Saturday 1st October

Seven start and nowhere to go....no men to collect so took photos of the morning from the balcony.  Fantastic skies and the little grey clouds changed with the dawn and went from pink to white and then disappeared.  It's been a beautiful day.

Down to the bread van for an unsliced and a cheesy bread and that was breakfast sorted.  Bacon and eggs on cheesy bread and let's face it...it is Saturday.  I caught up on several Daily Mail Sudoku that I'd not managed to do and then my attention was drawn to the clearing of some of the rubbish that the digging out of the new wall has uncovered and starting a pile of stone so that the men can use it in the wall.  I was doing quite well until I hit something that was rubber coated, bit and deep and after a while I gave up with it and moved on to something else.  There's lots of old wire mesh fencing that was covered when the digger machine first cleared the front of the house so that's something else to be tackled.  Unfortunately, it's been a very hot day and not really conducive for digging up lumps of stone but I stuck with it for about a couple of hours.

I came in at about two, downed lots of water, picked up the kindle and promptly fell asleep for an hour or so.  A little more digging and tidying and tools away by six, shower and hair wash, off to a really nice restaurant in Kardjali...almost the last supper for my guest.  Got to the place by eight, seated straight away despite it being very busy and very good food was served.  Home by ten and came up the back lane just to settle the food.....beautiful stars tonight, it's really clear...I'm lucky...there's very little light pollution where I am.

So tomorrow it's our village fete.  Semile will be roasting sheep and a goat or two, there'll be a small market and other food stalls, barebacked wrestling in the old school grounds so there will be camera at the ready.  The Librarian is coming over with her neighbour at about eleven and we'll hike up the road and join in the fun.  Time for bed now....I'm late tonight with the update...LN..October.....the month for preparing for winter  LN

Sunday 2nd October

Could have been a lazy one but instead I was awake at six, reading for an hour or so, down for coffee and out sitting in the sun for seven thirty.  The bread van was early this morning...today in my village fete and there was lots of bread to be delivered to the stall holders.  I had toast for breakfast but we'd had so much food last night that I'd beaten my guest on the food stakes.  He settled for an extra cup of tea and it's as well.

I'd arranged with the Librarian that it was eleven at mine but instead they arrived at nine fifteen.  Her local neighbour was excited at the prospect of coming into my village and so she'd taken the long way round but was still early.  We sat in the garden and had tea and coffee and the morning was gorgeous.  He commented on my flowers and said how good the garden looked....I thanked him and said that it was all down to the fact that they get watered twice some days.  So I left them outside while I got washed and dressed which took me all of five minutes and we were ready to walk down to the festivities by ten.  The mosque was carrying out a Mevlit and they were cooking rice and meat and that's what the Librarian's guest was waiting for.  We did the usual walk of the high street which took all of ten minutes but he was determined to get rice and meat so we headed for the mosque but the queue was horrendous so we went back into the village proper and had a chicken and bread instead.  Early lunch for some and late breakfast for others.

Lots of neighbours and handshaking going on....I'm accepted now after six years of living here and believe me...it's taken that long.  I am after all the only non-Muslim living here but I've made it known that my Gospot is the same as their Allah and we both say Amen while we pray.  Not much in it really.

So the children were warming up for the dancing in the old school playground and the wrestlers were doing the same thing at the back of the school.  No bets seemed to be taking place this year...I believe they were running quite a book a few years back...times must be hard.  Lots of bouts between the reds and the blues and they were all hard fought.  The main local hero was refereeing the first few bouts until it was his turn but I believe his opponent didn't turn up so they put up a ram as a prize for anyone who felt that they could tackle the champ and win and they didn't.

Strolled home, watered the garden and created barbecue sweet and sour to go on the spare rib pork chops and stuck in a couple of jacket potatoes.  Nine my time and about to see if there's anything good on Filmon.  Alarm clocks set for four thirty...the bus for Sofia leaves Kardjali at six in the morning so it's an early start.  LN....Back to normal tomorrow....wall building....LN

Monday 3rd October

So last night I set two phone alarms and spent a sleepless night waiting for them to go off.  My guest has set his as well ...there was no danger of oversleeping.  I managed to silence the one at four fifteen, the other insisted on carrying on despite my best efforts and all it took in the end was to unlock the thing and it cancelled.   Doh....

Quick coffee and into the Beast ...my guest was leaving this morning on the six o'clock bus from Kardjali and I made sure that the driver knew to drop him off before the Bus Station so that he could grab a taxi to terminal one otherwise it's a little tight on the flight.  I drove home intending to use the back lane but an ambulance was parked up by the junction and I missed the turning, carried on to the next and turned round but coming backwards it's more difficult to find.  And I missed it again....Turned round at the Djebel turn off and this time went straight to it and was home for six fifteen more or less.There wasn't time to get my head down so I fired up the computer, did the weekend's Sudoku and set off to get the men at seven thirty.  Boots blacked and back by eight fifteen and they were straight to it.

I got three loads of washing done, beds stripped and towels out on the line by ten, made myself a couple of eggs and mayo sandwiches and sat out in the sun with a cup of coffee.  It was a lazy morning for me after that....I made coffee for the men but didn't do much in the way of physical work...I was jaded through lack of sleep.  The men broke for lunch, they had their afternoon coffee and then I got my head down for an hour or so so did a little catch up and I needed it.

Men home at five thirty, I called in and did a little baby worshipping and picked up my external drive that had been loaded with goodies from Mrs D of S's.  I carried on to Djebel and got fuel so that it's not going to be such a rush in the morning.  The downside is that I wasn't back in time to get any photos of the wall building from today but the men have chugged on nicely....that's going to be one sturdy wall.  So no pickies tonight but there's a note on my mantra to do better tomorrow.  Beautiful starry night again...the thunderstorm didn't happen.  LN....Filmon calls...LN

Tuesday 4th October

Lovely long sleep with no interruptions at all and woke just before seven in plenty of time to get washed, dressed and get over for the men by eight.  Quick coffee before I went and sat out on the terrace with it and watched the morning.  I think it was going to be a day of hide and seek with the sun which bodes well with the men.  It's been pretty hot for the last couple of days and they have to wait until after lunch time for the shade.

They set to very quickly...Bekir was making the metal reinforcing cages for the wall and Sally was barrowing concrete to cover them up...what a team.  I decided that I was tired of the lavender lying around in the little house without anything under it to catch the seeds so I hung a sheet in the little house workshop and crushed the bunches over the sheet to remove the seeds.  This worked well until it came time to transfer the seeds from the sheet to a container and a kingsize sheet is not conducive to manipulating....anyway I have half a bucket of seeds ready for my lavender bag factory.  I also fished out last years and crushed those but I've not added them to the same bucket...they're in a polythene bag and in waiting.  Sally and Bekir want some for their gardens....I think I might just throw some on the bottom of the garden to see if they take or not.  

Had visitors before lunch so we sat out in the sun with coffee.  They're looking for builders for their house Bekir might find them some but I've made it clear that mine aren't available ....I made that mistake once before trying to be helpful.   Off they went after lunch and we agreed that we would go down to their house when my work was done for the day to see if their timescales were feasible....lot of work to be done....probably better next year.

So this afternoon I played around and found the two plastic legs from the rubbish that the men had dug out and I have to make a pair of trousers to cover them up.  You know that I have one from last year that's become a garden ornament and I now have two others from this year's wood so the plastic ones will join them.  Could this become a fetish?

Over to the other house for five, plans discussed and I dropped the men off at their village on time,  Bekir has the dentist tonight so not sure what state he'll be in tomorrow...I'll wait and see.  Six thirty and home....I took a few photos of the sunset and not as dramatic as usual but still beautiful.  More concreting tomorrow and wall building...the men are doing well.  

I'm about to see what's in the fridge or freezer....the hunger grubs are biting.  LN....another good day....LN

Wednesday 5th October

What a miraculous start to the morning.  I was wide awake at four and was reading for an hour, thought I might have another hour or so which stretched out into seven thirty five and I was up and out in five.  The men were waiting and I excused myself for being minutes late but blamed it on the half bucket of lavender that’s sitting in the hall and smelling the house out.  Tonight it’s going into the guest room with the door closed.

So the men arrived and I was waiting for the bread wagon to catch him on his backward run.  I was out of coffee and managed to get some from him.  I need to get the troops fed….they’ll not manage without it.  I brought back a loaf since all my old stuff went to Bekir’s dogs yesterday and I settled for toast and marmalade for breakfast.

Downstairs bedroom made up, kitchen and bathroom cleaned, hall swept and all floors washed over, stairs cleaned and wiped over, wood got in and that was my morning.  I read for a while and intended going out and helping the men collect the stone from the garden but it didn’t happen.  Another load of ballast this afternoon…the men have demolished the pile from the drive and have now started to take it from the yard…so we needed more.  

Men home and I think they were ready for it.  It’s been a hard slog today, the weather has been very intermittent, a little rain this afternoon but we’ve lost about ten degrees today….I actually lit the fire this afternoon and it’s still going now.  Visitors tomorrow….Mrs D of S, her guest plus the new baby will be visiting….Coming back though I needed the camera but it was dark and wouldn’t have caught the moments anyway.  There was a family of deer on the road, two cows asleep on the white line and about twenty sheep ambling up the middle of the lane…Who needs traffic police here?  Enough ….sorry no photos…lots tomorrow to make up for it.  LN….Time to throw a log on…LN

Thursday 6th October

So that extra log that I threw on last night was still going this morning so I thought...why not ....and threw another on and it's still going now.  The proposed visit didn't happen.  Apparently the little one was so tired of being poked and prodded by the locals when they went shopping that she was a little fractious....Home is the best place when that's the case.

As for me...six thirty start and out well in time for the men.  It was very dark this morning with just a hint of red and I tried to take it from my bed but the flash kept going off so I got up and went outside instead.  As the morning broke it got better and better but I lost the automatic focus button on the camera and for the life of me couldn't find it so out with the book and it's easy when you know how.  On the drive over I took a couple of pickies including the donkey as I drove through Mrs D of S's village and some of the mountains but I should really clean the Beast's windows.  In they got and they started work straight away on the wall.  It's a slow old process and it's likely to take another three weeks we reckon.  They're about two fifths with the foundations and the main problem is collecting together enough stone for the base of the wall to make it stronger.  I was out there today digging up the stuff that was dropped about six years ago and grassed over....it will take a while to sort out the shrubs along the new wall.....but I'll get there.   As we say...One day....

So Sally's last job was to get the breeze blocks from the pallets and deliver them for building tomorrow.  The cement columns will be the last to go in...they're getting the hard part done first and the metal railings on the top will go in later.  Bekir's was to prepare the metal for the next section for the foundation.  Dropped them home before six and I had an uneventful drive back.  No cows jumped out at me, no sheep or no deer which made a nice change.  Kitchen calls for supper and I reckon it's going to be egg and chips tonight...something simple to prepare and eat...dippy eggs...why not.  LN...the kitchen calls.....LN

Friday 7th October

My man in the next village was really going for it this morning at silly o'clock with his disk of the call to prayer.  I really should get Elton John out at full volume.  Later today it was actually likened to Tom Jones attempting something really sacred.  Shouldn't be allowed.  End of rant.

Six thirty real start and read for a while to break gently into the day.  I'm into my second week and back to the routine, men in, men out and home again.  The morning was promising and the predawn was good but when it came time for Phoebe to show her little face she was obliterated by rising clouds and then it was hide and seek for most of the day.  I had a couple of goodies from Bekir this morning...a pot of his honey to ten my infected foot and a canvas bag that I'd given them a couple of Christmases ago that I'd completely forgotten about.  I think the bag was also a gift but held the other so probably thought it wasn't.  

I was down to the bread van...it was late this morning but no cheesy bread or banichkas available so we all went without.  I had a little hug with my Zelinger and then whistled my way home clutching my sliced loaf and it was straight into the toaster with a couple of the slices.  Breakfast was called for this morning before I tended my foot and applied the honey.  I've been using Sudocreme on it but it really needs to dry up and seal itself hence the honey and fresh air today and I've stayed away from the dust or at least tried to.  It's at that throbbing stage...antibiotics could be called for...I'll give it the weekend.

The men have been chugging on with the wall and we've decided that the stone that's been put to one side for the little house terrace can be used and we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.  There's lots lying around in the village...Bekir needs to negotiate a price and I'm sure it will be for sale.  Guests came round about lunchtime and we sat in the sun enjoying the brief interlude and coffee and off they went to do some work in Kardjali.  I headed for the kitchen and made myself a couple of white cheese sandwiches and head down in the Kindle for an hour or so.

I messed around in the garden after lunch.  I've taken cuttings of the bottle brush, the abelia and the hypericum.....they'll go into the base of the new wall but far enough inside so that the blasted cows can't reach them....hence the metal fencing over the top half so that the hedges provide a screen.

Men home at five thirty...it's Djebel fair day tomorrow but I shan't be gracing them with my presence although Bekir will with his mates.  I lit a fire when I got in....there's a chill in the air but it's not cold but it looks and feels homely.  No supper....my sandwiches are still lingering....the boiler is going on and I'm heading for the bath.  LN....Another building week completed...LN

Saturday 8th October

So last night I was on the computer and I couldn’t understand the noise…it was horrendous.  It was rain and it was throwing it down.  There was also wind gusts and various ‘bits’ made their way to other parts of the garden so this mornings work was to restore normality.

Seven start this morning and I didn’t have to go anywhere so it was a lazy leisurely coffee, I used up the last of the butter for toast and marmalade signifying that I had a trip to Lidl to make.  I only use their butter…the local stuff they make tastes as if it’s gone off already and in most cases it has.  It was Kindle and coffee for quite some time ….I had nothing that was pressing after a bonfire and the tidy up.  I came in and washed my hair which was crying out for it.  I’d had my bath last night but if I wash it in the bath, I just don’t seem to get all the shampoo out.  After drying it, getting dressed for the day, I sat down with another coffee and made my shopping list.

I headed into town at one and believe it or not, I was on my way home by two fifteen having got all that was on the list and sticking to it completely and that’s a first for a while.  I went down the rough road but came back the main road….the rain had started again, it was belting down and there were signs that Djebel day was a bit of a wash out….what a shame.

Unpacked the shopping, lit the fire, got in more wood, settled down with the Kindle and promptly went to sleep for a couple of hours and feel much better for it.  First time for synthetic turkey nuggets and will probably be the last…..I had them with mayo and it was a waste of mayo.  Little bit of tele tonight….’Strictly’ on later and it’s beginning to hot up but I haven’t got any favourites as yet.  

So not many shots taken today.  …Morning and evening efforts and one inside for a change.  LN…I’m going to enjoy my fire…LN

Sunday 9th October

The day of rest and it has been.  It was a fairly early start at six but after a good night’s sleep that was no problem.  The sky was just coming to life and there were clouds up there but the rain must have cleared the rubbish from the air….the sky was only faintly painted pink and the sun was up without further ado.  I read but then put down my Kindle and did a little meditation or tried to.  I couldn’t quiet my brain down enough to empty it…so I went back to the Kindle eventually getting washed and dressed by nine.

I put a load of washing in, hung it out since the sun had some heat in it once it was up and it’s been a beautiful day.  I walked the garden and at last we appear to have a green swathe over it…not too quickly I hope…my lawnmower might have a new blade on it but I’m not too keen to be trying it out for a week or two.  I went out and dug up a few more lumps of stone from the new garden but my heart wasn’t completely in it and the hunger bugs were biting so I made a bacon and egg sandwich…it is Sunday… so why not.

I generally pottered for the rest of the afternoon and the work starts again tomorrow.  I’m amazed how many different colours of snapdragons in my garden.  I’m sure I only bought white, pink and a lovely red and yellow but now I have several mixtures as well as lots of babies.  I’ve never grown them before but I think they’re going to be a feature of the garden for next year and I’ve already collected seeds.

Strictly last night and tonight it’s out the door for one of the couples.   The bacon sandwich is sitting heavy so no supper for me tonight.  Almost seven my time…quick wash and into pj’s, the fire is lit although it’s not really necessary.  LN….I’m in for the night….LN