Thursday continued

My Avatar come round today at about one twenty five with a daughter from Turkey that I knew nothing about.  She was there for the guided tour but arrived five minutes before I was about to set off for my student in Djebel and even though they came armed with a gift of what appears to be candy floss with flavouring, I had to explain that I was ready for the off....

So went in and delivered.  There were lots of difficult words in the text so I ended up looking at the dictionary more than I would have liked but I believe he got the gist of the story and his homework was to translate it for his mother, who speaks English reasonably well and to do his homework.  I had prepared another text and gave him the choice...learning about Octopuses or Starfish and he chose the Octopus.  Even I learnt something today.

Home for four after stopping at my Leva shop to get some flowerpots for the stuff that has to come in for the winter.  They also had bags of compost so I got ten litres only to be asked 'why' by Avatar's daughter in law.  Yes I have spread other stuff on the rest of the garden but I wanted something now to get the plants moved and ready for storage....so excuse accepted.

Tomorrow is the start of the three day Djebel festival and parking today was a nightmare and that's just a sign of things to come.  Tomorrow I am taking Avatar and her daughter to daughter in laws house and I will park up there and we'll see what the Djebel carnival is all about.  I've missed it for the last two years so third time lucky.

Supper over, more of the free water with a little additive and I'm changing my book tonight.  I'm staggering through 'Band of Brothers' and it was probably much better as a TV serial.  It's hard going.  Enough...I have to get rested for tomorrow's events....LN.... there'll be pictures tomorrow...

Friday 7th October

So this morning again was a beautiful start and stunning sunrise but that's par for the course here.  The nice thing is that I can lie in my bed and watch it.  My howling dog heralded the mosque's call to prayer and I had a little chuckle at the thought of its master throwing something at it to shut it up.

Breakfast on the terrace and I decided for no other reason that I wanted to listen to it that the soundtrack from Les Miserable should be played at a more than reasonable volume while I sat out in the sun.  I was heading into town to Djebel Fete and I was reminded of the saying, two local women and you have a bazaar, three and you have a festival day.  I headed over to my Avatar's house and confirmed that we would be heading off at eleven thirty to go to her daughter in laws house and she was humming and arghing.  She doesn't like leaving the village so I said that if she was there, fantastic otherwise I would take her daughter, on holiday from Turkey in, and she could miss all the fun......but she was there, complete with dress instead of work trousers and hold-ups that didn't do what it said on the packet and I think that she was there for my benefit.

In the car, I strapped her in since there is a fine just introduced for not wearing a seatbelt and we arrived at her daughter in law's flat.  Her mother and sister were there but without pugilistic child and we sat round and lunch was delivered...chicken, hamburgers, bread, peppers and Fanta.  The conversation was flowing well between Bulgarian and Turkish and I was gleaning some of the conversation and these day's it doesn't phase me.  So after lunch, Avatar, daughter and myself set off for the fete and what a let down.  Lots of children's bouncy castles, chickens roasting on spits but very few people and no market stalls unfortunately.  We quickly decided that home was best so back we walked to the flat and Avatar and myself drove back to Dushinkovo.  The upshot, no photos.  It could be better tomorrow since it is a three day festival but Avatar made it clear that no way Hose was she going for another bout,

Sat out and started a new book that seems more interesting that the last two I have tried and couldn't get in to.  Decided that I would move in doors, lay on the sofa and dog napped and realised that the wind had got up so closed the doors to get the place warm.  Now it's not cold but the body sort of gets used to the 70's and then it drops to 65....

Almost seven here...not into food, once I have had lunch that's it for me until tomorrow.  Undecided if it's Djebel, Kardjali or gardening tomorrow...let's see what tomorrow brings....

Saturday 8th October

Had a horrible night's sleep.....still awake at 1.00 this morning reading and really quite awake and this morning up and about six.  Got into my book that I started yesterday, decided to go back to bed and was still languishing there at ten thirty.  Another book bites the dust so I'm now back to the ones that I've started and perhaps I'll finish one day.

Bacon with tomato sauce on toasted bread for breakfast out in the sun on my activity centre (outdoor sofa).  Really nice day again and ticking over at seventy four but then the wind got up around lunchtime and it had a nip to it.  Picked the ripening tomatoes and they are outside on the bench, the green ones I'll leave for a little while longer.  Potted up some more of the plants that need to come in for the winter and then decided to do my emails, look at the posts on my other blog that I follow, do my Daily Mail five star sudoku and then decided that lunch was on the agenda.  Again out in the sun for lunch but that wind beat me today so back to the pc.

Looked through the films that I have stored and realised that I had Gandhi and I'd never watched it before and didn't realise it was such a long film.  Quite thought provoking and I must find his life story and give him a read.  Let's see how close the film was to reality.

So seven thirty...cinema might reopen again a little later when I've decided what options I have....and picked one.  I think I really need one of those dice that you throw that points you in a direction when all else fails.....think I might just make one and now to plan what to put on it....LN...and now drinky time....

Sunday 9th October

Mother of all thunderstorms last night and I went to bed with the curtains open and watched the storm.  The heavens opened and this morning my wheel barrow confirmed the volume of rain that fell overnight and it's still coming down.  I can't see the Greek mountains, can hardly see the next village and it looks like it's set in for the day and I've worked out why.  I was planning the wreck renovation and one of the first jobs is to get some concrete supports in under the roof and concrete ceiling over what is to be, lounge and hall way.  At the first mention of the word concrete, it starts.  It was like that when we put down the terraces and also the toilet pit........so there you go.  I think I shall have to phone Bekir and cancel tomorrow if I want the weather to improve.

So much for the third day of Djebel fair....

Sunday continued

I started reading Band of Brothers again and it's getting a little more interesting...they are trying to take Arnhem.  Realised that I hadn't given Jacques Lousier an airing for a while so that was going in the background while I did a few Freecell and my daily sudoku and then the weather seemed to pick up a little.  It was never good today but I managed to get out and clear some of the bank beyond my special tree.  There are lots plum tree runners that seem to spring up everywhere and I think they were just waiting for last night's rain to put in an appearance.  In that part of the garden there are also lots of brambles that I have cut back a couple of times but I think they need drastic action, like digging out.  

I did disturb some of the wild life.  There were several large beetles that probably haven't seen the light of day until this damn great fork prised them from their little nests and I saw the tail end of a mouse disappearing down one of the many holes in the bank.  I might just, might just have to look to see if there is a kitten around that might take to me.  Unfortunately it would have to be an outside one but there are plenty of places it could hole up like in the wreck.  It should have a roof on before winter.

Now for my men.  I checked out the weather report for the next three days and apparently we are in for heavy showers for the next couple of days but it should be picking up by Wednesday.  This afternoon I was thinking of cancelling the men, like rain stopped play, but Bekir beat me to the phone call and they called it off.  Just as well, no fun working in the rain and me having to dry out their 'bigs'.  The smalls they just have to live with.

So lit my wood burner today.  Not cold but damp and it makes it feel very homely.  The insulation has made such a difference and I don't seem to be burning as much wood as before.  I know it's not winter yet and the proof will be when the thermometer drops to several below like last year. I've got that to look forward to....

Enough ramblings....cooked spaghetti bolognaise tonight but didn't have any red wine to make the gravy that little bit special.  Never mind...think a trip into Kardjali might be on the cards for tomorrow since I can do nothing in the garden if it's tiddling it down....and the only thing left is green tomato chutney and can't say I'm in the mood for that and you have to be.....LN....I'm about to start looking for a film....

Monday 10th October

So at silly o'clock this morning I was awakened  by the rain that was pelting down so the BBC weather was right.  I put the light on, read my book and they are not taking Arnhem defending one of the villages, but after being surrounded they were defending themselves.  That's war for you.  At four am I decided that I might just be able to get off again and I surely did....eight twenty when I woke up so it's a good job that the men cancelled otherwise I would have messed up big time on their first day back.

Lit the wood burner again this morning.  I checked on the outside thermometer and it's nine degrees and while that might seem OK to you home birds, remember that last week we were middle upper twenties so it's a bit of a shock to the system so much so that I dug out one of my fleece pyjama tops to laze around in today well if measuring up for curtains is lazing around.  I found five meters of cotton 'zebra' that I'd forgotten about so that will do for the lounge but the white lining is too good so I've decided that I'm off to Kardjali tomorrow.  I can get or at least order the curtain poles from my material shop and a note to self...must print out the photo that I took of her when I was last in the shop. I also need some other lining material for the second bedroom that is going to double as my upstairs lounge for the winter.  The outside furniture needs to come in so it's as good a place as any and if the weather is really good, I move it out onto the bedroom balcony so dual purpose.  

Cilla Black playing this afternoon and forgot to mention that I watched the film Jo Black last night... weird but enjoyable and the cinema closed at 11.15 so I should have been tired when I went to bed but obviously not enough to sleep the whole night through... now back to those curtains....

Tuesday 11th October

Well...it rained all night and the upshot is that I have lost part of my front little wall and it was dangerously near to the front of my Beauty.  When I say rain, I mean rain and there is at least ten inches in one of my water containers outside.  It just threw it down.  I seem to recall that we had the same last year when Angela was here so maybe October is a month that visitors should avoid.  We'd gone to visit the Shipka Pass and had been there but not seen it.  In fact it was so foggy that we were in striking distance but couldn't even see the hand in front of you and we only found out how bad it was by the swollen river on our way back from Kardjali.  

I've just printed out and delivered framed photographs of my Avatar and her daughter.  One for both of them.  As it was it was a family breakfast so I've just had local savoury porridge with bread in my own little dish while the rest of them sat down on the floor with spoons and one big one between them,  No camera ...but tomorrow I shall be there but not to partake of the food, to photograph the event.  She has one wood burner going for cooking and heating but while it's great at what it does, it only does one room.  Open the door and it dissipates.  Her daughter is going back to Turkey on Thursday and I have been invited to stay with them and we've just to solve the problems of the cows, chickens and dog and I can go with Avatar.  The plan is on the drawing board.

English lesson today and later on to Kardjali and Avatar's daughter in law wants to come with me to Lidl.  Now to shower, hair wash and generally spruce up a bit....going to the big city....

Tuesday continued

So I was finishing my lesson prep when I got the phone call.  My student has been sent home from school and is not fit enough to endure a lesson today so no go.  I also cancelled my trip into Kardjali since no point in using fuel just for the sake of and I've decided to go in on 'specials' day which is Thursday instead and this time before my lesson since everything is prepared.  If I do a flyer at nine I can easily be back for the lesson.  I did get positive feedback from his mother today so yes...they are going to continue.

Now a few pickies...it's been too long without.  It's still pretty nippy outside so decided to resort to the wood burner.  Sat down to a film this afternoon, I've had this disk for ages and not really investigated what is on it but today I found Uncle Adolf a story about the last few days in the bunker and his relationship with his niece.  What was strange though that his original driver was none other than.....Max Branning (alias Jake Wood) from Eastenders.  Sad film....

Night in by the fire tonight.....it's damp, cold and rainy.....

Wednesday 12th October

My men are back and we have worked out the initial plan...Sally still shakes his head but they have worked really hard for a first day back.  Coffee and cake for breakfast....fortunately I was walking down the road to give Socks the remains of last night's supper since it didn't sit too well, or perhaps I cooked too much and the food van was coming towards me.  I waved at the man and was able to let him know to stop outside since the men are back so no having to go into Djebel for food.

No materials today...Sally has been on the wrong end of a spade and Bekir on the wheelbarrow.  The neighbours have been round to greet them back to the village, the water board man came to read the meter and since the water is off I told him that I wasn't paying for a service that I wasn't getting.  He had rather a sheepish look on his face that fits well with the countryside and I sent him off to his digger machine further down the road or up the road dependent on where you live.  Right, time to take the men back home....back to the routine....

  

Wednesday continued

Had to take photos of the men's efforts today....they sort of smile as if to say...here she goes again.  A couple of the morning...and as for the moon tonight...really clear so should have a good day tomorrow.  The water is still off.  I had a bet with the men...they said that it would be on in a couple of hours....I said no way and so far I am right and since I saw the digger and the van heading in the direction of Djebel....I think it will be tomorrow now at the earliest.

So here goes...just a couple or three to keep you going....LN