During the Christmas and New Year in Russia, you can always see pictures of Santa Claus (or "Santa Claus" as it is called here), accompanied by a beautiful "Snow Maiden", which is supposed to be his granddaughter.

Maiden is depicted as a beautiful girl with long blond hair who enjoys the snow flakes that fall around her.

Well, it's always interesting to see how closely a fact can follow fiction.

And in the case of our beautiful Helena below, I think you can understand why ..

So maybe there IS something going on with this Global Warming thing..

Right now in December the locals should be building their yearly ice castles in the local parks..   But they’re not… Can’t exactly make a cool looking fortress with slushy brown melting snow now can you?

The sidewalks should have at least a few inches of packed solid ice on them..  but they don’t.. instead we have wet melting ice that is completely treacherous to walk on.  You are almost safer trying to glide across it.

My friends in Moscow tell me that in some places the grass is growing and some trees are blooming..

The News channels say that the southern birds are wanting to migrate back up north early..  Along with the fact that the Polar Bears are having a hard time hibernating in wet snow..

Well I guess this is just Mother Natures way of balancing everything out.. If we are dealing with Global Warming then obviously this warmer spell will increase the growing season for plants.. which in turn will help to remove more CO2 out of the air.

The Ladies sure aren’t complaining about this Weather though..

Heck most of them wish that the rest of the Winter can stay like this.

Well I guess the sooner they can get back into their Sexy Spring Fashions the better!

It was probably about 30F degrees today with a strong wind blowing in from the arctic.

In the time that I have been here this has to have been the shortest summer I’ve ever experienced in my life. I am truly amazed at how quickly this autumn cold and rain has literally dropped in on us. No use trying to use an umbrella today unless you wanted to turn it completely inside out and then throw it away.

One of my lady friends from the Northern Regions just informed me that it has already started to snow where she is from. Amazing.. and we are only in the last half of September.

Here’s the funny thing though..

There is a fierce snowstorm raging outside the Siberian right now.

Cars crawl on the icy road, and a small army of excavators are in effect trying to clean up mountains of blinding snow that Mother Nature is dumping on us.

I feel like a member of the Alliance was hiding on the ice world Although right now.

It's really unpleasant and unforgiving out there.

There are thousands of museums to explore during your trip to Russia and the capital city has just added another one, which happens to be the largest of its kind in all of Europe. The indoor ice sculpture museum at Sokolniki Park occupies over 7,500sq.ft. and is now welcoming visitors to gaze upon various frozen creations.

World famous sculptors used 800 tons of ice and 200 tons of snow to construct a living room complete with ice furniture, a Christmas manger scene, a world of insects, an alien invasion, a prehistoric section with a giant mammoth, and more. Guests can also enjoy the finest Russian vodka in glasses made of ice.

Well, the snow melts and Spring is here.

And although I would like to tell you that Russia is a big spring ..

To start this season, just the opposite.

Because now it's really dirty, muddy and messy affair.

Walking through the city, how to go maze filled with traps dirt, oil spots and slushy pools of black water.

Well, the snow melts and Spring is here.

And although I would like to tell you that Russia is a great spring ..

To start this season is just the opposite.

Because now it's really dirty, muddy and messy affair.

Walking around town is like to go maze filled with traps dirt, oil spots and slushy pools of black water.

IDEA # 71

On a special occasion create a unique present for your partner by buying two white t-shirts and some fabric paint. Draw half a heart and the letters LO on one t-shirt and the half a heart and the letters VE on the other t-shirt. When you walk down the street holding each other close, the heart will be made whole and your message of love revealed. An example is shown below.

IDEA # 72

On a hot summers day, buy two large water pistols and take them to the beach with you. Pull them out and throw one to your partner and then have a huge water fight.

I feel fortunate in my life to have had some friends who were Navy Seals.

And for any of you Women out there who may not know who these Gentlemen are…

Well let’s just say that they are among the Best of the Best that the US Military has to offer in terms of highly trained elite units.

Or in other words..

They are complete bad-asses who can be your Greatest Friend.. or your Worst Enemy.

Travelling in Russia, including customs, lodging, eating out, etc

Planning your first trip to Russia? Your mind must be swelling with questions then.

After all, there always has been a lot of controversy and stereotypes about Russia. The very word Russia summons up quite equivocal (and rather stereotypical) images that tend to baffle, if not scare a foreign person. While with most Western European countries everything is more or less clear, Russia leaves most foreigners completely clueless as to what to expect of it. It is truly hard to find any adequate answers and not to drown in this vast ocean of stereotypes, obsolete facts, and contradictory information that surrounds Russia. Even now that its borders have been open to foreign citizens for over a decade, Russia is still shrouded in mystery. It keeps foreigners wondering… What is Russian life like? Is it safe to be in Russia? Is it difficult to travel to and around it? Is life in Russia expensive? What exactly do I need to bring with me?.. and so on, and so forth. Who can possibly answer such questions about a country better than a native who has been living in it most of their life and knows it inside out? So, let me become your Russian guide to Russian everyday reality to help you form the most realistic impression of what Russia really is like. I would like to begin with something that concerns people most these days – safety issues.

Safety in Russia

One of the most common and least accurate stereotypes about Russia is the one that makes it look like one of the most turbulent places on Earth with the most rampant crime. The recent terrorist attacks in Moscow, regrettably, have only helped to perpetuate the negative stereotype. It is apparent, however, that virtually all of our world, including Europe and the USA have become targets of international terrorism, not just Russia. In this particular sense, one’s personal safety is no longer a matter of geographical location. Rather, it is largely dependent on one’s own behavior.

According to American sources, the crime rate is actually substantially higher in the US than in Russia, although it has increased in Russia since the demise of the Soviet Union. That means that the precautions an individual should take traveling in Russia are identical to the ones recommended elsewhere in the world, including the USA. It is understood that people are most vulnerable to crime in a foreign country. In this manner, in Russia foreigners become easy prey for those who do not exactly mean well. Therefore, I suggest you keep in mind that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and follow some simple, yet arbitrary rules on a day-to-day basis. First of all, avoid flaunting valuables or large sums of cash and flashing your wallet. Secondly, you are strongly advised against walking alone at night or through deserted and secluded places at daytime. Third, be careful striking up acquaintances with strangers. Try to not too attract too much attention to yourself either, especially in crowded public places (unless you want to be eased of your wallet or even worse).

Do not be paranoid, though. Just be wary. Be friendly and open-minded, but do not forget to use your common sense. Hospitability is, beyond all doubt, a Russian national trait, but remember that there are black sheep in every family. So, watch your step as you go and you will be safe and sound.

You might also want to memorize the Russian police and Medical Emergency phone numbers – 02 and 03 respectively. You can dial them toll-free from any public phone. Just in case. Hope you will never have to dial them, though.