for a while. This afternoon, we are being shipped off to Bangkok, Thailand, to apply for new Russian visas.

This may sound a bit weird, but I’m not really happy about going to Thailand. I’ve never been there, and I’m looking forward to seeing one of the countries that EVERYONE goes to visit – but not right now!

It will just be three weeks tomorrow since the pets and I finally arrived in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, after planning and waiting since November. I’d really like to stay a while and get settled. But our visas expire tomorrow, so there is no other option. Somehow, a stay in a Russian jail is not on my bucket list.

This morning, Snoopy and I had a wonderful walk in the park. The air was mild, the sun shone – not brilliantly, but it was there, promising more melting later in the day. There is water standing in the road behind the apartment.

And the snow banks are melting – I love the lacy pattern of the ice –Winter trees –

And bird houses – one of them was obviously hung too low and is just now reappearing from under the snow bank.

Snoopy up on the snow banks – his favourite place to run –

Sunlight breaking through the tree branches overhead – making a great pattern of shadows on the snow –

Gazebos that will wait a while before being used again – the camera is at eye level –A church just past the park – I love the colours.

More lacy snow drifts –

Off to Bangkok – and I’m sure it will be fascinating – see you there.