Thursday continued

Well didn't manage to get out to find out if I have a resident dog or not....just felt too poorly.  Only thing that I did...rebuilt the fence from one determined cow.  It was funny though.  I had used part of my dug up and replaced water pipe to protect the hedge and bully beef had this hanging from his neck as he struggled through and deposited it about ten meters from the hedgeline.  Unfortunate thing was I was out there like a shot and he had about two mouthfuls when I chased him out.  Metal bar replaced, cow outside....for the time being.  I'll complete it tomorrow when I'm feeling more up to it.  Now I'm normally stoic.....this time no....I even got my head down this afternoon for a couple of hours.

Just before this update...have found a site....Krazydad where you can download / print sudoko eight at a time.  This should keep me occupied tonight....LN....I have things to do

Feed a cold starve a fever? Hope you get better soon.  Must be Angela passing down the line!
Buy wire mesh thick gage that will stop the bovines

Friday 21st January

The weather is cold and miserable.  I'm cold and miserable despite the house being warm.  My solution...I brought out a hot water bottle for Sally from England when his back was troubling him so now I have it poked into the pocket of a super large fleece that I bought from my second hand shop. Now this was going to be the outfit that Bekir was going to wear under my Christmas tree but since I haven't seen sight nor sound of them ....it's mine and it might not even come off my back till this evening and then it might just have to double as a nightshirt.  Cosy but I wish I could stop sneezing and having to blow my nose every five minutes.  I just don't do colds but it's time to top up my water bottle.  

Saturday 22nd January

Well I suppose I knew I was in for it.  My dozing yesterday next to the radiator covered in a blanket with my hottie meant that I was awake at 3.15 with not much sleep in me at all.  So out came my DS....set a new record for adding the plus, minus, multiply or divide signs and only still up to airplane speed.  The rocket is illusive.  Did manage to go off again at about 5.00 and slept in until 7.45.

This is going to make you smile.  I turned to look at the garden and yes, you've guessed already, there was a solitary cow hiding behind the brambles.  As I approached, she looked up and she was wearing a....metal pipe necklace (and where is the camera when you need it!!!!!).  She turned, it remained in situ, she went back through the hedge from whence she had cometh, set off on the hillside and it was about twenty yards before she shook it free.  I had visions of her arriving home with it still in place and the owner thinking that this was a bonus.  A cow that could also collect scrap metal while on feeding duty.  Never thought....there is an old fridge in the other house, perhaps I could just attach it to her horns.

So I've repaired the fence and done quite a good job on it but I'm going to see if there are a couple of men in the village that want a little job.  It's OK saying nail some mesh onto the trees.....there are no trees at the bottom of the garden so first it needs some supports and then the rest is easy.  I'm just wondering when the next invasion is planned and from which direction. .  Perhaps I should just station myself on the balcony with shotgun, fire crackers or the catapult or all three.  Choose your weapon Black Knight.

Sunday 23rd January

I have just come back from my full blown Bulgarian (in true Turkish style) wedding.  Three hundred guest and I walked in after the bride and groom but no one told me that I should have been there earlier.  What did I wear..it was supposed to be smart casual so I got out black leggins, a black top and with my secondhand multicoloured pashmina and my long black coat also from my secondhand shop, did I feel cheap-shop chic.  Something nice about knowing that things don't have to cost the earth to look good.

It started at 12 ish and the 'ish' was where I got it wrong with my arrival.  As I walked in I was faced with 300 people and only knowing a handful made it rather scary, but I saw the bridegroom's father who was funding the bash and he shook my hand, made a few people move up and put me next to D of S and I realised that I was the only woman on the table of about one hundred men.  The music was very loud, very Turkish, clarianetist belting it out and obviously wired for sound and conversation was almost impossible.  There were three long tables.  One for the brides family, one for the bridegrooms (mainly men) and the centre table for women and children.  Men dance, women dance but not neccessarily together or at the same time.  It went on until 4.30 and what a sensible time for a wedding.  Brandy, Mastica, beer and soft drinks were free and the courses just came.  Salad, rice dish, kebabs and halva (sweet stuff to remove teeth in a flash) and the food is taken more like blotting paper, to soak up the alcohol.  I was on coca cola, my car being on the carpark and it was jus as well.  Apparently there was a coach from the village but there were...wait for it....approximately 75 on a 45 seater coach and it was doing about five miles an hour and maybe that is an exaggeration...could have been slightly more, or maybe even less up the hills.

So back to the wedding.  She was sweet sixteen, he was a very youthful looking twenty year old and she was surrounded by her trusty maidens.  I asked permission to take photo which they agreed to and I also have D of S dancing but the nice thing here is....no one's posing when they take to the floor....it's for sheer enjoyment.  There wasn't the option to pin the money on the dress...it was collected in a couple of boxes and there looked rather a lot to me.  Good luck to the happy couple....lovely day and now for the photo shoot....

and you danced!

Monday 24th January

And so I did D of S and has that video of you dancing made it to U-Tube yet?

I wish that I felt like dancing today.  I think I've had a relapse and am seriously considering the options like....bed or sofa.  I wasn't even tempted by the market in Djebel today even though I have to go in to get my road tax.  I thought I had until the end of the month but I have been reliably informed that it should have been done by the 15th so if I'm stopped by the men in blue I shall have to plead the fifth amendment or the old favourite that I don't understand.  

Today the weather is cold and damp again and there just doesn't seem to be any heat in the fire.  There probably is and it's me so I might have to do my impression of the kangaroo and stick the hottie in my pouch again.  Made for the job this fleece was....now I'm going to make a few decisions starting with tea, coffee or Oxo and then bed or sofa.....

Tuesday 25th January

Went to bed early last night and at silly o'clock I was full of beans and doing Sudoko and playing with my DS until 5.00 this morning.  I just didn't get out much yesterday or feel very active with this cold bug and my furthest journey was to the bottom of the garden to mend some of the fence that one rather smart cow managed to limbo under....bastard being....Razor wire is on order along with two local men and there are going to be machine gun posts on every corner.

So this morning we have a return of 'the white stuff' and yes it is warmer than it was yesterday.  Not exactly blizzarding down but a steady fall that looks like it's set in for the day so logs at the ready, breakfasted on poached eggs and meat ready to go into the slow cooker (that's if it thaws enough) but if not I have got some fish fingers, I repeat fish fingers from Lidls and they'll be on the plate with chipies tonight or maybe a fishfinger sandwich.....nursery food and with a cold....what could be nicer.

I was right about the white dog.  I think Socks has acquired a girlfriend and he successfully fended of the three farmers dogs this morning.  They were in my poor Avatar's garden when I heard all this noise and looking out of the bathroom window it was Socks ...not quite barking his little socks off....but making one hell of a racket  protecting his 'beloved' when I think she was thinking any port in a storm and they look healthy specimens to me.  They are big, they are bold and they protect sheep where as Socks is only really a puppy but I say 'poor Avatar' because no one wants four dogs in your garden chasing one female even if one of them is your dog.  I've seen it before and it can get nasty.  

Time to throw another log on the fire...top up my never ending coffee cup and see how that meat is doing....

Wednesday 26th January

Woke at 6.30 this morning and boy was the moon bright.  Almost like daylight it was outside so I thought I'd go out with the thermometer for a laugh since it did look, bright and crisp and even....minus seven it was so I salvaged the fire from last night's embers and had it roaring in no time.  

So today there was a beautiful sunrise that just had to be captured and then bright sun as the day moved on and I just had to get out there and take a few pictures...rude not too.  Nestling in the snow I found my first crocus...now I didn't plant it there and on further inspection, I have found another three now that the snow has melted.  Had my Bulgarian lesson and shame on Gouljan, she didn't manage to do her homework (my joke) but we do have a few laughs.  Sun has gone in now but I just had to go out and do cow patrol.  Four were approaching and the white one that I seem to have a few problems with (few...) was eying up my reinforcements and low and behold, she couldn't get through so is that a result?  I'll wait and see on her way back to her ranch later today.

So just to post a few....a picture paints as they say....

Wednesday continued

Two more that didn't upload properly a few minutes ago.  I wasn't tempted to hang out in the cherry....I'll save it for when the weather is a little warmer