July 20, 2025Jul 20 Author 8 minutes ago, Frosty said: Did you leave some large sections to maybe make side or tea tables? Hi Jer! I didn't leave it, I have nothing to saw it with. At one time I had my own sawmill, but that was a long time ago. I took it apart. And I will put flower pots on these logs.
July 20, 2025Jul 20 Yeah, same here I was part owner in a mobile saw mill and while it furnished all the lumber for my partner's lake cabin almost nobody in the area was interested so it got lots of use but only paid for itself in savings on purchase and flight time. A float plain doesn't carry much lumber and cost better than $120 / hr. USD in 1980s dollars. Frosty The Lucky.
July 21, 2025Jul 21 I think I've told this story before, but after my great-grandfather founded the Episcopalian mission in Anvik, the folks back home decided to send him a sawmill to make lumber for the mission buildings. A passenger on the coastal steamer saw all the crates sitting on the deck, found out what it was, and asked the captain if it came with assembly instructions. The captain replied, "No, but the pastor's a Vermont boy, and he'll figure it out." This is the same great-grandfather who wrote in a humorous poem: I love a machine, And I drink gasoline; I've been using a wrench since I was five. I buzz 'round a sawmill like bees 'round a hive.
July 31, 2025Jul 31 Author Another Gatchina nature park. Within the city limits, but it feels like you're in a dense forest. On the outskirts of the city there is an institute of nuclear physics, and between the residential buildings and the institute there is an exclusion zone where nothing can be built. Under the tsars there were hunting grounds here, under the communists an abandoned swamp. In recent years the place has been improved.
July 31, 2025Jul 31 I'd love to visit Russia. I've heard that Moscow is an incredibly beautiful city where it is safe to walk the streets at night. Very clean, too. I'll bet St. Petersburg would be a great place to visit, too.
July 31, 2025Jul 31 I love your photo tours of Gatchina nature park Alex. You've taken s here before but from a different path I believe. I recognize the water wheel house. Didn't it pump water to the manor house or maybe ponds up hill? Thank you for bringing us along once again. Frosty The Lucky.
July 31, 2025Jul 31 Author 2 hours ago, MeltedSocks said: I'd love to visit Russia. I've heard that Moscow is an incredibly beautiful city where it is safe to walk the streets at night. Very clean, too. I'll bet St. Petersburg would be a great place to visit, too. Better to Saint Petersburg, it is much more interesting than Moscow. And of course at a different time. War. Here it is almost not felt, but... I want this nightmare to end. 32 minutes ago, Frosty said: I love your photo tours of Gatchina nature park Alex. You've taken s here before but from a different path I believe. I recognize the water wheel house. Didn't it pump water to the manor house or maybe ponds up hill? Thank you for bringing us along once again. Frosty The Lucky. Jer, you won't believe it, but this was my first time in this part of the park. When we were going back through the palace park, I noticed a free boat at the boat station. In this weather, there is usually a queue at the pier.
August 1, 2025Aug 1 3 hours ago, alexandr said: I want this nightmare to end. My prayers are with you and the world on that Alex. Are little water wheel pump houses like that common? I've seen one very much like it from a different angle in another photo spread from you. As hot as it has been I'll bet a boat on the water would've been a good way to spend a sunny day. Are people allowed to fish? Frosty The Lucky.
August 2, 2025Aug 2 Author The Internet is working worse and worse. It seems that the vile government is pushing the country to repeat 1917, 1991.
August 2, 2025Aug 2 Alaxandr, with respect to the war, there's plenty of blame to go around. With respect to crappy internet, I guess that's on par with a 2% tea tax.
August 2, 2025Aug 2 Author On 8/1/2025 at 4:12 AM, Frosty said: Are people allowed to fish? Hi Jer! Fishing is prohibited in the official park. They breed carp there. In the other parks no one controls it. I don't want to talk about sad things. The nightmare will end someday. I continue to explore the environs of St. Petersburg, which I have not been to yet. Kronstadt, Fort Konstantin. A very rich history, starting with Peter the Great. Several years ago, the military left there, leaving behind devastation and desolation. Now serious restoration work is underway on several forts.
August 3, 2025Aug 3 Your pictures make me wish I spoke and read Russian. Is the large white boat / ship(?) a ferry? I love the animated bird sculpture. Does it have meaning or is it a decoration? Frosty The Lucky.
August 3, 2025Aug 3 Author 6 hours ago, Frosty said: Your pictures make me wish I spoke and read Russian. Is the large white boat / ship(?) a ferry? This is a pleasure boat. It carries tourists between forts. In my youth i worked as a ship mechanic, couldn't resist, went down to the engine room. Just a sculpture. You can see them around the city regularly. New trend.
August 3, 2025Aug 3 Perhaps the bird sculpture is an artist's commentary on how the spirit of nature eventually overcomes the devastation and desolation wrought by man. Your eyes and photos are always a delight, thank you Alexandr! --Larry
August 3, 2025Aug 3 I was wondering about the engine room pics, I've ridden the ferry system up here quite a bit in the day and there was no way anybody not on the engineering gang was going to get a look at the engine room. Just a new trend? Wind powered? Cool moving and mobile sculptures have been made here for quite a while, several decades anyway. Big wind powered walkers, rollers, etc? are a thing. I think there's a beach that allows them but requires they be taken down and away after a short display time. Burning Man is a large festival in the Black Rock desert in Nevada, yearly. Lots of kinetic sculptures and fire. Traditionally they burn everything during the finale. It's one big week long party. Okay, I don't know why I didn't just do a search. Wiki has lots of stuff and maybe some pics and videos. It was hard to find anything that wasn't a commercial site. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_Man It seems to get stranger every year. Frosty The Lucky.
August 3, 2025Aug 3 Author 3 hours ago, Frosty said: Just a new trend? Wind powered? Cool moving and mobile sculptures have been made here for quite a while, several decades anyway. Jer, Russia began to develop normally after the collapse of the Union. There were many good things under the communists, but I would not want to go back to those times.
August 3, 2025Aug 3 True, things got better everywhere after the collapse. I'd hate to see you go back to the old system. I hope it doesn't take the old guard dying out to get Russia rolling again. Changing our leadership every few years has it's own headaches but I wouldn't trade either. Not on my life. When I was a kid growing up under the thread of The Red Menace I used to write stories about alien invaders forcing Earth to put on a united front to survive. I didn't realize how old a theme it was at the time or maybe I just don't remember where I heard, read, etc. it. Oh well, such is life. Be well Alex, I'm pulling for you. Frosty The Lucky.
August 5, 2025Aug 5 Author On 8/4/2025 at 3:17 AM, JHCC said: Getting dangerously close to the ban on politics, people. Sorry, it slipped out. Another makeover in the garden. 6 years ago, at its peak there were over 500 rose bushes. No more than 10 remain. Very troublesome to care for. Switched to perennials with minimal care. At the same time, I made a kind of showroom for garden supports, I invite customers to my garden, so they part with their money more easily.
August 5, 2025Aug 5 I'd like to apologize to the forum, I got carried away. My bad. Frosty The Lucky.
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