No Thank You

For the past week it has been steadily snowing, and as we have been looking out our kitchen window to see whether or not it is currently snowing (which it happens to be right now as I am writing this blog), we look right upon a construction site. Since we have arrived here in Tver, they mason work has been going on right across the street from our apartment building. They have made significant progress—when we first arrived, they were only on the second level, now they are on the fourth.

For the past few weeks, I have not envied them one bit, as the weather has gradually gotten colder. Especially, in the past week as they have had to work in snowy conditions throughout, I have been thankful that it is not me out there working in those conditions. In fact, in the downtown region—just in the five or so blocks that I have to walk on the way to school—I pass at least 4 different construction sites. Often, they have a fire going so that when their hands are numb, they can have a break and warm them up.
I guess that the only thing that they have to be thankful for is the shortened work hours due to the onset of winter. The length of the days is getting shorter and shorter. Today, as I walked to school at 8:45, it was like dawn—there was light, but no sun. I didn’t see the sun until I looked out the window around 9:30. Plus, it is dark before 5, so I am sure that those guys are appreciative that their days work in this weather is shortened