Monday 13th June

So what a day..thunder has been batting around all day with sun, cloud, rain, no hail though, in and out like a well...haven't got the words for it....

So I decided this morning to rescue some flowering tobacco that had been overtaken by the weeds in my hedge garden and this became a task and a half...and in my digging I found about ten marigold plants that I suppose I must have planted at some time and they are now weed free as are a million and one tobacco plants (slight exaggeration I hear you shout) aghhhh well 999,999.

This afternoon it went really cold so the woodburner was struck up but now it is normal and so the doors are open.  I received another two bills from M-Tel today so that is four in the last week.  Those people should really sort out their invoicing...and I can't understand if I am on a fixed monthly rate why it varies by a few stotinki every month.....that is a question for the boys at M-Tel.....I love a challenge.

So my cow man arrived today and asked in Bulgarian where the donkey was....now I thought he had lost his and we toured the garden looking for one and then it suddenly occured to me....the supports that my men use to get up to the heights of the gutterings, we joke that because they are a little bit bent in places...we call them magare or 'donkey'.  So these had been moved behjind the wreck and we actually identified that that's what he wanted...For what I haven't a clue but we managed to manoever one out of the yard and into the road and he was quite insistannt that I did not help him down to his house.  He returned it later on a wheel barrow and we got it back in the yard.  And I shall never know why....but I know that a bit of timber codged together to form a long tripod is now referred to as a 'magare'.

At last the thunder has eased and the moon is out.  I've just put the remains of the marigolds that I found in the bit that I was de-weeding into my wreck garden.  My frog garden has some already.  Supper tonight was pork with onions in mushroom pepper sauce with a touch of brandy and pasta...It was delicious and now it is time for sleep.  Maybe not in your book...but tomorrow is another day and I have loads of gardening to do unless it rains and then Aldous Huxley is on the cards.

LN.....throw another log on the fire and fill that glass....LN.  

Tuesday 14th June

So there I was, another semi-sleepless night and I seemed to have been nigggled by a pain in right/tummy and of course, you immediately start thinking about appendicitus, well I did but I came to the conclusion that when I was manoevering the 'donkey' yesterday I must have just got it wrong and twisted something.

So what else...more rain overnight and thunder batting around all day again.   PC up, pc down and when it was only half way up...there was another clap of thunder so down it came again.  Eventually made it to Djebel to pay my four phone bills...bit like buses really....none for a month and then four within four days.  The last two I needn't have payed until the end of the month but it's over and done with.  Picked up some chicken and schnitzels, potatoes, onions, cake and biscuits from the local supermarket but a trip to Kardjali must be on the cards soon.  Stopped off to see my restaurant lady and had coffee.....her son that went to work in the UK is back.  I think that there is no work so he is having a break and I asked him how he found UK (apart from the pilot knowing the way) and he said that it was cold.  Not much different to here really.

Took note of 'note to self' and reinforced the last weak spot in the fence with another big plank and some down supports and it's a good job that I did.  The unsupervised herd is now over sixty in strength and while I was reading my book, my little lady from two doors down and my avatar were heading down my garden looking for cows....of which I had none.  The last time they got into my garden they attacked my neighbours allotment via my garden but this time....they managed to get into her garden from the paddock and knocked down all her beans, trampled the onions and generally did loads of damage.  As a deputation we went round and surveyed the damage...laid the blame where it deservedly belongs and off they went leaving her to see what she could repair.  Buggars really...they would have been in mine were it not for the new planking

So cooked one of the schnitzels and another note to self....don't bother...it ended up in the bin and most of the cake has been demolished.  Junk food...comfort food......call it what you like but it was tasty.

So back to my book...the evening has settled down but that's not to say  that it couldn't change in a flash, literally.  Just hoping it stays clear for the lunar eclipse tomorrow....keeping fingers crossed.  Not been active with the camera today...you'll just have to put up with words....LN....

Tuesday continued

So while I was playing Freecell on the pc....the sheep were having their last run of the night and I saw one that looked as if it had been painted...strange colour.  As they came nearer I went out on to the balcony and the shepherd spotted me and shouted to me so I asked him what had happened to the red one.  He was as pleased as punch and said that he had imported it from SPAIN and that he has another one coming next week...GREEN from Norway and both from eBay....or should that be eBAH....I can't wait....and it just had to be photographed....

I did happen to break it to him gently that his cows had been demolishing gardens again and he was last seen heading towards my ladies who could be overheard from the field still discussing it......and the cows didn't get into the allotment from my garden...thank goodness...my 'note to self' was acted upon just in time.....LN...time for a little beer I think....

I always wondered how you made different coloured wool - There was me thinking you dyed the wool after it came off the sheep.  You live and learn.

Wednesday 15th June

So now you know Dom!! In the Good Life when he made that suit out of green woven wool it must have been from a Norweigan sheep

So up with the lark at 6.00 but I think the lark just beat me to it.  I decided that coffee was the order of the day and at 7.30 my mobile goes and it is Gouljan asking if I can take 'them' into Djebel.  So I asked for it in Bulgarian and it came out the same so I headed for the bus stop at 7.45 to be greeted on mass by mother, two daughters, father carrying goodness how may holdalls, Gouljan who was heading for work and grandson.  Now this little chap apparently took to 'EP and her car' and didn't shut up about it for the whole month they were here.  Unfortunately I think he came out with his words of wisdom at 'middle of the night silly o'clock' which didn't go down very well at all.

This morning on my tour of the garden I went over to smell the honeysuckle.  It is divine and so I just had to take two of the blossoms, put them in water and the whole house is luxuriating in the aroma.  It's on a par with jasmine for me but unfortuately that is yet to be established in this garden.  I have loads in England but it hasn't made the journey well.

So what have I done today?  I have been weeding my garden and using my shears to cut down more of the grass jungle.  The weather has been absolutely perfect for ....weeds...and now...cleared for a while.  I have to thank Martin for bringing over an English fork, minus the handle, on his last trip and it has been super for dislodging the buggers.  Only trouble is now has a long handle and I think that's what actually made me use muscles that I hadn't used for ages hence the gripes iin the tummy...it was nothing to do with the 'donkey'.  Gardened until some bastard beetle or the likes jumped up my long blouse sleeve and bit me...not once but twice so I leaped about a bit and decided that Sudocream was the answer as it is to all of life's problems and at last the swelling has gone down....I couldn't even kill it since I didn't know from whence it came but there was a black grass hopper making its way across the soil so I'll steer clear of those in the future...better safe than sorry.  

Eclipse tonight and I'm hoping it is going to be as clear as it was last night...camera at the ready and fully charge. Just about to go and do something with some chicken that I bought yesterday...pan fried I think...LN....with a little chiante.....fa, fa, fa....

Thursday 16th June

Last night's eclipse will be remembered by the lack of it.  So I was there last night with boots blacked...not exactly...but this is all I saw of it...just a faint glimmer between the scuttling clouds but this morning, at 4,42 to be precise, it was so bright that it woke me up as if to prove that it's still there.  So the first glimmer was through the trees as I went down to make coffee so I grabbed my camera and went out onto the road, woke my Avatar's dog (Socks) up so shouted for him to be quiet and it worked.  Changed the camera settings (that why it looks darker in the photo), changed it back and just had to take a few down the lane and the rising sun but then, enough was enough and back to bed with my coffee.  Thought that I could probably get my head down for a few hours since there was only Socks and me patrolling the village and it was 8.45 when I opened my eye again, yes, first one, and then the other.

Beautiful morning, just a few white clouds and at this rate I might just have to water my garden tonight...

Thursday continued

Today has been a day of digging, weeding, clearing areas. moving tobacco plants and the potting bench and getting rid of couch grass and what a buggar that is.  The final solution...a big bonfire.  The shears came out and yet again and I managed to get down to my new toilet thingy so now almost half of the garden is reasonable.

The cherries are up for grabs tomorrow and I think D of S is round to take some for making wine and it that's no good, it goes into the still.  I shall be making a few jars of jam, the one I made last year was good.  Not sweet but really tasty.

So tonight my phone was going in the house but by the time I got in from the garden it had stopped and I didn't recognise the number so did nothing about it.  Twenty minutes later it goes again and this time it's Gouljan's friend advising me that Gouldjan is at the bus stop in Rogoche and waiting for me...first I'd heard of it so I said I would go and before I could get to the village centre, a car is coming towards me flashing its lights and guess who is in the passenger seat....I waved them on, as you can guess I wasn't that amused and no text to apologise or nothing....ah well....the frivolity of youth.

So tonight the remains of last night's chicken with rice with lashings of soy sauce.  I sat out in the garden until I could no longer read and am now thinking about hitting the sack.  Zebra all clean and back on the bed...quilt all fluffed up....and so it's goodnight from me....bit more digging tomorrow but otherwise an easy day....LN

Friday 17th June

I had a thought this morning....I wondered if the sheep farmer had tried to get one over on the 'Anglechanka' and had actually dyed his sheep red with henna or the likes.  This thought was running through my head and I was sitting outside with Dom this morning having coffee and we were discussing whether it was a wind up or not.  At that moment they came over the hill and sure enought it was easy to spot.  Well you try hiding with that colour hair amongst the white and black ones and there is only one of you.  So as they came nearer we went to the fence and sure enough it looked normal enough apart from its whitish head and underbelly but it seemed to have a curious mark behind its neck as if it had had a rope round it to restrain it before the dying took place.  It looked rather like the cross on the back of the donkey so we got to wondering, if he has been sold a 'dud' and if it was henna, how long it would take to grow out.....gets you thinking doesn't?

So what else have I done....not a lot this morning.  Showered and washed my hair after Dom had left and blow me, the sheep farmer's dog last year used to sleep under my 'wreck' and he came round to have a look if the 'vacancy' sign was still hanging there.  Unfortuantely for him it has been sealed off so he wandered back down the garden, fluffed up the spoil heap below my new toilet thingy and settled down.  I shouted to him in Bulgarian but obviously being a Turkis breed, 'he no speaky di lingo' or was just choosing to ignore me.  Another note to self....cut down some of the brambles and put a) by the entrance to the cellar of the wreck and b) on the spoil heap...

Now let's get on with some reading.  Aldous has gone...got to the end and like all visions of Eutopia it ground to a halt and then the troops arrived so now I am reading the search for the greatest Columbian villain, Pablo something or other.....hard work this house renovation...   Catch you later....

Friday updated

Just a quick moan....I have this website that I visit and have some lovely friends on there...nothing dramatic...pleasant.  Now in their wisdom they have installed a website that is an intermediary that is supposed to stop fraudulent web users accessing the site.  Now that's fair enough said the fairy whose name was Nuff....but it intercepted me last night and told me that I had, or one of my network computers, had a virus.  This has happened before so I thought I would leave it until this morning.  Well as you already know D of S decided to pop along for coffee so I didn't try the other website until this afternoon and lo and behold the same message sooo.....I ran a full check despite the fact that I have Microsoft Security Essentials running all the time and nothing to report after six hours of trawling my system...and could I get on to that site...could I buggary and the worst thing is...they put up a page that allows you to enter a password to go on as a temporary user and it goes bloody nowhere...'done with errors on the page'....so I have emailed the intermediary...have received the initial system response and they are looking in to it....haha bloody haha.....I've also emailed the site owner and nothing yet to report....I think they have a thing against Bulgaria....we're not all villains and money launderers you know....despite the fact that my washing machine has been on twice this week   it's not money....it's just zebras, t-shirst and pj's honest....moan over....out of booze and down to gin and squash....it will do until bedtime...

Other than that...have just watered my garden...I have tomatoes, cucumber, and now my ornimental gourds have started and tomorrow...I build the great wall of Dushinkovo....on the top garden and shop for red wine....LN....

Friday's update update....

So the munchies kicked in and cheese on toast was favourite..but there is something about the cheese here that needs investigating...well it's unable to descibe...brown sauce would invariably save the moment...but must check Lidls next time I'm there...and as described ...the sheep is still there and you can definately see where the rope held it while it was henna'd

LN...I'm off to my virtuous pit now...way past the bewitching hour....