Hello
'Sweetie Day' is 29/30 Aug, Annie is coming armed with 'BlackJacks' and 'Fruit Salad'.  Thanks for the plug http://www.thegudlife.com/blog/ !  My car now has one less wing mirror thanks to a neighbours horse scratching its arse against it. Think I might swap him for a lamb as he has lots!

KDofS

Wednesday 17th August

Thanks for the update on the 'Sweetie Day'.  Better get supplies in ready.  A sheep for a wing mirror....what's he going to do with it...attach it to the horse or are you going to swap your neighbour for a sheep?

Talking of sheep, there I was working away at seven this morning when I looked up and two of the blighters were skipping down the garden.  Don't know where they got in, I've been on sheep watch ever since and whenever they are on the adjoining hillside I'm on the balcony watching them.  So far no luck on the entry point but I have discovered that my fence that I put up yesterday is stock proof.  The buggers couldn't get out through my new fence and only managed it with difficulty in part of the old fence to the right of the garden.  That's tomorrow's task.  I've given the rib a rest for the day.  I did say that I would probably suffer and I did.

So what did I do.  I turned three kilos of plums into plum and ginger jam putting it in small pots instead of the large ones that I usually use.  Must say that the plums were easier than the wild cherry damsons in that there were less stones but they still like hanging in there for dear life.  Only going to attempt peach jam from now on...much bigger stones.

Really hot again today so the energy levels this afternoon have been pretty low and seven fifteen here and still sticky.  Sheep have yet again trotted over the hillside so I'll be on the lookout for them on the way back...my forsythia has taken a pounding...there's a sheep that makes a  beeline for the wild cherry damson tree and eats the fallen fruit.  It's a wonder it's not signed up for sheep AA, that fruit must be fermenting by now. So that's why she never sounds like the others...she's persisted.

Shower time, food time, drinkie time...pc time and bedtime.....and time I got my rear end into gear......LN

Thursday 18th August

Silly o'clock this morning I was wide awake.  Three of the clock I was playing on my DS and then went on to read the donated version of White Swan and I haven't yet got to where the hundred or so pages are missing where I have to use my imagination or my memory from when I read it last time..   Eventually got back off again about fivish but six thirty I am making coffee and decide to switch on the pc and get emails out of the way, six fifty I am chasing sheep out of my garden where the bad guys from yesterday remembered where they had exited so at this point I am a sheep farmer and shouting the miraculous words...chuch, chuck...and they all left.  Grerat stuff.  Walking back up the garden I noticed the two rogues from yesterday that had made their entrance somewhere up north and they couldn't get out, despite trying to wreck the fence.  So I herded them down to the bottom where they decided to try and wreck the new fence but a quart into a pint won't go so it 'persuaded' them that the entry hole should be the exit hole and off they went standing outside the boundary looking in.  I know this isn't personal....blighters are hungry and the two northern enders are alcoholics hence the fermenting janki fix...they really should seek help or submit themselves for a barbecue...

Seven ten....I have dragged the wood down to the bottom of the garden, came in to rescue that coffee before it got cold, they have headed over the hillside with not a man insight to oversee them and only one dog since the rest have suffered for their insanity at the end of a gun.  I reckon the farmer might suffer the same fate if I get more mornings like this.  Coffee demolished, wish me luck...this might take some time...I'm, off to the bottom of the garden armed with hammer, sickle and nails.   

Thursday continued

I think my borders are secure, captain.  To the right, entry points annihilated, to the south new obstructions constructed, to the LRFt, holes plugged....well at least I hope so....I am waiting for the litmus test....they come over the hill in approximately one hour and I am at the ready with barbecue at full pelt and shot gun to hand...not really...more like hammer and nails at the ready with the odd plank of wood.  You may remember that I purchase 40 4metre planks to do the job...they are all gone....nails...I'm really not sure how many kilos of the things but it's not like they cost a fortune...one kilo, approximately 2 leva, less than a pound.  So not pretty and so long as a magnet doesn't come over attached to a plane or the likes, it should withstand the onslaught of sheep and the odd herd of cows.  My allotment man from next door popped his head over to see what the banging was all about...he reckons I'm a 'maester' and I reckon that where needs must.....needs must.

Cooked up some hamburgers since the sheep look like they're not coming...chicken...no sheep....so not much need for the cooker to go on tonight.  Reckon I might ask my sheep farmer to get me some more wood from the wood yard since my last efforts could have amounted to a hefty fine and I haven't got Bekir to hang on to the wood in the back of the Beast like last time.  He's got a van...so let's see if he is neighbourly.

Off now....I need to have another shower to get rid of the ravages of the rose thorns and other things that have ripped my legs to buggery....LN...KD of S has a reel of barbed wire that will finish the job for me....I'm over there tomorrow unless he is heading my way.....I must check......LN

I was in Djebel today - a bloody horse decided to scratch its arse on my wing mirror - the horse won!  So I have 'bodged' it back together Bulgarian style with a screw and some 'gaffa' tape.  I am nearly a local!

Quoted from KingDom

I was in Djebel today - a bloody horse decided to scratch its arse on my wing mirror - the horse won!  So I have 'bodged' it back together Bulgarian style with a screw and some 'gaffa' tape.  I am nearly a local!

So what it is it with you, wing mirrors, horse's arses, sheep and locals...keep taking the tablets....I'll phone you in the morning and pop round for the barbed wire if that's OK...email me...   unless your sweetcorn is ready for picking and I'll be round with the butter around lunchtime....

The barbed wire is for my fence...not my wing mirrors....

Friday 19th August

Early up and at 'um.  There was something in the bedroom that had the mosquito 'buzz' at about four thirty this morning.  I switched the light on but could not spot the bastard, so read for a while but noticed that it was a beautiful sky so managed to capture it.  Thought I'd have a few more minutes in the Land of Nod, settled down for a while but then again, that little drone that you know is homing in for the kill so got out the insect spray and decided that coffee and gardening would have to substitute.

I lit the  bonfire, raked the garden and deposited a few loads of builder's rubble to the bottom of the garden, thought about my second cup of coffee and then 'Pow', like no power, electricity off.  So how did I know this?  My UPS for the central heating started to bellow out its high pitched scream so that second cup of coffee just didn't happen.  

Phoned KD of S and asked if there was anything he wanted from Djebel, he said 'No'.  The sheep farmer complemented me on my fence and asked who had done it so I told him it was 'all my own work' and asked him if he would pick up another forty planks for me the next time he was in Rogoche which he agreed to do...I don't know when this will happen but since I'm now stock proof it can happen as and when.  I decided that a pedicure was the order of the day until my luncheon appointment.

Took the Beast over to KD of S.....armed with one pot of plum and ginger jam and one of spiced plum jutney/cham and my butter for the sweetcorn but when I got there, the barbecue was going and on it were beefburgers, his peppers, tomatoes, beetroot and from the fridge came out neighbour's eggs and his potato salad.  No sweetcorn....turned into 'maize' but did come back with the barbed wire which I shall apply tomorrow, one book which I have started already and a water melon.  Plum jam goes to Annie since he is not too keen on jam at the best of times...spiced plum jutney was a success and would have been good with hamburgers but since we had eaten them already, the cham lives to fight another day.

As for the Beast....first spin since I had the engine additive put in at the garage and yes it does seem to be running smoother.....got home about three ish, electricity still not provided but I suppose this is the longest it's  been off this summer.  It eventually came on at about five while I was 'resting my eyes' and I've remembered to reset the hot water boiler timer which has saved me about ten pounds a month in electricity by coming on during 'cheap rate' for a couple of hours each night.

Lovely little lizard seems to have taken up residence on my lounge terrace but boy, do they move quickly when you are trying a photo-shoot.  Beautiful calm evening...back to the book and time for a little drink I think since there is no cooking tonight.  

Was in pub tonight(shock) and man with the horse turned up - Free beer! Just got back thought I would make the most of it!

Saturday 20th August

Quoted from KingDom

Was in pub tonight(shock) and man with the horse turned up - Free beer! Just got back thought I would make the most of it!

I think it would be more of a shock, my dear boy, if you weren't in the pub....only joking.  Thanks for lunch, as I've said before, it's good to have a conversation without having to try and translate it into something that someone understands, be it Bulgarian or Turkish.  

My internal alarm went off at six as per normal but no mosquito buzz last night and despite my afternoon siesta I had a really good night.  I've messed around on t'Internet this morning and now must get on with something constructive but firstly, breakfast....catch you later.  I get the feeling that Kardjali is calling....

Saturday continued

Changed my mind on Kardjali, it was just too warm so sat out until I could sit no more, got my supper prepared and then went into Djebel to top up with nails for the barbed wire and the fence panels if they ever get here and some beer.  Filled with good intention until I went into the supermarket but the bottle of brandy and the coke sitting underneath it were just too much for my will power but considering I got three x 2 litres of beer, one bottle of brandy, one of coke, bread and a huge packet of sweets ready for sweetie byram it came to the grand total of twenty three leva which roughly translated is eleven pounds.  Bargain.

Read some more of my new book, Ghost by Robert Harris,  worked in the garden and have just come in at eight thirty.  Something nice about working late and a bonfire going to get rid of the polythene rubbish and weeds as you remove them.  The sheep have just gone off to bed, the sun's set and now I'm catching up with t'Internet, emails, another excerpt of House Doctor and then taking Robert Harris to bed in the nicest possible way.

LN....I'm knacked.