The monastery grounds are gradually returning to their former beauty, but without a few willow trees that had to be hewn and some pillar cedars that got to be too leggy. The lower lawn looks great again, and Yuri and Liudmila are out in the early evening, watering the flowers, shrubs and berries. In this heat, the plants need constant watering. Davey did a lot of mowing and when he came to see us, his friend Andrew was with him, a young man who raises a particular breed of sheep. I think that most of us have a soft spot in our hearts for sheep, especially little lambs. While conversing outside, we suddenly noticed a mother bear with her cub a short distance from us, creeping along a narrow ledge on the cliff behind the cottage. I hope that we can post the photograph Davey took of Mama Bear!