It looks as though I’ll have managed to publish these two pictures before the snow returns again to Astana. The photos were shot in April of this year, just after we had returned from Britain. Even if there aren’t huge snow storms, the amount of snow on the ground means that just a small amount of wind is enough to start drifts in new areas on the road, and you will sometimes find small mounds of snow into mid-May, especially in areas that don’t get much sunlight through the day. You can wandering around in a t-shirt (OK, so local people will still have coats and hats on…), and suddenly find yourself walking through dirty snow!
The second picture shows the guard dog’s kennel, which strangely enough is only used during the warmer months. The rest of the time, she has an area sheltered from the extreme temperatures (which is also useful in the middle of the sweltering summer). I’ve just had a quick flick through the wintery pictures from the last 12 months, and can’t find any snow angel/butterfly ones. Something to remedy in a few weeks/months time when the snow returns to the city. (We’ve had a few random flakes, but it isn’t cold enough to settle on the ground at all).
From The Steps Into The House
Aynak's Summer House