babies!

This is the nest Stephen showed me a couple of weeks ago. Today it was too easy to see, too easy to shoot, and I realized a lot of vegetation was missing. 

But

Babies!!!

I started packing. 
I know, I know, I don't leave for seven weeks.
I really just measured luggage. Do they make carry-on bags that are only 8 inches deep? Really, 7.8 inches/20 cm deep? Yes, they do, I just looked it up. None of MY carry-on bags are 20 cm deep. 

When I went to Mozambique for three months I had only carry-on luggage. Seriously. But both bags were bigger than what Icelandair allows, I wasn't bringing a bunch of photography gear, and I wasn't bringing layers and layers for warmth. 

Had a terrific conversation with my mother-in-law where we discussed everything that is going well in the world. Yes, we had things to talk about. She said Timothy Snyder, professor of history at Yale, said Russia will never be a great power again. I agree - it is clear that their military prowess is a sham and by the time people have forgotten why they can never count on Russia for energy we will no longer be using fossil fuels. 

South Korea is selling arms to Poland. Poland has sent $1.7 BILLION in military aid to Ukraine and now needs to re-arm. They are worried and they want the new armaments to begin to arrive this year and South Korea was the only country that could provide new weapons fast enough. Poland is buying $3 billion in fighter jets alone. The deal includes technology transfer, with new plants in Poland. 

The Philippines had a deal to buy 16 Russian military helicopters but has just scrapped it because of US sanctions. 

The Ukrainian military repelled Russian attempts to advance in eastern Ukraine and pounded critical logistical hubs. This has made it much more difficult for Russia to replenish and maneuver. Ukraine made gains in the region of Kherson. 

Russia has been using the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as a base, assuming Ukraine will not fire on it. 
a) yet another reason nuclear power is scary
b) Ukraine has more precise weapons than Russia has.
Ukraine hit Russian positions in the town where the plant is located, Enerhodar. Three units of Russian military equipment were destroyed.