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Elsa Peters
February 1, 2015, 4:28pm Report to Moderator

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Sunday 1st February

Well it's been a heck of a day weather wise throughout Bulgaria.  We have cities flooded, roofs have been removed from houses and everything is awash.  I was reading in bed this morning with my latest Kindle with the backlight and suddenly I was in the dark but could still read so no problem.  The electricity came on again, went off again, came on and went off and at ten it went off and only came on at six tonight...so a whole day without it.  

I got a call from Gouldjan to say that she didn't want to go into Djebel this morning with me and I was in two minds whether to risk it or not but since I didn't go last week I felt that I needed to go.  It was wild this morning.  Gale force winds, torrential rain, my garden flooded but fortunately the house is much higher that the garden so I didn't have the problems that others have had.  Got the Beast out and found that there had been a landslide on the main road before Djebel and I just managed to get through.  I didn't bother driving up to the house but left it parked on the side road.  After the fiasco of last week at the Librarians I didn't want to get stuck again.

We had lunch and their electricity was on and off and they were trying to watch the funeral of the first president after communism.  He's supposed to be the only one that wasn't corrupt and that says a lot for the others.  I left just before two.  I was worried about the sliding bank and whether I would get back or not so made my apologies and left.  On the way back there were lots of cars stopped on the bridge and people were watching the river.  This one is normally a trickle but it was raging and bringing lots of debris down with it and where was my camera...yes at home.  

Put the car away and when I got into the house I realised the electricity was still off so lit the fire in the kitchen since without electricity to run the pump I can't light the biggie.  Read until the light was fading and found a little lamp so that I could use the old Kindle, the new battery had given up the ghost and at last is charging.  

So want to get this done just in case the power goes off again.  I've remembered to change the timer clock on the boiler so that I get it at cheap rate.  Dramatic sunset tonight and one and almost two complete rainbows but I realised that I wouldn't be able to get it all in even if I did go outside.  Please, please let that be the end of it...and I'm sending thoughts out to those who are really up the creek without a paddle...may they be safe.....LN



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Elsa Peters
February 2, 2015, 5:59pm Report to Moderator

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Monday 2nd February

So I've just lost all that I typed up and so to start again...don't you hate it when Google fluffs up.

Just before eight start and watched the morning breaking.  I knew it wouldn't last long though..there was a cloud base and it looked like it might be staying.  Breakfast was a cheese omelette...I've got so many eggs that I need to use them up and I was set up for the day.  Thought about going into Djebel to take photos of the horrendous flowing river apparently bring down sheep, cows and trees but instead my attention was drawn to my Gaudi fence which had not survived the winds.

My intention was to haul it up to an upright position but without a small army of followers this wasn't an option so it was a dismantle and reconstruct job and I got out my Gaudi plans.  Well into my reconstruct when my Avatar appeared clutching her knitting and she wanted to see if she had made my slipper socks big enough and she hadn't so more to do and out with the whip.  I've watch local people knit before and the speed amazes me.  Wool round back of neck, use left thumb for tension and a quick flick with the right thumb and another stitch bites the dust. So I tried it, we laughed, I said that it was impossible and I'm going to practice...nothing ventured nothing gained so to speak.

Finished the fence in Gaudi terms a success, tools away, fire lit with the old wood from two years ago and it was superb.  Not into supper but I've got a little glass of something in my hand and I might work up to a kitchen escapade later.  Tomorrow I'm off to the Librarians to get my supplies from her market....and now....relax and I've got that feeling that you get when you've had a day on the beach...the weather was just so gorgeous after the shite that we've had over the last week or so.  So LN....shower, might be food but a feeling of having achieved something today.  At least those bovines will be kept at bay.....LN



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linda g
February 3, 2015, 5:15pm Report to Moderator
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Hi Elsa, Lovely pic's as usual. Our weather has been horrid too, hot, storms, hail and lightning strikes, fires you name it we've had it and the temps are still high 30's. I think the planets are aligning, and setting off major weather problems, well that's what I am telling myself...lol             Take care. Love from us in Oz. xx
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Elsa Peters
February 3, 2015, 5:35pm Report to Moderator

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Tuesday 3rd February

Thanks Linda....and it's thanks to nature really.....and lots of love from me too.  So let's continue the birthday theme....Happy Birthday to my beautiful Princess.. twenty nine again....

Seven start this morning and it was a bit dull but turned out OK for the rest of the day but the wind was cold.  As arranged I was ready by eight thirty to hit the road but my Avatar appeared at the door with my new slippers that she'd knitted for me.  She asked me if I wanted her to make me another pair and the response was yes so I gave her one of the originals back so she could use it as a template.

Over to the restaurant and noticed that there were a few places on the road where the banks had collapsed with the latest rain surges and warning triangles were out and about.  We hit the market in Benkovski and I always enjoy shopping with someone else because you get more time to stop and look.  I came out with some donkey horse shoe nails which will look great decorating some wooden furniture...just my little brain working overtime.  I remembered my potatoes and oranges for my Avatar as a thank you for her knitting.  We stopped for coffee and ended up back at the motel in her village for lunch sitting out in the sun until we got chilled.  Saw a funny sight.  I cart was called to pick up a three piece suite which had been delivered on the bus from Turkey.  I don't think they could have got anything else on it.

Home for about one thirty, I read for a while and thought I might shut my eyes for a while but just didn't not off....Upstairs and checked emails and stuff and onto the television picking up my knitting as I went and settled in for the afternoon with Countdown and it's still on now and I'm listening to Pointless.  

Good lunch so not bothered about anything for tonight....fire going and toasty inside and that's good since it's threatened at zero tonight.  Not much on the agenda for tomorrow....and if the weather is good I'll clear up the wood remaining after the fence reconstruction.  LN....it's time to post pictures...LN



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Elsa Peters
February 4, 2015, 4:38pm Report to Moderator

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Wednesday 4th February

Happy birthday mum...gone but never forgotten...

So last night was a complete fiasco.  I had a pain in my side  and it reminded me of the time I was flying to Stockholm to work and it turned out to be shingles and I was no where near a beach!!  So I got up to confirm the symptoms and then remembered that I'd shoved a nail in my leg when I was building the fence and my tetanus was a little expired and then you start looking for anything else.  So I got up and lamped Sudocrem on the leg and bandaged it to make sure that the creme stayed in place, went to bed again and did sudoku until three thirty this morning and wondered if I would see the dawn.  Now I'm not a hypochondriac but sometimes if you live on your own you're sometimes concerned.

Anyway..this morning I woke up at just before eight and caught the dawn...and I will add only just caught the dawn...and then I was in to the day.  I made my orange, lemon, salt, honey hot juice and didn't even bother with coffee until eleven this morning.  My Avatar came round with the three remaining over slippers and I went back to the computer and didn't bother to get dressed until eleven or thereabouts.  Finished the knitted present, tidied off my desk and decided that toast with tuna-mayo would fit the bill and that appears to have done me all day.  Back to the computer and looked up to find that there were about twenty bastard bovines had breached the boundary.  I was out there in quicksticks and realised that they had come in in two places so drastic action was required.  So you get them out, they bugger off for a while and then the sneak back up to the fence and appear to be weighing up the route to the loot.  Any way I managed to reinforce the Gaudi perimeters and we'll see what they managed tomorrow.  If I have more problems I'll offer a couple of days work to Bekir and Sally to make it secure.  I don't want to spend too much...the construction of my boundary fence is scheduled for March /April.

Put the tools away and decided to plant some bulbs that I'd picked up yesterday and tidy a couple of beds.  Think it might be a little late but they have two choices...they will or they won't.  It was about five thirty when I came in and I was surprised how the day had flown.  Lit the fire, grabbed a drink, back to the computer and just before seven and the night is mine.  Some photos but not the best....I don't grab my camera when I'm chasing cows.  LN....the night is now mine...LN



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gottaknit
February 4, 2015, 6:59pm Report to Moderator
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Meant to comment the other day - I have seen that knitting method before - on the number 10 bus in West Cornwall! The knitter was a girl who had come from Italy with her parents, when her Father got a job in the local tin mine. We were amazed at how fast she was. I have seen a clip on Youtube showing a Portugese knitter doing it like that as well, so it must go all across the southern bit of Europe.
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Elsa Peters
February 5, 2015, 6:50pm Report to Moderator

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Thursday 5th February

Thanks Jean...I've checked out the videos and given time I shall probably be able to master it but not at the speed that my Avatar achieves...she's had years of practice...

Seven thirty start today and slept really well.  I've got lots of tog rated duvets on the bed and at one point I felt that I couldn't even move...pinned down so to speak.  The dawn was breaking and the clouds were missing from the dawn and I watched the morning gentle sunrise which culminated in a good burn up.  Unfortunately it went behind the clouds but it didn't turn out to be a bad day.  I cleaned the upper bathroom tiles and they are now sparkling and managed to get a load of washing out and it was dry by three this afternoon.  

I sat in the stairwell and read and the temperature was up to twenty five and it was down to tee-shirt and long-johns...not into the shorts yet. I went to get the washing in and it was at that point that I noticed one of the cows eyeing up the fence line so I was down there with a couple of bricks as a deterrent.  Two more joined her and over they went to the dew pond and the one just stood staring as if to say...later...when your back is turned.  They sauntered over to the hedgeline and made there way into Star Mush garden and that's the last I saw of them...for today.

Walked the garden and found some snowdrops, the rest of the bulbs are showing and cleared out some more of the marigolds from last year.  Came in and lit the fire when the clouds came over and there were a few spots of rain, found some pork in the freezer and made a cassoulet of pork and beans with a hint of chili for supper and it was delicious.  Just finished watching Eggheads and now I'm down to take advantage of my fire clutching Kindle to hand...and yet another Stephanie Plum...the bounty hunter.  Noting on the agenda for tomorrow and it's supposed to be back to rain, rain, rain.  Let's see if they got it right'  LN..It's all quiet on the western front...LN




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Elsa Peters
February 6, 2015, 5:22pm Report to Moderator

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Friday 6th February

Sorry...qick update tonight since there is thunder and lightening rattling around and much as I love you all, I value my computer....

Slow start this morning...it was just before eight this morning when I came too but there was no sunrise to capture as the clouds were hovering but the promised rain didn't happen until much later.  I washed up from last night and didn't bother with breakfast and on to the computer to catch up on what needed to be caught up on and then rushed to get a birthday card in the post for one of the family birthdays.  The post office manager was very pleased with himself.  I think he had been assigned a new 'Priority' stamp and dutifully stamped my letter.  My favourite restaurant lady's husband who also is involved in the postal service was also there and gave me an Avon catalogue as a present.  I looked through it and found the bronzing balls that I didn't manage to buy in the shops and went over to my student's mother shop and asked if she knew any of the agents.  She did, made a phone call and the lady arrived within twenty minutes to take my order.  She also provided me with the new catalogue...the present was two months out of date but what I wanted had gone down in price so I ordered two...result.  Items are already paid for and will be delivered by February the 16th...As I pulled up at the shop Bekir came up to the car and we shook hands.  I asked him if he was working and said that I'd almost phoned him yesterday with regard to the lack of substantial fence and a determined cow glaring over it.  We made an arrangement that if the weather looks good, Sally and Bekir will come over for a couple of days and do a necessary repair that the cows can't ignore and he will watch the weather and give me a call.....works for me.

Drove home and stopped off at the supermarket for a few things and the chicken is almost ready.  The rain started about an hour ago and the thunder about the same time but it's getting pretty loud so this should be over in quicksticks...one way or another.  Nothing planned for tomorrow unless I decided to go into Kardjali and fill up my car with decent fuel,  Local stuff is full of something and the performance is not the best and the amount of black smoke makes it look like I'm burning rubber.

Back down stairs...computer is going off and that chicken sure does smell good.....LN....chicken and jackets...what could be nicer...LN
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linda g
February 7, 2015, 2:46pm Report to Moderator
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hahahaha Elsa Just noticed you missed a day in your dates......didnt you want the 6th to happen...lol/
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Elsa Peters
February 7, 2015, 4:41pm Report to Moderator

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Saturday 7th February

Linda if you could have heard the thunder it's a wonder it was only a day and not a month.  The windows and doors were rattling and on Monday I'm going to take out insurance...

Woke up at five this morning and settled into reading my book and finished one of Stephanie Plum's and then started Wolf Hall which is now being serialised on BBC.  Not sure how it's going at the moment,,,there appears to be too many characters at the start of it and difficult to follow.  I'll persevere for a while longer and see how it goes.

Phoned the Librarian at just after seven thirty to see if she wanted to come out to play and after an affirmative phone me back ten minutes later and said that there was a problem with the ladies in her village and she was having to play taxi.  We left it that she would phone me if there was a lull in her activities but it never happened.  I parked up at nine thirty, went to my cheapie shop and picked up a handbag just for the clips and fittings and then over to my other shop and the coat that I'l looked at for the last four or so weeks had been reduced by thirty percent so it was a no brainer.  It's a sheepskin leather coat and needs redesigning but at thirty lev it would have been rude not to.  Kaufland for a few things, Lidl for a few more and ended up in the electrical shop and found a juicer for a reasonable price so I might be looking to do the detox diets but I'll wait till the weather warms up a bit.  It's gone really cold now and some weather forecasts report that snow will arrive tonight but the other lot say that it will be monday.  It's supposed to be minus four or five tonight too so the fire is going and the curtains are drawn to keep the heat from flowing out of my gigantic windows,

Just caught up with the Librarian and she had a heck of a day with five locals, a hospital and a patient, the market all working to different agendas.  I've watched the Irish-Italian Six Nations and now in for the next...sitting here with my bottle of beer and I've just finished cold chicken, mayo and chippies.  

Have a good evening everyone...student tomorrow without the snow strikes and I'll be confined to barracks and enjoy every minute of it.  LN...France is about to kick off...so to speak...LN



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