2014 miscellany #1

In the past i have collected excess fotos and posted near year's end. But, here now.


On the Saturday before Lent began, Cleveland's Slovenes had their second Carnival. The star actors were the Kurenti. These feathered and ribboned bandits carry bats with hedgehog hides, and are to gather handkerchiefs from the gals. They have cowbells strapped to their backsides. Those are not cravats laying on their chests, but their tongues. They put fear into horses and pit bulls. The horses scatter, and the dogs bark.

 And generally people do not pose for pictures with those they fear.

 See, and other actors are to fill out the cast, as this wee devil with a tiny pitchfork does.

A troupe of Ukrainian dancers also paraded with the Kurenti. Supra, the arrival of some; note the extra sharp costumes. Do not be surprised to see them in the St. Patrick's parade.

Now, there is an interesting and dangerous historic episode unfolding in the old country. People protesting a corrupt government have died. The result was a change in government. The president then fled the country, to seek refuge in neighboring Russia. Russia has taken over a peninsula (the Crimea) that harbors their southern naval fleet, and whose population is majority Russian. It is a reminder that so many borders are arbitrary, and Europe has many areas of mixed population, and life may be precarious at any moment.

I photographed this before [clicky] . This is in front of St. Vladimir Parma. They have put up a cross for several years, for the Baptism of Jesus (Epiphany Sunday). This year's Julian calendar, that was 19 January. This foto was from the day before, a very cold day; and the day before it was raised. Part of the mural behind, shows the Baptism of Kiev in 988. Some hours ago, at midnight, some two hundreds of Ukranians left from St. Vladimir's to drive to the District of Columbia and demonstrate concerning the disturbances in the old country.