Chapter 27

After we had left the restaurant, I decided to walk over a few blocks, to a wide boulevard where a number of stately old mansions were located. The weather outside was very comfortable, with little wind. The side streets were nothing special, but Anna was pleasantly surprised when we emerged onto the wide boulevard that was lined with Victorian style street lights. The yellow glow from the lamps gave off the feeling that we had traveled back into another century. The fact that there were few cars around also aided in providing the impression we had travelled back to another era.

We walked past homes that had been built by wealthy individuals who had made their fortunes by using the resources that were widely available in the expanding new country. Some had become lumber barons, some had owned paddleboats on the river, and some were industrial giants who had taken advantage of the abundant labor available in the thriving new community.

The mansions had been built mainly of stone and were indeed impressive. Many were positioned so that they had a view of the mighty river below. We paused at one small park where we could study the city and the bluffs on the other side of the water. It was an impressive sight. It was made even more beautiful by the presence of the full moon that hovered in the sky above.

"It seems so peaceful here," Anna said.

"It appears that everyone is safe in their warm houses. It does take me back to stories of the old days when life was much simpler," I added. "Of course, it was the wealthy people living up here, while the workers lived in the shacks on the flats below."

We walked for a few more blocks before heading back to the car. On the way home, Anna asked about the steps we would need to take in order to get married.

"I'll do some checking to see what hoops we need to jump through," I replied. "We will have to apply for a marriage license and then take it from there. It could be a long process and we might be separated for some time. You might be required to return to Russia. But if you are really serious about it, then we will see it through to the end."

Anna touched my hand, "I am serious. I want to be your wife."

"And I want to be your husband."

As soon as we could, we applied for a marriage license. Anna wrote home to her mother and informed her that I had asked her to be my wife. Other than her mother, we didn't tell anyone else. I did text Brenda and ask what she knew about Anna's visa.

Brenda called me a few days later.

"Anna is here on an H-1B visa. She can stay here for up to three years. It is possible that the time could be extended up to six years, if she qualifies."

"Thank you Brenda," I replied. "You have really been a big help in all this. I hope you are enjoying your new lobby."

"You would not believe all the nice comments that we have received. I wouldn't be surprised if some new business doesn't come your way," she replied.

"I'll talk to you soon," I said as I hung up the phone.

Anna was pleased to hear the news that she could stay for at least three years. Of course, it seemed like such a long time, but I knew how fast the time would probably fly. I didn't want to waste any time, so I did some further checking.

I discovered that if a foreigner is living here and married to an American citizen for over three years, they can apply for naturalization. It seemed to me that the best thing to do would be to get married as soon as possible. With Anna running around the house in my shirts and her panties, I didn't know how much longer I could wait.

Anna told me she really wanted to get married, but she did have a few questions.

"What about the people in my village back home? Who will take care of them?" She asked.

"Someone else will rise up to take your place. They always do," I replied. "You told me that you have heard good things about the person who is currently replacing you."

"Besides, you can always go back and run some clinics to help the folks who may need specialized treatment. I will try to accompany you whenever I can. I have some Russian friends that go back to Russia at least several times a year," I could see that my words were having an effect on Anna.

"Maybe we can see if we can get my mother to come over too," she finally replied.

"It is something that we can definitely look into," I responded.

Several days later, my brother called and asked me if I would like to go snowmobiling. The previous days had been very windy, with a good eight inches of new snow, and there were reports of high drifts in the open areas.

The winter was shaping up to be one of the best that I could remember. The snow had continued to fall, there weren't any big thaws, and school had been called off on several occasions because of the cold. I'm not really into suffering in below zero temperatures, but it was the cooler temperatures that were helping to keep the ice and snow in good condition.

"Do you mind if I go sledding with my brother?" I asked Anna.

Anna told me that she had some studies that she needed to complete and that it was fine if I went. I told her I would take her along another time when we would be going for a shorter ride and the temperature would not be so cold.

I met my brother at his place and we headed out on our adventure. The temperature was minus ten degrees Fahrenheit and there was a slight wind blowing. I knew the temperature would not be much of a factor because I had dressed appropriately for the conditions. At least I hoped that would be the case.

I always got a kick out of watching the movie, 'Cliffhanger', in which Sylvester Stallone falls in a creek and then is seen running around the mountains in freezing temperatures, wearing only a short sleeved shirt. I know, for a fact, that he would not last very long in that kind of weather, but yet it seemed like the cold never seemed to affect him.

Despite the cold, the scenery could not have been more beautiful. The sky was a majestic blue. The snow was an unblemished white. We rode through a narrow passage of trees, down a long and rather steep hill, and back up another. We continued on and came to a hill with a creek at the bottom. The previous year we had experienced some problems at that spot, and had been required to get out and lift our sleds.

This time, I could see that someone had conveniently built a bridge across the creek. We crossed without any problems. We continued to follow the winding path through trees and brush. Eventually we came out near a tunnel that led under the freeway.

Now the tunnel was just wide enough for our sleds. There was no steering required. The tunnel took control of the skis and guided the machine through. The road above was the width of four lanes plus a wide median. It was a very long passage and there was barely enough clearance for my head.

Stand me on a four hundred foot cliff, and I will just look around and enjoy the scenery. Put me in a tight enclosure and the anxiety starts to build. The last time we had crossed, my sled had died one-third of the way through. By the time we finally pulled the sled out, we were both about exhausted.

"Come on! What are you waiting for?" my brother yelled.

I started into the tunnel. Once I was in, there was no turning back. I was fortunate in that I experienced no problems and exited happily on the other side. After that, we traveled along a ditch for a while, before we could cut back up onto the trail that led us out onto a huge field.

I had to envy the Norwegians. I have heard that in Norway, they have a rule called allemannsrett. Because of this right, you can explore anywhere you want as long as the land is not cultivated. If you want to camp out on someone's property, you are free to do so. In our country, we are very fortunate in that there is a good amount of public land. But it would still be nice to have more land accessible. It is only because of the vision of amazing men, down through the years, that we have the public land that we are now able to enjoy.

My brother cranked it up to sixty-five and I was right behind him. We sailed across the powdered snow like we were floating on an ocean of fluff. It had been years since I had ridden on snow that deep, at least in my home state. What with all the talk about global warming, I had begun to get sucked into that belief myself.

An article that I had read recently stated that the sun had the fewest amount of sunspots in quite a number of years. The article went on to say that some scientists believe that the fewer sunspots correlate with colder temperatures. Many predicted that we might be in for a mini ice-age.

Now personally, I'm not hoping for colder temperatures. I like my summers warm and my winters around thirty-two degrees. I also like to have a good amount of snow for snowshoeing and sledding. I'd rather not have the subzero temperatures, but I had to admit, I was really enjoying the ride.