Thursday 23rd January

So it was a five thirty start and made a coffee but I'd left the water in the kettle overnight and it tasted tainted so tipped that one away and got fresh water boiled...much better.  Read for a while and played Angry Birds until it was one real angry bird that couldn't work out how to do one of the puzzles so moved up to the pc at about seven to check out emails and suddenly looked up and it was magical.  The light had just got on to the mountains and the mist was hanging in the valley.  I know I go on about the sunrises but to be honest ...no two mornings are the same and it still amazes me.

So out with the camera, took some of the usual or unusual ones and then noticed that the woodpecker was in the mulberry tree and bombing between that and the garden and stabbing furiously at something that it had found.  Out with the zoom lens on the Canon and I had to get the book out to remember how to change to the biggie lens.  Unfortunately had to take them from the house since it would have been off with the fairies if I'd have gone out on to the balcony.  For a first time...the results aren't too bad..practice makes perfect so they say and I should do more of it.  My Sony is just so good that I rely on it.

Out in the fresh air, dig some digging and planning of the new patch of garden.  It's in my head now so it should come together pretty quickly but snow is forecast for tomorrow night so it probably a little too early to start putting plants in and moving stuff.  Got some washing out and it was dry in quicksticks and managed to get it in just before the rain started.  Acuweather is so good....told me that the rain was happening and it did.  Cleared up again quite quickly, sat out for a while reading a new series of Jim Butcher, chicken into the oven and with a jacket potato but the jacket potato came to nothing...Lidl specials from yesterday.  Red cabbage cooked in oil and butter to my specification and with a little beer to wash it down I feel quite sufficed but I put in a quarter of an apple strudel to cook while I was eating main and I'm about to have that with fresh yoghurt.  Stuffed as a little tick I'll be tonight.

Radio 2 on for most of the day...Johnny Walker is doing his stuff and I'm amazed how many traffic accidents there are ....Off down to get settled with the book and I might even be going back to that Angry Bird that I couldn't manage this morning.  LN....I have birds to pluck...LN

Thursday continued

And the rest that I've just messed up....dohhhh...

Friday 24th January

So up with the lark...well I think I beat him to it.  Five ten for me and not even the moon was there to greet me...fog everywhere which of course sodded up my sunrise and it actually appeared at about one this afternoon.  Not to be deterred, I designed a set of book marks and cards for the local school for children with learning difficulties for our Baba Marta day on the 1st March and there's nothing like being early.  I thought the children could give their mothers the cards as presents and the bookmarks could be sold to aid funds for drawing materials etc.  And it's still only eight o'clock...

Toast and Vegemite for breakfast, tidied my upstairs bedroom, folded my sweaters and promised myself that I would buy nothing else from my cheap shop.  Read for a while, walked the garden despite the fog, set fire to the remains in the bonfire pit and then got my head down for an hour or so.  That's the trouble with waking up early.  I checked the weather report on Acuweather and it said rain at four and it was right.  Fortunately I'd got my wood in for the day so didn't need to dodge the raindrops.

So this afternoon I thought I'd get my new Kindle onto the PC and get a few books over.  So I had to update Windows Media Player and I am told that because of what I am running it's not supported and did I want to buy another version of software at several million dollars...did I buggery....so it looks like my little Kindle is going to suffice instead of my all singing and dancing new Christmas present.  As they say...the old ones are the best.

Supper is chicken curry and it's sitting on the woodburner finishing off.  A little beer is whetting my appetite and I'm now wishing that I had lime pickle and mango chutney to go with it.  Might take a look in Lidl if they have another 'Spice' week or get down dirty and make some...it can't be that difficult.  So LN...I'm off to savour the results of my labour...LN...

Saturday 25th January

Six forty start...it's getting back to normal.  The house was still warm so no need to rush to light the woodburner so back to bed with a coffee but I opened the curtains just in case there was a hit of morning but there wasn't a lot happening out there and the rain was gently falling after it had been throwing it down all night.  Apparently there is snow in the north of Bulgaria but it's not due here until tonight when the temperature drops and tomorrow it's likely to be coming down all day according to Remsie when she came round this afternoon.  She arrived with her grandson and I was handed a mobile and my challenge was to change the language on it from English to Bulgarian so I went into settings and I was only offered English, Netherlands, French and German but not a mention of Bulgarian.  Back it went to the grandson and I suggested that they went back to the shop where they'd taken out the contract to see if they could do anything with it.  They was a button to restore factory settings and if it was my phone I would have attempted it....not mine...hand the problem to something else.

So what have I done today?  Not an awful lot.....I got enough wood in for tonight and tomorrow, messaged my student and said that if it's snowing tomorrow not to expect me, carried on with kitting the collar for the shawl I'm making and got stuck into the new book by Jim Butcher but so far I can't say I'm enthralled.  I've had another day of Radio two and it's been company today.  I think if it's fine you can be outside and 'doing' but it's been a day of bitsas.  I think I need to get the sewing machine out and get constructive...it's much quicker than knitting.

Well there has just been a flash of lightening so it's going to call a halt to this update...LN...and there's the first clap of thunder...I'm off...LN

Sunday 26th January

Happy Birthday to my nephew that came out to stay with me in November.  He's reached the big five oh....and I used to baby sit for him which is making me feel very old today...

So last night it was pelting down with rain and there wasn't a hint of snow.  I went to the little girl's room at three and still nothing of the white stuff but at seven I woke up and checked the garden and fields and there it was.  I'm so child-like when it comes to snow.  There's something about it that brings back happy memories of playing in it, getting mittens wet, coming in for a new lot and then getting hot aches in your hands as you began to thaw out.  I had a very understanding mother...

Coffee, out with the camera before the light was even up and it gave everything a very blue glow but over to the desk as the light was rising and I took the one  with the picture frames from my desk.  The house held the temperature well overnight...it was minus six outside and fifteen inside before I lit the wood burner and only went up marginally after it was pumping away.  Breakfast was toast with the jelly scrapings from the dish I'd used to roast the chicken and it reminded me of Boxing morning breakfasts of turkey jelly.  

Interesting phone call from my daughter which came as a surprise...they have booked to come out here for a few days and I'm over the moon...now to get the house 'finished' like getting the bath installed though I do have the wet room downstairs but I know she'll take me as she finds me.  Got out the snow shovel and cleared the terrace off but looking at it now, you'd never know.  It's been a bit frantic on email and Facebook this afternoon...everybody must have been indoors because of the naff weather in the UK.

Tin of tuna for lunch with mayo so no need for anything for tonight.  Six thirty my time, it's still snowing and the temperature has dropped already.  It's supposed to be minus eight tonight according to my weather station and this could go on for a couple of days.  Shutting up shop downstairs and pulling the curtain...I'm in for the night and it's time the beer came out.  LN....still on the Lidl German stuff....and there are a few more bottles left...I'll see what I can do...LN

Monday 27th January

Happy birthday to my eldest grandson today...where do the years go.  He's fifteen going on...usual teenage stuff but lovely with it.

Late start for me but I sat up last night with my very old laptop to see if I could apply enough updates to it to talk to my new Kindle.  One of the clock when I got to bed and all I had for company while I was working away was a glass of wine....and a box downstairs to keep topping it up with.  I uploaded seventy six updates and the laptop is so old that I think it has a crank handle on the side of it but this morning when I tried the Kindle with it...it recognised it for being what it was and I was able to get the new books on it.  I don't have WiFi in the house as yet....only a dongle connection but come March...my contract expires and I'm over to Momchilgrad where I'm assured I can get a satellite dish and all the trimmings for the same price that I'm paying now and with visitors in April....I need an all singing and dancing connection.

Cooked breakfast for me.  I'd taken out a chunk of bacon last night so this morning it was bacon, fried bread and a fried egg with HP sauce but boy did I suffer afterwards.  Not used to so much fatty stuff so played on the PC for a while to let it move down the alimentary canal until I worked up the energy to clear the terrace, filled the log basket and walk the garden.  Out came the camera and I took a few pictures as I surveyed the estate realising that an new outside toilet door wouldn't go amiss.  It was minus four our there but a glimmer of sun so not so bad.

Settled in for the afternoon and read for a while and generally played around with the other favourite website that I use and Facebook....The fire was stoked up this afternoon as I could feel the temperature drop and it's supposed to be minus seven tonight and I can well believe it.  The curtain is drawn downstairs and I'm building up the heat to make it really cosy for the evening.  My desk get's heat from the fire as it rattles up the stairwell and upstairs is fine but I just need to conserve some of it for downstairs.

So...I tried to take photos last night of the snow but all I got was the garden with the outside spotlight on but managed lots today and I marvelled at the Iris that are pushing up their heads despite everything that nature throws at it.  LN....I'm off for another sample of the red stuff and to see what is available in the kitchen..LN

It's quite a winter wonderland down your way. What's your elevation?

Tuesday 28th January

Quoted from 38714

It's quite a winter wonderland down your way. What's your elevation?

I think it's 399 meters in the yard and over 400 on my top landing.  I love it here and yes, I live with nature.  Sunrises inspire me although not much of one this morning.  I know that yellow thing is up there somewhere Chris...just not visible.  It's so quiet here...the road outside only goes down to the next couple of villages and commuter traffic is normally around seven in the mornings and that's probably one bus and four cars and the evening rush is the same cars and the same bus at about five but if there is only about three people for the bus...the driver brings them back in the car.  That's village life for you.  Of course we have the occasional mad taxi driver and a couple of 'boyo's',  the cows are our sleeping policemen, the odd flock of sheep and the horse and carts stop the rest of the maniacs with the odd concrete 'hump' added for good measure.....As for the sunsets...you've seen enough of those...everyone different.  

Thanks Chris for your interest...  

Tuesday continued

What a cold miserable day with not a hint of the sun. I did the usual chores but had a bonfire to get rid of the rubbish which upset the cats a bit as they tried to forage and nothing for them.  As it happened I cast all of the leftovers over the fence including some rice chicken 'stuff' that was going to be made into a heart warming soup but I forgot all about it and it sat in the slow cooker for a day or so....so not for me any more...the animals are welcome to it.

My student's mum emailed me this morning to tell me that she had ordered some special toothpaste recommended by the dentist and that it had arrived. I let her know that I wouldn't be out and about for a few days unless I ran out of bread or alcohol.  On the bread front I'm down to about four slices and my three litre wine box is so far standing up to the snow quite well.

So we are supposed to have more snow tonight and wet snow tomorrow....I'm not sure what the difference is...if it's cold enough it surely doesn't matter if it's wet or dry but I'm sure someone can expound the theory for me.... and we are supposed to be having between fifteen and twenty centimetres tonight but the afternoon 'flurries' didn't materialise.

Stuffed myself into my book this afternoon but brought out a blanket and got stashed under it...the fire was going but I was not up to much activity...Bekir phoned to check that everything was OK...I think the fact that the chimney was blocked worried him....and I put his mind at ease.  So...spaghetti bolognaise for supper, it's finishing off on the woodburner...just need to do the spaghetti....and some of the wine box went into it......but goodness me....I might be snowed in so I'd prefer it in a glass instead of in the food....well who wouldn't......LN...kitchen duties raise their ugly heads...and I'm off for that wine box....LN

And a further update...

That's why I like Accuweather....it's started to snow....