Thursday 19th April

Six thirty wake up and checked on the weather as to whether the men would be out of their beds or not.  Looked OK, no hint of rain although the mist was clinging to the valleys but off I went and there they were, waiting for me in the cafe.

Back home.....activity today was to put the battening down so that they could get the roof tiles on and jobs a guddun so to speak....they will go on tomorrow and hopefully there will be a third person that again hopefully will not be me getting the tiles skywards so that they can lay them.  I went out and got in another six kilograms of six milemeter since I am told that the roof has a little more slant on it than is normally the case since I wanted more headroom and now I pay the consequences...it cost me six pounds.

So this morning was quite fun.  There was a lot of motorbike, or 'excuse for one' noise going on and my lovely friend Semile was out with his Simpson.  Bekir is the expert on this machine since he has one so Bekir took it for a spin to identify the problem with it.  It kept cutting out apparently and I thought no petrol but the expert reckoned that there was either oil in the petrol or it needed some.  It was somehow lost in translation.  So when he got back, I sat on the bile.  As he was ready to leave I straddled the machine and off we went for a spin down the village.  I waved to all my 'getting on' neighbours so my name must be mud that the Anglechanka was on the back of the motorbike.  I explained to Semile that a friend had a BMW in the UK and we toured Europe on it so the Simpson was just a taster.  Off he went and during the day Bekir had several phone calls asking what he had done to the bike since it no longer worked and the last we saw of him was from the roof when he was 'walking his baby back home'.

Off to my student this afternoon, went to get the nails, off to my Leva shop and got a beautiful large plate for one leva and an ashtray so that my ashtray shoe is not in danger of getting broken when it comes to smoking outside...not for me, may I add.  My visitors.


Took the men home and decided that I would need more fuel so straight off to Djebel just in case I had a 'cash on the nail' worker tomorrow.  Supper was spicy sausage, spring onions, mushrooms and potato chunks sauteed with tomato paste, honey, chilli and ginger and how delicious was that served with chunky bread.  New red wine opened and I just hope the motto isn't 'I've started so I'll finish'.  It would be sacrilege.

Nine my time so it's almost time to get my little head on the pillow.  Morning comes round very quickly.  LN....the second book in the trilogy is better that the first and it almost brought a tear to my eye....well almost.  LN....my glass not the bottle is empty, Bernstein is playing away and all is well with my little world.....LN

Thursday continued

Forgot to post this / these.....I do hope they are back tomorrow....

LN

Wow it's looking fantastic EP!  

What are you doing with the bit nearest the house on the last picture?

Quoted from MikeyB

Wow it's looking fantastic EP!  

What are you doing with the bit nearest the house on the last picture?

Most of that wall is coming down at least to window sill height.  The inside is going to be a patio or a walled garden.  In the hall way....two big windows and a door...like the lounge.  The old fireplace I have kept, the door to the porch is being moved so it faces my entrance door and should be stone faced that's if Sally has any energy left....

Three men into battle today.  We dug the mayor's nephew out of bed this morning at eight thirty and offered him a couple of days....and he was here in quick sticks.  His job, and he did choose to accept it, was to get all of the tiles up onto the roof of the porch and he's doing a 'Sterling". no, nay sterling.....Leva job....now it's put on the pinny time and play hostess with the ...guess the rest.

Bekir phoned Semile to ask if he wanted to be a good neighbour and help out but he said that unfortunately, he was otherwise engaged....that old chestnut....

Saturday 21st April

Sorry now update last night...it was one of those.....by the time I'd taken the men home....by the time I'd cooked supper......by the time I'd had a couple of drinks....it was time I went to bed.  I think yestrerday was a busy day all round and I felt knacked.

So what did they achieve yesterday?  New boy on the block worked out well.  He's done a couple of days here before but useful to have around when you need three instead of two.  Men have done loads of work on the roof and it looks good coming down the hill towards the house.  I was a little disappointed with the tiles.  They're new so I've left instructions that they are to rub a little soot on them while they're up there but in a couple of years or so, I wont even notice I'm sure.  Had to make a trip into Djebel to get a giant sanding disk for cutting the tiles where they meet on the ridges and the valleys...I suppose I forgot all about that stage in the process....it's been so long ago since they did this roof.  Have to make another trip in though to get four more of the beauties so that work can go full speed ahead on Monday....weather permitting.

And for this morning's update.  First things first.  Shower and hair washed and decided to strip the bed down.  It might be time to get rid of the nest and put the summer bedding on.  I need a new mattress for my upstairs bedroom, my original is in the guest room and it seems a pity to take that apart again. Three loads of washing blowing in the breeze and I sat out in the swinging chair and listened to the cuckoo singing its little heart out.  Now we have the noisy chatter of magpies.....there are four of them wafting backwards and forwards in the garden.  Sorted out my email.....it appears to have been compromised....what pleasure do they get out of screwing up something that is not hurting them at all.

On today's list I have onion sets and beetroot seeds to go in.  I had given some hollyhocks yesterday to those need to be found a new home and I'm going to liberally sprinkle seeds on bits of newly dug over flower beds and see what comes up.  Trouble is at this time of year there are so many weeds coming up that you can't tell what's what until they get bigger.  My newly sown sweet-peas are breaking through already so one to chalk up.

Must get on....

Saturday continued

So what did I do?  Onions in, beetroot seeds in and rest of the bed dug over, flowers in, washing in...just before the thunder and lightening started and the rains came down.  And oh, didn't it rain.  Trouble is that the thunder seems to get trapped and it rolls around for a long time.  There were some pretty impressive cracks.  I reckon it's all the fault of the NATO high flyers that have been around for the last couple of days.  There was a mighty boom from one of them and at one point I had the 'home guard' standing to attention when they flew over and where's that camera when it's needed.

Noticed this afternoon that I have lots of seed heads on my freesias and also I have baby corms growing on one of them....never seen it before so I must check out the tinternet to see what that's all about.

Funny sort of light now...hint of setting sun giving everything a murky look and it's still raining.  The nest has gone back on...it went so cold this afternoon so on with a big log and supper is over and done with already.  It's a night for curling up with a good book talking of which.....I might be on for the library tomorrow....I'm on my last.

Sunday 22nd April

Day of rest.....why is it that when you can sleep in you are wide awake at silly o'clock so it was back to the nest with a coffee and a good book.  I decided it was time to get up, looked at the clock and it was only seven of it but decided that I couldn't lie in there for any longer so sat down and read for a little longer with more coffee at my elbow.

Went out, surveyed the estate and decided that it was much warmer inside despite the sun.  Came back inside but I was restless so decided to move all of the plants that have been wintering upstairs for their first taste of spring and gave them a good watering.  It's here boys, start flowering.  Just hope it's no too much of a shock.  Sorted out a heap of material left over from the last sew-in and cut out another quilt cover as a spare for my bedroom.  The sewing machine might even come out tomorrow.  I was tempted to start doing a little more wood work but I think I'll leave it until the wood has dried out a little and I'll pick the straightest lengths.  Decided breakfast was on the cards so made a sausage and onion omelette to keep the wolf from the door and sat out in the sun to eat it.  Sorted out the kitchen, decided it was time to get some seeds in the garden, dig over a few more beds and get rid of a few more weeds.  

Now you know that cow that jumps over the moon....one stray beauty found its way in and really did struggle to get out.  It had come in behind the outside toilet but getting in was obviously easier than getting out.  It got it's leg stuck in the fence and I'm hoping that that is enough deterrent otherwise I'm out with the barbed wire tomorrow.  It's the only bit that doesn't have any.... persistent little buggers.

Seven twenty my time...lovely evening although I'm thinking that I might have to do a little pyrotechnics...it's when you come to sit at night that the fire is always welcoming.  Decided against the library today....just meandered in the garden instead...LN....remains of tuna mayo on toast for tonight....I think breakfast did the trick....just  a few pickies of my day....and last night's wonderful skies.

Monday 23rd April

Quick update tonight...my connection is 'Poor' and I don't want to risk the wrath of the gods and spend lots of time on here.

Early start and my library is completely digested and I didn't manage to get any more books today...I was far too busy in the garden.  My flower beds are all dug over as is my veg patch and I've now realised the error of my ways.  I didn't make a plan of what I put in where and it's all coming up and I haven't a clue....I know there's red cabbage, leeks, parsnips and green beans so I'll just have to wait a little longer until I can identify them.  At least I know where I put the beetroot and the onions.

Sorted out lots of weedy areas....I seem to have a lot of clover which I know is good for the garden but it does seem to dominate.  I could do with a cow on a lead but not many of those around.

Men busy on the roof and I've been a little lax today with the waitress service.  We were back late from the builder's yard and it all went haywire after that.  They were hauling roof tiles up two at a time and I though it looked like Bekir was fishing so I drew a fish on a piece of card and got Sally to attach it to the next set of bricks heading skywards....caused a bit of a laugh.

Breakfast was a chocolate biscuit courtesy of the men, lunch was a slice of chocolate cake and supper was fish fingers and chips with lashings of tomato ketchup.  Went in the freezer to see what caught my eye and they sort of jumped out at me.  They have been putting the metal work into the roof in the valleys and sticking up some guttering.  Guess what...the lorry has broken down yet again so my delivery for tomorrow might be delayed until Wednesday or even Thursday since there are no roof tiles in the yard and they have to come from Turkey.

So as I said, supper is over and was delicious.....listening to Lenny Kravitz at full volume and wont be too late heading for the nest tonight....LN....I'm almost on my way....

Tuesday 24th April

Lazy Anglechanka...slept in until 6.50 and had had one of those beautiful dreams that you don't want to come out of...don't ask me....don't know but to wake up with that lovely feeling.   Bliss.

Two cups of coffee.  Played on the DS until the time that I realised that I would be late for the men but took time out to dig up a root of Lavender and deposit it at Pepe's door this morning.  Back with the men....they bought me my breakfast of local soft bread with soft cheese in it so I complained to them that I still hadn't found the cheese...but neither had they.  I don't know what the recipe mix is but believe me it's pretty poor or someone. somewhere is having everyone else's share.....

Pottered in the garden and got out the scythe to clear some of the foliage.  Sally reckoned Roundup was the solution and I think he is right but I need something to occupy my time.  Dug out some more texts for my student this afternoon and when I arrived we had the 'I can't find my homework, my brother must have destroyed it'.  So I said...give me the truth...it's OK but I got no further so I decided to move on to the lesson.  He was quite impressed...the lesson today was smaller but lots more questions that we had to discuss.  I think he's coming on in leaps and bounds and I realised a long time ago that I have to treat him like my grandson...you have to make it fun or the attention wavers.  We did an exercise on verbs but he was far more interested in telling me about the medal he had won that morning for being able to unfurl a fireman's hose, get through an obstacle course and come out at the other end intact and before anyone else.

So home James...lot of noise from the yard and I realised that the local 'man who likes his drink' had had his fill and was pestering the men.  He tried it on with me and I told him... slowly, slowly and that my ears worked so he had no need to shout.  Prepared my supper before I took the men home so by the time I got back my chicken curry was 'perfick' and my rice done to a tee.

Stuffed to the gills, red on the go and it's a new one at just over two leva for two litres....and only 10% so not so damaging to the kidneys so I think that it's a bargain.  They have even called it Merlot...... Update.....fire going well...all's well with my world so LN....catch you tomorrow....

Wednesday 25th April

What a day!!!!

Early start like silly o'clock and had a rush on to get the men on time...my own fault...I was playing Freecell and I had one that wouldn't come out for love nor money.

Picked up the men and was conscious that I was going to be at the library for the rest of the day so provisioned them with lots of coffee that they could make for themselves and the kettle and prepared to leave at ten thirty ish.

Arrived and was made welcome.  I returned the books that were digested and delivered a half bottle of the newly found cheap plonk (two litres for two leva forty) for them to savour and make a decision on.  The beauty is that it's only 10% alcohol so you can drink more and not get inebriated....so that's the theory.

Got there and sat out in the sun, collected lots of free plants for my garden, raided the library and I heard that one of the librarians was taking three of the locals to visit a friend in Zlatograd.  It's one of the border  towns with Greece and not one that I go to often since it's a bit of a trek but since they were going anyway I left my car in their village and headed down country.  Because there were four locals visiting the hospital I offered to sit in the back of the Surf on a couple of bags of cement and rode the potholes well.  The ladies went off to do their visiting, the librarian and myself shopped till we's drop and I bought half of the plants that were on offer and so much so that I thing that the shop owner thought it was all her Christmases come at the same time.  Time marched on...the ladies had gone to the hospital...but I was now concerned about my workers and how they were going to get home if I wasn't home at the allotted hour. We phoned the abscontees.....no response from the phone...they had gone AWOL....and at this point my brain had kicked in.  I needed a taxi if I was going to make the journey back so one was located....complete with petunias and broom purchased in Djebel ...I made the journey back to the library and back to my house by six p.m.  

At six twenty Bekir and Sally had visitors from Turkey and they were delighted to escort and do the conducted tour of their last two years work.  They are so proud of their achievements that it makes me proud of their achievements if you get my drift.  The upshot was....they got a lift back to their village with their relatives and I could settle into a good book and the wine sooner....result.

Popped round to see my Avatar...she has a new calf and ten new chicks and offered me some of them.  I told her that she was to keep on breeding and I would just take the eggs...seems fair to me.  As for the calf...I told her...three months ,,,,freezer.

Home James...fire going...don't want food since I managed to woof down a potato filo pasty thing in Zlatograd and if could be days before the need to eat strikes again...It looks rather like Kew Gardens outside my front door and tomorrow I have to be busy getting them planted.....

LN...tout le mond....I am now into the last book of Boadicea borrowed from my library and a drop of the red stuff.
I have things to do....