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Old and New

April, 2000:   

April brings new beginnings.

On the left, a Romanian Orthodox bishop sanctifies the foundation of a new church in the primarily Greco Catholic village of Calinesti.

On the right, Greco Catholics build a new church in the primarily Orthodox village of Botiza.

When building a log structure like this, a chainsaw is the most important timesaver of all.

Vasile weaves dry straw into a ribbon for making 'clops' (the hat he's wearing) while he watches soccer.

Ion then sews the material into the clop.

The newborn colt in our house gets outside to kick up its legs for the first time ever. Their eyes stay closed for 9 days after they are born.

Peasants can begin shucking corn outside.

Petru helped Henry construct a makeshift photographic print washer.

The church at Glod gets caught in a thunderstorm.

The postman makes a stop after the rain outside Glod.

A haystack moves on a clear day outside Hoteni.

On a hot 'sarbatoare' (religious holiday) the shoes have got to be given a rest.

To make bread rise, Ileana touches her paddle to the eaves.

Grigore fought in Russia in WWII. He's never had electricity in his house.

We asked him, "what do you do at night?"

"I go to my nephew's. He's got a television."

Everywhere the bright spring brings on the desire to be outdoors.

"Why aren't you playing for the Easter dance?" we asked.

"It's better outside. The air is healthy," they replied. "The girls will come soon and dance here."

Suddenly the shepherds are out as well.

Shearing shears at work.

Newborn pigs look like miniature adult pigs.

This man is rolling his apple mash and wood to the tuica distilling shed. He'll use the wood to bake the mash to make the fumes to make the dew.

Plowing and planting begins in the month of April. Everyone brings a full spread of food, including hot soup and fresh bread. Cold water comes straight from a nearby stream. There's a festival in May near Hoteni that celebrates the first person to break the ground with their plow.

The warmer weather brings on the tourists. Here Henry and Ileana Doca meet Paul, a traveling artist from England. The villagers gasped when they realized he was drawing with his left hand.

April is also the month of the big lamb tirg, in preparation for Easter. They weigh 'em up and ship 'em out in anything that works.