Hi Elsa, Luv reading your blogs. Great to hear you got some of the emails etc....I appoligise if too rude, I am afraid I am pretty broad minded when it come to stuff on paper or screen, in real life probably a bit more conservative.....not hehehehe. My Mum says Hello, and hopes your enjoying life there.
I have tried to find your address thru google maps, but it come up in a built up area, and your photos dont seem to suggest thats where u are????? Can you explain more for me plz. take care, Linda.x

Thursday continued

Thanks for that Linda....I think we would get on well together....young cousin...I'n not in the least bit shocked but some of the people where I would be likely to post would be...and big hugs for your mum.  As for being in a built up area?    Well I've put another storey on this one but there's not a lot in the village.  If you spot the school in the centre on Google...I'm just up the road...or down the road from there....

So what did I do today?  Still buggered around with trying to work out how to change my IP address and got to find out that it is registered in Sofia and so I thought I would phone up my service provider to complain that it's infected and what could they do about it...So at 5.30 this evening I did only to be told that the offices were closed and to phone back later, no opening times were quoted, just phone back later....and they are supposed to be part of Vodaphone....so much for customer service.  I've got a bet on with D of S, he says that I'll get no joy out of them....I'm going to persist.

My garden is looking a bit more like a garden and is almost cleared down to the bottom now.  Trouble is the weeds start growing again as soon as my back is turned.  While I was watering my garden I was surprised tonite by a tortoise heading for my tomatoes but I managed to head him off and send him towards the field.  Bonfire...it can wait...I came in and had a shower after washing my clogs....(I remembered)...felt all clean and lovely...so sat outside and read with a gin and tonic in one hand and the thought of food reared its ugly head so I cooked gammon with fried bread and a couple of eggs...not healthy food but delicious.  Now feeling tired, the temperature has gone down somewhat and ready to take my book to bed.  The third story is just as boring as the first and second but I'll stick with it....LN....the crickets, frogs and the screech owl are all going well tonight.  I might just have to close the door to the balcony...LN

Hi Elsa
Just to let you know that none of us have been on our site for two days now,  so you are not missing anything.  We do not know what has happened to it.  TA has left a message with D, but no joy yet.  We are all missing our friends.  

Friday 24th June

Thanks for the update Danuta...there's one consolation...it's not my access that's brought it down and I have the proof in the previous entries and yes, I am missing you all but, all of you now are missing all of you...if you get my drift   Lovely morning and at 6.00 I was out of bed only to get back in it after I had hung out my washing being on a cheaper overnight tariff, picked up a book and grabbed a coffee.  

So at 9.00 this morning I was on to my service provider and after being given the run around through the swichboard I eventually got through to a techy guy and when I asked what they could do about changing my IP address or getting it cleaned up his response was....nothing....I explained that I was running goodness knows how many full virus checks and apparently this IP address services not just me but loads of other people in the area and his response was 'not all people bother so much about that'    He did ask for the site that I was blocked from and the name of the intermediary that blocked me and said that it would probably take about three days to sort it out...I asked how?  He said by contacting the people involved...so let's see.

Onwards and upwards today....it's 10.30 here and I have the rest of the day to plan....just a few of last night's tortoise....

Friday continued

Had a very peaceful afternoon, the web blog that I was excluded from had decided to ditch the software since it seemed to cause more trouble that it was worth...don't know...might be reinstated so I decline to comment further on the grounds that I may not be invited again...

As I said pottered this afternoon but this evening I have had supper in the garden facing the Greek mountains with a glass of the red stuff in my hand and it was magical.  The light was just right and in the middle of it the sheep came over the hill with the 'boys' and there she was...how could you hide with hair that colour and the cowman, who used to be the shepherd was lobbing bricks at some of the herd and it's probably a good job that I didn't understand him, and he got some of them over the hill.  The rest he headed up to the high pasture over the road.  So they are back.  Some have strayed close to my perimeter fence and I'm thinking that I shall be out there with bricks the way that the cowman was...just to send them on their way you understand...I'm not to be reported for this...   So I've just had the sheep come back and I heard the shepherd shout 'chuk' to get them on their way.  So I stood on the balcony, shouted the said word and off they went...I am a shepherdess....LN

Winebox holding up, am thinking that I must go into Kardjali tomorrow for supplies and I might just visit my friend in Nicolovo....I feel like a change of scenery.  Most of the cows are now heading back towards the cowsheds...I get the feeling that they are not expected until dawn...shucks....  Now for a few pickies

Saturday 25th June

At the back of my mind for the last few days has been that Beauty and the Beast both need MOTs..So this morning I thought I would get Beauty spruced up and get rid of the half ton of balast introduced by the men at the end of the day...it sort of sticks to their little rubber soles.  I do have rubber mats that I chuck out occasionally but I thought I'd pay and get the job done properly.

Before that however, I was out in the garden after yesterday's castastrophe of losing the wedge that keeps the blade on the scythe so I realised that I had an axe handle that had got busted when the roof of the wreck was removed.  So out with my saw, got the chisle to split it and the littler one that I thought would do the trick didn't.  Got the bigger one, bashed it in with my hammer and hey presto...one working scythe and you can now definately see to the end of the garden.  By eight this morning I had got to the point of exhaustion so back for a coffee, lit the bonfire that went up like an inferno since the brambles by now had turned to a crisp.  Didn't risk the fire brigade, I decided that I would put the rest round the perimeter fence to deter dogs and cows alike.

Showered, dried hair and headed for ...Djebel with the view of going on to the garage in Kardjali to get the little one MOTed after its wash and brush up.  Talking to the garage owner, he advised me that I have another month before it needs to be done....according to the little blue disk on the windowscreen so a stay of execution.  But ten leva well spent...it hardly feels and looks like my car any more.

Got back at 2.00 after doing a little food shopping and the thunder was roaming around so I'd cleared the cushions off the terrace and low and behold....three bloody cows in my garden and they seem to have found a new hole in the other side of the boundary...chased them off and imagined 'woman struck by lightening as she chases cows from the property' but I managed to get back in one piece.  Rain set in and it looks like I shan't have to be out there with the hose tonight.  Closed down the computer and thought I would just lie on the bed and read for a while and I woke up at half past five after dreaming about a bloody rabbit that just didn't want to be held and I had to get it home....now analyse that one...

Hamburgers for supper tonight....but already in the slow cooker with tomato and onion sauce and I'll throw in a handful of rice towards the end...one pan cooking for me.  LN...we've just had another rumble so I better get this thing closed down...

Saturday continued

Thunder came to nothing but I have just sat out on the terrace while I was waiting for my rice to finish. Everything looks really fresh and green and there is nothing nicer than not getting wet but sitting outside.  

I've just got a big plank of wood, found the gap that the bovine beasts got through and secured it between the big trees on the boundary....and I'm standing guard all night with my catapult and shotgun and tomorrow, the barbed wire goes round..... along with the machine gun posts   LN and I'm just going to place the order now.....

Sunday 26th June

So after the rain of last night, it's a beautiful sunny day but the wind from the east this morning was cold as I sat out to have my cofeee at eight this morning.  Now it's changed round again and coming from the north but the sun is hot, hot, hot.  Still no need to water my garden this morning and my sweet peas in the fridge (the painted one outside) and coming along in leaps and bounds and starting to head up the trellis work and so they should.  Just looking out at the sheep this morning and I can spot my red beauty even at this distance.  It's no good trying to hide, you stand out a mile...

So the pictures I took of last nights sunset were quite dramatic.  There was a layer of mist hanging over the river which I managed to capture and I love the light on the opposite hills as the sun is going down.  It was still raining when I took them but then it really settled in and has soaked the ground.  Today is being a day of nothing.  It's sunday after all, my day of rest along with all the others in the week if I want them to be so.  That's the beauty of being here....choice....hard days or easy days....I am the mistress of my own destiny...now there's a thought...

And guess who forgot the pickies ...doh...

And all I want now is a chatelaine to dangle my keys from....although if I locked the wine away and lost my keys.....not worth thinking about...

Monday 27th June

So I was working away last night on my PC when a bastard XP Security zapped my computer knocking out all my short cuts....wouldn't do anything.  Now previously I have not been known for running lots of security programs but since I had this intermediatory issue with my other favourite website have run loads and it's as if the buggers were waiting for me....and yes, it has got me big time.  It is only thanks to D of S and his extensive knowledge that I am on the internet at all having recreated new short cuts for me using his Dos prompt skills....with the advice...get a new laptop or a box and that seems to be written in the stars.  This one is old, doesn't allow me to play films on it because it has the old type USB ports and has seen better days....bit like me really....so tomorrow I am off to the big city (Kardjali) with BGN to hand....and now I'm going to see if I can run some more software to get rid of XP nasty security virus....aaarrrgggghhhh....