Wednesday 1st February

Well no white rabbits but the ears of my bronze one in the yard are showing through the snow...it might be retreating...some hope.

Six twenty start this morning and it was pretty raw out there when I emptied the ash can.  Not that I had far to go...I've sited the bucket just outside the door inside the weather curtain and it's surprising how that acts as an airlock.  Obviously it would be better if the curtain went to the top under the balcony but that would take effort on my part and if it snows again, I'll do it properly.  For now...jobs a guddun...   I had to light the fire this morning...it hadn't survived but it was up and running in quick sticks...just that...two sticks and a firelighter and soon belting out and whipping hot water through the radiators.  The house held thirteen degrees in the stairwell, the other side of my internal curtain but as the time drifted on, that sun came up and as you can see from the thermometer, it hit twenty and upwards and is still there now.  I got dressed which meant putting my padded trousers on top of my two layers of pyjamas. slipped another sweater on, washed, hat, gloves, coat and boots and out to catch the van at just before eight.  Now his horn's not working, most people hang around for him.  He was there for about five after eight and I got bread, eggs and chocolate biscuits and skipped on home before anyone else turned up.  Haciber was coming down the road as I walked home and we spoke about how slippery it was....like glass this morning.

So fresh crusty bread for breakfast with Vegemite...a present from Linda in Australia.  It's pretty close to Marmite and I wanted something without the effort of cooking and that fitted the bill.  I phoned the Librarian and had news of a friend that I was expecting and didn't want to hear...the cancer got the better of him so I lit a candle in the lounge and gave him a few minutes of my time.  Too early but there again...the big C doesn't seem to care.  Went for the walk round the garden to see what was breaking through the snow, lit my bonfire, my painter chappie was walking along the road and came in for a chat.  There's no work at the moment so the ball'sin his court when he wants to come and chop the rest of my wood...if he wants work it's there so maybe when his brother returns to Copenhagen where he works.  Settled down on the sofa with my book and yes you've guessed it...eyelids south and woke up wanting something to do.

I shook the fire into life, went out and filled the log carrier, took the metal spade and attacked the road yet again and removed more of the ice.  Normally we get men working on the road and spreading the sand and salt...this year zilch...and lots are complaining about it.  Lovely sunset tonight which probably signifies another cold one.  Pork sweet and sour tonight if I ever managed to get it in the oven, roast potatoes and mixed veg.  Right kitchen calls and I need to bolster up the big log with smaller ones so that the fire's got some heat in it.  LN...the photos follow...first posting of the month...LN

Thursday 2nd February

Eight twenty when I woke up this morning.  I must admit I was in and out of my dream until I opened my eyes and decided it was time to get moving.  The house was warm, there was nothing to raise from the dead in the wood burner so I didn't bother.  I checked out the thermometer and it was OK...and the sun was up so the temperature could only go up and it did.  

I've basically had a very lazy day again.  The height of activity was to get out metal spade and attack the ice on the little house terrace, the balconies on the big house but despite the sun it was still difficult to chip away.  The ice layer will take some getting rid of.  The bird feeding station was topped up but with the thaw the birds seem to be finding their own tit-bits.  

This  afternoon I was sorting out one of the drawers in the bureau by my desk  It all started by needing a black pen to sign a form destined for the UK so I went through all the pens that I could find, tested them out, threw out the ones that didn't work and have identified the ones that I'm prepared to buy refills for....from my supplier in Kardjali.  I've still gone this magpie mentality about pens...in the old days any desk with a pen wasn't safe from me.

So curtains drawn, fire lit, temperature has dropped and I need to get it warm for tonight.  It's six my time, I haven't thought about supper yet and maybe I should except that I finished off the packet of chocolate biscuits at three this afternoon.  Wrong but it seemed so right at the time.  Tomorrow isn't planned yet...it might be a meet up with Mrs D of S and the little one. I need to find a new book...I've finished Shutter Island and not really sure what I've read.  Apparently a really good film was made of it...the director must have been a miracle worker.  LN...Kitchen calls...LN  

Friday 3rd February

Let the birthdays begin....it's Princesses twenty ninth again for I don't know how many years so that makes me a lot more years young than I care to think about....I had flowers delivered to her place of work and deposited funds in the 'Bank of Mum' so that she can choose what she wants....It's different when you can go out shopping together and she can choose...too far away this year...maybe next...Big love to you....

Five thirty start and didn't bother going off again.  I rescued the fire but there was really no need...as the sun came up the temperature rose dramatically so it ticked over until eleven and then I relit it this afternoon.  I found my third baking tray...as the snow melted it emerged...I must have put it out on the terrace for the birds before the snow really came down.  In the little house looking for the metal spade. I spotted the remains of the daffodils that I hadn't managed to plant and they were sprouting.  They are now in new potting compost, in the house and progress will be reported on.  I've also potted up some Alium and blue poppies that need a frost to start them so that should be tonight then.  Again...progress will be reported on.

Played around with the Kindle and loaded some new books....so I've got something to get my teeth into.  Read for a while and got my head down and at three I decided to head of to see Mrs D of S and the little one to deliver the goodies...toys and bed linen and books... that I'd had sent over from England in the last parcel.  Lots of snow on the road especially going through the forest and at one point I almost turned back but braved it.  The road to hers was again patchy and everyone thinks that the heavier the car the better...not so...Princess used to fly like the wind in her little one....my Calibra was a nightmare.  So stopped for coffee, had a very sensible conversation with the little one,  made it back safely, got the fire going and into my PJ's and it's just after six my time.

Shopping tomorrow in Kardjali....I really need a few things that I can't live without ...like a shredder...Yes I know...I can burn everything but the thrill of feeding in paper and it gets destroyed instantly...and they were on offer...so rude not to.  I'll let you know what other bargains I managed to pick up.  I'm getting withdrawal symptoms...I haven't been to a cheapy shop in weeks.  

Lovely sunrise and sunsets today so I'm going to bore you with pickies...LN..Kitchen, fire and book...LN

Hi Mummy, thank you so much for my beautiful flowers. They're beautiful. ❤️ You, 👸🏼 Xxx

Saturday 4th February

As for the flowers Princess you are very welcome...but your house did look a little like the Interflora warehouse....such a popular young lady

So silly four o'clock start so I said happy birthday to my mum, coffee, read for a while and then got my head back down again until a sensible seven twenty...my favourite programmed hour.  I didn't bother lighting the fire...I was off out to the big city today with the Librarian for a day of mooching and did we mooch.  We were both there with our boots blacked at the allotted hour, she worked to a list and I'd left mine in my bag so it was all from memory for me.  I came away with quite a light bill and fortunately we hit the checkouts at the correct time...the Bulgarian tend to shop in the afternoon.  So to the leva shop and I got the firelighters that I'd written on the list and they're about half the price there to the other stores so four boxes were purchased.  Into one of hour cheapy shops and I picked up a couple of sweaters and a huge curtain that I can do something with.  It wasn't the cheap day but when you take into consideration the fuel to head up there again,,,it was worth paying the extra.  On the the pizza shop and breakfast for me, back into the car and up to the main car park. We had a quick trip round the shoe shop, a coffee down the market, I managed to buy some large bags of dried fruit and then back to Kaufland for the Librarian's jeep and then on to Lidl.  Few top up items from there, we transferred over luggage so it ended up in the right place and then headed for home.

I stopped off in Djebel to get to the cash point, fresh bread and chicken wings for tonight and my supper is now ready.  Jacket potatoes look like I left them a little long but I'm sure they'll be delicious.

So it's been a beautiful day today and it was a day for stripping off that extra sweater and enjoying the sun.  Parked up and unpacked and the thaw really has set in....so much so that I managed to move the orangeria and get its lit back on so that it protects the broad beans that appear to be doing well now that the snow's melted.  The drive is pretty waterlogged but that was an awful lot of snow to get rid of but the wind's got up and the temperature is dropping now.  Hatches are battened down....LN... sighing off and getting my supper....LN  

Sunday 5th February

Early start and looked outside and it was raining cats and dogs.  Calculated that it needed a boost to the heating programme so got the fire going at around seven thirty and it's been ticking over all day.  I've been burning big logs and used some of the smaller stuff to just bring the pump into play now and again.

Bacon and fried eggs for breakfast...yes...eggs.  One didn't seem sufficient to see to my needs...I settled in with my book until I got bored and needed some activity so went out on the ear-ring back hunt but still no joy.  Having said that...I found the ear-ring so it's no great loss but I won't consider it lost until all the snow has melted.  Seek and thou shalt find...   Washed the huge curtain that I bought yesterday and it's come up really well and it's dangling over the banister into the hall way...despite the sun, the air is still very damp.  Went out and uncovered more plants that have been completely submerged and noticed how some of them have remained green and are even in bud.  Also noticed that I have had a minor catastrophe.....my outside toilet is no more even with a hard hat.  One of the side walls has collapsed and it's amazing how the concrete roof is still surviving....I think I' going to take the rest of it down.  I have only one Acro prop....the Librarian has the other two and it might have fallen down by the time I get back from there.  I think she's developed a mud slide in her lane.

Watched the Davis Cup doubles last night so it was a late to bed.  I'm presuming that it continues tonight on the BEEB so I'll have a late night again.  I've had supper already...tonight I cooked the minute steak from Kaufland with mushrooms and onions and despite the fact it took just over a minute to cook, it took forever to eat and it's over the wall for the animals tomorrow.  Utter rubbish and not cheap.  Curtain rails are up for the downstairs stairwell windows and I've found out enough material to make the curtains from scratch.  They will match the lounge ones....just need to look out for some lining material.  The rails are only temporary and the curtains will go up as a insulator when it lots of minuses...and according to the predictions...that's the week after next so I've got time to get my mojo working and get them made.  

So   Djebel tomorrow I have another birthday card to get in the post....LN...Back to the fire and my book until the tennis starts...LN

Monday 6th February

Seven twenty five start this morning...my internal clock is running late.  Fire was still going so I boosted it up and it's been ticking along all day.  It wasn't so much cold as damp and despite its first efforts, that sun hasn't really done much all day.  Out for a while and back behind the clouds but I've been too busy to notice.  I had my bonfire and tidied up the mess that the interlopers had left overnight and chased away a loppy dog that just sort of stood there and looked at me.  I knew there was nothing in the fire pit to really interest it ...I'd eventually chewed that steak last night and forced it down.  Breakfast was interesting me so I sliced up the remains of that steak very small, peeled a few mushrooms and sliced up a small onion, chopped up three rasher of bacon and all went into the frying pan.  Two eggs whipped up, poured on the top and I had an omelette of sorts and forgot to mention that I sprinkled grated cheese on it.  It was delicious and filled the gap.  

So two lots of wood in and I used the medium sized ones from the garage.  The ones that could be a toss up as to whether they were chopped or not.  Too late...they're in now.  The remains of the toilet is still standing and I  was so tempted to give it a nudge but resisted.  Back in the house and decided to answer a letter that I'd received in October.  We have spoken on the telephone but she doesn't have the internet so not up to date with the daily happenings so I hand wrote four pages of A4, included some photos of the snow and a Baba Marta card.....yes, it's that time again.  I made more new cards and a birthday card for my son and so off to the post office tomorrow.

Not a lot happened this afternoon...I like designing cards so spent some time on it, I read for a while and it amazed me when I looked at the clock and realised it was six thirty.  I'm off to my student's house for supper tomorrow...the road should have cleared with yesterdays sun and rain and a dull day today.  I'll be snacking for supper tonight....that omelette is still sitting heavy.  LN...Eggheads, fire and book...LN

Tuesday 7th February

So it was an early start but I soon went off again.  It was the howling wind and the rattling door screen that woke me up and various things getting hurled round the terrace.  I thought I'd got everything sorted last night but the new pottery hedgehog was precariously perched on the end of the little terrace wall so I was out there to put it onto the steps next to the cat.  It couldn't fall any further. I also brought in the bird feeding but dish before that went walkabouts.  The fire was still chugging along nicely so I didn't bother doing anything to it..despite the rain and the wind...it wasn't that cold.

Seven when I came to again and now it was pouring down and I really did burst the fire into life.  No sign of the sun in that very grey sky and the clouds were whistling overhead so I needed the warmth for comfort.  I circled the terrace for signs of anything else in the wrong place and noticed another stainless steel dish that I think was the original bird bowl so that was brought in.  I also saw that the clothes line props had been forced to the ground due to the wind so they were reestablished in the rightful places.  The orangeria seems to have taken a bit of a bashing and I'll do the repairs when the rain stops. Off back to bed with a coffee and the Kindle while the fire took hold and there was an flash of lightening followed my a deafening clap of thunder.  How near was that and it was closely followed by another with no gap in between.  And that was about it....just the two.

Breakfast of sweet bun loaf with lots of fruit in it. I found the curtain material and lining out for the stairwell curtains, measured them up and cut them out but decided it wasn't a day for getting the sewing machine out.  Instead I kept the fire chugging away, started another book and have watched the deluge of water filling up the hillside and the pools appearing on my garden,  There's a lot of rain falling.  My telephone pinged and it was a text from my son on his annual ski-ing pilgrimage...a week with the 'boys'. Head down for my afternoon siesta and now to burst into action to get some apples in the oven and bake them to take to my student's house tonight for pudding.  I'll be leaving at five thirty so I better get my a into g....if they're going to be cooked in time.  

So quick call to action...apples, fire, change clothes, Beast, drive into town remembering letters that my student's father can put in the post for me since that's where he works...and in for a pleasant evening.  LN...I'll report tomorrow...LN