Winter? time in Ukraine 2011

Just outside Kolomaya



 Well we are finally done with the winter holiday season. Today is "Jordan" or the day that water is blessed to protect the faithful from all kinds of misfortune. Throughout Ukraine priests are blessing water in ponds and rivers with the faithful gathering nearby to partake in the event.  Because of the weather these past few weeks there may be a danger of the ice shattering and the people falling through so I suspect that in many areas they have not ventured onto the ice.



 Although we are only just finishing with winter holidays, the weather outside looks nothing like winter.  This past two weeks we have had plus temperatures every day and virtually all the snow and ice are gone.  Yesterday and the day before (Jan. 17,18) the temps rose to above +10C and on the sunny side of the house, the thermometer showed (but in a shaded area) the temp. rose to  around 20C.

This year has been a very mild winter throughout  most of Ukraine.   News camera's were showing  almond trees blooming at end of  December in Crimea and today in Mykolaiv a news report showed some trees were are already budding out.

can't resist the temptation to get a good photo

The forcast is for a cooling off, with day-time hovering around 0C and night-time not much below 5-7C.

and we are getting closer to the end of winter.