Summer Saving Time was cancelled last Sunday, so day light earlier comes and earlier leaves. Nowadays it is absolutely dark outside when I'm out of the office in the evening but, at least, I don't have to get up in the darkness in the morning (yet).

Days are grey but rather warm, and here is a picture of Alexandrovsky Garden that I took on my way to work today.

As I read your comments on my yesterday's post, I realized that you took it for photo of a pathway. I should have explained that! It was not a trail but a narrow channel, kind of drainage for ponds system. Here is the closer view, can you see water surface covered with fallen leaves?

P.S. And even closer view on my extension site.

My dear visitors,
thanks a million for your stopping by and commenting my blog! I really appreciate your attention. I'm awfully sorry for not being able to answer everyone but I'm desperately busy these days. Sharon honoured me with BFF award last Friday, and I didn't get a chance to pass it further yet! But I definetely will, I promise. Soon.

Flank

Autumn games - 2

More photos of having autumn fun here and on my extension site.

Autumn games

These days are over now, but when the weather was dry and relatively warm people loved to come to parks and make fools of themselves. Not only children but their parents and even grands, not to mention teens and pet dogs, were running, rolling over, tossing and mining into soft colourful mass of fallen leaves.

Autumn in Tsaritsyno

Another version on my extension site.

Another photo of Tsaritsyno park. This one shows new constructions (bridge and fontain), as well as old buildings (on the background).

Streets of autumn

Black & White

Thank you all for your good words! We struggle with cold and rains over here by having balmy tea and taking bubble bath. We laid store of honey and berries. We are almost ready for upcoming winter.

The nature slowly falls into winter sleep: days get short, trees turn bare, weather promise warmth no more. Rain is a constant guest in the city, so I rarely go out and prefer staying home with a book and a cup of hot tea.
Autumn is a beautiful season but the bad thing is that it's too short and, even worse, always succeeded by half-year long winter...

Honeycombs

Honey fair

Graffity

Large Bridge in Tsaritsyno

Large is not a description of this bridge but its name. According to official site of Tsaritsyno museum, it was built at the end of XVIIIth century by Vasili Bazhenov. There used to be a stream in that ravine (I personally saw it a couple years back), but it was dried up within the scope of latest reconstruction.

P.S. Another view on my extension site.

When trees start 'undressing', people over here like to gather colourful leaves and make bouquets or wreathe crowns. So you can see results of such art nearly everywhere as you walk along the park: on a tree, in a pond, on a bench...

It's not only me who admires autumn colours...

Find a bee!

To continue my yesterday's story, let me show you a piece of 'open' honeycomb. Amazing construction, isn't it? I'm always fascinated by a view of cells.

And.. try to locate a bee in this picture!

Cutting honeycomb

Honeycomb is quite popular in Russia. Children like chewing it, and cells themselves (wax, in fact) contain a lot of healthful elements for all ages. Since a whole frame is usually too large, people buy small pieces. Here you can see the way those pieces are made: a beefarmer uses thick wire to cut out a brick of honeycomb, then carefully puts it in a plastic box. Some farmers sell 'sealed' honeycombs (like the one you see in this picture) and you can store it for quite a long time. And others offer 'open' honeycomb, which is either not old enough to be sealed by bees or 'shaved' by farmer.

Aren't you tired yet of autumn photos? Then here is one more for you: trees turnung colour by Kremlin wall. Alexandrovsky Garden looks really beautiful these days, but my camera is too weak to do it justice.

Tsaritsyno

And here is Tsaritsyno park itself. It was rather abandoned for a long time but a few years back there began a great reconstruction. Ponds were cleared, trees and bushes partly cut to give way lawns, palace (which stood half-constructed for 300 years!) was completed. Except this palace thing and elimination of hundreds trees, park was really improved.

Honey fair, part 2

Moscow fair offers both clear honey and honeycomb. Here is an example of latter. And, obviously, it's not only people who's fond of honey!

Honey Fair

Every autumn Moscow hosts a Honey Fair. Hundreds of bee farmers come to the city to sell all kinds of honey and joint products. This week-end I went to Tsaritsyno park where the fair was held to buy some honey and make some photos. I was wandering among honeymen's tents when I suddenly saw the one from the little town in Southern Russia where I spent every summer of my childhood. I couldn't but take a picture, and those people were kind enough to pose for me. Moreover, they made me say 'Hello' to their camera so they could show a clip on local TV. Well, and I am showing their photo in my blog :)

Leaves in the grass

Now, with trees changing their colour, streets turn into picturesque view. Golden, ruby and citrine spots are all around, and it's a pleasure to walk quitly along the city...

One good thing about autumn is a variety of fruits and vegetables available on the market. I hurried to take a picture before this colourful beauty is eaten.

Have a nice week-end!

While I was preparing to post this picture, some more trees lost their leaves so this view looks a bit different now. But it's not a subject of my today's post.

As you might know, buildings in Russia are warmed by central heating system. It means that there is a 'boiling station' that heats water, then issued hot steam is distributed in the neighbourhood. There is a set of radiators in every building (as a rule, one radiator in each room) which is communicated to the boiling station.
On the one hand, such system is very convenient for residents and saves significant amount of city money. On the other hand, 'end users' don't have any control over heating: the can not turn it On/Off, nor regulate the temperature.
'Heating season' officially starts on October, 15th (or when average day temperature is below +8C for 5 days in a row), and once heating is ON it keeps working till spring. Likewise, in early May (or when day temperature is over certain value for 5 days) the heating get turned off till autumn.
As a result we often freeze when September or May are unususlly cold, and suffer of heat when October or April are surprisingly warm, save cases when radiator overheat a room or don't provide sufficient warmth. That is why those who can afford it install air-conditioning units capable of both heating and cooling, most recently built office buildings are equiped with such systems.
As for living accomodations, we had few extremely uncomfortable weeks back in September, but thankfully the heating was turned on last Friday.

Lingonberry