Sunday 29th June

Early start this morning and I've found out why the mosque it kicking it out at several decibels higher than normal...The fast season is upon us and breakfast comes at about three in the morning and nothing to eat or drink until nine at night.  Now that's something to look forward to and this goes on for a month.  I also found out today from my student that if you are fasting and observe all the rules, the rich people of Djebel give money to the local restaurants so that most people can eat out at nights for free....but in my book it'snot really worth it.

So over to my students this morning and another thing I found out...the hot thermal springs in Djebel have been commandeered by one of the local ladies and the frogs have been given notice to quit and it's now available for swimming as a 'resort' for two lev for a day.  It might be worth taking a look at it since they are thermal springs, it should be theraputic and at a  couple of leva...well worth while.  Interesting day today at my students, one visitor coming to pick up a saw so that they can attack a cherry and a 'lipen chai' tree for its fruits.  Lunch was chicken and rice with some very hot peppers followed by home made yogurt and after lunch father decided to get out his Toto or Lottery cards and we all had one for one leva.  I won a jackpot of two leva and reinvested and when that came up again I reinvested in another two leva card and promptly lost the lot but the little faces as I was scratching away were to behold.  We sat around in the garden for a while and the neighbour who was watering her garden asked if we could speak in Turkish to that she could understand what we were talking about....you just have to love them.

The elder sister decided it was time to wash the hall runner and so out to the yard with it and with bare feet she was happily scrubbing away while the younger one watched and fetched water on demand.  The neighbour came around and offered instructions, she got a fire going out in the yard and was bottling beans ready for the winter.  I think the husband commented that the supermarkets sold them but it was pointless...she'd done it for years and would still keep doing it.

Home for four and yes I was late today...only to be told that I'd had four visitors while I was out....namely one asking if I wanted a kitten because the mother had just died...and that was a big no and three cows.  I seem to recall mentioning that because my guest had gone a little wild thinning out my hedge instead of just taking the top of....I'd foreseen the event or maybe it was a premonition.  So new post concreted in and tomorrow it's off to buy some more barbed wire...just to keep the beauties out.  

Gouldjan came round tonight to help with the translation of an email that I've received in English and I wanted it in Turkish and Bulgarian just to make sure....and if you're reading this, the wheels will be put into motion tomorrow (and you know who you are).  

Such a good day...very rested and relaxed...as I've said before they are a lovely family and we have such fun and as for my original Gouldjan...I gave her a little of the red stuff and she went off happy...LN...I need something to eat and maybe a little to drink...LN

Monday 30th June

Slow steady morning and over to Momchilgrad via the garage to meet with the schoolmaster.  Before we left though there was a clatter, clatter that I could not understand and thought that there was a very loud woodpecker that had attached itself to the mosque loudspeaker.  I eventually realised that it was a stork on the electricity post taking stock of the situation and suddenly it was taking to the air.  We met the schoolmaster in Djebel... the car was going in for repairs for a thermostat problem so we set off for his home and our job was to collect the cement floor tiles and deposit them back to my home...I want them to edge the lawn.   Off we went....Bekir and Sally were working away and it was lovely to see them again,  I set to helping them with their work but there was still no water in them there hills. The wood was delivered for the roof, the men set to to create the bedroom/nest for when his visitor arrives but they ran out of materials to finish the job,  I spent some time clearing down the walls so that it could be whitewashed...but there is more work to do before the surfaces get finished.

Bad news for the car...it has new gaskets to be fitted in all the major engine places and the news came through when I was working away on the roof and paying in kind for my lunch.  The men worked but the temperature was now hitting the heights.  They should have found other places to play but I went out and joined them...beats singing for your supper any day.

Home via the garage to get my horn fixed since it had stopped working, the paving slabs that I'd collected are now stacked in the drive, the barbed wire that I picked up from Momchilgrad is already in my little house to sort out my cows tomorrow and I acknowledge it's been a very busy day.  Lot of activity and very little reward but you get days like that...LN....I'm out for tonight....LN