Weather update & Bashkortostan critters

Daylight savings time continues all year long in Russia.  At this time of year, it means that nights are light until almost 10:00pm and mornings are dark until close to 8:00am. Although we are well inland the daily weather patterns are very changeable.  Our mornings are often cloudy and foggy, by mid afternoon skies clear up and the sun shines, and by evening there is often a shower. No frosts yet but the leaves are starting to turn yellow and daily temperatures are running around 50.
After classes today, John and I decided to tour the Bashkortostan History Museum. The museum is housed in a lovely old building in the center of the city. There is much information about Bashkir history and Bashkortan's inhabitants but only in Russian.  Included were mounted bears, elk, moose, huge wolves, gigantic snow owls, etc. from the region. Definitely a hardy looking group of critters living here including a strange little squirrel with furry ears. He made me laugh as he looked like he was wearing a Russia shapka (man's fur hat). 

We had just read about and seen pictures in the Moscow Times (only English newspaper in Russia & not available in Ufa) today about a golden eagle that was filmed taking down a deer in Siberia. The photographers were there to photograph Siberian tigers and caught the scene on camera. The first time ever seen...yikes!?!  Makes me alittle nervous about that hiking trip we were planning...