bed. Good night all see you next week.

Azerbaijan

Pine Mountain

Hello again from Pine Mountain. This week it was time to bale hay so the animals would have something to eat in the winter time. First I took the old John Deere tractor and attached the sickle bar cutter. Then I cut the hay and let it dry for 2 to 3 days. I then attach the hay rake to the tractor and rake it into windrows. Next I attach the hay baler to the tractor and attach a hay wagon behind the hay baler. My helper pulls the hay bales from the hay baler chute and stacks them on the wagon. My other helper switches hay wagons when the hay wagon is full of bales and takes it back to the barn and unloads it while I fill up the next hay wagon. This is our second cutting of hay this year. It should be just enough to finish filling the barn for winter. Well before I bore everyone with our routine ranch chores, Roxana has been traveling again. This week she tells of her travels to the small country of Azerbaijan. This ancient oil and gas rich country is the gateway to the middle east and the far east. First we have our usual sections on Alternative energy, Easy Cash, Nutrition and Health, Traveling, and Adventure.

Alternative Energy

First for those of you that have just joined us, here at the ranch, power is supplied by 2 wind turbines and a water turbine. We also have a few solar panels that charge up a battery bank. Our horizontal turbine looks like a small wingless airplane on top of it’s 80 foot tower. We purchased that one from http://www.bergey.com/. Our vertical turbine we purchased from http://www.pacwind.net/, it spins away on a 30 foot or 10 meter pole out by the barn. Our water turbine in the dam of our pond came from an Alaskan alternative energy company http://www.absak.com/. The wind has been normal for this time of year. Every day there is an almost constant 7 or 8 mph wind. In the late afternoon and early evening the wind picks up to about 10 to 15 mph.


Is your electric bill going through the roof? Are you paying $200 or even more per month for electricity? Do you want to cut costs or even learn how you can sell electricity back to the power company so they pay you instead of you paying them? Learn how you can supplement you electricity and reduce your electric bill for only a small investment of less than $200 in alternative energy. Go to http://deserthab.offgrid07.hop.clickbank.net/ and learn easy ways you can cut your electric bill.

The price of fuel keeps going up in price. Gasoline is now over $4.50 a gallon. Everyone is looking for anything that will increase fuel economy even a little. Most Alternative energy fuels are still years away but there is a way to improve your mileage, increase your horsepower, and reduce your emissions all at the same time. You will be able to turn your vehicle into a fuel efficient one with only a few readily available items from your local hardware. The instructions are easy to follow and there are many diagrams so you can see how to do it too. It does not matter if you have a gasoline or diesel engine vehicle it will work with either one. Go to http://deserthab.water4gas.hop.clickbank.net/ to learn more while supplies last.

Do you want to increase your fuel economy and create 30% less pollution? How about increase your gas mileage and increase your power too. An environmentally safe non toxic product called Ethos will do just that. It improves gas economy by reformulating your gasoline to allow more air to be mixed with the fuel vapor. This causes cleaner combustion and increases power. Your fuel burns more completely and thus produces less emissions. All you have to do is add a couple ounces per tank of gasoline or diesel. Go to http://www.thegassecret.net/ and learn more about this alternative energy supplement.

Easy Cash

Is the cost of living getting you down? Do you need to make some quick money to cover expenses? Go to http://www.freedom.ws/ , put in the access code mountain1, watch a free short movie and start making the money that you have dreamed about.

Nutrition and Health

These days everyone is concerned about nutrition and health. Most of our food is over processed and has very little nutrient value. Our food looks great but not much more. If we want to stay healthy in today’s world we are forced to take supplements. The question is: What supplements will provide what you need for the least amount of time and money? I believe one of the best supplements out there is called acaiplus. It is a blend of vitamins and minerals plus acai to promote health and long life. They also have vitamins to help improve your long term and short term memory. They also have an energy drink that gives you steady long term energy. To learn more about these products go to
http://www.acaiplus.com/desertstarproducts. Check out Acaiplus, Feed My Brain, and White Lightning.


Travel for Less

Are you tired of paying high airfares only to be crammed into a tight seat when you travel? Find out how you can save hundreds of dollars on your next flight. You may even be able to fly first class for the cost of coach if you know the secret. Learn how you can save enough money to take that once in a lifetime vacation. Go to
http://deserthab.airtravel.hop.clickbank.net/ and find out now while supplies last.

Discover how you can fly around the world on a shoestring budget. There are ways to travel for free. These ways are easy to learn if you know the secrets.. Go to
http://deserthab.fly4free.hop.clickbank.net/ to find out. You will be glad you did.


Have you ever wished that you could travel for a living. Does the call of far off places thrill you? Would you like to travel the world on your own schedule and see the places that you want to see? Would you like to enjoy your vacation and get paid for it too? Long to travel on your own schedule and enjoy your vacation? Would you like to travel for a living and see new and interesting places every day? Do you like to write letters to your relatives telling them about your recent vacation? Then you have what it takes to become a travel writer. All you need is a little instruction and you can have a dream job too. Go to http://deserthab.wp3033773.hop.clickbank.net/ and learn how you to can become a travel writer.


Adventure and Treasure Hunting

Do you watch movies like Indiana Jones and wish you could do that in real life? Do you like a good mystery and a good adventure? Would you like to use modern methods and tools to find long lost treasure?
All this is possible if you learn from the best. Stan Grist, world renown adventurer and treasure hunter has written a course complete with step by step instruction on how to become successful. Go to http://deserthab.infoshare2.hop.clickbank.net/
And check out his course “Creating Wealth Through Adventure”



And now our feature story.


Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan is a small ancient country on the southwest corner of the Caspian Sea. It has served as the gateway to the far east from Europe for thousands of years. It lies on the famous silk way caravan route and is an interesting mixture of European, middle east and far east cultures. This country has cave paintings from paleothic times, petroglyphs from the bronze age, medieval minarets and mosques, and breathtaking natural wonders. Azerbaijan was one of the main stops on the Big Silk way. Being at the crossroads of so many cultures, this country saw many empires rise and fall. First it was the Sumerians, then the Assyrians, the Persians, the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Arabs, the Mongols and finally the Soviets from 1920 until 1991. There were many other minor empires that ruled Azerbaijan but they are too numerous to mention. 1991 brought independence but almost immediately a civil war began with neighboring Armenia. The first 2 presidents of Azerbaijan tried to win the civil war but failed. Finally a former Azerbaijan official that had spent most of his life in Russia, even rising to the rank of general, took over and brought a halt to the civil war. His name was Heydar Aliyev. Heydar brought stability to the country and ruled from 1993 until ill health forced him to resign in October 2003. Heydar’s son llham took over and rules to this day. Azerbaijan is a real archeological storehouse and has over 6000 places of significance. This small country has nine climate zones. That is more climate zones than any other country on earth.

The country is blessed with rich oil and gas deposits as well as gold, silver, and other minerals. Baku is the capital which means “city of the gods” The old part of city represents one extensive historical-archeological reserve. Sometimes it is called "The Baku Acropolis" Also it is a fortress. The majority of walls of the fortress are still standing. This part of city is most picturesque, with its labyrinth of narrow lanes and ancient buildings. The basic sights of the old city are Shirvanshahov palace, Seyida Yahia Bakuvi mausoleum, a caravan-sheds Multany, Bukhara, Mollahana, and numerous mosques." The maiden Tower" Giza-Galasi, height 29,5 m, - one of the most outstanding historical monuments of Baku and - a symbol of the city. 70 km to the south of Baku there is the largest grouping of figures on rocks- Kobistan in structure of which it is totaled more than 4000 unique rocky sites, caves, rocky fortresses and burial grounds. Spotted of petroglyphs, many them are more than 10 thousand years old, these monuments of history are incorporated in the historical and cultural preserve. Across all of the province of Apsheron the fortresses are scattered, they was constructed by Shirvan's shahs during the middle ages and the rule of the Arabs. Two locks in Mardakiani, a mosque a Tuba-shahs, the sunken ruins of mysterious Bailov's castle, and also different fortifications Also the balneological resort Shihovo constructed on hydrosulphuric sources is attractive. To the south, on the Azerbaijan-Iranian border stretches across the lengthy range of the Talyshskikh mountains. It is one of the most exotic areas of the country. Here, in a subtropical climate zone, grow magnificent deciduous and mixed forests.

Here you find the beautiful landscapes of the green mountains cut by gorges with raging rivers, numerous thermal and mineral sources, the cleanest air and magnificent nature. My time in Azerbaijan passed too quickly but this was just a short rest stop on my journey to the orient.

Pine Mountain Evening

It is evening once more. I am relaxing in my easy chair. I have just finished getting all the new baled hay into the barn. I had vegetable soup and a sandwich for dinner. Squeekers my African grey parrot is sitting on his perch eating peanuts. Tonight our sample coffee from http://www.coffeefool.com/ is Fool’s House French. This coffee is a dark rich full bodied coffee. The beans were pulled from the roaster just before they burned. Squeekers and I just finished watching the second episode of year 5 of the scifi series “Stargate Atlantis” This show definitely packs a lot of action in a 1 hour show. Well it is getting late and I am ready to get some sleep. I put Squeekers in his cage and head off upstairs to bed. Good night all see you next week.

Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Azerbaijan/

A Trip to Helsinki

Pine Mountain

Hello again from Pine Mountain. This week we had water pump problems. The ranch has 3 sources of water. First we have our storage pit called a cistern. It holds 20,000 gallons. It collects rain water from the house and barn roof. We use this water to water the front lawn and the plants in the greenhouse. Our second source of water is a large pond. The pump is actually in an old spring house at the source of the pond. This pump sends water to the house and barn. The first problem was the pipes to the house and the barn. They are old and developed leaks. This caused the pump to run constantly and eventually caused it to fail. Since the pump was in the spring house, no one heard the pump running constantly. The first we knew of it was when we ran out of water at the house. We switched to our third system which is a well at the house with another pump on it. We just had to switch some valves at the supply tank in the house. We spent the rest of the week digging up old lines from the house to the pond. This time we put each of the two plastic line water lines inside a 4 inch plastic line. This serves 2 purposes. First if we ever have to change the lines, we just pull the 2 inch line through the 4 inch without having to dig it up. Second if one of the lines develops a leak we will know it because it will run out the other end of the 4 inch line in the spring house instead of just leaking into the surrounding ground. We finished installing the lines and put in a new pump and now we have water from the springhouse again.

Those of you that have just joined us, here at the ranch power is supplied by 2 wind turbines and a water turbine. We also have a few solar panels that charge up a battery bank. Our horizontal turbine looks like a small wingless airplane on top of it’s 80 foot tower. We purchased that one from http://www.bergey.com/. Our vertical turbine we purchased from http://www.pacwind.net/, it spins away on a 30 foot or 10 meter pole out by the barn. Our water turbine in the dam of our pond came from an Alaskan alternative energy company http://www.absak.com/. There have been more windy days than calm days this week. Even on a calm day we have been able to produce more energy with our wind turbines than we use.


. Next we have our usual sections on Alternative Energy, Nutrition, Traveling and Adventure

Alternative Energy

Is your electric bill going through the roof? Are you paying $200 or even more per month for electricity? Do you want to cut costs or even learn how you can sell electricity back to the power company so they pay you instead of you paying them? Learn how you can supplement you electricity and reduce your electric bill for only a small investment of less than $200. Go to http://deserthab.offgrid07.hop.clickbank.net/ and learn easy ways you can cut your electric bill.

The price of fuel keeps going up in price. Gasoline is now over $4.73 a gallon. Everyone is looking for anything that will increase fuel economy even a little. There is a way to improve your mileage, increase your horsepower, and reduce your emissions all at the same time. You will be able to turn your vehicle into a fuel efficient one with only a few readily available items from your local hardware. The instructions are easy to follow and there are many diagrams so you can see how to do it too. It does not matter if you have a gasoline or diesel engine vehicle it will work with either one. Go to http://deserthab.water4gas.hop.clickbank.net/ to learn more while supplies last.

Do you want to increase your fuel economy and create 30% less pollution? How about increase your gas mileage and increase your power too. An environmentally safe non toxic product called Ethos will do just that. It improves gas economy by reformulating your gasoline to allow more air to be mixed with the fuel vapor. This causes cleaner combustion and increases power. Your fuel burns more completely and thus produces less emissions. All you have to do is add a couple ounces per tank of gasoline or diesel. Go to http://www.thegassecret.net/ and learn more.


Nutrition and Health

These days everyone is concerned about nutrition and health. Most of our food is over processed and has very little nutrient value. Our food looks great but not much more. If we want to stay healthy in today’s world we are forced to take supplements. The question is: What supplements will provide what you need for the least amount of time and money? I believe one of the best supplements out there is called acaiplus. It is a blend of vitamins and minerals plus acai to promote health and long life. They also have vitamins to help improve your long term and short term memory. They also have an energy drink that gives you steady long term energy. To learn more about these products go to
http://www.acaiplus.com/desertstarproducts. Check out Acaiplus, Feed My Brain, and White Lightning.


Travel for Less

Are you tired of paying high airfares only to be crammed into a tight seat? Find out how you can save hundreds of dollars on your next flight. You may even be able to fly first class for the cost of coach if you know the secret. Learn how you can save enough money to take that once in a lifetime vacation. Go to
http://deserthab.airtravel.hop.clickbank.net/ and find out.

Discover how you can fly around the world on a shoestring budget. There are ways to travel for free. These ways are easy to learn if you know the secrets.. Go to
http://deserthab.fly4free.hop.clickbank.net/ to find out. You will be glad you did.


Have you ever wished that you could travel for a living. Does the call of far off places thrill you? Would you like to travel the world on your own schedule and see the places that you want to see? Would you like to enjoy your vacation and get paid for it too? Long to travel on your own schedule and enjoy your vacation? Would you like to travel for a living and see new and interesting places every day? Do you like to write letters to your relatives telling them about your recent vacation? You have what it takes to become a travel writer. All you need is a little instruction and you can have a dream job too. Go to http://deserthab.wp3033773.hop.clickbank.net/ and learn how you to can become a travel writer.


Adventure and Treasure Hunting

Do you watch movies like Indiana Jones and wish you could do that in real life? Do you like a good mystery? Would you like to use modern methods and tools to find long lost treasure?
All this is possible if you learn from the best. Stan Grist world renown adventurer and treasure hunter has written a course complete with step by step instruction on how to become successful. Go to http://deserthab.infoshare2.hop.clickbank.net/
And check out his course “Creating Wealth Through Adventure”



And now our feature story. Roxana has been traveling again. This time she took a trip to Finland. Here is her story.

A Trip to Helsinki, Finland

It was early morning in Vyborg, Russia when we met our guide at the bus station. Our guide told us not only about the history and sights but also about modern Scandinavia. She told us about the way of life, the customs, the habits, the character, the national food, and also about Scandinavia's mythology. It was really interesting. Vyborg is close to the Russian border. We passed through the Border control quickly and without problems, and soon we were on our way to Helsinki, Finland. Our route took us along the most southern extremity of the country, along the sea coast.

It was a landscape of hilly plains where rocky outcrops prevailed. There was forest all around , 61% of the country is forest. In Finland to protect their forests they prefer to buy wood in Russia. We continually overtook huge timber carrying trucks. Finns name the country Suomi- which means the country of bogs. We pass Khamen, it is a large port inhabited by Swedes ("khamen " - in translation means the port). The gulf of Finland is visible. The countryside is a collection of farms with a sprinkling of summer residences of the people that live in the cities.Farmer’s houses have a laconic design, without any architectural extravagances. They do not have fenced yards and their backyard gardens blend into the landscape. Everything is as much natural as possible. Finland is a unique country and has a woman for president. Helsinki was founded in 1550 by Swedes. The city is on small granite peninsula.

Little islands and skerries separate the bay from the high sea. In winter for several months the bay freezes, land locking the 550 thousand inhabitants of Helsinki. Helsinki became the capital in 1812 when Sweden was forced to concede Finland to Russia. Alexander I decided to transfer the capital from Turku to Helsinki to make the distance to Saint Petersburg closer. The weather favors us this time of year being warm and sunny. We walked on the Esplanade, this plaza with platforms, cafes, street actors and musicians - a favorite place for the inhabitants of the city to gather. Many spectators gathered by the woman with the trained cats. but when she passed around a hat for donations, the crowd thinned rapidly. Between the Esplanade and the Trading area is the small fountain "Havis Amanda" (that means the maiden of the sea). The fountain is granite with the bronze statue of a mermaid sitting in seaweed. Four fish spout water at her feet and 4 sea lions surround her. The fountain is one of the symbols of Helsinki. The trading area is small, but there are trading carts with trays of souvenirs and summer cafes. It is almost noon and the morning crowds have settled down. It is possible to order a meal. You can have grilled fish, shrimp or squid, potatoes or rice and a salad (from 6 euros). The trading carts have a lot of souvenirs that are hand-made articles from trees (from 10 euros)). They also have costume jewelry, silver with semiprecious stones, amber, etc. We went to the docks. There were several sightseeing ships that go to the different islands. When you are on these ships, you can see Helsinki from the sea. The ships go to the island Korkeasaari which is the zoo. Another ship goes to Suomenlinna which was a Swedish fortress Sveaborg. This fortress was constructed in the late 1700’s. In 1809 the Russian army defeated the Swedes and took over the fortress. Now the fortress is a museum. It has restaurants, cafes, and parks. We go on a sightseeing tour of Helsinki.

The first stop - the Senatorial area. In the center of the area is a monument to emperor Alexander. He was a favorite of the Finns. Next we came to a majestic Cathedral. In order to glance inside, it is necessary to climb a set of granite steps. The cathedral was Lutheran with modest internal furniture. Next we went to the low part of the city. This area was built in the18 century. The houses of dealers-burghers from that era are located here. The second stop is at a monument to the known Finnish composer Y.Sibeliusu , the surrounding park is also named for him.The steel monument is made in the form of pipe organ pipes. In Scandinavia there are many stylized, symbolical monuments. In the same area known as Teele we visited a church in a rock, constructed in 1969. The internal volume of the temple is cut out of a rock. The dome is made of glass and copper plates laid on a spiral that creates the illusion of a high arch. Near the church two souvenir shops had Christmas souvenirs on sale all year long.

We went back to the center of town to visit Uspenskii orthodox cathedral built in 1868. The orthodox religion is the second state religion of Finland. The cathedral had a rich interior, 4 granite columns, the big iconostasis were the work of Russian artists. The church rests on a hill with a beautiful view of the center of Helsinki. I liked the color scale of city, the houses were of pastel shades, there were a lot of greens, all very compact and cosy. After the devastating fire of 1809 the city was rebuilt. Most of the houses were of that era. The old part of city looks very harmonious. The houses were built in uniform architectural style.

Next we went to the ex -capital city Turku. The weather turned wet and windy. The rain blew in our tour bus windows so we had to close the windows.Turku – is the oldest city of Finland, the first mention of it is dated 1229. Because of the rain and the gathering twilight our impression of Turku have remained indistinct. The grandiose cathedral was the only thing remembered.

Finally we left for the ferry terminal. The ferry "óÉÌØÑ ìÁÊÎ"( the way of the seal ) plies between Turku and Stockholm continuously, at night there, in the morning Back. Currency on ferries is exchanged much more favorably, than in the country itself. But here in the shops on the ferry there is almost nothing to buy to eat.

A little about the Finnish kitchen. The basis of the Finnish national kitchen is made by a fish prepared in the most different ways. For example, kalekuccÏ (the fish rooster)is a pie made from rye flour with a small fish inside with a slice of bacon added. It is baked for 6 hours. Frequent dishes are baked puddings. Caviar is usually mixed with onions, sour cream and smeared on bread. The usual meal also is pea soup. The soup usually has a piece of bacon in it. It is possible to try venison in Finland. The cloudberries are popular-in this country of bogs. The Finns consume a lot of coffee (11 kg per person in a year, or 5 cups in a day per person), The coffee is served with fancy bread. It is considered bad manners if less than 7 kinds of fancy bread are served with coffee. The sweeter the bread the more well off was your host because in olden times salt and sugar were very dear in price. Now it is a tradition. The herring even in mustard sauce has a sweet taste. I tried fine-grained caviar mixed with the sour cream, it is interesting taste. To soon our journey to Finland ended and we returned home.

Pine Mountain Evening

It is evening again on Pine Mountain. I am sitting by my fireplace drinking this weeks coffee of the week from the coffee fool. This weeks coffee is Organic Peruvian. If you are looking for a coffee to scale the heights and give you a vision, this is it. The rich high elevation coffee is just the ticket if you are looking for an interesting taste. Squeekers my African grey parrot is sitting on his perch eating peanuts. I finish my coffee and put Squeekers in his cage for the night. I turn off the fireplace and head for bed. Good night all. See you next week.

resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Helsinki

Surviving the Wild Forces of Nature

Pine Mountain

Hello again from Pine Mountain. The weather is finally about normal for this time of year. The temperature is in the high 10 C s at night and mid 20 C s in the daytime. Here at the ranch power is supplied by 2 wind turbines and a water turbine. We also have a few solar panels that charge up a battery bank. This week we have a story about tornado survival. First we have our normal sections on alternative energy, travel for less, and treasure hunting.

Alternative Energy

Our horizontal turbine looks like a small wingless airplane on top of it’s 80 foot tower. We purchased that one from http://www.bergey.com/. Our vertical turbine we purchased from http://www.pacwind.net/, it spins away on a 30 foot or 10 meter pole out by the barn. Our water turbine in the dam of our pond came from an Alaskan alternative energy company http://www.absak.com/. There have been more windy days than calm days this week. Even on a calm day we have been able to produce more energy with our wind turbines than we use.

Gasoline is at an all time high of $4.48 a gallon. A gallon is just under 4 liters for those of you on the metric system. Our other ranch out in the desert had an old mule named Pete. They were going to sell him so I bought him and his 2 wheeled cart and brought him to Pine Mountain. Now when I go into the back pasture to fix fences I take Pete and his cart instead of the tractor and wagon. While I fix fence I unhitch Pete and he roams down by the pond. I here frogs jumping into the pond as Pete walks around the pond scaring the frogs. Every once in a while Pete will start to bray for no apparent reason. Once in a while even Squeekers my African grey parrot comes along. He gets impatient with my fence mending and is always saying, “ Hurry up, Hurry up.” I am getting quite a strange collection of animals here on the ranch. I have 2 horses and a mule, A parrot and a dog, a milk cow and some chickens, a dozen beef cattle and an old goat named Annabelle.

Is your electric bill going through the roof? Are you paying $200 or even more per month for electricity? Do you want to cut costs or even learn how you can sell electricity back to the power company so they pay you instead of you paying them? Learn how you can supplement you electricity and reduce your electric bill for only a small investment of less than $200. Go to http://deserthab.offgrid07.hop.clickbank.net/ and learn easy ways you can cut your electric bill.

The price of fuel keeps going up in price. Everyone is looking for anything that will increase fuel economy even a little. There is a way to improve your mileage, increase your horsepower, and reduce your emissions all at the same time. You will be able to turn your vehicle into a fuel efficient one with only a few readily available items from your local hardware. The instructions are easy to follow and there are many diagrams so you can see how to do it too. It does not matter if you have a gasoline or diesel engine vehicle it will work with either one. Go to http://deserthab.water4gas.hop.clickbank.net/ to learn more while supplies last.

Do you want to increase your fuel economy and create 30% less pollution? How about increase your gas mileage and increase your power too. An environmentally safe non toxic product called Ethos will do just that. It improves gas economy by reformulating your gasoline to allow more air to be mixed with the fuel vapor. This causes cleaner combustion and increases power. Your fuel burns more completely and thus produces less emissions. All you have to do is add a couple ounces per tank of gasoline or diesel. Go to http://www.thegassecret.net/ and learn more.

Nutrition and Health

These days everyone is concerned about nutrition and health. Most of our food is over processed and has very little nutrient value. Our food looks great but not much more. If we want to stay healthy in today’s world we are forced to take supplements. The question is: What supplements will provide what you need for the least amount of time and money? I believe one of the best supplements out there is called acaiplus. It is a blend of vitamins and minerals plus acai to promote health and long life. They also have vitamins to help improve your long term and short term memory. They also have an energy drink that gives you steady long term energy. To learn more about these products go to

http://www.acaiplus.com/desertstarproducts. Check out Acaiplus, Feed My Brain, and White Lightning.

Travel for Less

Are you tired of paying high airfares only to be crammed into a tight seat? Find out how you can save hundreds of dollars on your next flight. You may even be able to fly first class for the cost of coach if you know the secret. Learn how you can save enough money to take that once in a lifetime vacation. Go to

http://deserthab.airtravel.hop.clickbank.net/ and find out.

Discover how you can fly around the world on a shoestring budget. There are ways to travel for free. These ways are easy to learn if you know the secrets.. Go to

http://deserthab.fly4free.hop.clickbank.net/ to find out. You will be glad you did.

Have you ever wished that you could travel for a living. Does the call of far off places thrill you? Would you like to travel the world on your own schedule and see the places that you want to see? Would you like to enjoy your vacation and get paid for it too? Long to travel on your own schedule and enjoy your vacation? Would you like to travel for a living and see new and interesting places every day? Do you like to write letters to your relatives telling them about your recent vacation? You have what it takes to become a travel writer. All you need is a little instruction and you can have a dream job too. Go to http://deserthab.wp3033773.hop.clickbank.net/ and learn how you to can become a travel writer.

Adventure and Treasure Hunting

Do you watch movies like Indiana Jones and wish you could do that in real life? Do you like a good mystery? Would you like to use modern methods and tools to find long lost treasure?

All this is possible if you learn from the best. Stan Grist world renown adventurer and treasure hunter has written a course complete with step by step instruction on how to become successful. Go to http://deserthab.infoshare2.hop.clickbank.net/

And check out his course “Creating Wealth Through Adventure”

And now our feature story.

Surviving the Wild Forces of Nature.

It was mid summer on the western plains several years ago. A huge cold weather front was colliding with another warmer weather front. The clouds were swirling and the sky was getting blacker and blacker. The wind had picked up and I could see lightning flashes in the distance. I was driving an old 75 chevy pickup. I knew this was going to be a very bad storm as I crossed into Oklahoma. I was in the middle of an area that stretches from Texas to the middle of Ohio better known as tornado alley.

Several of the darker clouds began to rotate. They rotated slowly at first then faster and faster. A funnel began to form. At first it was high in the air about 5 miles to the west of me. Slowly it crept closer and close to the ground. Finally it touched the ground and I could see debris being sucked into its dark swirling mass. I knew that I could not out run this monster so I looked for a place to hide from the storm’s fury. Luckily an interstate overpass was coming up so I pulled under the bridge and stopped. I got out of the truck and crawled back into a depression under a large sewer pipe at the point where the bridge met the bank. I had a heavy coat that I took from the truck. I put this on and faced into the opening away from the entrance. The noise was deafening. It sounded like a freight train was going to run me over. Luckily the tornado tracked right by the bridge and did not cross over or under the bridge. Finally the noise stopped and I came out of my hole to see what was left.

My truck was still there but it had sustained some damage. A piece of metal pipe had gone through the windshield. Numerous other dings and scratches were visible. The truck still ran so I drove to the next town and had the windshield replaced. People say an overpass is not a very safe place to escape a tornado. If there is no other shelter and you can wedge yourself into a crack or hole where the bridge meets the bank, you may survive. If you are in a house go to the interior room that does not have any windows. Better yet climb into a bathtub and cover your head with your hands. If you have a basement go there and huddle against a sturdy interior wall. During tornado season always listen for weather reports and heed tornado watches and warnings. That was my narrow escape from a tornado.

Pine Mountain Evening

It is evening again. I am back from my fence mending and have put Pete the donkey and his cart away for the night. Squeekers the parrot is sitting on his perch munching peanuts. I am enjoying my coffee of the week from http://www.coffeefool.com/. This weeks coffee is Mexican Altura Pluma. It is a medium bodied coffee with a sudden bright flavor that lingers and lets you enjoy it even after you have swallowed it. I have finished my coffee now. I turn off my gas fireplace and put Squeekers in his cage. I am ready to end this day. Good night all see you next week.

Journey to Saint Petersburg

Pine Mountain

Hello again from Pine Mountain. The weather is finally about normal for this time of year. The temperature is in the high 40’s F at night and mid 70’s F in the daytime. Here at the ranch we have our own power. It is furnished by our 2 wind turbines and our water turbine. We also have a few solar panels that charge up a battery bank. Our horizontal turbine looks like a small wingless airplane on top of it’s 80 foot tower. We purchased that one from http://www.bergey.com/. Our vertical turbine we purchased from http://www.pacwind.net/, and our water turbine in the dam of our pond came from an Alaskan alternative energy company http://www.absak.com/. There have been calm days and windy days this week. Even on a calm day we have been able to produce more energy with our wind turbines than we use.

I spent the day working on the barn. The spouting needed some work. The ice from the winter had made it sag and leak in places. I fixed it so that it would drain properly and not make the basement of the barn soggy. Also water is a scarce commodity around here. Our barn and house spouting drain into a big tank called a cistern. I use this water to water the plants in my greenhouse. It is nice to have the greenhouse. No matter what the weather is outside it is still nice inside. I have the greenhouse arraigned in stages. Each stage is about a month behind the stage next to it. That way I always have fresh vegetables.

This week Roxana has been traveling again. This summer she is traveling in Russia visiting friends and relatives. This week she took a boat ride from Moscow to Saint Petersburg. First we have out usual sections on Alternative Energy, Nutrition, Niche Marketing, Traveling and Adventure.

Alternative Energy

Do you like to tinker in the garage and build useful inventions? Today energy costs are going through the roof. More and more people are looking for ways to spend less on energy and reduce costs. A good place to start is the book called the alternative energy bible. This book shows and tells you how to can produce your own energy in easy inexpensive projects. Go to http://deserthab.offgrid07.hop.clickbank.net/ and get your copy while they are still available.

The price of fuel keeps going up in price. Everyone is looking for anything that will increase fuel economy even a little. There is a way to improve your mileage, increase your horsepower, and reduce your emissions all at the same time. You will be able to turn your vehicle into a fuel efficient one with only a few readily available items from your local hardware. The instructions are easy to follow and there are many diagrams so you can see how to do it too. It does not matter if you have a gasoline or diesel engine vehicle it will work with either one. Go to http://deserthab.water4gas.hop.clickbank.net/ to learn more while supplies last.

Do you want to increase your fuel economy? An environmentally safe non toxic product called Ethos will do just that. It improves gas economy by reformulating your gasoline to allow more air to be mixed with the fuel vapor. This causes cleaner combustion and increases power. Your fuel burns more completely and thus produces less emissions. All you have to do is add a couple ounces per tank of gasoline or diesel fuel.

Nutrition and Health

These days everyone is concerned about nutrition and health. Most of our food is over processed and has very little nutrient value. Our food looks great but not much more. If we want to stay healthy in today’s world we are forced to take supplements. The question is: What supplements will provide what you need for the least amount of time and money? I believe one of the best supplements out there is called acaiplus. It is a blend of vitamins and minerals plus acai to promote health and long life. They also have vitamins to help improve your long term and short term memory. They also have an energy drink that gives you steady long term energy. To learn more about these products go to

http://www.acaiplus.com/desertstarproducts. Check out Acaiplus, Feed My Brain, and White Lightning.

Travel for Less

In these days of rising prices, how would you like to travel and save money to? Learn how you can save enough money to take that once in a lifetime vacation. Go to

http://deserthab.airtravel.hop.clickbank.net/ and find out.

There are ways to travel for free. These ways are easy to learn. Go to

http://deserthab.fly4free.hop.clickbank.net/ to find out. You will be glad you did.

Have you ever longed to travel on your own schedule and enjoy your vacation? Would you like to travel for a living and see new and interesting places every day? Do you like to write letters to your relatives telling them about your recent vacation? You have what it takes to become a travel writer. All you need is a little instruction and you can have a dream job too. Go to http://deserthab.wp3033773.hop.clickbank.net/ and learn how you to can become a travel writer.

Adventure and Treasure Hunting

Do you watch movies like Indiana Jones and wish you could do that in real life? Do you like a good mystery? Would you like to use modern methods and tools to find long lost treasure?

All this is possible if you learn from the best. Stan Grist world renown adventurer and treasure hunter has written a course complete with step by step instruction on how to become successful. Go to http://deserthab.infoshare2.hop.clickbank.net/

And check out his course “Creating Wealth Through Adventure”

And now Roxana’s story.

A Journey to Saint Petersburg

The warm days of summer are here at last. Suddenly we decided to take a trip to Saint Petersburg. The city of over 5 million people is the Russian jewel of the north. Built by Peter the Great 305 years ago it is the Venice of the north. It has 365 bridges over an extensive array of rivers and waterways. Peter the Great spared no expense in building this city patterned after Renaissance cities of Europe. Each Czar that came after Peter built their own palace in the city that was the Russian Capital for many years. It was only after the Russian revolution when the Communists took over that the capital was moved to Moscow. Saint Petersburg fondly called Peter by the locals has over 200 museums and many parks. The weather can change in an instant. It can go from warm and sunny +25 C to cold and rainy. In winter it can go to -20 C and even as low as -35 C with heavy snow.

Our journey began in Moscow. Moscow the capital of Russia is a city of over 9 million and is a bright and colorful city. It is much different from the old cold and gray city of the cold war era. The red brick walls of the Kremlin open onto red square. Red square used to be reserved only for military parades now it is like an open air market, Buses are crowded but the underground railroad or subway will take you rapidly to your destination.

Leaving Moscow we travel by ship on the Volga river and the linking canals. We stop at the small town of Staritsa. In the small towns time stands still. Country life is very different from life in the city. Everyone works hard during the summer to prepare for the hard winter ahead. In the town tours of the small wooden houses show life on a simpler level. It is expected to give the
homeowner a small donation for the privilege of the tour.

Traveling on the picturesque landscape is a show in itself. On board ship we had many great meals including a Russian Tea ceremony performed with Vodka. Tea is made in a samovar and served with cakes and biscuits. If vodka is too strong for you, cold beer is available too. The crew does not drink so the ship can navigate the river and canal properly without crashing into things. We pass the ruins of the Christbirth church near Cherepovets, which was flooded in 1960 to make room for the Volga Baltic waterway. We stopped in Karelia and watched native Karelian dancers performing dances that originated in Finland. Twenty two percent of Karelia is covered by rivers and lakes.

Traveling on we pass the wooden church with 22 domes on Kizhi island on lake Onega. The domes are made with aspen shingles and were assembled without nails.

Now we are at the outskirts of Saint Petersburg. We see the Oreshek fortress. It withstood a 900 day siege by the Germans during world war II. Saint Petersburg shows its best side from the water. World famous for it’s white nights in June, Saint Petersburg has 200 museums. One of the most famous is the Hermitage.

It was here that the Bolshevics broke in and took over the government in 1917. Neva Prospekt is one of the busiest streets in Saint Petersburg. The 4 kilometers have many shops and stores selling international wares. In restaurants a favorite dish is borsch. It is made from cabbage and beets and secret spices. It is served with a dollop of sour cream. Each cook has their own secret recipe. In winter people drink tea and vodka with tea biscuits to pass away the long dark hours. 5 cups of tea is a compliment to the host. Saint Petersburg even has a vodka museum. Average consumption is 12 liters per person per year in Russia.

Pine Mountain Evening

I am sitting in my easy chair by the fireplace.This weeks coffee is Organic Rain forest. This jungle brew medium blend is rich and full bodied. It is an interesting taste. Squeekers my African grey parrot is on his perch munching peanuts. I have just finished my coffee. I put squeekers in his cage and turn off the fireplace. I am ready to go to bed. Good night all. See you next week.