Work continued on the barrel on top of the gatehouse chapel and it is looking better each day. The roses and other shrubs at its entrance have become overgrown and they must be pruned back. The side road leading to the cottage has a stretch of tall pillar cedars on one side and a huge weeping willow on the opposite side, thus creating an almost magical tunnel. We all have become energized [has it anything to do with the weather?] Vladika Lazar spent at least three hours examining the shrubs that had been planted and looking for others that supposedly had disappeared, but in reality had been left in an out of the way spot and were beginning to wither. On the other hand, I baked a prosphora for Sunday which came out very good, although one cannot tell if there are any air pockets in the middle, thus making it difficult to use for the Proskomedia. Valentina and Virgil came to fill some containers with water from the spring and they brought us a treat, a tray of vegan sushi with mild pickled ginger and very hot wasabi sauce.
