Wednesday 9th October

Silly night again and I knew I would suffer after falling asleep for a couple of hours yesterday afternoon.  On the computer at one this morning playing freecell and the usual rubbish and eventually settled off again at about four.  It was more like a night time siesta and woke up at the usual time.  Misty moisty morning and the sun was slow to shine.  It broke through enough for me to take my coffee outside in my PJ's despite a little nip in the air but I was soon in, got ashed and dressed ready to face the day but there was little activity.  My only visitors were a couple of begging gypsies who quickly went on their way when the heard that I was English and not contributing to the welfare state.

Phone call this morning from Bekir and I was hoping it was to tell me that they could work.  Not so...it was to tell me that he had received the quote for the windows and door for the workshop and garage and could I confirm that it was acceptable.  Very reasonable and they will be fitted the week after the holidays.

Curled up and read this afternoon.  That sun didn't break through at all despite a real effort on her behalf and I lit the fire at five this evening.  I suppose I think that it's early days to have the fire going ...but this time last year I was on my way to England for my trip to Australia.  This year no such escapades....I am Christmasing and New Yearing in the UK....but that really seems a long way off.  And so it came to pass that the eyes clouded over and the lids headed cheek-wards and yes...I went off for another couple of hours waking up just before seven.  Now I'm wondering if I'm making up for lost time last night, catching up on the long days that I found myself working last week or dipping into tonight's statutory eight hours....only time will tell me thinks.

Very chilled night....I feel as if there might be an element of the sniffles heading my way but on the other hand it might just be tiredness.  I'm back down the wooden hills and into a new recommended book by a Russian author.  The last one ended OK but at the end I didn't seem to get into the style of the writer.  So now to the kitchen to ferret something out....be it liquid or nourishment but they can come from the same source so I'm let to believe.  LN...I'm back to the fire...

Thursday 10th October

Morning at six which wasn't bad considering the two hours sleep in the afternoon and today has been exceptionally chilled.  Angry Birds, DS this morning and my book until the urge to get breakfast struck and that was fried tomatoes on toast just to use up a couple of bedraggled ones that would have otherwise been lobbed onto the hillside.  Made great breakfast with a slice of toast to follow eaten while making my way round the garden.  I noticed that there were loads of seedlings popping their heads up so out with the hoe, hoe, hoe and it's off to work I went round all of the flower beds and they are no more.  Last year I was swamped with clover and partly due to the wrist I was unable to do anything about it and had to pay for the lot to be cut down.  This year hopefully I shall have an element of control provided that I stay on my feet during the winter months...

Bekir phoned mid morning and I'm meeting him tomorrow to head out to Momchilgrad to pay the bill for the installation of electricity to the school.  We have cable to buy and contact points and we might even go as far as light bulbs, let's see what we get for our money.  Star Mush's daughter came round today to see what I have done to this house.  She has made a start on the renovations to Star Mush property but I suggested that she put the roof on before anything but I think there is a shortage of cash.  They've screeded inside but it's really only fit for animals.  My head touched the ceiling when I walked in but she added that she is short and so is her husband so there isn't a problem.  Thank goodness she doesn't have to meet building regulations.  I think the intention is to put a second storey on similar to mine and I think she came round for ideas.  Unfortunately she has only ten days here and then she's back to Turkey.  I said that I would do the plans and if she sent me the money I would project manage the site FOC.....I don't think they can raise the cash even for that.  Had my water meter read today and noticed that one of the men had walked into the little house so I asked him what he wanted.  I'd mentioned that I might be putting in a dip pool in the little house and I reckon he was checking.  I reminded him that winter was on it's way...which idiot would do it at this time of year...dooohhhh

Late lunch / early supper was home made hamburgers with chippies with a beer and I took to my bed afterwards to read and yes, you've guessed the rest.  I woke up just after six and realised I was cold.  Shut the doors to the outside from the terraces and lit the fire and now it's warming up nicely.  Typical autumn day today for us....hot in the sun and out of the wind but guess there might be a frost tonight.  So out and about with Bekir tomorrow so in the morning I'll take my car in for winter tyre change and anti-freeze check.  I shall be like the proverbial boy scout...prepared.  LN....I'm off to refill my lunchtime tipple, eat the remaining hamburgers although they are cold and settle down for the evening....LN

Friday 11th October

Misty this morning when I woke so got my head down again and it was almost eight when I pushed my nose out from under the quilt.  I've assembled my nest upstairs but last night it was too warm.  One cold spell and we think that winter's arrived but it's been a super day to day and we're back to lightweight sweaters again so those sniffles I though would develop into something that didn't probably will now.  

So I've been on the admin trail today for electricity for the school that's to be turned into a house.  A very big house.  Now the Kmet said he saw no problem with it when we met him last time and he assured us we would have a connection.  Bekir received a telephone call so we went to the office today and this is where the goose chase started.  I wasn't fully 'with' the conversation that Bekir was having but I knew that we had to go to another office in Kardjali and make some arrangements.  We received a document and so off we went stopping off at the electricity magazine to buy the bits so that we could continue with the wiring after the electricity company had done their bit.  The lady at the office didn't know where the office that we had to go to was, so we parked up pretty near where Bekir thought it was and I was left sitting in the car.  Eventually he returned and he told me that the work could be done but that it would cost approximately four to five hundred lev and then there was the cost of the electricity company on top.  Now by this time I'm understanding what had been requested and it was time to go back to Momchilgrad for further interrogation of the Receptionist.  Fortunately one of the installation guys that did my connection came out of the back room and we went outside to calm the situation down a bit.  The long and short is...I feel the Kmet thought he could cut corners but the higher ups in the electricity company were having none of it.  I've recommended that we leave it to the architect and I'll be over in quicksticks to pay any monies that are required from the pot of lev that has been left for me...but on second thoughts...there's always that cruise going out of Istanbul....

Bekir home at around five....I've spent a while trying to scan in the document when I should have taken a photo in the first place since the scanner doesn't do Cyrillic very well....all emailed off for someone else to worry about....LN....I'm down to find something in the fridge that's not going to take long...LN

Saturday 12th October

Slept the sleep of the just this morning and woke about seven without any interruptions...bliss.  Down for coffee and then it suddenly struck me that I have lots of shoe boxes that seem to acquire 'bit's and bits need to go so I've had a day of sorting until it was too warm inside and I headed to get rid of the rubbish in the burning pit and then is escalated from there.  There was a heap of old polythene in the yard left over from the men so that went on, old cement bags were burnt and work seemed to move outside,

The men left pretty suddenly to start on the other property so I've sorted out the wood that remained from their wall building, put the planks together and the other stuff in a heap that they can organise when they come back from their holiday.  Now I think I've set myself a bit of a challenge and I want to share it with you because when I tell someone what I'm about to do...I normally achieve it...it's called saving face.  Ever since I've been here we've accumulated metal be it from the ends of metal used for the house and wall building, old stuff from the garden or the workmen's lunch tins and there are a fare few of those.  So my challenge should I care to accept it and at this point of time I'm about to, is to sort it all out, get rid of the rubbish and take the other to Kardjali to the scrap man.  Having said that I think I need a local with me to make sure that I'm not ripped off on the value.

So between gardening, pyrotechnics and metal sorting I've had my fair share of fresh air today and the temperature remained at eighty at six thirty tonight.  We had this sort of weather a few years ago when it snowed just as we were about to have a barbeque and then back to normal.  Leaves are all turning on the trees...beautiful time of year.  Supper tonight was chicken with onions and potatoes done in the oven.  I think I cooked for two tonight but it will do for tomorrow....LN....got to find my bed from under the summer bed linen that I never did finish putting away...LN

Sunday 13th October

Well seven forty this morning and really woke up feeling very relaxed.  Some interesting emails from friends on my other favourite website and a little bit of morning banter.  Coffee, dressed, have my student this morning so prepared two texts for the occasion of which neither we used.  Set off at just before ten and unfortunately they are all demob happy.  It's the start of their 'Christmas' so holidays from work for the lucky ones like my student and her sister but for the father who works for the government...he's still got to strut his stuff.

Lovely surprise when I got there.  The father and other daughter went to Istanbul and Bursa for a few days and brought me back an authentic tea making kit.  I'd said how I liked their and so now I have my own and full instructions how to make it and a bag of Turkish black tea to boot.  I now have no excuse for not holding a tea party in my garden for my ladies except now I have to invest in a set of small glasses for the occasion...I'm told to head off to the Leva shop and I should be able to pick them up for about three lev.  Now can someone explain this to me...the pound shop in England always sells things for one pound or two items for the pound....Bulgaria isn't like that...you have to ask the price and it's hardly ever one leva.  

So the lesson was put on the back burner. I haven't seen the family for three weeks and we had breakfast of pancakes, white cheese, olives, strawberry jam, honey and tomato paste.  Their celebrations have now officially started, mother was cooking them on the stove and the routine is to supply the neighbours with two each so I reckon that she must have knocked off about thirty.  She then made a huge banichka on a dish that must have just about fitted in the oven but that was for the guests that had come to spend the holiday with them.  I was force fed as a test for them and out came the stuffed vine leaves and I only went to teach English for an hour....

Left at four thirty clutching my tea pot and tea and that was under pressure since I'd been asked to stay the night.  I refused politely and think I would soon notch up the kilos if I lived there.  Got home to find fifteen sheep in my garden so out with my cow stick and headed down but the stupid animals had forgotten where they got in so I let them roam for a while until they figured it out.  Eventually the rest of the flock appeared like Oliver thinking that they would like to sample the delights so I watch to see if any more entered and I would have sent them out through the same hole.  As it happened none came in and as the flock went back towards the night pens one made a jump for freedom from my garden and there was a clatter but it made it.  Once one was out...it paved the way for the rest and all that was left was one who was frightened to make the jump so I had to give it a choice...freezer or glory and it chose glory.

Fire going and after the excitement, one of my neighbours delivered two more pancakes so no supper for me.  I dressed them with lemon and sugar this time and I'm all pancaked out so to speak.  There's a little of last night's supper lingering in the fridge so that will do for later.  So quite an exciting Sunday and falling back into the Sunday routine.  On the list for tomorrow is to mend the fence and inspect the rest of it to see if I can find the first hole and then on to the metal bank and make a start on it.  LN...six thirty more or less my time...I'm about to go and throw another log on the fire...LN

Sunday continued

And for the pancakes....LN

Monday 14th October

Sweetie celebrations for the children and I didn't have many callers so I have a huge bag of sweets for me...all me.  I have received eight mekitsi...local yeast pancakes and have downed one, photographed seven and have to find room in the freezer for the others.  As for the rest of the day.  The sun took ages to get started this morning so I hung out the washing with a prayer in my heart and it did what it was supposed to do...shone.  

Working away and went back upstairs on the the computer and I heard the gate rattle again just after my second delivery...went down thinking there was another on its way and there stood a bloody great cow by the terrace.  Unfortunately I didn't have time to grab the camera only my cow stick and as it turned it looked straight at my hibiscus and ate the flaming flower.  Now it would be wrong to document the expletives...bastard bovine will suffice.  As it turned out my second visitor must have left the gate part open and the cow did the rest squeezing in between the gate and Beauty and squeezing out again at the double.  

Did get the camera at that point since the day had cheered up tremendously and snapped not only the headless hibiscus but some of the other stuff remaining in the garden and a mushroom and goodness knows why that decided to raise its head.  Also spotted one passion fruit, honeysuckle about to lose their leaves, one solitary new dianthus and more of the pretty sun flowers.  Washing in...two more deliveries of the mekitsi and then finalised the sorting of the shelving on the landing and filing the things that should have been done at the time.  Found some really old photos of my daughter and grandson and sent a couple on to them....telling her how beautiful she looked and still does.  Not sure my grandson would appreciate me FB ing him at two years old...

Just lit the fire...it's got that mistiness about it that might just turn into a frost tonight.  Almost seven my time....nothing on my agenda for tomorrow again unless I want to put something on it...let's see what turns up...LN

Monday continued

...just a few more pickies

Absolutely lovely pictures So impressed with the preying mantis ones... and the mushroom

sounds like your peace and quiet has returned which is really good

x

Tuesday 15th October

Thanks Andrew.....it's nice to know that the photos are appreciated....like you it's own record of the invents...

Five thirty start and ended up playing Angry Birds and on the DS until six and then back to sleep.  I think I got really warm in bed last night and that was the reason that my little eyelids fluttered open.  Second wind...I went through until eight thirty so that wasn't bad at all.  Coffee, toast for breakfast, got radio two up on the computer today so a day of non-stop music and now Sally Traffic is doing her stuff and I'm reliving the times that I had to negotiate the M25 and M23 regularly from Hatfield to Brighton.  I still shudder as to how I managed to complete most of the journey and not remember a lot of it.   They are now on to Drive time and an article on bringing back the Clangers..now there's a memory for some of you.

Not much achieved today.  Huge bonfire to get rid of the rubbish from my yesterday's filing and the shelving system on the landing is looking a lot tidier.  I thing we forget to look at certain areas of our lives but then reality hits and you've got two choices...learn to live with it or do something about it and I really try to do the latter.  Lunch was tuna mayo on bread that really should have been thrown to the dogs but I took off the hint of penicillin and tomorrow I must do some shopping and replace without I catch the bread man in the morning.  

Today on FB has been interesting and I wished my neighbours and friends a happy Sacrifice Day and got a wonderful script from my Gouldjan which Google translate managed in quicksticks.  I passed it on to her and she said that it had done it very well.  Several likes from my friends spending their time with their families and there are lots of visitors from Turkey making the pilgrimage to here.

So the sun has struggled today to appear but the temperature has landed at about eighteen degrees so comfortable to be out and about but I didn't do much outside today.  I cleared up some of the wood that needs cutting/chopping and got the fire going at about five and believe me...it's very pleasant.  Took a few pictures of the little house today....it's not really little but smaller than this one and next year should see it coming into its own.  The roof and windows have been done and we have just the finishing and that's where the decisions come in.  The wood should all be out of it when the windows and doors are fitted to the barn after the holiday and the tools restited....both from last bedroom in this house and the kitchen in the little house which was described as the 'padlocked rabotilnitza' or workshop.  I'm really looking forward to the design when the building stuff is removed.  It gives you a better perspective on space.

No supper required.....the tuna is still lingering and sufficient....Beer has gone and I've managed to find a bottle of Creme de Menthe and so that's the tipple for tonight.  LN....I'm closing down and getting stuck into a book by the fire...I'm exhausted after a day of doing nothing...LN