Dacha

On Saturday, our Preparation Day, we accepted an invitation to go to President and Sister Prihodka's "dacha." City dwellers love summer time when they can leave their small apartments and go to the outskirts of town and work in their gardens. There are neighborhoods of gardens, along with simple, cabin-like summer homes. Wow! We loved it.

First of all, we didn't realize how much we missed a yard. Elder Mac weeded while Sister Mac picked strawberries. They barbequed fish, chicken and "shashleek" or shish-ka-bobs.

Because of the short winter and chance or frost, they make good use of green houses. They grow everything, including flowers. Peonies right now.

After dinner they sang Russian love songs. Their son, Paul, (Pavel) was out of school at the university so he translated for us all.
The "dacha" houses don't have indoor plumbing, but they often have access to good drinkable, well water. Also, they have a sauna or "banya." Theirs included a stove for heat and steam, and a normal shower to rinse off afterward.