One of my favorite things about the people in Kazakhstan could easily be described in one word "Babushka." Although I'm not always appreciative of the lectures, I love seeing these ladies walking around. I was able to snap a picture of this babushka in Sharbakti. Isn't she sweet?
I never managed to get a picture of a sled in use in Almaty, but sleds in Kazakhstan are not just for fun. We occasionally saw a mother or grandmother pulling a child on one of these babies because, if you think about it,
strollers and icy streets aren't as practical a combination as
sleds and icy streets.
This is the chopping block. The place where Nathan Jones prepares their firewood. It's rather well-used, wouldn't you say?
There happens to be a little barn on the property. I climbed my first haystack. It was grand.
This is the entrance to the barn. I don't know why, but I liked the way it looked.
This is what remains of the Joneses coal stash for the winter. On the left is actual coal, on the right is the ash.
Recognize that piece of furniture leaning against the building?
This couch only needs a little bit of work and then it'll be good as new. Any takers?
The front door:
The darling Zoe Jones:
Inside the front door, all the buckets of coal ready for use:
This is Heather's kitchen sink. She boils a huge tea pot for their warm water (remember, all their water comes from a well, so it's one temperature: freezing cold) and puts some in the red basin and the rest in the blue tub. She then adds cold water to each container. The red basin is for rinsing, the blue basin is for scrubbing all those dirty dishes. She's a saint, I tell you!
The stove. The large teapot I referred to is on the left. In case you can't tell, there really are only 3 burners on this stove, there isn't another row behind what you see here. The gas which powers the stove (and oven) comes from the tank below. They have an extra tank for rotation, but I do think they have run out before.
This is the stove which was responsible for heating their house. It is connected to the water heater (furnaces) throughout the house, but the system froze and burst during their last trip to Almaty. Heather shared that story (what a nightmare!) on their blog.
Desi in the room with all the warmth. =) The opening that you see in the wall is actually a stove top of sorts. Our first morning there we had eggs made on it and they were YuMMy! Below the opening on the right is a little door where the fire is. This oven, built into the wall, heats their home.
The only pictures I didn't get, which I wish I would have are: a picture of me and Heather and a picture of our families together. I suppose it will have to wait for another day, perhaps in the States.
I never managed to get a picture of a sled in use in Almaty, but sleds in Kazakhstan are not just for fun. We occasionally saw a mother or grandmother pulling a child on one of these babies because, if you think about it, strollers and icy streets aren't as practical a combination as sleds and icy streets.
This is the chopping block. The place where Nathan Jones prepares their firewood. It's rather well-used, wouldn't you say?
There happens to be a little barn on the property. I climbed my first haystack. It was grand.
This is the entrance to the barn. I don't know why, but I liked the way it looked.
This is what remains of the Joneses coal stash for the winter. On the left is actual coal, on the right is the ash.
Recognize that piece of furniture leaning against the building?
This couch only needs a little bit of work and then it'll be good as new. Any takers?
The front door:
The darling Zoe Jones:
Inside the front door, all the buckets of coal ready for use:
This is Heather's kitchen sink. She boils a huge tea pot for their warm water (remember, all their water comes from a well, so it's one temperature: freezing cold) and puts some in the red basin and the rest in the blue tub. She then adds cold water to each container. The red basin is for rinsing, the blue basin is for scrubbing all those dirty dishes. She's a saint, I tell you!
The stove. The large teapot I referred to is on the left. In case you can't tell, there really are only 3 burners on this stove, there isn't another row behind what you see here. The gas which powers the stove (and oven) comes from the tank below. They have an extra tank for rotation, but I do think they have run out before.
This is the stove which was responsible for heating their house. It is connected to the water heater (furnaces) throughout the house, but the system froze and burst during their last trip to Almaty. Heather shared that story (what a nightmare!) on their blog.
Desi in the room with all the warmth. =) The opening that you see in the wall is actually a stove top of sorts. Our first morning there we had eggs made on it and they were YuMMy! Below the opening on the right is a little door where the fire is. This oven, built into the wall, heats their home.
The only pictures I didn't get, which I wish I would have are: a picture of me and Heather and a picture of our families together. I suppose it will have to wait for another day, perhaps in the States.
I find these posts to be absolutely fascinating. This must be what people imagine life in Poland would be like for us if we moved there, but having visited twice now, I know that is very far from the truth. All of you have such terrific attitudes, and I'll be using you as an example someday if we ever end up moving to the back country of Poland (which we won't, we'll be "roughing" it in Warsaw if we ever go I think).
ReplyDeletePlease please keep writing. I really enjoy reading. And I love the pictures just as much as the words.