Meeting Mosquitos

The big news of today, June 18, 2020, is that we, at last, have actual, certifiable, hot water coming out of our taps!  Today, we get to take a shower, instead of washing up in a pan of water heated on the stove.  Today, a serviceman came with a new computer board for the water heater, and now it all works.  Oh, blessed day!
Not that we're complaining.
   We have heard horror stories about the mosquitos here.  Last Sunday evening I looked out the windows and saw people swatting at the bugs as they walked along the river.  Next day it rained and cooled off.  We haven't seen any of the little bloodsuckers, yet.  Fingers crossed.  Knock on wood.  The locals say to eat a garlic clove every morning to discourage the vampiric bugs.  Heavy price, I say.
     I still enjoy seeing the swans.  In this photo, a mother and five "chicks" are preening their feathers to make them waterproof.

This set of chicks is well along towards being adults.  The swan on her nest is still waiting for her little fluff balls.
    While walking back from the church last Tuesday, I noticed these flowers growing in a vacant lot.

The plant is unremarkable, but the flowers are stunning.  I saw them glaring in the light half a block away.
   Wednesday, we finally met up with our country's official representative to get fingerprinted at the police station.  It was what you'd expect from a government agency.  Slow, wait a bit more, hurry in to the room to wait while it warms up.  Then the official took our fingerprints and printed them out for us.
  Now the fun starts.  We have to mail them to our daughter in the US.  She will send them to the FBI, who know they are coming because I already registered them (and paid a fee) and told them what to do.  The FBI will read our fingerprints and provide a certificate saying we aren't hardened criminals, and send it back to our daughter.  BUT, that is not an official international document, so she will then send the certificate to the State Department, who I already notified to expect the certificate.  For a fee, they will certify that the certificate is an official international document (Apostille), and send that back to our daughter, who will then send it all to our country representative here in Slovenia.  With that in hand, we will be issued a visa to live here for a year.  At the end of that time, we'll have to request an extension, which won't be so complicated.
   It is amazing how much the former socialist governments here love their red tape.  I got my tires rotated on Wednesday.  When they were done, the clerk pulled out five forms for me to sign.  Two of them he stamped with his official stamp (looks like a notary stamp).  Then I paid my 22 Euros and left.
  On the way back from the church Wednesday, I also stopped at a little open-air market and bought some veges, including this amazing tomato.

I suppose some tomatoes look like this, but he had a bin full of tomatoes that were all like this.  It was a fleshy tomato with great flavor and very little juice.  Delicious.
  He also had some nice, tree ripe apricots which were worth the trip all by themselves.  We like these markets.  People here are still living in the mode where they do a little shopping every day.  There are bakeries everywhere, fruit stands, handicraft markets, etc.  It is a different pace, but we are enjoying it on occasion.  We mostly still shop like Americans; buying mass quantities at a supermarket once in a while, and making do with not quite as fresh in between.
    Today, we walked up into town and Liz stopped to buy a pair of shoes.  While I was waiting I noticed this across the street.

There are  four paintings in all.  All of them depict two angels.  All of them are obvious harvest scenes.  They are faded, and life has left them behind, but they are very nicely done.  Perhaps not Michaelangelo, but very well done, indeed.
  Tijuana and her husband got tickets for us for tomorrow's ballet:  Radio and Juliet.  It is a small production with five dancers.  It is a modern interpretation of Romeo and Juliet.  Tijuana is the only female dancer and we are looking forward to seeing her perform.