Yard under construction !!

Okay, so every now and again, a little surprise comes your way to amuse and delight. This morning, my breakfast consisted of... are you ready? Crunchy Pillows. Yes folks, visit scenic Croatia and eat cereal with silly names. This place is like a dream come true. We laughed for hours. Ok, minutes, but it was still pretty damn funny.

In other, non-breakfast related news, we began working on the yard. We managed to lay out the design for the decking and pergolas. We also created the structure that will become the flower garden (with two chairs and a little table). Finally, we decided on a sitting area between the big walnut tree, and a plum tree. Next photo says it all.

The next photo illustrates the goofballs I had helping me today. Missed me by THAT much.

Tomorrow Renata and I will take the bus to Kutina, a nearby town, and register our driver's licenses with the local police. After that, we will be returning home and meeting a friend of Renata's mom who will rent us a sweet Volkswagon station wagon for the next 2 months for a mere pittance. Good times ! After that, we will be able to start collecting materials for the deck, pergolas, and gardens. Oh, and also have the ability to pick up people when they start landing in Europe for the wedding. Right. Almost forgot.

I hope everyone is well, and enjoying the photos. If someone would leave a comment (sigh) that would be great.

Cheers!



The preparations begin!

 Dobar dan everyone!

Just to let you all know, this post should be dated July 30th, but I didn't post until after midnight, so don't get confused.

This is a mixed tale of slaughter, the evils of mid-day drinking, and kitties.

First off, Miky and Marijan (Renata's sister and her husband) raised 16 chickens for food for the wedding. Today was the day to prepare and then freeze them for meals while wedding guests are here. The chickens, once they are 'bled-out' (no photos, you don't want to see that), go for a swim in almost boiling water in order to loosen the feathers. Barbaric? Well, I suppose Canadians are pretty used to seeing their meals covered in plastic at a store. Here's the other side.

Then, the plucking! Life is a chicken, pluck away, my friend, pluck away.

Renata's brother-in-law, Marijan, had me start mixing drinks shortly before noon hour. There is a beverage called Gemist (pronounced geh-meesht) that he served me back in 2008. It was enough to choke a horse (a combination of homemade white wine and soda water), so this time, (I'm sure he remembered that I don't exactly have an affinity for alcohol) he served something much more palatable. This wonderful beverage is called Bambus (pronounced bam-boos). Basically, it`s Gemist mixed with nectarine syrup. BEYOND DELICIOUS. He mixed the first one, and I mixed the following 5. The next photo is my homage to Bambus.

After a few too many drinks, Bruno (my nephew) started doing some BBQ. It consisted of marinated pork cutlets and skewers and chicken. Awesome. Quite a little chef for just turning the corner on 13 years old.

Soon after, we feasted on the BBQ, fresh tomato, and potato salad. Then, nap-time. I think in some cultures they call it passing out, but I`m not going to split hairs here. Two hours later, I awoke with a slight headache, and noticed Renata had made a new friend. Anyone that has ever met Renata, knows that her love and respect for all animals runs wide and deep.

Enjoy the photos, more to come. Cannot wait for guests to start arriving. Our first visitors will be here on August 19th (looking at you, Kat and Shannon).

Cheers !!