Friday 1st April

Woke at five this morning, read for a while and then out for the count until just before eight....what a good start to the day.  Coffee on the terrace sitting in the sun and still in pj's and fortunately there weren't any visitors.  Quick wash and dressed, washed up from yesterday and then returned to the terrace with my book until the mood struck to get that strimmer going again.

I tackled the highest patches of clover but at this point I was only taking off the tops and hoping that the sun would do it's stuff and dry it up before I took to the lawn mower.  I don't think it did much to help...clover holds so much moisture.  Eventually...out with the mower and managed to get a whole run down to the bottom of the toilet end of the garden and concentrated my efforts down there.  Eventually I swung over the the other side of the garden and made it up to the lump of wood in the middle but it was really hard work.

I broke for lunch and used up the remains of the tuna mayo on toast finishing off with a huge chunk of lemon Madeira cake and then sat on the sofa in the sun reading until the strimmer was ready for action again.  After thirty minutes the battery was out again and so I concentrated the lawn mower effort looking down the garden from the lounge terrace but unfortunately I didn't manage to do it all.  I've got about two hours work left to do on it....and then it will be time to start again.   Clover just loves this weather.

So I came in and had a shower....mainly to get the smell of grass off me.....threw on a sweater and leggings and checked emails and played games eventually settling on Filmon.  I don't want supper...the tuna is filling the gap.  No plans made for tomorrow...I'll see how I feel in the morning....LN...Welcome to the new month and no April Fools actually came to my attention...LN

Saturday 2nd April

I watched several programmes on Filmon last night and Mastermind was a real fight to the finish.  I did feel sorry for the guy who’d led at half way and he just couldn’t finish it when it came to the tiebreaker….So bed at early hours of the morning and not much sleep in the brain box so it was out with the book until the eyes started to head southwards.  It was good though…I didn’t wake up until just before eight but I didn’t miss much of a sunrise…there wasn’t one and the sun stayed hidden until getting on for lunchtime.  Breakfast was beans on toast and then it was out with the strimmer so that the rest of the grass could dry off before the lawn mower came out again.  After strimming the grass that was left unfinished, it was out with the book on the bench in the sun.  It gave the beans time to move down a bit and the grass top dry off.  By eleven I was ready for the final effort to finish the bloody lawn ….and it’s done.  

Between lawn efforts I’ve cleared part of the long fence garden and under the special tree and planted up a few flowers and a spirea to fill it out a bit.  Again the weeds had taken over but they are no more.  The afternoon snack at four was cream cheese with chocolate wheat biscuits and the cream cheese is no more….gluttonous…

Haciber came round this afternoon and delivered a bowl of nuts that had been given to her by her daughter up for a couple of days from Turkey.  She’s over the moon at the moment because her son is over for twelve days from Sweden.  Both of her sons have made lives for themselves there but do come back regularly with the grand-children so that they keep in touch and she adores them all.

So tomorrow I should finish the long bed and then I can attack the long under wall garden that is constructional that I love….and then I can get the rest of the shrubs in that are idling in the little house.  They need to start feeling their feet in real soil.  Semi finals of The Voice and it’s down to the public vote tonight.  Fire going although it’s not really necessary….Now shower time…and I should sleep well after the work I’ve done today…LN…I’m knacked.  LN…

Sunday 3rd April

Ended up in the bath after watching The Voice, read for a while, put the book down and promptly went to sleep for half an hour or so.  Dried off, read for a while in front of the fire, into bed and straight through until just before seven this morning.  The sky was spooky.  It looked as it the sun would make an appearance and then it would be hidden for the rest of the day.  As it happened...I'm not sure what time the cloud lifted, it must have been while I was having my poached eggs on toast.

Before I headed out I cooked the minced meat that I'd left out last night preparing the base for my shepherd's pie supper, added the remains of the baked beans leaving only mashed potatoes to prepare to top off the mince,  Then out to the garden.....I'd noticed that I had a couple of mole hillocks and if you're of a delicate disposition...look away now.  I hate moles...you have a green vista and then they appear...the mole hills.  Not so bad you say but the underneath becomes lethal.  I'd bought tablets that you put either side of the hole underneath the mound and leave them to find it,  My painter had another suggestion....stick one of the bangers that you use to scare dogs down the hole and so I did.  I'll know in the morning.

Same as usual, digging out the two remaining weedy flower beds and another day and it will be finished and then it'll be time to get the lawn mower out again but it will be much easier next time....the hard work has been done.  So it was gardening, sitting in the sun reading until I decided that the t-shirt could come off if only for an hour or so.  I need colour in my life.  Came in at six thirty, lit the fire, peeled the potatoes and prepared the shepherds pies and into the oven they went.  Supper over and the second one will be there for tomorrow.  My painter should be coming round in the morning to give me a hand with some of the things that need two to do in the garden and in summary.....it's been a very restful day in the garden....just as it should be after the hectic lawn bashing.  LN...A little Filmon and then bed...LN
  

Monday 4th April

Disturbed night ...Too many bed clothes on now that the temperature is going up.  Nice start though just before seven...coffee and read for a while but dressed and ready for action by eight...my painter was due to arrive to give me a hand.  Eight thirty when he got there and his first job was to leg it down to the bread van....he needed something so I gave him my two leva and he came back with a fresh loaf and a cheesy bread designated for my breakfast so more coffee on the go and I got set up for the day.

He grabbed the wheel barrow and a shovel and off he went to Haciber's compost patch over the road and came back with the wheel barrow brimming over.  Our first job was to put in the new tree and we seemed to spend ages deciding where it should go.  It's ornamental, doesn't produce fruit and he wonders why I've got it....there again...my choice.  We dug the hole at the bottom of the garden towards the new wall and my job was to hold it straight while he filled in the hole.  He had disappeared off with the axe a little earlier and he'd cut a support to hold the tree firm while it's roots get established.  As we trimmed the roots we noticed that there were side suckers coming off so four of them have gone into other pots as 'experiments'.  

So all old plastic pots have been emptied and the compost recycled with the new stuff...the pots are due for the bonfire but I got told off about adding to the hole in the ozone so they wait for another day.  I've also started off seeds of tobacco, black eyed suzi and ornamental gourds that it's suggested could hang down from the balcony....We'll see....He left at lunchtime, I came in and read for a while and I had my afternoon siesta.  I went out to the garden and the clover round the little terrace garden had started to shoot again so I was out with the lawn mower and did a fair whack ran it until the petrol ran out which is good.  I can get fresh from Djebel tomorrow,

Gouldjan arrived with fresh yoghurt and eggs at six thirty...we walked the garden and sat on the bench talking and she didn't go until eight so no pickies.  I've arranged to take her into work tomorrow and then I can get my petrol and intend finishing off the little beds...not much left to do but it annoys me when it's not finished.  I also have several shrubs left to plant but seeing how easy it was to dig when we put the tree in.....I'll be creating a new bed down the bottom.

Lit the fire...not really necessary as the house is so warm from having the sun out most of the day.  I want something to eat but not sure what yet,,,might find some pate and toast....LN...I'll catch up on the pickies tomorrow...LN

Tuesday 5th April

Silly early morning start but there was a super crescent moon that just seemed to hang in the sky...there was very little of it.  I was into my book...I didn't feel like going back to sleep but I didn't have to be anywhere until nine this morning to pick up Gouldjan to get her into work.  As the sun broke through the moon disappeared and the mist was obvious in the valley..it was a gentle morning start.

So into the Beast and down to the bus stop in the next village for Gouldjan, dropped her off with her bags of clothing for the less fortunate and carried on to see if my other student was up and about.  Unfortunately there was no sign of the living...she must have been snoring her little head off.  I carried on to pay the yearly tax on my house where I paid it last time and the office had now moved to the main Kmet's office in the centre of Djebel.  I found the new office and as I waited for the cashier to finish her ongoing transaction, I watch when a couple of guys were looking through very ancient handwritten tomes and I asked them what they were and was told that they were the birth and death records for each village...fascinating and they were allowed to look through them without supervision.  Went to visit my student's mum's shop and we spent a short time with each other, then back to the petrol station to fill up so that I had top ups for the lawn mower.  I called in at the chemist to buy some Sudocreme cream as a gift for my painter since he'd really walloped his thumb and I was concerned about infection.  I stopped off at the supermarket and bought a few items and then back home and it was such a good day that it was coffee out in the sun on the bench with my sun top on....so I'm pinked up front and back setting down the base for the coming summer.

Moved inside and had my afternoon siesta and hadn't got the momentum to clean the lawn mower which was going to be the job for today....it'll get done tomorrow.  Lit the fire at five, two turkey burgers in a sandwich with red sauce and mayo and now about to go down and enjoy my fire.  LN.....I need to better tomorrow...back to the garden...LN

Wednesday 6th April

Really deep sleep and woke up at six forty and was sitting outside waiting for the sun this morning clutching my first coffee of the day.  No breeze to speak of but I was fascinating looking at the reflections and it brought back an item I'd read on David Icke about days when you see two suns in the sky....now I know how they got the photos....

The intention was to get the hoover out and go through this morning but it didn't happen.  I started off by sorting out the lavender from last year before I'm inundated with the new stuff this year.  I'd taken two bundles and de-seeded them but I started to wheeze so that task was put to later in the day but I didn't get round to it.  The soil heap behind the pile of tiles by the outside toilet is no more...it's now at the bottom of the garden and the new area is now ready for planting...well it will be when one more wheelbarrow load is delivered.  Sorted out a couple of little gardens, planted a couple of more shrubs up and the rest will go in tomorrow and my attention was suddenly drawn to the new flowering tulips....they are stunning...so colourful.

Came in at seven...no fire tonight.  Supper is the chicken that I got out of the freezer yesterday and I threw some yoghurt over it and some apricots that I had and slathered som lime and chilli sauce over it.  The pasta is ready so I'm heading down to the kitchen.  I'm aching from slogging with the wheelbarrow but it must be doing me some good in the long term.  LN...Same again tomorrow ...LN

Thursday 7th April

Missed the sunrise this morning...I was getting in the zzz's.  Coffee on the terrace and enjoyed the sun but it was a little nippy in my PJ's so I didn't stay out too long.  I did catch the cuckoo this morning....spring has definitely arrived.  Got a phone call this morning from the Librarian and we planned Kardjali for Saturday and she'd phoned early to catch me before I legged it into the garden.  

It's been a bit of a mixture day.  I hoovered the upstairs before I managed to get dressed but didn't carry on the good work downstairs, I went out  to the garden instead.  I've removed the pots stored in the little house for the winter, some have been topped up with compost and others have been trimmed cutting out the deadwood.  Emula came round for a chat...he's off working down at the cemetery building a wall to keep the cows out form one of the family graves....bastard bovines strike again.  Then it was back to the shovel and wheelbarrow to attack the small heap of metal stacked against the outside toilet wall and dig out the soil covering the old cesspit.  It was hard work in today's heat but I kept at it.  I was rather surprised to see the brown drainage pipe so proud of the concrete lid.  I would have thought that the builders would have put it underneath when they built the wall so the plan is to dig it out some more and go in underneath the lid.  

A little light relief after the digging and wheelbarrow, I strimmed the dandelion heads and around the grass perimeter so that it will be dried out tomorrow so that I can go further in with the lawn mower.  Still got some of last night's supper left so I'm going to warm it up in a saucepan...it was delicious.  So more gardening tomorrow....LN....I should sleep well tonight...LN

Friday 8th April

Just before seven start but there wasn't much of a sunrise.  It was there but hidden by a low cloud base.  I did sit out with my coffee but soon came in again and it was at that point that I spotted my new purple freesia...I thought they finished about a week ago...hence the surprise.

Out in the garden.....I wanted to get the lawn finished before the weekend since it's forecast rain maybe tomorrow but definitely for Sunday.  I was strimming away when I noticed that my painter was walking by the gate and he came in.  He was on his way to Djebel and about to walk it so I offered to drive him in ...I had a new honeysuckle that I'd potted up for my student's mum.  He was reluctant and determined that he wanted to walk but I told him that I had things to do there so it wasn't a problem.  I told him to wait ten minutes and I'd be ready and while he was waiting he watered my seeds for me, hoed up my tomatoes and built little dams around my cucumbers.  Off we set and managed to park in one of the side streets, the car parks were all full.  He had work to do so we agreed to meet up back at the Beast at twelve thirty but if he'd finished earlier he could dig me out of my student's mum's shop and he did.  He wasn't able to do the work that he wanted to do but he'd done his shopping and we left at twelve fifteen.  On the way back I'd admired flowers in one of my neighbour's garden and he insisted that we stop off and begged some seeds but instead of that I came back with one with a root.  I don't know what it's called but the perfume is overwhelming and then I dropped him off at his home.  Unfortunately we'd had a little rain and everything was covered in Sahara dust so thank goodness I'd not cleaned my windows since the last time.

So a coffee and five minutes with my book and then I got my resolve together, filled up the lawnmower with petrol and at half past one I burst into action.  With the sun shining I slogged round the garden for two hours and I now have stripes.  Head down for an hour or so and then back out with the strimmer.  I was chatting to my neighbour and one of the young lads stopped his car and asked if he could see the work I'd done on the house.  He works in a Kebab shop...don't they all in England and I think he wanted to practice his English.  We did the tour, he loves the house and off he went.  I salvaged the fire, supper was spicy sausage fried with onions and I've just put the boiler on and tonight is bath night.....to get rid of the aches and pains. Looks like my painter doesn't want to go into Kardjali tomorrow so nothing on the agenda.  LN...Long leisurely soak with my book on the cards...LN

Saturday 9th April

So I beet the sun but unfortunately there wasn't one.  Well there was but it wasn't visible.... I took a coffee outside and sat watching the hillside and listening to the cuckoo, came in for a second cup and used the onions and spicy sausage left over last night and made an omelette.  It was still only eight o'clock so I took to the computer, checked my emails, Facebook and did the Daily Mail Sudoku.....but not in record time.  

Washed, dressed, cleaned the kitchen and swept round the wood burner and laid the fire ready for later in the day should the weather really turn rough.  I strimmed the outside gulley and underneath the outside of the wall so that it's clear for parking and it looks so much better.  It appears that the cows are now under control...Haciber keeps chasing them away so they don't seem to be munching their way down the toad.  The rain that was predicted never happened but it's clouded over now and the mist has come in.  As for the rest of the day...I've had periods of activity that didn't last too long and a lot of reading.  Slept for a while this afternoon...I think I did too much yesterday but by five thirty I had the urge to get the rest of the grass in front of the little house mown before the rain gives it a new lease of life.  I was just about to start and Haciber was in the garden with a bowl of strawberries that her son had brought from the market.  I said a big thank you and I reckon they'll be turned into a conserve tomorrow.  

So I mowed until the petrol ran out and it was just on the finishing point.  I cleaned the machine, decided to fill it up the next time I used it and put it away under the little house balcony just in case the rain does come down.  Tools away...into the house, lit the fire and munched away on some cheese and biscuits and almost opened a bottle of wine for old time's sake but settled for water instead.  No photos today...didn't seem a lot to photograph.  I'll do better tomorrow...LN...Final of 'The Voice' tonight...that's me settled...LN

Sunday 10th April

So 'The Voice' has been won and I agreed with the choice.  Of course there are the critics...always are.

Just before seven this morning and it was a lovely morning for putting on another PJ top over my thinner one and sitting listening to the cuckoo and the other morning sounds such as the mosque as he belted forth the call to prayer.  Mine was that it would that the rain would stay off long enough to finish the bottom rough patch of garden but it wasn't to be.  Firstly though I fortified myself with bacon, egg and fried bread with a second cup of coffee...Remsie came round this morning while I was still in my PJ's and invited me to a children's party this afternoon.  I asked her if it was at her house but it was at a village about fifteen kilometres away so I refused the invite.  I really wasn't in the mood to be social and sit there while they were nattering in Turkish to each other.....Bulgarian I stand a fair chance of joining in the conversation but that's about it.  Got washed and dressed, found out a pair of socks thinking that I needed wellies on because the grass is so long at the bottom and goodness knows what's lurking down there.  

So I grabbed the keys to the workshop and filled up the log basket first knowing that it could be a curled up in front of the fire book day if the weather predictions proved correct.  I decided to move the new shelving unit that I'd purchased a while back into the little house and that would be my job if the weather did turn rough, tooled up for the gardening and then the heavens opened.  It was something you couldn't work through...it chucked it down and then the thunder and lightening started so I retreated to the sanctuary of the house, lit the fire and settled down.

And that's how the afternoon went...the sun did come out briefly but the wind was batting around and there was a chill to it.  I finished my book, played Angry Birds for a while, a couple of Sudoku and ....sleep.  Woke up at four to a lovely warm house, and CBA to get out there at that time.  Had a phone call from the UK and another from my painter saying that he had work tomorrow so couldn't come into Kardjali.  I'm in there early with the Librarian since there is something on promotion that I want to buy and they appear to have lots of garden offers on as well.  Tele time....LN....I've had my Sunday day of rest thanks to the weather....LN