Wednesday 1st December

Well white rabbits is the cry that usually goes up on the first of the month and I bet there are a few of those in the UK at the present time freezing their little socks off.  Now to carry a rabbits foot used to be considered lucky but lets hope that they are buried deep in their burrows and that their feet and the rest of them survive unless you are partial to rabbit pie.

Five forty five and I had this urge to get up, attend to my fire which was hanging in there, get a cup of coffee and watch the crescent moon.  The lights are twinkling on the hillside and the only light pollution on this side of the valley is one table lamp on my desk.

I spent my first night in my fleece duvet cover and how warm is that then.  Maybe I've started a trend!!  Now there's a thing but I think mine must be the first zebra print one.  The lady in the shop must have thought that all her Christmas' or Byrans had come together when I asked for five.....no one buys five.  I must show here the picture and I bet there are some for sale by the end of the week....now I want a smaller one to make pillow cases but I've got to see what will go.  I did suggest to Bekir that he didn't put his fancy pidgeons on the bed....he would never find them again...(see page 5 previous month to get the picture..)

Onwards and upwards....my job for today should I choose to accept it is to get out the bezir (wood preservative) and a brush and do the job that Sally is expert at but with no Sally, yours truely has to learn..
Catch you later...

Wednesday continued

So yes I chose to accept may challenge....Bekir decided that the other builder was dispensible and so we dispensed of his services...he did talk rather a lot so there is a saving.  Yes my challenge 2 x 10x4m lengths and I wood preserved the lot and paid myself for the priviledge of working.  There is photographic proof at the end.

So what else did we do.....I had a good bonfire, we went firstly to Dzebel to buy some drills for making sure the polystyrene didn't leave the walls and end up in Greece.  Great idea, let's come back with two....stone is strong...let's break two and then we can go back to Dzebel and get some more which is exactly what I did.

Spoke to Princess tonight...she got sent home from school and not for being a naughty girl....snow stopped play but junior frog had to go the whole day but let's see what tomorrow brings...as I said in UK....everything stops.

Sally is still not well so tomorrow I have yet another workman to fill his shoes...unlike yesterday when there was someone filling his trousers because he had no work clothes of his own.  I must wash Sally's so that they are clean, aired and pressed for his return

Saw D of S tonight and he has given me various seeds that should be beautiful should they germinate....I'll keep you posted on that one.  He's about to concrete one of his rooms before Annie comes out....I suggested two but he thinks this is too much and she wouldn't cope....I reckon she might try.

Now pickies of the day.  The bed is because Princess dared me to so as you can guess....I'm normally up for a dare.....the rest are how the day started and my task that I did accept....LN....see's you tomorrow.....

Thursday 2nd December

So today I cancelled my lesson.  The task that I chose to accept yesterday was on offer again today so I've come to the end of the bezir (wood preservative) so lack of supplies has stopped play.  Now this wood is now being put to good use.  Bekir has started to fill in under the eaves and it looks cracking.  His brother in law is helping out today since Sally is beyond working but silly man won't go to the doctors despite the fact that Bekir and myself have worked out that all he needs are antibiotics, a few days rest and then he should be fine again.  If he'd have done it on Monday he could have been back by now..... ....no consideration some people

Oops have to go and make coffee for the lads....be back soon with some pickies of the under eaves woodwork.

Thursday continued

So they drank their coffee and then went back to the job in hand which was sawing up all those long tongue and grooved planks that I insect proofed yesterday and then nailing them to the underside of the eaves.  The photos were taken when it was getting time to go home (battery on the camera like the proverbial dodo earlier) so hence a little dark....sorry...will do better next time.  I then noticed that the house had developed a 'rash' of thin rendering and this is to cover up the plastic rawl plugs to stop the polystyrene sheets from heading to Greece or wherever the wind happens to be blowing.  As I've said before....Bekir is enjoying this project.  He is using his professionalism to the full.....aghhh....but it looks better in thin strips than in lengthway planks....OK...Kak ku ishkus...or words to that effect....as you wish ...your choice.  I'm assured that the scaffolding will be down by the end of the week....but they didn't say which week

The wnd has got up tonight and goodness knows where my plastic buckets will be in the morning.....so to stop the escape I should go out and put a log in each one of them....yep...it's a plan...

Now to load some pickies from today.....and then supper to sort.  I have the remains of the slow cooker meal from last night but this time with pasta.....rice is such a b*****d to cook here.  For one thing there are about twenty different sorts in the supermarket from everywhere and it all looks the same to me.....LN....oh I have heard that Billa has opened in Kardjali....just like going shopping in UK....now there's a thing.....I'll send in the report when I manage to get to Kardjali...LN

Friday 3rd December

So there I was sitting in the car waiting for Bekir to emerge from his morning bolt hole.  His brother in law obviously doesn't enter such places so he was sitting in the car with me and a local lady approached the car.  I opened the door since the engine was turned off and she smiled at me and I did all of the Bulgarian words I know and then she came out with 'Sally gena' and then I realised who she was.....Sally's wife.  I ascertained that she was waiting for Sally to come out of the bar and they were on their way to Kardjali to go to the hospital.  Eventually the two men emerged, I told Sally that he was a bad man and that we could have fixed his knee with a couple of nails and then gave them a lift into Dzebel since they had a job lot appointment at the hospital.  Now his wife has been ill for a while but not allowed to get sorted until the tobacco was finally put to bed for the year, so now let's get on with getting healthy for next year.

The men are putting the first coat of 'stuff' on the house and a decision had to be made as to the final colour of the outside of the house.  Most have white but it's not for me so we've gone for two of white and one of brownish which takes it back to the colour it originally was....much nicer.

Now I caught my neighbour chasing the cows from her field so I just asked to pose for the camera...which she gladly did.  I did suggest that if she had a gate on the field that they couldn't get in so I have volunteered Bekir for five minutes work later....

A few to be going on with.....

Saturday 4th December

Men decided to take a day off since the weather was forecast for rain and by goodness didn't it.  Not too bad this afternon, rain eased but this evening it has been the mother of all thunderstorms.  So much so that the computer has stayed off until it eased but now it has started again so it's going to be short and sweet.

Had a lovely day in Kardjali buying everything that wasn't on my list...hey somedays, that's how it goes.  The fire was still in when I got back.  Not necessary though since it is ticking by at about 16 degrees but it's nice to see.  Anyway short and sweet tonight....thunder has restarted with a vengeance....I'm battening down the hatches...LN

I'll update tomorrow,....

Sunday 5th December

This morning's sky after the storm looked equally as threatening but it's turned out OK today but the wind has a slight chill to it unlike England where it seems there is more than a chill and I'm supposed to be in the 'winter' zone.

I've decided that Sunday is the day for visiting.  I think I've set a bit of a challenge.  I bought with hard cash a pair of little slippers that all Bulgarians wear all the time in shoes, in the house, in bed and I think one or two of my neighbours thought that I shouldn't have paid.  So my other little neighbour that was very generous with the meat brought me a pair round as a present and I'm not sure if it was because Bekir make her a gate to stop the cows getting into her field or not but a nice gesture.  So the one that I had bought them from came round with another pair this morning as a present so this is really upping the anti and now I have to think of something original as return presents...think it might have to be pairs of my fluffy slippers from England on my next visit.

Two more visitors arrived about half an hour ago and I knew not from where.  I didn't even recognise them from anywhere in the village but as the stilted conversation (Bulgarian / Turkish) moved along I worked out that one was the mother of my Bulgarian teacher.  They couldn't get over how warm the house was from one woodburner.  In most houses they usually have a couple, warm one room and when the door opens it disappears.  The had the full conducted tour, thought that it was wonderful and had to touch the duvet cover.....I don't think they have zebra print on their beds.  I think I also have ordered another pot of yoghurt from 'mother' and their hearts are so kind.  I'm a bit of a novelty in the village but harmless enough.

So my list yesterday didn't contain knitting wool but I am halfway up one sleeve of a chunky knit sweater.  Lovely airforce blue and I paid about ten leva (just under a fiver) for a kilogram.  Cheap egh...and pure wool...no acrylics were killed in the process.

And now for a few of the morning sky.....and the sheep.  I'm sure one might have my name on it for the freezer.

Monday 6th December

Sally is back....with a bandage covering his knee that he says keeps it warm.  Today I have three....brother in law is still with us and my downpipes from the guttering seem to be going up.  The rain that came down on Saturday seemed to have spurred them into action in getting them up.  

I had to thaw the car out this morning.  My outside thermometer said -3 and I definately need to make a  polytunnel for my broad beans.  I'm assured that they are OK in the cold, just need a litle bit of protection. I also noticed that the freesia corms that I though I'd lost have appeared in the garden.  So now I have two in and two out.  I also have my geraniums in containers but I forgot to bring them in from the balcony so I really ought to go and check.....now I'm on a mission   

Tuesday 7th December

So my greeting was this morning is that there is going to be snow on Friday and Saturday....I think they were just prewarning me  and have advised me that the stenapore or polystyrene to you and me will be attached to the long wall of the house by then...joy oh joy.

True to form the scaffolding was down last night and today it goes up again so that they can work on the long wall and I shall definately need some more drill bits....they seem to like them.  I've given Sally the task of putting up a sort of shelter to stop the rain falling on the back door as a temporary measure and told him to use the biggest nails possible.  They did suggest to polythene me all in but I don't like the feel of that.  If it get so bad I can get up onto the balcony with some big chunks of stone and drop polythene down myself with more stones to hold it in place....quick solution to everything in my book.  We'll see what the weather brings...

Now for the scaffold demolish.....heavy stuff to move and I'm pleased that the brother in law is still here....Sally's knee is still playing up.

Wednesday 8th December

And again it was a beautiful sunrise.  I sort of have to pinch myself and then I check the roof of the other house to see if it is white over with frost as it was this morning.  Just on freezing at 7.00 this morning but no wind, just beautifully still and calm.  

So today has been a day of bistsas....bits of this and that.  I got to sawing more of the old roof timbers, tidying up the wood pile and bringing more of the purchased wood under the balcony and my new shelter.  I forgot to take a picture of it....and so I will tomorrow.  

So what has happened to the house?  My old water inlet pipe cover has gone and to be replaced by new.  It was always high on the ground so now it will be the same height as the rest of the new north facing wall.  That was Sally's job today while the other two put the polystyrene cover on the long wall....the house is much warmer now that it has its jacket.  

My little lady brought round a pot of yoghurt today and when I say pot....I actually mean 'bucket' load of the stuff.  Home made so I set into it tonight but didn't do it justice but I'm reliably informed by the font of all knowledge (Bekir) that it will keep for two weeks (no problem) in the fridge.  I've also had a report of a phone call from Star Mush saying that he is fine in Turkey and apparently he was asking all about us .  Bless....