THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Home sweet home

Hi there , well I am pleased to say, since my last post there have been no problems in the motor department. But the weather!! that's another thing all together, the snow all went and for a short while we had clear,albeit wet and mucky roads, but the snow had gone,then it came back with a vengeance, on the 2nd we had a fall of about 10cm and then two days later it was gone ,, phew ,thank goodness,  life resumed it's normal pattern, going to school bringing logs over, wander along the river with the dog and so on and on and on.
I could bore you all with the minute details  such as got up,cleaned teeth, made coffee etc etc etc yawn yawn, WAKE UP !!!!! you mustn't go to sleep just yet. 
What can we do? while the snow thaws and  the ground dries up. Well the one thing that has bugged me since we first moved in is the wooden wall cladding  Ugggghhhhh !!!!! I hate it. Well boredom had set in and so bad that it had to come off.   Yippee!!!!!!!!
I have learnt over the last four years,{yep it's four year s since we moved here, time flies when you are having fun} that is you can do anything in Latvia as long as you have  bit of wood and a pound of nails, size doesn't matter but the bigger the better.

Out with the old

And  the same the other end

Valerie, who had reached the same stage of boredom as I had, was willing to help remove the offending wood cladding, well that's not really a true description it was more just bits of wood 1mtr long x 9--12cm wide and12mm thick nailed!!! to the wall,with gaps big enough to drive a truck through
We decided to replace it with some new lighter colour material,so heading off to K Rauter {Latvia's equivalent of B&Q} we were determined to get the job done as quick as possible and it would be a one shop stop, we needed the panelling, and the battens plus clips for fixing, and some insulation for warmth,,,, easy peasy ! was it ????? not a chance,they didn't stock our chosen items,just a plastic alternative, and since we don't want to live in a plastic box ,so we left empty handed,
Girts will help us I said confidently to Valerie.Now Girts is a good man to know, first because he speaks English and second because he owns the hardware shop in Iecieva. 
Having discussed our plans, he gave us all the options open to us and we left {if truth be known more confused than when we went in}  to return home and decide what we would do,I returned the next day placed our order which would be delivered. When? 'Maybe next week or the week following after all there is a holiday weekend  who knows' , and so we wait and wait. Meanwhile we have one rather  bare  looking wall in our dining room  and no curtains are we worried no not a bit.

Cranes awkward on the ground but graceful in flight

'Que sera sera'   

There must have been over 500

We had the opportunity   yesterday {Saturday} to visit Sandra's parents who live a short distance outside a town called Dobele some 100 kilometres away. Leaving home at 9 o'clock we were looking forward to a pleasant journey and not forgetting the camera this time,,!!!  we hoped we might see some deer to photograph. 4 kilometres  down the road we saw a flock of geese just a few metres off the road ,so pictures were taken . and then a short distance farther on we saw some cranes so another stop.                                                                      
                                                                                              
I needed  petrol at the filling station in Iecieva, so another quick stop and then we must get on, wrong!!! as we pulled in Valerie said look there's an English number plate on that car, sure enough there was, with a man standing by it. Now you must appreciate this is not a common site over here and certainly one that would need investigating, pulling up I got out and went over to him and said good morning { well you would wouldn't you at 9.30} His good morning confirmed him to be an Englishman and after chatting for a while we found out that he and his wife had bought a house in Bauska, and were on there way to open it up for the summer. I am waiting for him to email me,we can then arrange to meet up and swap stories. 
One last stop for some gifts for Sandra's parents {we had packed eggs, jam,milk, chutney and some homemade chocolate cake from home} but some cheese and sausage we know are always welcome.

To say that Janis and Inta live off the beaten track is a bit of an understatement, the back of beyond is more like it.

We have known them since the first time Valerie and I came over in 2005. Of all the friends we have ,this couple would come in our top ten, they are such lovely folk and always make us so welcome. With so little of this worlds goods their home is just filled with love, that plus Inta's apple cake {which is to die for} make this a second home for us.                                                                                                                                                                       
  

Two fine ladies enjoying a walk in the forest

                                                                             
                                                                               
 Being so far from the main road, the peace and quiet are something else. A walk in the forest is always a time to stop and be grateful for the things we have been blessed with.
St Paul said 'I have learnt whatever state I am in to be content,' perhaps there is a lesson for us all to learn.

Unfortunately all good things come to an end and with a gift of some two year old dried fire wood we had to say our goodbyes and head for home, with only a quick stop at Rimi in Bauska for some milk.

                                                                                                          
                                                                                               

Good Friday and Easter Saturday were fine days,  the sun shining through some hazy cloud,although the wind still had a bit of a bite to it and we were looking forward to a good Easter Sunday. Perhaps a little gardening on Easter Monday?How wrong can you be, Janis said when we were at the farm if there is little or no snow at Christmas,it will come for Easter, this is an old Latvian saying, Well don't knock the old folk law, what did we find on opening the curtains this morning!!!!!! another 4'' of snow!!!!!!!!!!!!
                                                 HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE
                                                                                                                                                                  

Inta,  Sandra's mum

Sharing lunch Latvian style