Sunday 1st March

Chestita Baba Marta and by now you should all know the story of welcoming the month of March with martenitsa given to family and friends.  Mine are in the post and I hope they arrive tomorrow.

Very silly night last night...I ended up watching the film Deva Vu with dream guy Denzel Washington....fascinating story but it didn't end until one thirty.  Unfortunately when I went to bed I wasn't in the least bit tired so read for about an hour and then remembered that the electricity had been off so I had to readjust the timer on the hot water so that I didn't run into the daytime tariff.  Eventually settled off at about four thirty and have felt a little jaded most of the day.

Seven ten start, fire still going and kept it in so that I could have a shower and dry off in front of it.  Sheer decadence.  Don't quite know where the morning went but at nine thirty I was showered and shampooed and trotted off down the road to return a dish to my Avatar and armed with a couple of martenitsas I was heading for Haceber's house when she suddenly appeared and as I put the band on her wrist, she was almost in tears.  I suppose when family is so far away as they are all working or living abroad, a kindly thought is very welcome.  We both walked into my Avatar's house and likewise...her family are all away and the band was gratefully received.  On to my students and bands were exchanged.  There are heading for a holiday period now and will not return to work until Thursday.  Unfortunately the elder sister works for a company that doesn't seem to respect holidays so she has to work.  

The parents were very busy in the garden...one hint of sun and spring and it's out with the dishcloths and cleansing stuff for the outside chairs.  I've see the weather forecast and I'm pretty slow to get started ....it's supposed to be snowing over the next couple of weeks but we seem to have heard it all before.  So far not much of a winter at all....a covering of snow, a few cold nights and that's been it.  As for the snow resorts....I think it's been a let down for them.

So back from my students and salvaged the fire yet again.....what a beautiful day it's been and it would have been good to have got in the garden but let's hope it's the same tomorrow.  Now it's out with the camera...I think there's a few worth capturing....

Sunday continued

The garden promenade....everything is coming to life again...LN

Monday 2nd March

Just before eight this morning so result.  It was fully misted over but I made a guess that it would clear up later so I stripped my bed down and got the bedding washed and out and my Avatar and Haciber were at my door at ten thirty just as I'd sat down to have a read listening to Neil Diamond.  I went out to greet them and you really have to prize out of them what they want and whether there is a problem or not but as it happened thee was a chureck (type of pancake) day down at one of my neighbours and I'd been invited so at eleven thirty I was there with my little rubber gardening shoes on.  Apparently this was to commemorate the passing of her husband.

I met my Avatar outside of her house and lots of the local women were there and jabbering away in Turkish and I'm quite used to sitting there listening and managing to catch a few of the words.  Now I took a seat and my Avatar had here seat ready for her.  She took up her place in front of the wood burner, got the oil going in a deep frying pan and she was knocking the dough back into little balls, flattening them out and dropping them into the far.  The hostesses daughter's job was to turn them over so that they browned on both sides and it was one out and one in and soon there was quite a heap of them.  The table was laid with yogurt and fig jam and a plate of the chureck was placed in the middle of the table.  Ladies came and went at various intervals and the food kept on coming and apparently those from the village that hadn't made the gathering would have theirs delivered later.  Avatar and myself left at the same time....I was ready to start work in the garden now that the sun had broken through.

I got going on the ex-wood pile just off the workshop terrace.  I trimmed the cranberry tree and dug out some of the prunus that had spread wildly over the garden.  The ground was so wet that they were so easy to remove and it's given me the impetus to get out there again tomorrow and attack more of the blessed things.  They just sucker up everywhere.

Washing in and aired it on the banister, bed made up and tonight I have a whole new bed to look forward to.  Supper was a spicy sausage with onions, tomato paste, chili sauce and served with pasta.  Just about to throw another log on the fire....the temperature is supposed to go down tonight.  Sun threatened for the next few days so I'll take advantage of it and work the garden.  Sorry but too busy to take pickies today...I'll grab some tomorrow....it didn't seem right to take any at this morning's gathering....LN

Tuesday 3rd March

National holiday in Bulgaria today...it's been one hundred and thirty seven years since it threw off the oppression and a lot of people headed for Shipka today.  I've been twice and the first time it was with a good friend and the mist was so dense that we never found it.  We found a decent restaurant and had lunch but never the monument.  The second time I climbed the tower and took in the history.

This morning was a six thirty start and the sun took a long time getting there.  I phone the garage and asked for them to order the glow plugs for the Beast.  I tried to turn it over this morning and still no go so I've called in the experts and the parts will be ordered tomorrow since it's a national holiday today.....I've told them there's no rush...in their own time.  Eventually the sun was up and it was really hot when it was out but you have to be out of the wind.  I cleared a lot of the wood from the old woodpile but once the wind got up I was grateful that the fire hadn't really taken hold.....I'll leave it for another day.  Moved a few shrubs round, dug over half of the vegetable parch and cleared the weeks from a couple of the flower beds being careful to avoid the bulbs that seem to be sprouting up everywhere.

Finished for lunch and had fish finger sandwiches with apple juice to wash it down and finished the final book by the author of my Stephanie Plum fame....and what a let down it was.  I now need to find another series so back to my disk.  Out to the garden again but it was still too windy to get the fire going.  Tools away by five thirty, lit the fire and nine thirty here now and I would ask where has the evening gone.    Another day in the garden tomorrow if the weather holds and I think the old pear tree has to come down and the olives from the bottom of the garden are going to make it nearer the house.  I think it's just too wet for them where they are and they're not looking too good so I think I'll move one and see.  

Soon be time for bed....LN

Chestita Baba Marta to you and your friends & neighbours Elsa.  Great photos as usual. Flowers look good even better when they come out fully. All good here still nice hot weather, some storms and beautiful sunsets. Take care luv reading your daily blogs. From us in OZ xx

Wednesday 4th March

Thanks Linda...I'll pass on the good wishes to my neighbours and I'm still handing out Baba Marta wrist bands and wearing mine with pride.

Six thirty start, cold outside and warm inside thanks to the fire that kept going all night.  Decided to throw another log on it even though I'd made my mind up to go into Kardjali to get the juice machine that my student and her sister had requested I pick up form Kaufland.  Walked down to my Avatar's house to check if she wanted anything and her order was for more oranges.  Emula was walking up the road as we stood chatting and he was heading to Djebel and scrounged a lift from me.  I asked him if he had money and Avatar had a little chuckle but they knew I would charge him nothing...I never do but they expect humour.

Stopped off at the garage shop but she was busy putting orders in so I didn't stop for long.  My glow plugs were ordered but I told them that there was no rush....and to fit it in with the quiet times in the garage.  Into Kardjali for ten, went to Kaufland first off and it was a good job that I did.  There were only two juice machines left so I got that and a few things that I wanted including some mini-rose plants, stopped off and had the three year guarantee authorised and popped it in the lid of the box but shock horror, the wind had blown the lid up and no guarantee.  I checked under the car but still couldn't find it so walked back towards the store and found that some kind person had put in on a shelf just inside the store.  Went to my cheapy shop and picked up a couple of white cotton quilt covers for the third room and then over to Lild for a few items.  Back to Djebel and delivered the juicing machine, went back to the garage shop but she had an elderly lady wanting to sit and chat so I said my farewells and headed home.  Delivered the oranges, unpacked the car, washed the quilts and some new bottom sheets, put a chicken in to cook and then my phone went and it was the garage asking if her husband could come and fix the glow plugs....and a big yes followed.

Husband arrived at around five, I ended up being mechanics mate, two of the glow plugs were shot but it's alright now.  The Beast is now active.  Chicken and bread for supper...I'd spent my veg cooking time holding parts of the engine so that he could fix the Beast.  Beautiful day, full moon and it's almost like daylight outside....nothing on the agenda apart from planting two new shrubs and potting up the roses.  LN...I'm going down to my fire...LN

Thursday 5th March

What a cold, dull, miserable day today.  It started off fairly promising and I was destined for a day outside but by about ten it was spotting with rain so realised it was not going to be as planned.  Bacon and brown sauce sandwich for breakfast...it filled the gap and warmed the inside washed down with a couple of mugs of black coffee.

I went over to see Avatar to ask if I could take my wheelbarrow to the opposite field for some old cow manure to dig in before I planted the new shrubs.  It's Haceber's field and she was visiting Byser's and asked the question and immediately she said yes even offering to fill the wheelbarrow and bring it over but I said that I'd wait until it had stopped raining.  I stayed for tea as is the custom but goodness knows how many sugars it had in it...they love their sweet stuff.  

Went into the little house and watered the plants in there and a lot of them are sprouting already.  I sorted out some of the garden equipment and put it into the workshop but the wind was keen so I gave that up as a bad job.  I'm now starting a new author.....Laurell K Hamilton and the series appears to be about a vampire hunter so I'll see how the first one goes.  I like her style.  So not much happening today...I phoned the Librarian for a chat and she mentioned how she's been doing 'stuff' in the garden but the weather has beaten us both today.  We also arranged to meet up on Sunday for Ladies' Day but a red code warning has been threatened and we are told that we can expect thirty centimeters of snow tomorrow but let's see how right they get it this time.  

Late start on lighting the fire but the temperature has dropped tonight so I'm glad of it now.  No sunrises or sunsets...in fact no sun.  LN...I'm going to do something with a cold chicken...LN

Friday 6th March

Best laid plans of mouse and me ...my designs on being entertained this evening at my student's house all went to pot with the snow that started pelting it down at four this afternoon.  We had perpetual rain this morning without any let-up.  My pond is back at the bottom of the garden and I had this big urge to go and dig up the one olive tree that seems to be drowning but as the snow came down....maybe tomorrow.  

Six thirty start this morning and I was boots blacked by nine.  Toast and apricot jam for breakfast and for lunch..I made use of the chicken that I did nothing with last night and came up with a very hearty chicken, tomato, honey and chili thingy that did for me and half of it went over to my Avatar for her lunch come supper.  I had mine with bread and it was delicious.  Read for a while but it's slow going with the new series...I'm not sure if I'm enjoying it or not.

Snow started at four as I said and so it was cancelling tonight, I had a phone call from England lasting an hour or so and had just got settled in to watch Eggheads when the power went off so I was getting tealight lit, reaching for the odd light switch when the brain had not fully kicked in that there was no power and my biggest task was to remove some of the logs from the wood burner thinking that if it was off for a long time, the UPS wouldn't last out.  So a couple of logs were removed and put into the little wood burner in the kitchen leaving the biggy at a reasonable size, then the power came on, and went off and came off and went off again so this update is going to be a quickie just in case.

The snow is settling well and we've got about ten centimeters so far but if it keeps on like this for the night...it will definitely be something to write home about and will be the most that we've had all winter.  I might even be able to have a snowman on the terrace if my luck holds.  I know there are a few in England who will keep me to it.  LN....I'm going to get something to eat before the power goes off again...LN

Quick update from my mum....... She's had 4 feet of snow and has no electricity. She's fine but won't be updating blog tonight. Lots of pictures to follow when  she can!

Well at least we should expect to see a decent snowman or woman on the terrace when power and internet is restored!