Wednesday, 1st April

So now we are in to another month and where did the others go.....white rabbits or what you choose to mention.....

Beautiful morning but the day gradually disintegrated into sull afternoon and I didn't see the need to do anything about it.  I took advantage of the morning and washed my bedding that seemed that it was on its way to Greece but enough pegs secured it and it was back inside in quicksticks and airing in the sun attached to my stairs.  Back on the bed and ready for this evening.....

I started a book this morning and finished it this evening.  Travis McGee and another one bites the dust...I have three more left in the series and I'll be with it until the end as is my wont where there is more than one book to read.  As for the rest of the day...I had a phone call from the UK which was a gentle relaxation and nothing much has happened....

No phone calls from the garage so the new part is the correct one or not...I shall not know or care.  I've accepted an invitation fro my student and her family and I'm out for supper on Friday.  It leaves me free to invite my other student's family for lunch on Sunday.  So now it's raining and the front has arrived and now it's doing its damndest to darken my parade.....LN...I've got sausages and a jacket potato about to come to fruition so I'm, down to the kitchen to serve up the banquet...LN

Thursday 2nd April

Six start and it was still dark out.  I opened the curtains and waited for the glimmer of morning and it was a strange one.  It had that lovely blue glow but there were lots of dark clouds to the south and west and it soon clouded over and the sun never really came out until about seven thirty.  Decided that I would take advantage of the weather and put in a load of washing and was pegging out by eight fifteen but was that wind cold.  I'd phoned the Librarian to tell her not to worry that the car wasn't at the bottom of her road.  I received a FB message yesterday evening to let me know that it was fixed and at the garage already and I decided that I'll take the bus in tomorrow morning at the sensible time of nine and I've arranged to meet the Librarian at the garage and we're off on a shopping spree.  I want a few things that are on offer at Lidl and my list is prepared.

So climbing the stairs and I looked out on to the terrace and couldn't believe that there was something that resembled one of the amazing moths from last year.  My first thought was that it was pretty early and that wind was howling so I scooped it up and put it in the little house where I thought it would stand more of a chance.  Back into the house and I lit the fire and I've kept it ticking over all day and it makes such a difference.  It's supposed to go down to minus something tonight...obviously spring has not quite sprung.

It was too cold for gardening so I settled in with my book, had a late brunch of cheese and onion omelette and sallied forth into the garden but about one thirty when the wind had dropped.  Washing in, bonfire still didn't make much headway on the hedge clippings and eventually came in from the garden at six fifteen.  I've more or less managed to clear from the lilac to the bottom garden but those weeds have thumping long roots and I hate chickweed.  It's so difficult to clear especially when it's threaded through the bush honeysuckle and the shears came into play to get that all trimmed up.

So almost nine my time....it will soon be a book at bedtime with a small glass of beer tonight.  I'll be boots blacked and in with the locals tomorrow with my two lev clutched in my little hand and a quick walk down to the garage.  LN...it will be comforting to see the Beast back where it belongs....LN

Friday 3rd April

Ten to six start but that appears to be the normal now.  I made a coffee and lit the fire, I was going to shower later and I needed to take the chill off before I did.  My deadline today was to catch the nine o’clock bus so not much of a problem there.  There was a lot of laughter on the bus…Gouldjan was having a bit of a late start, I sat on the back row with my Avatar and Gouldjan sat on the single seat in front but the problem was it seemed to have come unwelded from the structure and as we went round the corner she was heading towards the aisle.  Noticed that there were a pair of storks in situ at the bus station….I can now take my Martinitzi off….

I walked down to the garage and the Librarian was waiting for me.  I was just about to take the Beast out and the garage owner arrived clutching some little part that he reckoned would make the needle on the water temperature dial work.  The Librarian headed to the car park in the centre of Djebel and I was to pick her up which I did and we headed off to Kardjali.  Now I have this new gauge I was very interested in it.  The Beast felt lumpy, the gears didn’t want to change smoothly and by the time that I got to Kardjali the needle on the new dial was a little off the scale,  I parked up, did the cheapy shop for clothes, Billa and then over to Lidl and I was dreading the drive back to the garage.  As I got towards Djebel the needle had once more found its way skyward so I dropped the Librarian off and parked up at the garage and only had to point at the dial and the faces changed…no longer the smilers.  

All I said was ‘Monday’ and I’ll take the trip on the village bus again…much cheaper than a taxi.  Tonight I’m off to my students for supper but I won’t be late back…and as it was I got back at nine forty, parked up, pyjamas, a little drink, messaged to say that I’d got home safely and now to put on the photos.  I've had a really relaxing evening with a very lovely family…LN

Saturday 4th April

Silly o'clock start and read for quite some time before I got into the world..... I decided that today was a day of 'might be's' so I didn't do much at all.  I was going to set the garden alight with possibilities that faded into nothing.

I wondered if I should do my nails and that faded into insignificance...and so I decided to put my new hoover into motion and that's when I decided that it wasn't a patch on the one that I'd purchased in England.  The suction head was so basic....what a heap of shite.

Washing blowing in the breeze and all dry by two thirty this afternoon and put away.  Hacibar arrived with two fluffy pancakes that were supposedly for the passing of someone but I didn't get the message..  I have a full moon shining down on me and it's almost time for bed....

LN....it's a chilled night...LN

Sunday 5th April

Just before seven start but I did wake up at eleven last night in front of the computer freezing cold.  I'd been determined to watch something on Fimon but the body didn't make it.  I got into bed with my clothes on...couldn't even bother to find my pj's but snuggled down into my nest and everything in the garden was lovely...

It was freezing this morning.  There was a hint of sun shining through but there was such a cloud base that the heat just wasn't getting through.  I was on the computer and decided to light the fire....I have wood, I have matches, I have fire lighters but they were to no avail.  The fire had gone out last night and hence that was why I was so cold and I thought that by titivating it a bit and putting in a couple of firelighters it would spring to life.....Wrong...it took me one and a half hours of faffing around and I could imagine may father laughing his socks off at my attempts.  Eventually I took it all apart and got it going.  I've not done much else all day...apart from making a humungous bacon for a late brunch after the fire episode and settling into a book on the sofa.  I did manage to put my nose outside and fill up the log basket to dry out for tomorrow...the forecast is lashings of rain and floods for the Kardjali and Smolyan and since I'm slap bang in the middle...I guess I'm going to get it.

So six ten my time...almost time to get back to my next Travis McGee....no hunger pains attacking at present so might even go without tonight.  Have to phone the garage in the morning to see if the Beast is ready to collect at nine-ish or better to go in on the two o'clock bus from here....two leva and party time on the bus.  LN...it's still cold outside and miserable ...LN

Monday 6th April

I had visitations from the bovine bastards last night so I was stacking the brush that I’d cut from the hedge line on top of the fence that they’d knocked over.  So far today….no trespassers.  It pee’d it down all night…and all morning and at last at five this afternoon we have had a break in the cloud and the sun is now shining on the hills.

It was cold this morning carrying on with yesterdays drop in temperature so the fire was reignited and I’ve kept it going all day.  I caught the end of the film Spirit and it took to back to when I used to sit down with CJ my first grandson and we would watch it together.  Memory lane again!!  Toast for breakfast and settled down on the sofa with another Travis McGee and a third cup of coffee and that continued until I phoned the garage to see if I could pick up the Beast since today is the only day apart from Friday that there is a bus at two from the village into Djebel.    I had a text from Gouldjan and yes I was going into Djebel and ten minutes later…no… I wasn’t.  The first answer from the garage was… yes but as I waited for the bus there was another phone call and the answer was…. no.  It appears the water was not circulating properly and so it’s back to the drawing board Cecil.

So this afternoon  I’ve been on the Mitsubishi owner’s website ….but I should really leave it to the experts and see what they come up with.  It’s depressing when you try to work out what might be wrong….you seem to add more noughts to the bill that way.  The sheep have just come up over the hillside and strangely I can smell bleach and their coats look a little lighter on the top….not sure what that’s all about.. .  Chicken breast cooking in the oven…I shall tart them up when they look a little more cooked…they were frozen when they went in.  And now I'm smelling them and getting hungry so I’m down to the kitchen ….LN…I have more work to do…LN

Hi Elsa, have they checked the water pump as this should normally changed when you have the Cambelt done? I'm not sure yours actually has a belt as some are chain driven, but it does have a water pump and failure is quite common so worth asking!

...I tested my memory today to see if I could still find your house and the result was:

https://goo.gl/maps/t3HyD

It's a little out of date as taken March 2012, but still great to have a little walk about and remember what the village looks like!

Hi Elsa lovely pics. Stay warm. Happy Easter to you. All ok here. Linda &All. Xxxxx

Tuesday 7th April

Thanks Linda for your good wishes for Easter,,,you know they are returned with lots of love.  As for you MikeyB...the Beast is undergoing intensive care....they are on the job as we speak and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

It's been one of those days that I could do without.  The phone call from the garage this morning wasn't good and I was researching eBay this afternoon.  I did have one visit from one of my neighbours and she wanted my telephone number for her daughter and not really sure what that's about but I'm sure I'll find out.  She did mention a house in Momchilgrad that's for sale but I'm really not interested in getting involved so I wrote down the phone number for her.  Off she went to catch up with Haciber and one of my other neighbours...they were off for a little walk.

So there I was minding my own business...I corked a pork chop this evening, made a mushroom sauce and had it with pasta and I was just finishing off when I looked out and those two bastard bovines were out there again.  Now these are the two that will remove themselves under threat but who stand on the perimeter and wait for me to go in the house and then they make a second assault.  As it happens I was out there waiting for them second time around armed with some heavy rocks and they got the message and headed off towards the bottom of the village.  The hid themselves in the copse at the bottom and the next thing I hear are a couple of gun pops and the sheep farmers' sons are heading for the copse so I'm guessing that one of the neighbours from the bottom has complained about them and they've come to gather them into the fold.  The upshot is that they won't be back tonight....please hurry Bekir and Sally....this woman has needs.

Tomorrow I'm going down to the garage to see for myself and to have an update...thank goodness Beauty is behaving herself but maybe I shouldn't say that ...she might be listening.  Another drab, cloudy day and while I was waiting for the cows to...'move along please' ...it was icy rain.  I didn't light the fire until five but I'm pleased I did....it keeps everything ticking over.  So supper done, cows sorted for tonight anyway, time for a little drinky and to see if eBay have responded to any of my questions...LN...and I'm hoping for a better day tomorrow...LN

Wednesday 8th April

Six thirty start and the fire was still going and I'm pleased that it was.  It has been cold, miserable with a biting wind for most of the day.  I did managed to get out there and pull the fence up into a reasonable position so that it looks like it is one and dangle more of the barbed wire over some new supports...fingers crossed.

The original intention was to go into the garage this morning to identify exactly what was needed for the Beast but just as I was about to set sail, the phone went and I have good news.  They have found a reconditioned engine in Sofia with a six months warranty on it so I said go ahead and get it organised...we can keep it for anything that potentially might go wrong or even sell some of the bits as there appears to be a demand.  I just can't let it go just yet and it will cost me less to repair than to replace and my heart is in that lump of metal.

So I was on the pc doing some bits and I noticed the stork heading in towards the field where the sheep were grazing.  I grabbed the camera but unfortunately at full stretch the focus goes a little bit wonky and you get some lovely close up of buds on trees...Never mind ....some of them turned out OK and the sheep appeared really curious.

Just managed to get the wood in and the heavens opened up only this time it wasn't rain we had snow yet again.  Only short and sharp but it settled on the hills.  Winds dropped now...I've just had the biggest jacket potato ever with lashings of butter and a couple of pork chops...and feel ready to burst.  I think it needs a little beer to give it a helping hand down the digestive tract....LN....Down to throw a log on the fire and fill up a glass...LN