Thursday 13th October

Very quick update tonight.  I have just come upstairs after a hard day of driving hither and hither shepherding people places and things and the bloody thunder has just started so not much tonight.

Avatar's daughter caught the taxi to get her to the Bursa (Turkey) bus and goodness knows how she will manage that luggage when she get's home.  I don't know what they go back with but I believe it is half of Bulgaria stashed away.  All those things that they can't get back home.

So came back from Djebel with breakfast for the lads which was highly appreciated.  Local cheese in a big bun for Sally which he said that he couldn't manage but he went back for seconds, filo pastry with cheese for Bekir and myself and local yoghurt drink.  We feasted well with coffee to follow.

After that they went back to demolishing, I went on to drop three more loads of cow sh1....whatsit on to my vegetable patch and planted up my garlic to give it a start over the winter.  I then decided that I was in no fit state to go teaching smelling of cow stuff and bonfire so had a shower and washed my hair appearing for the second time in Djebel today but both in different guises.  Lesson went well, went round to see my restaurant lady and then back home but carrying three bottles of vino and three of beer, in the rain.

Arrived home to see two sodden men hiding in my wreck and I was about to take them home early but I asked Bekir if he could go up in the loft for me.  For the last few nights I have lain in bed and heard scratching or munchings from the loft.  I don't like creepy crawlies as you may have gathered and it was so bad last night that I decided to sleep down stair.  So this morning in Djebel I bought four cans of insect spray and two of them are now circulating in the loft.  Poor Bekir.   When he had finished I asked him if he wanted coffee or beer and there was not a second before he shouted beer and the deed was done.

It is now chucking it down again.  They have protected the unprotected walls with polythene  and we'll see what's still standing tomorrow.  I have photos of their demolition today but will be posted tomorrow...as we can say rain and thunder and lightening stopped play...

LN...I'm shutting up shop....

Friday 14th October

It's the quiet after the storm and there was snow on them there hills this morning towards Pamporova.  There's a distinct chill in the air so on with the sweater, boots and sleeveless jacket this morning knowing that we were going to be standing around the builder's merchants this morning and stand around we did.

As for the weather last night when I had to sign off pretty sharpish, the storm turned out to be horrendous and despite the fact that it only rained for about an hour or so, the rain was lashing and the wind gynormous but the wreck survived last night but this morning the boys are excavating underneath what is now the workshop and planning the concrete supports for the floor.  The previous owners used to keep the animals down there...and now it is probably just home to a few frogs and biggish snails and neither of the boys are looking forward to working there...

Well I suddenly had to leave....one of my neighbours received a call from the school that her grand daughter has had an epileptic fit and so we rushed to the school to find the ambulance on its way to Djebel so we followed it but without the blue light flashing and then had to wait until two for the doctor to arrive from Kardjali.  All over now, she has been certified as OK and her temperature is normal so I carry on with my quest.

While I was away the men have found a pipe under the footings of the cellar and they are now digging out a canal so that the water can drain away and they have just brought into play the electric hammer drill.  I am built on bedrock.  Next stage is to put some concrete platforms down and then three columns to support the roof/ floor to one of the rooms and then we are all systems go for the other supports for the roof.  Now I'm going to post the pictures from yesterday that the storm got in the way of.... quick update later....

Friday continued

Just a look at the Bat Cave with Batman and Robin working underground.  Not sure which is which but we'll leave it at that.  I actually ventured under and was surprised how good it was.  I imagined all sorts down there but no, clean, fairly dry despite all of the rain and not bad to work in so I left them to it

Came to take them home tonight and guess who had stupidly left Beauty's lights on so the battery was as flat as the proverbial pancake and despite their efforts and pushing the car to the road to jump start it, no go.  I did say that we would take the Beast but they were fairly insistent that they could get it on to the road but no.  I think it was when they said to head it for Star Mush's well and I had visions of getting it stuck in the lane.  STOP...we'll take the big one, it'll do it good to have a run and it did.  Got it back in the drive and just about to settle into a bottle of wine when there was a knock on my door and I don't normally get that.  My Avatars daughter was there with a dish of 'supper' for me and was I pleased.  Supper down, wine open, remnants of a book to finish, Saturday tomorrow, lie in and no fetching the men tomorrow.

Pictures of the men going underground....and then I'm off...LN....

Saturday 15th October

So my intention to sleep in ended at seven thirty this morning....wide awake and into buzzy buzzy mode until I decided to go on to the computer and encountered a couple of difficult suduko and before I knew it my neighbour that I took to the hospital yesterday was letting herself.  I normally put the key outside when I am 'in and out'.  She came round to offer me money for the taxi ride yesterday.  I obviously refused...they are neighbours for goodness sake and her husband is the one with the chain saw that did my wood for me.  

Miserable, miserable damp weather, raining at first and then it cleared up a little.  Three sheep seemed to separate themselves from the flock this morning and found a hole in the fence where the barbed wire stops.  I was soon out there and they went out the same way that they came in I wrote on the list to do it later. So while I was on the computer I realised that they had told all their mates about it and there were about twenty homing in on, and demolishing what was left of my peppers so I was out then in dressing gown with hammer and nails and the hole is no longer.  It's been road tested...they came into the field, tried and carried on so job's a 'guddun'.  I don't like peppers anyway and my growing them was a token to the village but that's not the point.  They were mine to leave to spoil.

Had good intentions of green tomato chutney, managed the washing or rather the machine did and I slummed around in dressing gown until one thirty until I decided that enough was enough, washing out for a blow and that's about all it had. It's now on the airer in the upstairs bathroom and hopefully will be ready to put away tomorrow.  I also decided to put away my summer clothes and get ready for winter which appears to have come early this year.  I have left a couple of t-shirts (ever hopeful) out but I think they will even be going away by the end of next week if there is no improvement.  

Made a coffee......it seems too cold for beer or red wine.  Lit the fire since it is feeling a little cold and tomorrow I am bringing in the outside furniture to see where I can put it.  Last year because there was no insulation on the house and gaps where there shouldn't have been, it was cold.  This year my neighbour couldn't get over how warm it was and there was no fire going this morning.  The house stood up to it well last night.  Problem is with their houses, they heat one room, open the door to do something elsewhere in the house and all the heat dissipates.  At least mine is a pretty even temperature throughout but I don't think I shall ever reach the temperatures that the English houses seem to ratch up.  It's now getting warmer....I might just think about opening that bottle of the red stuff...and I have a curry in the slow cooker and only have to do the rice tonight.....LN...let the party begin...  

Hi Elsa. Hope all is well. The rain on pic's looks like we get here in OZ when it rains it rains.....lol.
What are you going to do with the other building....some more rooms for guests????
My Mum is ok at the mo. Holding her own.
I sent you a little gift to the address you gave me, have you got it yet??? I am not sure when I sent it, but it was a while ago now.
Anyway it was only small jesture, so keep an eye out.

Take care look after yourself.
Regards Linda & all.xx

Sunday 16th October

Thanks Linda for the update...no the pressie hasn't arrived yet so I will be down to beat up the postman tomorrow which could be any of the villagers that happen to be passing this way.  It's probably novelty factor that I haven't got it yet..they might not have seen those stamps before...   As for the other house....I fell in love with the fireplace and although that is no excuse for having a spend-up...it's time that it was done.  Where the men are working down under...no..not Australia....down under the house...I think the eventual plan is to turn it into an indoor swimming pool.  The current work is to get supports in place and a roof on. The nice thing about working with those two is that they build it as if it's their own.  They know that I don't skimp on materials and we don't have a 'grand design', it 'happens', on the hoof so to speak.

So what did today hold?  Not a lot.  Dug out my woollen socks and darned a couple of holes and got all the plants in.  The wind has a really raw edge to it and thought that it was time that they came in especially the ones that I'm wintering for Kingdom while he's wintering in the UK.  My neighbour's son came round late last night and removed the battery from Beauty and put it on to charge on what must be a pre-war battery charger and I'm not sure which war.  It was raining so we went out with torch and this morning he came round at eleven and replaced it.  Beauty is now mobile and my other neighbour came round with a plate of their rice and meat.  Not sure if it's a run up to a festival but it was a welcome lunchtime snack.

I watch a Clint Eastwood film and then decided that it was time to go into Djebel and get to the cash point.  Having ordered the materials and if they are delivered tomorrow as promised, they will need paying for.  The first cash point counts out how long your card has been in and when it got to one minute thirty I began to panic....  without that card I up that creek without a paddle...it was returned but the machine informed me to try later.  Maybe it was the connection with the bank in England but I went to the other one and no problem...Phew....

So bought a bag of what they call coal out here but it's nothing like the stuff my dad used to dig out of the earth.  I think this get's mixed with cement dust and is more like phurnacite but I'm not sure if it's smokeless and it's too cold to go out and look.  I'm think the man ripped me off....he had to think too long about the price but I've got five bags being delivered with the order tomorrow so it was just a temporary stop gap.  He did say that it was 'big' but so was the price.  I'll get a local to ask how much and then I'll slam him for all he's worth.  Shifty.

Also got a bottle of Brandy for a hot drink tonight and the onions for doing the chutney tomorrow.  The fire is belting it out, the radiators are warm, I'm feeling very cosy and that's before the brandy is opened.  LN...  I'm just about to check out the other films on the disk....not into reading tonight....

Monday 17th October

Well as expected, the cold snap has brought snow to them there hills.  I woke up at five thirty this morning and put on the outside light and it looked like snow coming down but there was none sticking.  Went back to bed to read and drink my coffee and the hills were covered with mist and it is only now that I have looked up from my pc and realised that it was snow and has settled.  Bekir phoned this morning saying that the materials weren't coming today but I guess he is grateful for it.  We only have to mention 'concrete' and we normally get rain or in this case snow.  The fire is still going from last night and the house is a peasant temperature without roaring away but I might just have to stoke it up now I've noticed the snow.   Psychological.

Happy birthday today for Evie P my grand daughter.  She adores books so there is a gift voucher sitting in my son's email box for her.....I think it's so much fun for children to be able to choose from the internet and wait for the parcel to arrive. Big hugs and lots of love to a special grand daughter....

Snow pickies and one of the little lizard that has been patrolling the terrace.  Moved the cushions from the outside arm chairs yesterday and look what I found underneath one of them...

Monday continued

Just found a very unwelcome guest in the spare bedroom in the big dish underneath the pot plants.  I suppose he had made his home in the fuchsia but unfortunately he has to go find a new one.  I've just persuaded him to go out on the the bedroom terrace and no, I'm not good with spiders but since there is no one else here....I have to get on with it...so out he goes.

The weather appeared to be picking up but I've just checked on the BBC weather for Kardjali and it could be as low as one degree tonight so I think the fleece zebra has got to make it's first appearance of the winter.  Needs as needs must so they say but the forecast for the rest of the week is sunny.   So....does it stay in the stable or not?...decisions, decisions.  LN...I think I'm going to have to toss a coin....

Tuesday 18th October


So my postman didn't phone me but phoned Bekir to say that there was a letter for me at the post office.  Bills normally arrive with anyone but since it had safely got to the next village, there was no losing it now as far as he was concerned.  On the way back to the house we stopped off and Bekir went in to get it....and came out with a veritable goody bag all the way from....Australia.

It sat on the car seat besides me and I know the men were just as eager to see what it contained so when we got back to the house I opened it outside and there was just so much of it.  Thank you so much Linda and I promise to give you a potted history.  When you said that you have heard nothing about my life since the police...can I explain that I used to be a police woman when I was twenty two and always remained on the side of the law....

It's so cold today, yes the zebra came out of the stable and I've moved down to the lower bedroom next to the wood burner.  It has a cosier feel to it than the upstairs one.  That snow is still lingering and despite the weather forecast for sun there probably is one somewhere but not here today.

Pickies....and then I must get moving since I haven't lit the fire today and my fingers are so cold that I am having trouble typing....

Tuesday continued

So the lorry came with the materials for the wreck.  The bricks were unloaded, the cement was unloaded  and it was decided that the wood, two cubic of it was going to be tipped outside the gate...and was it tipped.  The metal was unloaded first and left on the road and when the wood was tipped, the lorry carried on down the lane and the next thing I knew was that I was told to be careful.  They attached one end of the metal to the tree, the other end to the wagon and they used the lorry to pull the straighten the metal out since it had been delivered coiled. Saves loads of work straightening this way and I think they told the lorry owner that they had problems with the battery, that's why it took so long to deliver.   I don't really know...they switch to Turkish.  Everything is stacked in the yard, covered with polythene where necessary, the metal is still running down the lane but as Bekir said....it's too long to move and it's still attached to the tree...I think in England they would find a way.

I spent the afternoon helping to remove the wood since there was no getting out if I didn't.  The lads have worked hard today and I had my trusty Avatar helping out when I was out there moving bricks and the wood.  I went down to her house and noticed that she has no loft hatch so all the hot air just goes straight up to the roof.  I measured it up, Bekir doubted my measurements and he measured it up and so tomorrow...she will have a loft hatch made out of insulation and wood.  She's so good to me and one hours work and it will be done.  Had some fun today taking pictures of Semile the sheep farmer.  He wants me to put his photo on the internet and he's looking for an up-to- forty year old female with money so that he can retire.  I did tell him to take his hat off so that I could get a good shot but he wanted it left on but as we walked back up the lane, he was lying outside my house in the middle of the road so I took another.  Please don't apply...you'll only encourage him....

Men delivered safely home, not into food tonight but might be later, gin and Fanta on the go and not really into that either.  I'm told that there's going to be a frost overnight and we shall wake up to white all over so I've brought in tomatoes, red and green and a honeydew melon that I had missed.  LN....I have things to do....