Snapshots of Ukrainian Life, Part 13

❄ We've had utility workers knocking on our door this entire winter. Each time they'd stomp in, politely inspect the heating pipes in the bedroom, scratch their heads, and stomp back out. There had been no warmth from that set of pipes in the bedroom since the city turned the heat on last fall and it turns out this was a building-wide phenomena... rumored to originate from our apartment! After three months of head-scratching, this man in camouflage cut out and replaced a 6-foot length of metal pipe. Immediately voilà, heat for everyone.

A few days later, his colleague showed up at the door to show us the problem: someone had inserted a fistful of metal welding rods inside part of the pipe, blocking the flow of hot water through the pipe. It seemed like this "act of sabotage" (to quote the utility worker) had been committed a number of years ago. We can only imagine that perhaps during the owner's remodel, she pissed off one of her workers enough to do such a thing. I could see that happening :p

❄ Meanwhile, the city streets have been a hazardous place this season. Ice coats the sidewalks. Occasionally men with small hoes will be hard at work, chipping the layer of ice away and making it possible to walk confidently rather than shuffle, but their efforts only go so far (say 8 to 10 feet) before the winter again lays down its dangerous game.

Now that the temperatures have risen, the new threat comes from above. Instead of looking down, you should be looking up.
Large icicles and icy crusts of snow threaten the heads of passerby. Last week I made a rookie mistake- the sidewalk in front of our building had been (more or less) cleared, so I thought I'd protect my boots by walking on the sidewalk rather than in the slush of the parking lot. Seconds after stepping onto the sidewalk, a large chunk of ice smashed down within arm's reach. Considering it came from over 10 stories up, that would have been a major ouch! Lesson: get rain boots and walk in slush. Or get helmet.

To the right is a typical sign of the times: Dear pedestrians! Be especially careful- roof avalanches, icicles, and icy snow crusts are falling. KP Community Housing Services.

❄ According to the city website, a meeting was held last month to discuss Kharkov's stray animals. I've seen a lot of dogs and cats out on the street this winter, usually being fed by kind old women.

❄ And finally, let's get away from the snow motif! Here's a couple shots from last fall that I never got the chance to share with you : )

Do you know where this statue is? If so, go over to Facebook, it's this month's scavenger hunt location!

I stumbled across this oddity several months back; the red sign on the truck reads "pillow cleaning" and sure enough, that's what they were doing!

Lions, lemons, and look at that!- blue sky!