There is nothing as good as a summer storm. I'm talking about the kind that come out of nowhere- it's hot, it's hot, it's hot, and then, all of the sudden, dark storm clouds pop up and thunder rumbles. (But yikes, this storm is a little much!)
And since most apartments in Ukraine come with a балкон, balcony, you're all set up for the perfect (and dry!) viewing spot.
I loved each of our three rented apartments there and had a special affection for the balconies. The pictures above are all from Apartment #3. On sunny days it was a mini-office-
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| Our esteemed colleague :p |
- and other days it turned into our Storm Watch HQ.
Apartment #2 was on high ground and looked out over a huge swath of the city. Storm watching from here was thrilling!
The entire balcony was done in wood planks, so it felt more like a spa with a view than the traditional smoker's ledge / clothes-hanging corner. The only thing- a certain someone had claimed the balcony for himself.
Given enough Whiskas (cat food), though, he would chillax in the bedroom windowsill and allow humans to storm watch in peace.
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| (Also, enough Whiskas will turn a small cat into a much larger cat.) |
It was around this time that we got caught outside in a MASSIVE downpour one late summer afternoon. People were swimming in the streets, no joke. My "fancy" Ukrainian shoes dissolved and washed away. After that I broke down and bought some rainboots ;)
Apartment #1 had a basic balcony. Narrow at one end, wider at the other. Tattered wallpaper. Drafty windows. A dangerously-low clothesline that made everyone duck. An old ashtray. Broken tiles stacked up against the wall.
In other words, I loved this balcony too. We filmed some crazy weather with a terrible camera from here.
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| (And enjoyed the good weather, too!) |
Of course, there were plenty of stormy skies we saw while scouting out shelter from the coming rain.
I'm hoping for a few good summer thunderstorms in Portland soon. In a city known for its rainfall, you'd think we'd get a few winners!
What's the thunderstorm situation like where you are?
I don't think there has been a thunderstorm here since I moved here. We've had rain, but I don't remember any lightning or thunder. It makes me sad because I love thunderstorms.
ReplyDeleteYour balcony's are so cute. We can't get to ours because the room to that balcony is locked. My boyfriend has a great balcony though. I tell him we need to get a couch out there so we can sit and enjoy the nice weather.
Also, I LOVE that picture of the chairlift. I don't know why!
Wow! Kharkiv's kind of far away, but maybe it's been stealing all your thunderstorms ;) What's the locked door about? Are you renting, and the owner has a "private" room?
DeleteYou would totally dig that chairlift, Jasilyn. And they've painted it in super-bright colors since then. Hey, here's the perfect post for you- it's the kanatnaya doroga + street art! http://8monthsinukraine.blogspot.com/2014/06/cable-cars-in-color-street-art.html (If you leave Ufa, maybe you could stay in Kharkiv for a while? Think about it- thunderstorms + awesome street art scene + lots of work for English teachers...)