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....
  

Thursday 26thApril

Just had some good news...the men can't work tomorrow and I think it's about time they had a day off.  It has been so hot today that I think the temperature got through to them so a weekend off to cool might be appreciated and Bekir has 'gosti' from Turkey.

There was a misunderstanding that started it off this morning.  I had said that we would do the roof drains later not thinking that they were hammering in the nails on the tiles to keep them in place.  The guttering by the corridor / terrace had been put in place but they thought that I didn't want it round the rest of the house where in fact I did.  I see so much squelch here that it just has to be done.  So working away on my computer it suddenly struck me that before they did the south facing roof that we ought to be thinking about guttering so Bekir and myself set off for Djebel to get the 'stuff' and I parked in a clearway opposite the shop and then the police came along.  He tooted his horn to see who responded and I did quite quickly receiving an admonishing look from him and his WPC.  One day I'll get out my photos of me in uniform...maybe I should keep them in the car.  So off we trundled with the guttering hanging out of the back of Beauty with a red scar wrapped round the end and homeward bound.

Men worked on the roof...and as Bekir said they were 'playing'.  It's so fiddly that they have to keep cutting tiles but unfortunately I walked down the garden and didn't like the look of what I saw so it's back to the drawing board Cecil...adjustments have to be made.  The tiles were standing proud of the metal work and I didn't want to see the tiles.  My student this afternoon but I think his mind was elsewhere.  His little brother was ill again with a virus that seems to be going around and was running a temperature so mum was at home and not working in the shop.

Men home latish...me home even later, fire going and wine out.  No men tomorrow so here's guessing that I wake up at silly o'clock but it's potter time in the garden tomorrow.  I might even get round to making something with wood if the mood takes me.  I have three whole days to myself.  LN....I think summer is here early.

Friday 27th April

Limited update tonight...the connection is 'very poor' so I'm not going to even risk it.  What is it with my service provider...normally when the sun is shining the connection is poor...when it rains it is 'excellent'.  So...I think it's like the noble Duke of York...it was neither up nor down but on no consequence.

Bit of a lazy day today.  I planted the daffodils that I had had given to me, started a bonfire that the rain swiftly put out and dug up a few more weeds.  I really must get a lawn mower or a cow...either way I need to get the garden down to manageable proportions....I get my clogs wet every time I set sail and I now have red stripes on my sock from the polished clogs.  Lit the fire this afternoon but almost at once the sun came out and it was August weather but then came the April showers.  Tommy came round at looked at the bonfire for goodies and realised there was nothing doing...so went off home with his tail between his legs.

Supper was home made hamburgers but unfortunately I had no Oxo only cheap alternatives that I shaved into the mix...wrong....kept hitting very salty clumps betwixt the onions and the meat....another back to the drawing board.  I suppose they are OK mixed with water but who puts water in hamburgers.  Washing them down currently with a little of the red stuff....I hope the weather picks up tomorrow....rain rain go away...

The washing was actually dried inside...no way was I going to risk it out.....the energy to get it back in before the rain would have been just too much effort...LN....I'm back to my book in the warmth of the fire... Boudicca...last book of the series ...but as for the spelling....various but you know who I mean.  LN...I'll report back on this one.

Saturday 28th April

Silly o'clock again so read until five thirty this morning and then went back to sleep until eight.  Pottered around, had a shower and washed my hair but I think my get up and go has got up and went today.  It was sunny but there was a cold wind so not the day for really being outside and planting stuff.  Everything that is in there is coming up.  I even spotted a couple of beetroot that have broken the surface, my leeks are coming through and I have four beans now that look exceedingly healthy.

Decided to work out the windows required to the 'soon not to be a wreck' and I'll pay the man a visit early next week so he can come and take the measurements.  I've been creating diagrams and pictures on the PC so that we can identify what goes where which really does help.  They bounded in last time, measured it all up and it got a little confusing but this time they're all numbered in advance.

Still into Boudicca....apparently the librarian hasn't read it yet since it has just been sent out from England so I don't want to keep it too long.  Cooked an early evening meal.  The remains of the hamburger stuff I turned into meatballs with a tomato chilli sauce and served them with spaghetti leaving enough for tomorrow.  Fancied something sweet afterwards so had a jar of black cherries, well no, not all of them but it was tempting.  Sleep overcame me after supper and I dognapped in the chair for an hour or so.  The joys of early mornings

Hoping that tonight I shall go all the way through...I know the books good but not worth waking up for at an ungodly hour.  LN.....I'm heading downward....I little beer might be in the offing tonight.

Sunday 29th April

So as I thought. six o'clock found me wide awake even though I didn't hit the pillow until twelve thirty last night.   Read until seven, tried going back off for a while but it was such a beautiful sunrise that I decided that what was the point of lying there to no avail.  

Had a spring in my step....thought I would have breakfast first and realised that the only butter that I had in the fridge was the local stuff that happens to taste like cheese....not for the feint hearted may I add.  So breakfast this morning was fried mushrooms on toast and well worth the effort of peeling them.  Decided that since it was such a lovely day that it would be a little gardening interspersed with a little of Boudicca and I must add, she is no more.  Raced my way to the end and now Tilly Trotter is on the go thanks to Catherine Cookson.

Decided to revisit the top garden and redesign the upper part.  There were so many weeds coming in from the lane and the field that I had to dig them out but what I had forgotten was that underneath the soil was a whole load of stone that was dropped there by the digger when he cleared the front of the house.  Hard work but I am almost there.....most of the weeds have headed for the bonfire and I started it off at about fivish after the wind had died down a little.

Had visitors this afternoon.  The son of my favourite restaurant lady's, his wife and friends and my birthday compatriot...my four year old who shares my birthday or do I share hers?  They had the full conducted tour courtesy of the son.....he almost is as proud of the house as I am.  He kept pointing out things like my original curtains with the wood and the Suffolk latches...and I am very...moderne...

Supper tonight was the remains of last nights and that bottle of beer has taken a hammering since it has been so hot today.  The cherries are deciding if they want to hop in a dish and become pudding....not sure at the moment.  Bonfire still going  strong...try that in England....and I've decided that the cherries won.....I'm off down stairs and heading for the kitchen....LN....must think seriously about a strimmer or a mower....the scythe is just hard work....LN

Monday 30th April

Where has this month gone.....and what happened to the night last night.

Went to bed at ten o'clock last night since my little eyes were beginning to head southwards but woke up at one fifteen and there wasn't an ounce of sleep in me.  Tilly Trotter filled the gap until four thirty this morning and then it was disturbed sleep until seven when I got out and readied myself to start the day.  

I'd left a note to self to remember to put the metal in the car that was being returned to the yard this morning and picked up the invoices so that we could sort those out once and for all.  Grabbed a coffee before I left and put it in my insulated beaker and balanced it between my legs as I set off.  Obviously more in there than I thought as I took a bend a bit sharpish and I now have a scald mark where the hot coffee went.  Made me jump about a bit and had a coffee stain where a girl just shouldn't have a damp patch but fortunately I was wearing my camouflage pants so I don't think anyone noticed.  Moved the cup to the passenger seat, made sure that the lid was closed but again another bend, the thing went over and it would have been OK but we had a surprise passenger to Fotinovo, I warned Bekir about the seat so he put a polythene bag on it but it obviously wasn't enough.  Two of us appearing with damp patches...

Arrived at the yard and we've had short deliveries on roof tiles and overcharging and enough was enough.  We also ordered the rest of the roof guttering, the supports, corners and catchments were put in the boot.  The wagon apparently is on its way either tomorrow or the next day....we'll wait and see.  I now have a final, final bill ending in 30 stotinki and he asked me for money but I said that I could run to the thirty stotinki but on the advice of my builders, we pay nothing until the goods are safely gathered in...

So worked hard in the garden this morning, came in for lunch and went out again when the sun had gone down a little...it's been in the high twenties today.  Now where the men were working up on the roof there has been a cooling breeze, but unfortunately down at my level it was scorching.  The roof is really looking how I want it to look....tiles removed, changes made and it's worked.

Supper was a bowl of cheesy chips with tomato sauce.....didn't feel like lingering over a hot stove tonight...half past ten my time and I'm hoping for a better night....LN. I'll be looking out for those white rabbits in the morning....