Thursday 9th December

Beautiful start to the day...the sky was just like yesterday...vivid red after black-grey start.  Man arrived, nothing much to report until Bekir suggested that it would be wise to remove the 20 odd meters of old metal piping of cold water to the house and replace it with plastic.  It all started when Sally was ...boob, booming yesterday and I think he disturbed a connection which was construed as a weak pipe.  So they were digging and I was watching and the next thing the electricity wagon pulls up and says that ....job's worth...I haven't paid my electricity so he has to cut me off but if I pay with the next couple of hours he can reconnect me that day.  Now I have a petckca that relies on a pump....so now electricity...no pumn...boom....no central heating....so I go into emergency shutdown procedures with a bucket and a shovel and remove the said ignited materials from the body of the burner.  Tomorrow's promise...get the UPS sorted.

I have a standing order with my bank to pay the 'tok' (electricity) and I'm wondering what's it all about Alfie????  So I try to phone my bank...no response ....so off I go to the bank in Kardjali to sort it out.  Now it appears that I have two accounts and the one that I though had got 1000 leva in it had zilch and they couldn't touch the other since it wasn't due for payment until March.  My only question to the bank was why did we set up standing orders on a bank account that had nothing in it.  Now they were very apologetic....obviously a misunderstanding but in the meantime I have no electricity to the house, I have also to pay a fine of 20 leva since I didn't pay it on time....no ifs...no buts....jobsworth....

So I went to the cash machine, drew out some money to stick in the account and from out of nowhere it appears that I now have a payment due of 250 leva that is old interest....question was....why didn't you find this sooner and they I wouldn't have had to go to the cashpoint.....grrrr....banks....I think I'm going to put it under my mattress...bugger them.

And now we go back to the builder's yard that I call home and we have three men with two shovels and a pick sorting it all out and I come back from Dzebel with everything on the list....jobsaguddun....I now have new plastic pipe to my house and first job was to light that petchka.

So as we were packing up I got the shout that I had to go outside and there was this little lamb only born half an hour ago and what a cutie....unfortunately the mother thought that I was after the little one for the freezer and started to chase me back home....I said I'd leave it for later....and thought it would be better if it learned to use all four legs first....he's the pickies....LN....

no electricity due to the bank, I hope you told them

'tok off!'

Friday 10th December

Well the bank grovelled, they didn't pay the fine but I told them a little more than 'TOK OFF' through my Bulgarian teacher and I think that they understood....

Today has been a day where I have been nothing more than a materials delivery service and coffee provider since the temperature has dropped considerably and I just had to keep the men going.  They even took their coffee inside by my woodburner and I was close to filling up the hot water bottle and stuffing it inside Sally's jacket but I think the other two would have thought that favouritism...

Now I had this thought that if they were concreting around the house that they ought to think about water to the other house from the meter point which they thought was a good idea so I was off for some more water pipes and they were left to dig the channel.  I didn't take photographs....I really don't think it would have been appreciated

The Beast went in and got the antifreeze checked and topped up, tyre pressures, oil and gearbox fluid checked and screen washers topped up with the antifreeze stuff.  I'm told it can now withstand -35 degrees but I think it would be on its own....I don't think I could.  

When I got back Sally indicated that a 'little red wine' would keep out the cold so I went out there with my measuring jug containing about half a pint and a glass and poured him one. As the other two looked up I said, 'same for you two' and there were nods of the heads, well Bulgarian nods of the heads which is the opposite way to the rest of the world.  Side to side means 'Yes'  so I went in and got some more glasses and topped up the measuring jug.  Next they settled for a coffee but when they came in to get changed, the jug came out again and they clinked glasses after a hard days work.  The pictures will be posted tomorrow.  It was too dark by the time they had finished.

Popped in to see D of S on the way home and received an Advent calendar sent over by Annie complete so I am told with cooking chocolate.  I look forward to the ceremonial opening and I think I have a few days to catch up on or perhaps I'll save it for one blast.  

Gale force winds tonight....the plan is that if there is snow tomorrow morning that the men won't work....if there isn't they will....let's see what the night brings....LN...of to my virtuous couch....

Saturday 11th December

So no snow overnight so off I went but the temperature was down to -3 this morning.  Now I don't think anyone should work in -3 unless you are a penguin incubating an egg but nevertheless they were ready with their little plastic shoes blacked.

So it was coffees all round, I kitted two of them out with fleece hats and Sally out with one of my body warmers and provided toast.  Apparently it went down to about -9 overnight and I was lucky to escape with only the outside water tap freezing.  The only reason they were here this morning was to continue the work that light stopped play on last night.  They had to insulate the water to the house 'in pipes' and I suggested that as soon as they had finished that they were homeward bound and this as achieved at approximately 11.00 this morning.

I cleaned all through this afternoon getting rid of the dust and dirt from living on a building site.  If they don't come back this side of the holiday then I am ready......if the weather improves and they return then....same again next week.  Just one snow flurry today and nothing really to write home about.

I have a roaring fire going and it is again in the minus on the thermometer....can't see exactly what and it's too cold to go out and check but it hasn't risen above minus three all day today and the wind, apparently from Siberia, has made it feel much colder......so tomorrow.....since I have moved all of the excess building materials upstairs, I am erecting my tree and decorating it and that should take all of ten minutes....I'll keep you updated.

LN.....it's time to throw another log on the fire....

Sunday 12th December

Beautiful morning, really cold night and a few pickies from yesterday and this morning....here you go

Monday 13th December

So yesterday I cleaned all of the downstairs windows removing the residue of cement and concrete with hot water until my fingers and the water were too cold to do any more..........finishing them off with my new silicon window thingie which I can vouch works a treat.  I just have to improve my technique and what happens when you've cleaned them .....it rains but not here....

This time last year we were packing up the house for my return to England for the festivities and it started to snow.  What's it doing now.....snowing.  I received my weather report from D of S showing the BBC latest for Kardjali and they got it right....heavy snow for today and....no the men are not working.  It's nice snow....no wind with it so it is just falling prettily but I might not say that this afternoon when all exits are blocked.  I've brought in enough wood to last for the next couple of days and after that it's a hike to the woodshed....OK it's twenty meters away so only a little hike but I might have to quote 'this might take some time'....as did Shackelton's hero.  My tree looks pretty and will soon have a white hat on....I found out that it was Star Mush who chopped off the lower branches when he was storing animal hay on it....bless.

Just a few.... and a few more later I'm sure and not a sheep in sight....

Monday continued

Well it snowed for a few hours and at four this afternoon this was the result.  Unfortunately it's very grey and not inspiring....I love it when the snow has dropped and the sun comes out and it's cold...very beautiful.....so I'll just put up with it until tomorrow.  The sky's still full of it and it's supposed to be light snow overnight according to the BBC weather....so we'll wait and see.

So what did I do today? I kept the woodburner going and listended to the instructions....little and often and it works until you go to sleep reading the rise and the eventual fall of Hitler....one of D or S's book that is hard going but interesting.   All I know of him (Hitler not D of S) is the war years not the struggle to get where he did....as I said hard going but interesting....apart from the fact that I know the ending.  Unfortunate thing is that woodburners don't know that you're asleep and load themselves but it was still warm so no real damage done.

Tonight I am about to have local sausage in chilli sauce with potatoes from my slow cooker.  As I've said before...it goes in when I'm interested and comes out when I'm not....LN....

Afternoon pickies, here you go....

now thats snow but where the reindeer with the big red man on his sleigh

Tuesday 14th December

In response to Martin, probably checking out my post code for the 24/25 of this month and as for the 'rain dear' probably destined for UK anytime soon.  

Well it's trying hard to snow again but nothing like yesterday.  There was a glimmer of pink around dawn but that has now disappeared but not so grey as yesterday and only on freezing.  I've just dug out the top of my other tree that should now be decorated and adorning the lounge but it got put into a bucket of water and that created a lovely 'ice' stand for it which I've just removed and now it's resting under Sally's latest creation that was designed to keep the snow off the entrance door and my wood pile......and it worked.  House temperature was about 15 this morning when I came down but there were little bits of red in the woodburner that I coaxed into a roaring fire in quicksticks with two or three....quick sticks. and the pump kicked in about ten minutes later.  Little and often is the recipe for success and so shall it be.

Now must get on with my homework....I'm guessing that Gouljan will be taking the already snowploughed highway so that the children could get to school and the mobile shop could get in....after all this is BG....not UK...now to go and add a little more to my woodburner....I'll post a few pickies later of the tree, the wooden structure and whatever else takes my fancy....

Tuesday continued

Well Gouljan made it and I had to have my lesson....got a bit frustrated since I only want to SPEAK it not read it and write it....but I suppose it does help with sentence construct....though I think I might sentence her to a few years solitary if it continues like this

It's a beautiful night....there is snow on the peaks but not saturated and the temperature has gone up somewhat but according to the BBC....-9 tonight so it might be the calm before the storm  Supper tonight done and dusted.....I had some minced something in the freezer and this got turned into home made hamburgers but I doubt if it was ham knowing the religion with chippies and a fried egg....now that has to be good and of course it had to be washed down with a glass of the red stuff....bliss...

Now for the pickies of Sally's construct....my glass vase for the tree and the view from my lounge complet with bars....one day they'll take the supports down for my bedroom balcony.