Tuesday 26th July

Normal morning and thank goodness the plants are responding to the love and attention that I’ve been giving them with the digging in of old grass cuttings.  Now why didn’t I put it straight on the garden instead of lugging it down the bottom of the garden to dump it.  I shall know for the end of this year and the beginning of next.  I suppose the problem is that there will be some seeds in it but if I put manure on…the seeds come out but coated for extra germination.  The lesser of two evils.

The washing is still out there….it’s time I went out there and got it in but everything has been an effort today.  I was doing OK until around twelve, I’d cooked poached eggs for breakfast and they sat comfortably.  There was a brief spell of activity when I removed the welcome mats and the wooden platform by the front door and used a varnish on it putting back some colour.  I also took the plastic window out leaving the frame in place.  I usually take it down but there’s no man around and it’s very heavy so it can stay.  I did emails and played around on FB, succeeded with the DM Sudoku in quicksticks, got the Kindle out and promptly fell asleep.  I was out for about an hour or so, toyed with the idea of going some where for a swim but there were clouds scooting over the sun and I felt it wasn’t worth the effort so I settled on the terrace in the shade and read my book.

The washing is in, the sun has gone down and I’ve taken a few photos.  The village children were out, they were on their way to somewhere and offer an ‘hello’ greeting if they see me and giggle because they are speaking my language not theirs.  I’m in for the night now….destined for the kitchen to find something for supper but I’ll leave it for a while until the hunger pains start…if they do.  LN…I’m hoping for better weather tomorrow…LN

Wednesday 27th July

Funny old day.  I caught the sun this morning with the camera....as I opened the bedroom curtain I saw it very red in the sky so it was up to the upstairs balcony for a couple of shots.  I grabbed a coffee and took it outside to have a few minutes before I watered the garden, came inside and sat at my desk to sort a few things and noticed the woodpecker on my tall fir.  Realising the camera was now outside and I'm in it reminded me of the barrel of bricks ...and I met the barrel coming down...it always seems to be in the wrong place for casual shots.  So I crept downstairs and went out of the lounge terrace door very gently and suddenly there was a flash and Harold Hare.....mentioned in previous post....was legging it to the bottom of the garden.  Quick as a flash I grabbed the camera, all thoughts of the woodpecker had gone and it crossed my mind that there was a stone wall now and how was Harold going to negotiate it.....and he did.  He promptly jumped on top of it, sat for a while and then scampered off and out to the hillside.  Beatrix Potter eat your heart out and I'm guessing that my beetroot have no tops on them and I wondered why there didn't seem much improvement despite my constant watering....and now I know.

Next job was to clean out the half oil barrel that's been sitting near the garage for the last few months.  That going to find a use on the workshop terrace with a tree in it to add shade to the area.  Down to the bread van and saw that Haciber had visitors from Sweden having coffee in the garden.  They greeted me in Bulgarian, I responded in Swedish, they asked me where I was going and in a mixture of Bulgarian and Turkish I said that I was after bread for breakfast.  What a multicultural village I live in.  Boiled eggs for breakfast and four more left in for hard boilers, buttered toast and more coffee and then up to the desk to check up on emails and FB.  I posted Harold and his photo and there were lots of responses to one of last night's sunset that I'd posted.  Around ten or so the Librarian arrived with one her neighbours and asked if I would go with them to Kardjali to visit her other neighbour in hospital.  I think I was going along as translator but there appeared to be no one to ask how he was and not being family I doubt they would have told us anyway.  We went down to the hospital shop to see if they could top up his mobile phone but they hadn't got access to the internet and when we got back to the three bed ward our patient had his PJ's part way down waiting for an injection.  In my usual fashion as the nurse was about to make the injection I asked if he wanted a photo taking and I thought the man in the next bed was going into a fit of laughing...I only hope he hadn't got many stitches.  We left the neighbour to keep watch and we headed down to town to get it topped up in the shop and then back to the hospital, lunch of soup bread and yogurt drink followed by creme caramel and all for the princely sum of eight leva for the three of us.    We had a brief trip round the market, I bought a water melon for eighty stotinki and I was home for two thirty.

I checked messenger and Gouldjan had left me a message to ask if I would be in so I confirmed that she was still at work, would be there until four so I set to buy my paint for the wood smartening up and a tin of metal paint for the half oil barrel.  I dropped the water bottles off for the oil recycling at the garage shop, bought the paint and picked Gouldjan up by the bottom supermarket.  Home just before five, I'm now on Harold watch and my camera is by my side and will remain there.  Not sure what's happening tomorrow.  It might be a swimming, it might be a painting day....it depends how I feel.  Another lovely day...LN...I'll wait and see what tomorrow brings...LN  

Thursday 28th July

What a lovely day.  Sun was up before me but only just...a big red ball on the horizon.  No sign of Harold Hare and I hope it stays that way.  The lads from the village saw his picture on my wall and they really can't be trusted.  I know that he's quick and I'm hoping quick enough...

Out with my coffee and it is a beautiful time of the morning to be watching and listening to the birds with their different calls,  I got myself into gear and watered the garden and by seven thirty I was considering putting the buddleia.  It had flowered in its pot and was now looking to expand and looking a little distressed sitting on the terrace.  So down to the bottom of the garden I went armed with shovel and garden fork, one plant pot containing the said bush and a ten litre bottle of water.  I'd given it a good soak last night and talked to it this morning telling it what was going to happen but there was no reply so maybe buddy was going along with the idea.  There was a lot of digging to do.  Firstly I had to remove the gigantic weed that was growing there, pretty as it was and then it was a matter of removing, broken roof tiles, one shoe which is quite normal, no jar tops this time round, stones and dug up concrete,  I've mentioned before that the bottom of the garden was the dumping ground and now I'm trying to reclaim it and partially succeeding.  So twenty minutes later the hole was dug and the pile of decent soil put to one side, I filled the bottom of the hole with the grass cuttings, from the heap, soaked it with water, put some of the soil on top, teased out some of the roots and in it went.  More grass round the outside of the stem and another heap of water on it.  I shall now sit back and wait and see if we are successful or not.  It's now in intensive care as they all are with the drought we are having.

Cooked late breakfast of mushrooms, bacon and egg, lay out for a while with yet another cup of coffee with the Kindle and then decided that I needed to be active so moved to the table, put the umbrella and unpicked the latest project and one step nearer to making it into a book.  Emula came into the garden and sat for a while and he was the bringer of bad tidings with relation to Harold.  I was very firm when I told him that if he touched it....it would be the last act he would do.  Nature's nature but no where my Harold is concerned..

Had a wash and changed into Djebel clothes deciding that I needed to get my insurance sorted just in case there's no time tomorrow.  I went in with a list and didn't refer to it all the time I was there but I think I got most things.  More picture frames, two ten litre bottles of water in case it goes off and a chair back support.  In fact I bought two.  As I walked back to the car I saw my favourite restaurant lady and she asked me what it was.  I explained and showed her on her office chair in the shop and she said she could do with one....and now she has one.  I went back and bought a second one and the girl was most confused until I related the story.  My lady wanted to pay me for it and I refused yelling 'podruk' as I walked away and laughing as I walked by her the second time clutching the new one.  Back to the car shop where I'd sorted my insurance and Gouldjan was waiting for me.  She's seen the car and again I've decided to paint the Beast yellow and become a taxi.

Home for six, chicken wings, potatoes and onions are in the oven and should be  ready in about half an hour, garden has to be watered first so I better get it into gear.  My new back rest is in situ and so far so good....had word to day that a friend has had a car accident but he's fine, just in shock and now the hose can wait..my supper is ready.  LN..I'm kitchen bound...LN

Friday 29th July

Out for five thirty and waited for the sun to come up and it didn't disappoint today.  Lovely red ball and it's been out all day with a vengeance.  Normal morning with coffee on the terrace and watched a grass hopper or concrete hopper and not sure which, watered the garden and realised that what I thought was a jasmine that came out as a stick from the UK is actually a Japonica Kerria since it now has a small yellow flower on it.  Need to go back to the UK and find the real thing this time.  Took a few photos of the shrike and then set to at the bottom of the garden intending to dig a hole to take another forsythia but I think I hit bed rock.  I'm going to fill it up with water tomorrow to see if anything happens to it....if it doesn't drain away no point in planting anything.  I came in at ten...it was just too hot out there, made some toast and got on the sofa with the Kindle.  I didn't have to be anywhere until one thirty but by eleven thirty the eyes were going so I rested for a short time or so I thought but waking up at one I had to get into gear so to speak.  Shower and hair washed and new nails by one thirty awaiting my chauffeur to take us to Kardjali for a little shopping and then on to the restaurant for a late lunch. We hit Stenata at four and had a super meal, into the car and then off to Plovdiv airport, the holiday is over for the Librarian's second born and his wife but they had a good send off. We took the cross country route through Assenovgrad to the airport and arrived just before seven so if anyone wants to visit....Stanstead Plovdiv is much better to any of us in the south.

We said our goodbyes and home for just before ten...we've made good time and tomorrow were off to Kardjali to get the work finished that we didn't managed to do today with a nine start.  Enough of an update...I'll make up for it with pickies.  LN....I need to get my beauty sleep...LN

Saturday 30th July

Disturbed night last night.  I went to sleep for a while then felt exceptionally as if I wanted to relieve my stomach of its contents and went back to thinking that I'd had nothing since that impressive meal.  I wasn't sick but the perspiration was pouring off me so back to bed but sitting upright and eventually I gave an almighty burp and eventually go off to sleep.  I can only think that I'd eaten too much and it was a digestive problem.  Up half the night meant that I didn't wake until eight twenty, the sun was up, the bread van had long gone and I had half an hour to get my town gear on...the Librarian was due.  I managed to water the pot plants and the newly planted buddliea but that was about it.  I took the car out and pointed it in the direction of the rough road but that all changed when she got here....we were taking her car down to the garage to get the headlight bulbs changed for some that would actually light up the road not the dash.

Into to town via the garage explaining a couple of other problems that needed sorting, cheapy clothes shop where I picked up a large pillow case that I can make into a wall hanging for my upstairs bedroom, into the shoe shop where we got told off for opening boxes to find the colour and size that we wanted and bought nothing just to make them completely happy.   Finished at Lidl so I could pick up some more fizzy water and bumped into Bekir my builder and we sort of agreed that he will be with me in September to finish the wall, get the terrace done and a little work on the corner of the second house.  Back to the garage where they'd managed to fix a couple of problems and had checked out other things surrounding the main problem but were too busy to really identify it.  We transferred over the shopping and off she went to look after the remaining guests.

I parked up, unpacked the shopping, got the first load of washing on the go, pegged it out and started the second.  It's not that clothes get dirty here, too much perspiration and you need to freshen them up.  New pillow case as a wall hanging is now on the project list.  I sat out for a while in the shade with my Kindles checking emails and eventually reading but the eyelids were heading south so I moved inside.  I'd got the huge patio umbrella up and using a bungee cord I attach it to the bench in case the wind really gets up and I was woken but the bench being dragged across the terrace so up I shot and spent the next ten minutes trying to get the umbrella down since the wind appeared to get up to gale force.  Eventually I managed it, back to my sofa bed and off I went again until five.  

Action stations:  Washing in, garden watered which takes about an hour, the hojja sang me a blessing as I carried out my tasks and I think he's anew one that likes to improvise a little.  By now I've got to know the tune and a lot of the words...with this guy I recognised little...bring back the old ...pretty please.

I caught the sun going down and it looked really huge tonight so I'm going to post a couple of shots but it was very limited in the photographic department today.  I'll show you the pillow case picture when it's done...it's on the agenda for tomorrow....the swimming pools will be far too busy to put in an appearance.

So just after half nine my time and where did the evening go.  Potter day tomorrow....no visits to make ....and no supper,  I don't want a re-run of last night.  LN...Rested but ready for bed...LN

Sunday 31st July

Six fifteen start to the day and it was all systems go...well for a time anyway.  I did sit out reading this morning until I had to resort to the mosquito spray for some very small little flying hazards and I didn't want to get a new lot of bites now that the ankle ones have more or less gone.  They's only the odd scars where the urge to scratch and pick are left.  At seven thirty I was up for the second cup of coffee and I burst into action clearing the long bench under the kitchen window and moving it on to the yard.  I got out the paint and brush from the little house and the bench is now painted and protected for another couple of years.  Not content with that I moved on to the bench and table under the trees by the garage and those are now done and it was only half past nine and still not much heat in the sun despite there not being a cloud in the sky.  

Breakfast called and so it was out with a packet of bacon but it didn't go without a hiccup.  There must have been lots of water in the bacon and the hot fat shot out of the pan and onto my arm.  I slapped it under the cold tap and put some liquid soap on it to break up the grease but it's been stinging and has left a red mark but no blisters.  I cursed a little, turned down the heat and managed to fry and egg and enjoyed a bacon and egg sandwich...as they say...no pain no gain....   I left the bench out in the yard until it was dry and dragged it back into situ and it looks much better.  I've got the outside sink one to do next but the mood had dissipated...tomorrow is another day.  I did manage to repot one large cactus that I agreed to look after for a winter four years ago and I remembered to wear gloves this time round...vicious things,  They should only be allowed to grow in the desert.

As for the rest of the day...there had been a pretty strong wind blowing all day.  The umbrella went up this morning but came down pretty quickly since it was at a peculiar angle despite being attached to the bench and it's been a little Filmon sort of day. I lay out on the sunbed with the Kindle at about four thirty to catch some sun and the eyes did close for half an hour or so.  I came in at six thirty, had a shower and feel better for it and I'll be out with the hose pipe as soon as I've posted.

Nothing on for tomorrow at the moment....it's been a very pleasant day..... LN..Hose pipe at the ready...now go...LN