Monday 10th October

So I feel that Strictly is going to disappoint already....Wrong two in the dance off but that's show business for you and the general public...nuff said.

Long lovely sleep again but awake for six thirty and so a nice leisurely count down to into the car to collect my two workers.  The sky was full of promise this morning but it was OK until lunchtime and then it was down hill after that.  The wind was cold and a few spots of rain but it was perfect for the men.  Into the car and straight into Djebel...I needed to top up the car and get three bags of lime mix for the brick building.  I left Bekir to pay for the materials and I went over to the banitchka shop, breakfast for the boys and for me and that set us up nicely for the day.  If you buy them from the mobile shop they're cold...from Djebel hot out of the oven.

The men set to and so did I with the garden clearing but guests arrived so it was down tools and kettle on.  About half an hour later Mrs D of S arrived with the little one so we were all baby worshipping as is the norm.  I was privileged and was handed the little one and a bottle of milk and it's been a long time since children and grandchildren for me but I managed it.  Off they went and so did the others so it was back to work for me after two slices of toast to keep me going.  I've moved the metal burning bucket but need to rebuild the bricks round it and need to put a bigger hole in the bottom so that the ashes drop through to keep the air circulating...always something to be done.

Dropped the men home taking the back lane and it's certainly quicker but came back the old road.  Tomorrow we have to go down to the materials yard...we're running short of metal for the foundations and the pillars.  We should manage two meter lengths in the Beast or we can freeze and have it sticking out of the top.  Birthday cards to post tomorrow in Kardjali and a visit to the cheapy shop....I'm getting withdrawal symptoms.  LN....Tele time and a bath to ease out the aches....LN

Tuesday 11th October

Silly evening...I fell asleep in front of the pc watching Filmon, woke up and had my bath and promptly fell asleep in there.  Nothing new for me...I remember my mother banging on the bathroom door when I lived at home, waking me up by asking me if I was asleep in there...and of course the  response was no...she'd already woken me up.  Strange things you remember as you get older.  Into bed by twelve, slept through until five and then it was all systems go.  Not an ounce of sleep left in me and why should there be, the sand had gone from the timer.

So out to fetch the men...another day, another dollar.  Bekir arrived from the lane with sawdust on him and said that he'd done twenty minutes with his chainsaw on his winter wood and Sally appeared from the restaurant.  I'd stopped at their food wagon and got breakfast for all of us and we headed down to the yard to get the metal for the foundations for the wall.  There seemed to be a bit of an issue going on so we waited around until it subsided...I think he was late opening and trying to get the show on the road.  Anyway...Sally was relegated to the spare seat in the boot, the metal was cut and loaded into the Beast, home for nine, breakfast buns warmed on the stove and coffee made and we were finished by nine thirty.  Back to the kitchen and washed up, prepared the kettle and coffee for the men....I was off to Kardjali.

Mrs D of S arrived early and we set off in the Beast.  She had paperwork that needed to be sorted, I had the urge to visit the cheapy shop and the only things we could find were really cute baby clothes, a waistcoat for my student and for me...nothing.  Pizza for lunch and a bottle for the baby, paid my phone bill, home via the back lane for just after two and off they set.  Bekir was working on the metal framework for the trench and Sally was still digging in until the rain came at three and stopped play.  Indoor activities were continued and they both worked on the metal work, I got my head down for about twenty minutes, I lit the fire and got them home for six.  As for tomorrow...not sure what the weather holds but I'm sure we can find something for them to do between the showers.

Time to throw another log on....it seems the topic of conversation as to whether people are succumbing to lighting their fires.  It's a little early but the temperature has dropped considerably especially at night.  I might even have to dig out some thicker PJ's.  LN...Kitchen calls....'Feed me Seymour'....LN

  

Lovely o see the starlings on the wire. We get big flocks in the winter and they swirl around in a cloud and then come down onto the wires behind our house, so neat and perfectly spaced - I would guess just a wingspan apart. It is a lovely manoeuvre to watch!

Wednesday 12th October

Thanks Jean...I can hear them first thing in the mornings chattering but they're out of sight but later in the day after the morning feed they seem to gravitate to the wires to let it digest.  As I came back tonight they were further up the road, the ground was covered and as I drove towards them they rose up and disturbed the ones that were on the electricity cables and pylons.  I love watching them...they seem to hitch each other along...one comes, one goes, a brief flutter and all back to normal.  And yes....when they take to the air it's pretty magical.

So last night I was hungry at about nine and decided that beans on toast would do the job fine.  I'd only got sunflower seed bread and thought nothing of it, wolfed them down but at three I woke up with violent pains in the central regions and I think I made a groove in the tiles from the bedroom to the bathroom.  It was described by my builder when we were laughing about it as being 'in a war zone'.  I did settle back again eventually and woke just before seven to get the show on the road by seven thirtyish.  Back to the village by eight twenty and I waited for the bread van to stock up on one that the stomach is used to and the rest of the other has gone to Bekir's dogs with a proviso that I not responsible for any upset tummies.  On his head be it.  Normal morning with the men getting on with it and I was messing around with the lavender removing more of the seeds from the stalks until I got bored with that so I went into Djebel to post a letter, called in to see my student but no one home, stopped off at my student's mothers shop and we put the world to rights.  Came home and made tuna mayo sandwiches for lunch on white bread and then out to the garden and took up my role as chief stone gatherer for the base of the wall.  I did about ten wheelbarrow's full and that was the height of my endeavours for today.

Men home...the rain stopped play for a couple of brief interludes, I got very wet and ended up changing my jumper....no chance of that drying on me.  I lit the fire before I took the men so came back to a lovely warm house.  There's no real need for it but it gives the place a cosy feel.  In for an early night tonight.  I'm going to watch my early programmes and then head for bed with the Kindle.  LN  No midnight feasts for me tonight....LN

Thursday 13th October

I was really disciplined last night....Film-on film off at ten thirty, didn't get to look at the Kindle at all and slept like a babe until six thirty this morning....and woke up with a spring in my step.  Not much of a view....couldn't see the mountains at all, wall to wall ground fog.  I did venture out on the balcony to grab what there was of the sunrise but soon came in...it was cold out there.  The house was warm enough...I'd had a pretty good fire going last night and it had done its stuff.

Coffee and out to fetch the men and I went the back road and was there ten minutes early.  I started to clean the bits of rubbish that I seem to collect and found that I should have had an oil change a hundred kilometres ago so I mentally booked it in for today.  I cooked the rest of the can of beans and had them on toast for breakfast but then was presented with a nut and chocolate croissant that I firstly said I didn't need because I cooked breakfast but then the temptation was too great and it was devoured after making the men coffee.  Bekir's first job was to order more ballast and by the time that I'd had my croissant the wagon was here and so I headed to Djebel to get the Beast winter ready.  Down to the garage, oil and oil filter changed, air filter changed, antifreeze checked and I'm good for minus sixty degrees but hopefully it won't get that low.  Just a little shopping....chicken wings and they're cooking as we speak and will be served with only mayo.  I might just have to give them a honey dressing to complete the transformation...I'm salivating already.

So the rest of the day was spent digging up stone for the base of the wall.  My surround has gone from the ash pit garden, the pile that used to be by the old bus shelter is no more and I've dug over the top garden against the new wall to see what was hidden.  My heap by the right hand new wall is going down rapidly and we did have a mosey on down to Haciber's tumbled down house and tomorrow we'll try to negotiate a price per cubic meter and if I can convince my local farmer that I'm really a good friend....he might bring his tractor into play...fingers crossed.

Men home and I stopped off to baby worship for a time, managed to acquire some green beans, liver from the freezer and killed a mosquito before it did any damage.  That was my work done for the day.  Rogue cows on the way home wending their was home and one was very lucky.  Black cows on a tarmac road at night without lights on either the road or the cow are not conducive to night time safety....bastard bovine...it should have been tucked up by the time I was travelling.  

So Eggheads is on and I'm missing it so it's time to wrap up.  Looks like a busy weekend ahead.  Only three pickies...too early and too late for good ones and as for the flying somethings....I'd got the wrong lens on to make it interesting.  I'll try to do better tomorrow....LN   I smell chicken wings...LN

Friday 14th October

Well the sleep of the just last night again…at least until five thirty and then it was cat nap until seven thirty and then the gears kicked in and I managed to get out to collect the men by seven forty.  No coffee, only wash, teeth, yesterday’s clothes and that was it.  I went the dirt road for quickness and they were there but not too speedy into the Beast.  I had to drive to Djebel…I’d forgotten to get fuel yesterday and I didn’t want to dig up the dregs and fortunately I’d got fifty leva on me.

The men were straight to it and I started on the stone collection to make their lives easier and kept it up until twelve so they went to lunch and I checked my emails and then sat in the sun with the paper version of yesterday’s Sudoku and eventually managed to solve it.  I’d tried several times on line to no avail and it’s a similar situation with today’s offering.  I’ll tackle it later.

Back to it after lunch, I was taking down one of the fences that I put up five years ago to keep the cows out and now the wall’s going to do it for me.  Hard day for the men…they were on the stone trail too, poor Sally has been on the wrong end of a wheelbarrow all day and the wall is all set for wall building on Monday.  This has been a difficult week for the men….the foundation trench was deep but guaranteed to withstand any earthquake and will be standing long after I’ve popped my clogs.

All tools away by five thirty for all of us….straight into the car and again I took the rough road.  I stopped off at their shop in the village to get a loaf of fresh bread and I was home by six and clicked into gear immediately.  Out with the camera and captured the very pale moon, lit the fire and got fish fingers on to cook.  Fish finger sandwiches slathered with mayo so what could be tastier.  The temperature is dropping tonight after an absolutely stunningly warm day for October.  So I should sleep well tonight,…off to the Librarian’s tomorrow and hopefully a more gentle day.  LN…Log time….LN

Saturday 15th October

So I drew the curtains in the bedroom last night knowing that I didn't have to be anywhere until ten thirty this morning.  It was just before eight before I raised my weary head from the pillow, down for coffee, out on to the terrace to take in the morning and back into the warmth of the house again because it was cold.  The pale sun was up but there was no warmth in it.  Washed dressed and struggled with clothes to wear knowing that it would get warmer as the day wore on and having been booked for a day of gardening, I put my gardening shoes and gloves in my bag and boots on with denims, tee-shirt and leather waistcoat with a very jazzy scarf round my neck.

I managed a couple of slices of toast for breakfast and was in the car for ten ten and over at the Librarians for round about ten thirty.  We sat out for a while with coffee, discussed the garden, went into the house and she produced a brand new straight out of the box laptop so that was my mission should I choose to accept it.  It already had Windows 10 installed so it took me a while to find my way round it but then managed to get it on to her WiFi, install Google Chrome which she was used to already and got her set up with Facebook, Hotmail and Filmon and now she's one happy bunny.  By this time I think we both had hunger pains and she prepared a sort of Ploughman's lunch and then it was back out into the sun for a warm and to chew over more fat.  The next topic of conversation was the internal staircase that she intends having put in so it was back into the house armed with a tape measure to work out the dimensions of the opening, the layout of the ceiling rafters, the length of the wall that she has to put it against and the pitch of the stairs.  It's all committed to paper and final 'nod' from my builders with a quick yea or nay.

Back out into the sun despite the fact that the heat had gone out of it by now and back into garden planning.  That was done in quicksticks and if the weather holds, we shall do it next week and it shouldn't take too long.  A fence down, flower bed surrounds moved to the outside edge of the new area to create borders, all levelled and raked and jobsagudun...well on paper anyway.

Home for seven and enjoyed the drive home.  The sun was going down as I left and the trees were still showing the hint of the dying sun.  First job for me was to light the fire, I'd already got the wood in this morning and that went like a dream first time.  No supper required, lunch was adequate and it's settle in for 'Strictly' time tonight...LN.....Let's see who on the way out.....  LN

Sunday 16th October

Well I've been a complete let down with photos today.  The morning was cool despite the sun but by eight thirty I had two loads of washing out blowing in the wind.  I'd stripped my bed down and to date...it's still stripped...that's my next job.  I made breakfast of bacon, egg and fried bread, washed up and tidied the kitchen and decided that a few minutes on the computer with Sudoku would settle my breakfast before I went out chopping down the bush that was just in the wrong place.  I hadn't even had a wash and got dressed despite having boots on with my pj's for hanging out the washing so when guests arrived, I made it down the stairs and remained in the same state of dress.....Tough...it's Sunday.

So we sat out on the terrace and they updated me on their progress with their house and renovations.  They were flying back this evening from Sofia and had called in to say their goodbyes and to top up with coffee before they left.  It was really strange weather....there were no clouds in the sky to speak of yet there were a few drops of rain falling.  It must have been coming in on the wind but the washing stayed out....not enough to have to bring it in.  It was more or less twelve before they left, I got the tools out and headed for the burning quince to see if I could dig it up and the answer was no.  The trouble is it's a very old bush with lots of old suckers and numerous rambling roots so it was knowing where to start with it. I've cut out the old and diseased branches and I'm still considering keeping some of it but I think it might be on the toss of a coin.

Washing in, bonfire lit, more stone collected, bit more of the quince trimmed but at five I'd had enough so it was tools away and I watched the World Cycling Championship and our guy, Mark Cavendish was just edged into silver medal position banging his handlebars with frustration.  It didn't do any good, he was still second.

So turkey somethings into the oven and I peeled a couple of potatoes for chippies.  Not so bad, slathered with mayo and hot spicy tomato sauce.  The boiler is on for a bath tonight to ease out the aches ready to watch the roundup of last night's Strictly to see who is out this week.  I know who it should be but the fickle audience...and now I'm pre-empting, I should wait and see.  

So tomorrow is workday and it's out for the men at just after seven thirty.  Their work tomorrow is to build the wall now that the foundations are in place and that leaves only one third left to do apart from the columns and wall topping to match the others. We're getting there.  Materials yard in the morning and I need to get into Djebel for money from the cashpoint.  I really couldn't be bothered today. So water up to temperature, I'm going to float for half an hour or so.  LN...Note to self...must stay awake...LN

Monday 17th October

Woke up at seven thirty this morning and it was a rush to the finishing post.  Washed, dressed, no coffee and out in the car and didn't take the lane since it had rained all night and was still raining when I left.  I was taking a chance on it...maybe I should have phoned Bekir earlier but they were there and we were straight down to the yard to order supplies.  There was a little bit of banter going on and I can't say that I was amused by some of it but we were in the car, delivery was confirmed for this morning and as promised it arrived.  Not such good news though...the weather had eased off and the men were able to make a start on getting some of the breeze blocks down to where they were working but then the lorry turned up and the heavens opened.  Bekir wasn't a happy bunny...the cement was supposed to be packaged in plastic and it wasn't and one of the bags split...and he threatened to change suppliers....and I'm with him on that one.

Anyway it was twelve by the time the lorry had left so they had their lunch break but the rain held off for the rest of the day but it was a cold wind from Germany so I'm reliably informed by my workers.  Bekir takes his weather report from his Thursday newspaper and we begged to differ on tomorrow's....the internet says that it's going to be sunny with cloud while his is supposed to be rain showers so he's decided that tomorrow he will do his documents in Kardjali giving me the day off.

They've chugged on well with the breeze block wall today and we've got about another eight sections before we get to join up with the lower wall.  I'm not sure on the heights...I might even go down there with string and a level to see how it's looking while they're not around.  Home before six and I headed down their rough road on to the Greek road and it was a bit hairy.  There was lots of mud around and when I hit the main road it was flying everywhere.  Straight round to my student's and it was good to see the family again.  We had a lovely supper and the entertainment for this evening was to watch the daughter administer the Chinese heat cups to her mother's back to ward of a cold.  They all seemed to swear by them....I need to do more research...the raised bumps look painful to me.  Fond farewells and back home for ten thirty after an uneventful drive through the forest....I'm going to have a lazy morning and then head into Kardjali to go to the bank for money for the men and the delivery...can't be bothered with the cash point.  LN...Chocolate and bed...LN

Tuesday 18th October

So it wasn't a normal start for a workday but no work.  I made coffee, took pictures of the morning and went back to bed to watch the rest of the dawn.  I think it was more dramatic arriving than when it arrived but at least it had warmed up from yesterday.  The house was warm and I soon came in from the balcony after the pickies.

I didn't bother with breakfast but got ready for Kardjali.  I had to move money around and after contacting my bank and eventually getting through security I got on to someone to be informed that they don't send Bulgarian Lev anywhere any more and it has to be in euro.  Now this was good, the transfer fee was brilliant but then it occured to me that I have a sterling account so now my bank change it it euro and they failed to tell me the exchange rate they use soon the face of it it looked good but then I went back to them and it's rubbish...so back to square one.  It's not really pressing but I wanted to check out the process so it's gone on the back burner after driving to Kardjali and talking to the bank about the receiving rate.  It should be so simple...it's not as if anyone is having to push a wheelbarrow of gold over rough terrain.....

So into my cheapy shop and picked up three feather cushions and a little dress for the new baby and then on to the bank for the procedure.  From there into the Saturday cheapy shop and I found three things that went back to the shelves after they'd been weighed.  From there to Kaufland for a few items and settled for a hot dog and chippies from the car park vendor for lunch and finally to Lidl convinced that I was wearing half the tomato sauce on my face despite the best efforts.  Just a few items from Lidl and I saw Bekir with another man that I know from his village so we stopped for a chat and apparently the queue for the completion of his documents was horrendous this morning.  I think they are paying out the euro subsidies to the people who keep animals but I didn't ask too many questions.  My list was butter, washing up liquid, bacon which they didn't have, and they had the two kilogram bags of daffodils reduced to half price and it would have been rude not to.  More work for me tomorrow....

As I parked up Haciber was heading in my direction and gave me a huge bowl of rice and meat obviously from somebodies mevlit and it's in the fridge awaiting attention.  I settled down on the sofa with a coffee and promptly went off for a couple of hours and woke up with cramp in my leg like I've never known before...it just felt dead so but really painful at the same time.  I hobbled around swearing and taking pictures of the sunset and eventually it lifted....dreadful.  

So tomorrow back to normal.  I won the bet today...there was no rain and I'm hoping it stays fine for tomorrow for wall building.  The hot dog is sitting heavy so no food required yet, Film-on is calling me for an hour or so of relaxation and then an early night.  LN...I've a fire to attend to...LN