On top of the world, or the gate way to the Hymalayas .. depends which way you face

We started this morning with an early start at the bazaar .. It was packed .. So many people selling , but not many buying.  The cows have come back from the summer in the mountains, and people are trying to pay school debts and get caught up from summer bills , that and the fact that most do not have the funds to buy food for the winter for their cows has brought a crash in the market .. It happens for about a two or three week period this time every year , then slowly creeps back up to the high point of the year being New years and then again in the spring.  We were getting a feel for the market , and next week we will return with a friend who is a cow vet.  Our plan is to purchase small calves that are about 2 months away from being weened , then buy two mother cows who are giving milk , we can milk the two cows, add fine ground grain and some water , and be able to feed about 10 calves .   We have the donation for the two milk cows, and we can get the calves for about $150 each. how many we get will depend on donations that come in before next Sunday, but we are hoping for about 8 female calves .. great time to start to build our heard. 

We also checked out the price of the bull cows to see how we will do with our bulls .. Eve right now while the cows are at their lowest, it looks like the cows have gone up about 40%, so by the new year when we plan to sell , we should do well.  We have a sponsor that will be purchasing 3 of the bulls , and we have a butcher who will butcher them for us if he can keep the hide and the innards.  we will do one cow Dec, Jan, Feb , and hoping to find a sponsor for March , then we will deliver the meat each month to the orphanage, shelters and the institutions.  This will be an incredible blessing to them through the hard winters.  As well , next week we will be getting some turkeys for Christmas .. but we are looking for people here that would like to buy a turkey.. we will take orders and just get enough to fill the order .  so if you are in Bishkek and want a turkey , let us know  

We then went out to the farm , first stop was to see the cottage and how they were doing .  Its really starting to look good.  We have a sponsor for the windows, so we have measured up and hopefully they will be made and installed later this week.

This is a view from the back field .  If you look to the left side, the brush you see is actually covering up an old barn foundation.. This will be a spring project to get this barn rebuilt as a sheep barn . 

At the farm, we met up with the kids from Bacute orphanage, then went up to the mountain to have a picnic and horse back riding .  

The kids got to the top of the hill, and some of them gasped when they looked back over the valley .  It is not really that high , but it is the first plateau as you move up the mountain, and you just feel like you are on top of the world, and when you look the other way , it is a beautiful mountain scene that feels like the gateway to the Himalayas , and in many ways it is .. If you ride for two days through this valley you will come to Narin .  

We had the picnic and the horse back riding at the same time .. so the kids could eat and drink and take turns riding . 

The boys from the farm are getting god at helping the kids.  They either ride with the smaller ones, or the older kids they walk along side .  The horses are so well trained that I don't think any think would ever happen, but when we have kids from the orphanage , we have to take extra special care.. no risks. 

Vladey was our chef for the day .. he is so awesome, I just tell him the time and the place ad he arranges everything... we just show up.  He even has his famous honey cake . and hot tea cooked in his samovar.

After a couple hours on the mountain we packed up and headed into Tokmok where it was the 15 anniversary of the school there , and they were having a concert that included our friend Bubbles the clown . We had first introduced him to many of the schools and orphanages a year ago when Dave came last year , he sponsored several events.  Bubbles now gets lots of calls in the area, but was glad to see us , and we were there just in time to help him bring everything in and set up .. As always , he and his wife did an awesome job and had the kids on the edge of their seats .. especially when he got to the part when he blew up the bubbles with lighter fluid then lit them on fire .

Dave and Zack , Bubbles and the crowd of kids in the back ground 

 A long time ago, there was a nurse that Dave met when he was volunteering at the baby orphanage.  She now works at the glass factory, and each time Dave is with us we look her up and have a visit.  Today we met her and brought her to the Chinese restaurant in town .. along with some of our team. 

Tomorrow , Jengish and Emma will be taking Dave and Zack to the far side of Isykool, then spending a night there, then returning Tuesday .  They will stop and see the eagle hunters tomorrow as well .. Should be a great trip .