Thanks for such an informative and entertaining comment! I’m imagining the use of a long Russian hammer to ward off dogs, drunks and bears — very Russian. I did see one of these tools in Russia but didn’t attempt to buy one. My luggage was heavy enough and there was much travel ahead. I hope you can find the equivalent before you go to Afghanistan!

I shall pass on to my daughter the information on your daughter and the Tufts Russian House. Thank you.

I hope you are enjoying work in beautiful Nevada!

Best Wishes,

Mark

BTW, did you, by any chance, brought with you a blade (as a souvenir, I guess) from a Russian geological hammer? We used a very special and not obvious design when a hammer’s blade (head) had a polished slightly rounded rectangular conical opening pointing down, through which a very long slightly wedgy wooden handle was slowly sqweezed from “above” all the way down, sqweezing the timber and self-locking at the top… We usually made them so that when one walks on a leveled ground it barely toches it, but its very helpful when one climbs because now one can add the strength of one’s arms…)
Works wonderful as a weapon against agressive dogs and agressive drunks too… A lady geologist once killed a bear with it (the long handle in the trained hands of methamorphic geologist allows for a devastating blow…

I would sell you my soul to get me one of these again … In all my almost 25 years here in the US I still cannot get used to the otherwise wonderfully made but very short American rock picks…

I am on my way to a lengthy, probably muli-year exploration project in Afghanistan and I just do not feel safe without thing…

Best of everything in you endeavors. My daughter of 23 graduated from Tufts and lives and works in Boston. If your daughter is interested in practicing good Russian, Lena and her Tufts Russian House international crew are very nice and interesting Russian speaking people of all colors and walks of life from all over the world.
Write to me if you or her are interested.

Alex Chaihorsky
Nevada Highlands Group
Reno, Nevada
xyz1953@hotmail.com