Friday 12th April

Sorry...late tonight...by the time I get the men home it's almost seven when I get in...I do a twelve hour day almost like when I worked in the UK.

Six thirty start and over for the men.  Beautiful morning this morning.  The mist over the river in the valley made the mountains look very impressive and almost as if the biggie was spewing fog out of its top.  Not a lot of mist accumulated but the wind had a little nip in it until about ten thirty and then it warmed up enough to be t-shirt weather but I didn't.  I took the pickie of the little house with the wall down...it's the first time that those new windows have seen the sun and the clematis seems to be thriving.

Two loads of washing in the breeze and dry in quicksticks and I looked at the garden and realised that I really should give it some love and attention.  I wheeled out the plants that had overwintered in the little house, re-potted some of the bigger ones and tidies up some of the others.  I keep blaming the hand but maybe there's a little reluctance to get the job done so after several slices of toast with peach jam I'd worked up the enthusiasm to make a start on the veggie patch.  This coupled with the urge to get the lawnmower into action forced me to ask Bekir to check out the oil and benzine in the garden machine which he did.  I few false starts, coughs and splutters and away we went....apart from the fact that I've only managed to get my garden shears round the top of the 'lawn'.  Bekir thought we could use it without the catching basket on it but it is so damp that we put that on the back burner, I wheeled it into its summer house and back to my book.  Tomorrow is another day.....

Men home....I'm looking to a morning in bed tomorrow and I think I have another student.  My sheep farmer's daughter is taught English but not able to speak it very well and she's really a sweet shy girl so the first few will be like pulling teeth....quite painful but let's hope we get over that quite quickly.

Back to my fire....not essential but pretty to look at...beautiful sunset with dark clouds interspersed with the red.  Let's hope it's a good day tomorrow....I have gardening to do now that I'm in the mood...

Saturday 13th April

Quick update tonight..the thunder has been rattling around since about four, clears and then it doubles back again.  Sun's been shining most of the day until the clouds rolled in from Kardjali direction, there were a few very large spots of rain but it seems to have sett;ed down again.

So what have I been up to?  The foot high clover has been removed from my veg garden and one small patch ready for planting.  The soil needs to dry out a bit first and then I'll rake it over.  The rest is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon (weather permitting) not forgetting that I have my student at ten in Djebel.  Really forced the hand today so I'm hoping that I don't suffer for my art tomorrow.  It was so warm today that I was down to my Bulgarian vest.  Not a pretty sight but no callers today so that was OK.  In between gardening, I've also removed another couple of feet from my Berlin wall and that's fun...you just have to remember to be fairly agile on your feet when some of the big ones change direction on the way down...

Seem to have a glut of eggs so hard-boiled seven of them and had egg mayo for lunch and the rest are in reserve.  I did get a piece of fish out of the freezer this morning with the intention of cooking it Thai style with a sweet and sour sauce but it's gone into the fridge for tomorrow...still full from a late lunch.  Having made a start on the garden I feel so much better.  Australia put me back in that I didn't winter dig it and even when the weather was good I couldn't get out there with my arm in plaster....everything delayed this year.

Just heard another crack...going to put this beauty to bed for safety's sake....LN.....back to my book....

Sunday 14th April

Lazy start this morning that's if you can call seven of the clock lazy.....everywhere was damp from last nights gigantic thunder and lightening storm but the wind blew the mist away as it formed on the mountains.  Did my e-stuff and realised that I needed to print off some texts for my student this morning and as the clock ticked away I had only forty minutes to get showered, wash my hair and get prepared to drive to Djebel....and I made it there for five to ten...result.

I hate English grammar...the verb tenses just get silly and I'm sure we don't use them properly anyway.  I went through the piece that I'd asked her to write and we made a few corrections.  We did some exercises together and I'd said that I didn't want them to feed me today but now I am really part of the family.  They had a guest who had a two year old boy and he was trying to write on the table with a biro.  Now I object to this so I went to my work bag in the hall, came back with a notepad and had him sitting on my knee in quicksticks and we were drawing cars and lorries, trees and houses.  The mother was insistent that she buy me a new notepad....why...they were all impressed that he didn't cry when dragged to my knee and once there didn't want to leave even to eat.

So lunch over, got home about one thirty, read for a while and put my book down and slept for about an hour until I heard the gate latch go and Emula was at the door.  I'd seen Bekir in Djebel after the lesson and he'd mentions that he'd forgotten the piece of paper with the dimensions for the guttering that has to be ordered tomorrow morning and asked Emula to get it from the workshop.  Everything in hand...it's by my keys for tomorrow.

Supper tonight was the fish that I'd not managed last night and it was delicious.  I fried it off and sat it on a bed  of diced potatoes and onion and topped it a sauce made out of onions. tomato paste. vinegar, chili, ginger and honey.  I'd cooked enough for two and managed to eat it all...pigsy...   Just realised how late it is....washed up, kitchen tidied, just finished another book in the Rudd series....Last one I think and then I have to find something else to indulge myself in.  Fire not necessary but going....wine bottle empty so it looks like it's time for an early night.....Monday is the start of another hectic week now that the men are here and firing on all cylinders.....LN....I have my student tomorrow as well ...talk about retirement...

Monday 15th April

Two boys at play today....firstly down to the yard to order the 'bits' for the roof and did the heavens open.  I thought they would cry off this morning...it wasn't good and the rain woke me up at about six this morning and sounded serious.  But no phone call and the sky was a little brighter by the time I set off but at the yard down it came again.  Bekir disappeared...apparently he had another trip to the doctor scheduled so we were a little late leaving but Emaula had phoned to ask where we all were.  He was supposed to work today but I said to Bekir that if he didn't have enough for three, and that was his decision, that we would delay his work for a few days since the weather wasn't that good.

No materials had arrived by lunchtime so I raided my 'tortoise' money box to make up the shortfall from the wallet. Went into Djebel and had my student at two and when I got home the lorry was in the drive.  Swapped the tortoise stuff for a note having raided the cash point in Djebel and I now have enough materials for the men to work without having to spend out any more for a while...although I thought that on Friday...   So back to bread and water again.  Bekir was on the roof cutting tiles and Sally was on the end of a shovel lowering the floor of the garage.  I was tempted to tell him that I wanted an inspection pit dug but I hadn't got the heart...the weather was just too bad...

Drove the men home, there was a police speed check just before the men's village which we cleared more by luck than judgement but I remembered it on the way back.  Emaula made the trip with me and he was almost hyperventilating.....he hadn't got his Bulgarian registration document and if we had got stopped he would have had a fifty leva fine for not carrying it out of his home region.  As it was we sailed through...they had already got someone in front of us for not observing the speed limit....and the relief on his face should have been captured and posted...

Back home...chicken wings cooking in the oven...bottle of the red stuff opened and breathing just before I give it mouth to mouth....LN....it's been a good day.....supper calls....LN

Tuesday 16th April

Yet again the weather woke me up with gale force winds and lashing rain and I thought that there was now way that the men wanted to work but since there was no telephone call to the contrary, I got in the car and headed in their direction.  Out they came from the restaurant with Sally clutching his collapsible umbrella and Bekir his sausages for lunch.  Emula phoned but there was no way that there was work for him...he's not the best when there is rain about so he just came round for coffee mid-morning.

The men set to and have finished leveling off the floor in the workshop and are now beginning to screed it.  Emula has just arrived with a bunch of tulips for me saying that they have loads of them and they are such a beautiful colour.  So now he has just asked Bekir if he could work this afternoon for five leva since he has no credit on his phone.....I've left it for Bekir....but I've told him that if the weather is good for the next three days as the forecast has predicted, he has three heaps of stone to remove and sort it into good stuff and rubbish stuff for under the bedroom terrace so that should keep him out of mischief.  When I showed him the second heap outside of the workshop...his eyes started to spin in his head...he's a young lad.

Wednesday 17th April

Men boots blacked and a super day apart from a chilling wind.  Emaula was not round for the opening ceremony at 8.45 but turned up later having milked the family cows but came complete with a television that he wanted Bekir to mend and so the bartering began.  'If I mend your television then you will her for half a day for nothing'.  Last night we had a power surge and mu computer decided to go on the go slow and I can only believe that the TV suffered the same fate.  Now this tv was an underhand present from the son of one of my neighbours and it was rescued from the dump.....I say no more but once it was working I was sworn to secrecy that it had another life.

Anyway...Emula decided that to move rubbish from one of my neighbour's houses was more profitable than working for me for the day with the wind blowing a gale so he took the easy option.  The guy he was working /helping out works in Sweden so the money is not so much of a problem. So what was I doing while all this was happening....I finished the veg garden and tomorrow it gets planted.  Next objective was to dig the rosemary out of its winter bucket and see how it was really doing and not bad...some die back but lots of life showing.  Meanwhile back at the ranch...Bekir had got the television working and I'd gone inside to have five minutes down with my book.  Now I could hear a voice that I didn't recognise and realised that the television was now working and connected to my electricity and this was vaguely reminiscent of every house in BG where the tele plays and no one is listening / looking at it.  My immediate response...I went out and reminded the men that I don't have a television in my house, I don't like televisions and the last thing that I want is one of the bloody things playing in the garden using my electricity..... Serious faces all round...I went back inside the house and half an hour later, Emula knocked on the door and told me that the television was back in the house and in fact...it was probably playing to ...nobody...tova e Bulgaria....

Emula returned in the afternoon and took up the clover challenge with a scythe and was I grateful...we still haven't worked out what the pay rate is but it's definitely worth a voucher for his telephone...He said that he is working tomorrow even if there is a wind.....now I think he feels guilty.  Men home, the rest of the soup did for supper with toast, the wine is on its last legs, student tomorrow and down to the yard I think to find out where the rest of the order went and what about the stuff that we need now....

LN....I'm going back to my fire and my book...no need for the fire but it's cosy...LN

Thursday 18th April

And so I overslept.  I woke at five thirty and thought that I would get back to the land of Nod..the dream was so good and at seven, I thought I'd have five minutes more and at ten minutes to eight I'd had a few more than the allocated five minutes.  Dressed quickly and went to pick the men up but since I pay them from eight it was in my time.  They worked out that they needed silicon for the roof guttering and that the winter had put paid to any that was stored in there so off I went to Djebel for supplies and coming back with three banichka...sort of filo pastry things with white cheese fillings and yogurt drinks for the troops.  At this point Emula had joined us so mine was sacrificed and I ended up with a sort of bread filled with white cheese but no drink so settled for coffee.

The mistake today was asking them men that if it were their tree and their roof, how much would they take off....so they did.  Most of it with a hand saw but they eventually resorted to my Avatar's son's chain saw and tomorrow it will be finished.  I'd also had a visitation in my absence asking if I wanted to go and pay my respects to a lady that had passed over in the next village and I'd said no to Bekir....but a deputation at the gate had me changing my mind and the ladies had to go back and get ready for the trip to the next village.  When they got back into the car from the house I had meet with rice in a tray and a cup of juice which was a thank you for paying respects.  I now associate death with rice and meat and juice.

Went and did my student and his next homework is to imagine what you could get up to if you are invisible for a day....now that got his juices flowing after I gave him a few ideas...I want one hundred and fifty words on the subject.  

Back from Djebel and my tree is now bare but I'm assured that it grows a meter a year but it might be slow to start off....I had to nudge the men off the roof at home time but meanwhile my Avatar had taken a couple of bundles of wood for her fire.  The heavy duty stuff is to go into the new workshop and will dry out for next year.  On the way out Semile is driving his sheep along the main road so we have to do a photoshoot...he's convinced that a rich widow will see how fit he is and his life will change...dream on....Unfortunately one of the sheep had developed a limp so immediate surgery was underwent and there were enough experts on hand to make sure the treatment was OK...

Home after depositing the men...fish finger sandwiches washed down with a little of the red stuff....Late tonight but eager to get to my bed...it's been a busy day...LN

Thursday continued

Life in the village...LN

Wonderful photos, Elsa. Keep 'em coming!

Chris

Friday 19th April

Thanks Chris...things just seem to happen here and most of it is worth photographing.....

Silly five a.m. start today so read for a while but didn't managed to get my head down again but at least I was on time to pick the men up.  Bekir remembered his chain saw today so the cherry got a bit of a hammering but it's all to do with the view from the upstairs balcony of the little house.  No good having a view if you can't see it...now is there.....  Cleared the debris and had a good bonfire while Bekir got his trusty chainsaw and cut all the stuff up from the felling sessions and Sally split it and I've managed to acquire about three cubic which I'm assured will be ready in about a month.  Think I might save it for the autumn and it's stored in the new workshop.  No use putting it in the little house...what's in there will be transferred as work progresses.

Helped Sally with the wood stacking but unfortunately a speck of dust went in my eye and for the rest of the afternoon it's been weeping like fury and is exceptionally red and with the best will in the world, you know you shouldn't rub it and I've tried the water back and it seemed to have moved it but it's come back again so it'll be the blind leading the blind as I drive the men home.  I was going to go to the  Librarians tonight and spend tomorrow with her but I'm niggled by the eye so I'll put it off for another week.  I don't think I'll be good company tonight.

Found some strange mushrooms at the base of the bonfire when I moved some of the longer grass out of the way so that I didn't set the hillside on fire...must look up what they are...really peculiar.

Six of the clock my time....them men have been coffeed out today.  Emula decided he would work then decided that it was a much better proposition to go into Djebel with one of his mates...said he just didn't feel like working so I just didn't feel like paying him.  I bought him a voucher for his mobile but gave it to Bekir to show him as an incentive...but like the donkey and the carrot but it hasn't worked.  We've come to the conclusion that he just doesn't like work...the novelty wears off very quickly.  Men off home soon....I'm going to get the fire going before I take them so it's cosy to come back to.  Chicken wings going in too so that supper will be ready when