20 June 2011 photos

Lunch at Senci

















Cande really liked this stuff!



















Janis and Oto hauling wood.
Every time Janis got in the tractor
Oto had to go too!!!















Al getting ready to supervise...
















A breakdown on the highway.













McDonalds in Riga!


















The food was just like in the USA!











Heading into RIGA.

This is the vocational school dorm
where Richards will stay while in school for the next 4 years.

One of the many "classrooms" at the votech.

19 June 2011 photos

Oto and Niks eating lunch.


















Always food...

















Oto (he sure is a cutie)
















Pepper and Cande sitting in the sun.















Janis Kalns' family headstone. His father, Vilnis is the upper right hand name and no date as he's very much alive.















Janis' mother, Vija, Janis, Oto, Daiga, Niks, Al, Cande, Janis' sister, Liena Jansons, Rignars Jansons, and their 2 kids at their home west of Kuldiga. Liena and Rignars are both lawyers.

Janis' greatgrandmother Lena (Recke). We figured that the bible with "Fritz Recke" in it is Lena's father. The family was "Recke" in Germany and when they came to Latvia, changed their name to "Rekis" in order to not be associated with Germany during the time of the first world war.

Horses the Jansons owns and they are HUGE!

18 June 2011 photos

The view from the kitchen window... a stork!

Daiga, Niks, Janis and Richards hanging a flower basket

National Geographic on the TV in Russian!

Cousins Janis Rudovski, Alma's son, Marta, Al and Daiga.

Al, Janis and Marta by Janis' tractor at Marta's home.

Janis, Richards, Al, Marta Daiga, Oto and Niks.

Cande, Janis, Marta, Daiga and Oto.

Marta's home.

Marta's backyard with her well in foreground.

Marta's "garage" where she keeps her 4 wheeler.

Cande riding Marta's 4 wheeler.

Marta on her 4 wheeler.

Daiga, Niks and Richards.

Al, Marta and Daiga at Marta's home.

Some of Marta's homebrew! and it tasted like benzine!!!

Janis holding the bottle of benzine!

The entrance to the cemetery where our ancestors' "rest". It's a beautiful and quiet place just outside of the village of Renda.

The name of the cemetery.

Cousin Alma's plot. Her husband, Roberts died earlier and Alma is in poor health.

Al placing flowers on Roberts grave.

I'll have to check the name on the stone...

An open grave ready for the coffin. The cemetery is still used... (not for a relative)

Amalija, Fritz's sister's grave and her husband.

Al and Cande at Auster's and Auguste's graves.

Al, Janis and Cande making a rubbing of Auster's headstone.

Al placing flowers on Auster's grave.

The towers and bell at the cemetery, Janis said when someone is buried there relatives ring the bell to welcome them.

Al and Janis going to cousin Atis's grave to place flowers on it.

Al placing flowers on Cousin Atis' grave. Atis was Daiga's brother.