Monday 1st May

Six thirty start again and I was back to bed with a coffee, Claire and Jamie until I happened to look out of the window and catch the rising sun.  I shot out of bed, grabbed the camera, shot up the stairs and took the shots...and then back to bed.  Out by seven thirty though, washing in, toast and jam for breakfast, washing up done, finished tidying and hoovered the twin bedroom and put new mattress protectors on the both beds.  I hung out the washing and it was still only nine,,,,it was going to be a long day and it has been.

I set to on the rock heap at the bottom of the garden....it's just hiding a lot of broken tiles and rubbish and I've eaten into it but there is still about another full day to do on it.  Some of the stones I want for surrounding new wall bed and that's something that I've got to work myself up to.....a day of filling the wheelbarrow and just pushing uphill....I've saved it for another day.  I came in and got my head down for an hour or so...and then I was back at it.  I did upset a skink but by the time I'd got the camera...it had buried itself again.  I decided to have a catch-up on the snooker, plumbed to Filmon and was confronted by a 'Do you want to pay' screen.  Obviously the answer is no so I tried out TV Catch-up and it seems to be working well.  

Washing in by five thirty and I looked at the little house grass/lawn and decided that it would be easier to cut since the sun had dried off the overnight dampness....and I was right....I'd finished it within the hour and it came to a halt when the back wheel fell off.  Not a problem...I was able to screw it back on...I obviously hadn't tightened it enough when I did the repairs.   Another day of gardening tomorrow....that heap has to go.  LN...I should sleep well...LN

From the horses mouth..............

Dear User,

Thank you for contacting FilmOn Customer Support.
Unfortunately, We need to inform you, that we are no longer offering the free SD watching due to contractual requirements with our content vendors.
We're very sorry and apologize for the inconvenience, as we had no possibility to let our Customers know about this change in our service in advance.

Mind you every single bit of info on the web site still says FREE.

Pain in the proverbial whatsit  

Tuesday 2nd May

Thanks Trevor.....yes there was no way of letting out customers know...negotiations don't take place?  No...it was foisted on us at the last minute...haha....and yes, it still reckons that it's free...but we know better.  I went to TV Catchup to watch the rest of the snooker...but the dark invader won despite my doll with the pins...

So six again this morning and I wondering if I'm deprived of sleep.  I've had a few strange muscle pains lately...when I stop and rest it's difficult to start again...and I've found the secret...don't stop.  Toast and jam for breakfast, washed up, washed and dressed, one of my rugs in for washing and it was still only eight o'clock.  I'd also watered the plants and walked the garden to see what I might get up to today.  I didn't fancy rock moving and earth moving so I set about using some of the old wood from the bottom of the garden to start to edge the side beds.  It makes it easier to mow the grass and stops the edge of the lawn collapsing.  I selected my wood, topped up my old motor oil pot so that I could paint it, grabbed the hammer and nails, the heavy slammer hammer to knock the supports in and my metal spade to dig out the trenches,  Three planks put in either side of the mulberry and now planning a garden seat surrounding the mulberry  to rest my weary bones when it all becomes too much.  

I came in for lunch and made toasted cheese and onion sandwiches and despite my leanings to not stopping, stopped, got the Kindle out and after a few games of Candy Crush where I managed to find all the bears and spread jam on everything...I promptly fell asleep.  I was regenerating for about an hour and then back to it.  My sheep farmer came round with the sheep and complaining about the weather.  He said that we desperately needed rain, he had sheep and cows going hungry so I said that I'd have a word with my man upstairs but I kind of like it like this.  Heavy dews at night and warm during the day...suits me sir.  Lots of bird calls today....the hoopoe is back and the bee eaters were on the electricity wires,,,spring is here...

So eight when I came in tonight....I've weeded most of the side beds so I need to get some new grass seed to get some down on the bare patches.  The old stuff is six years old so I think I'll give the ants a treat with some fresh stuff.  Lovely surprise....Haciber has just brought round three litres of home made plum juice...it's already stashed in the fridge in half litre bottles and should see me through this week.  Bath night tonight...some of the work today was energetic and it does help the old bones....LN...Eggheads, bath and a book at bedtime....LN

Wednesday 3rd May

So it was a six o'clock start but I fell asleep in the bath last night so I was late getting into proper sleep....Coffee and back to bed with my book for a whileand out in the garden by seven thirty.  I potted up the last of my hanging baskets with petunias and gave everything a good watering.  Down to the bread van this morning for my Turkish language lesson and today it was 'Good Morning' and I have to put a picture to the words so that I remember them.  'Gunayden' and since my postmaster is named Aiden, I imagine a post office hold up...the warped mind of living on a hillside and I shall be tested on it next time I'm down getting bread.  He did have a cheesy bread though so my breakfast was sorted and I sat out on the terrace with yet another coffeemunching away.

First job was to trim back the forsythia bushes since it flowers on this season's growth.  Only the big one to do but I'm looking to dig up the bush by the side of it so it's for another day.  I separated out the blue poppies from the iris...I'd put them in the same bucket thinking that the poppies wouldn't germinate but they did so now that have a bucket to themselves.  They've been in the shade all day and given plenty of water so fingers crossed.  Out with the strimmer and tackled the area where the outside toilet used to be, I rescued the fig that was getting overgrown by chickweed and I'm really not sure how such a little root supports such a lot of growth.  I had half an hour  with my book and then forced myself to get the lawnmower out and go over the little house grass again and managed to do some of the main lawn but fortunately I ran out of petrol and it ground to a halt....lucky me.   Moved over to the vegetable garden and noticed that the beetroot, despite taking care when sowing the seeds, some were clumped together so they were uprooted, put in a container with water and I planted them up again at six thirty tonight...they should do OK overnight.  

It was such a lovely day that I got out the old Kindle, got settled on the sun chair, slathered myself with sun oil and lay out enjoying the sun.
It wasn't peaceful though....the sheep were particularly noisy and I reckon they were finding it hard to find anything to eat out there and there are air manoevers going on again....oh the joys of living in the country.  I came in when I thought I was 'done', looked at the lawn so went out and finished the rest of it.  I am now a happy bunny....LN....Tomorrow is another day...LN

Here is one that appears not to time out so far, I've had it on in thebackground for nearly an hour, still playing.  

http://www.viewtelly.com/  

Thursday 4th May

Thanks Trevor....I seem to have no problem with my selected program at the moment...but it's good to know a back-up...

Five thirty start and I guessed using my internal clock and I was right...good to know it's still working.  Coffee, back to bed, out to photo the sunrise and then back to bed again until my eyes stayed open.  I cleared the kitchen, fixed toast for breakfast and set about printing out a 'To Do' list and to start making my entries.  I had things that I really needed to do today...I needed to book the hotel in Sofia with free parking so I was on to the website but it was closed down for 'maintenance' so I went in through another backdoor but this way didn't give me the option to select the correct hotel in Sofia.  Final solution...email the hotel, wait for a response, and wait for the response so I telephoned and got though to a very helpful young man.  I explained the issues with the website, he managed to get on it and talked me through so that I could book online...which was cheaper than he could do it direct.  Armed with the information I tried to book it but it didn't give me the offer of free parking for the time that I'm in England.  Arggghhh...so I was back on to my young man who appeared to have the patience of a saint who booked it for me and held it with a credit card but I had to go through the process for the second booking to get the internet rate.  All booked...he confirmed the booking to me so I offered up my congratulation on his customer service techniques and he responded with a thank you to me for noticing.  We all like acknowledgement...  

Other tasks completed....I phoned Bekir and he will be round to fix the small leak in the bathroom boiler over the weekend.  I should hate this to develop into a big leak while I'm away....it could do lots of damage.  I headed into the workshop and grabbed the blackboard paint...there is now a large yogurt pot under my hanging basket to catch and retain the water...it was draining away too quickly.  Next I was drawn to an old  stainless steel rubbish bin that had been abandoned so I've taken it all apart, the lid is suitable for a plant pot holder and the body of it will do something at a later date....little creative me...

As for the rest of the day...I came in to have lunch and made cheese and onion sandwiches and finished it off with a large pot of yogurt and dolloped apricot jam into it, demolished several chocolate biscuits, read for a while and promptly nodded off.  I had good intentions but I think I did too much yesterday so an easy day today.  The sun was out but the wind was a little cool and I had most of the windows open, I woke up cold so I lit the fire and I'm super cosy tonight.

Nothing on for tomorrow so far....I might head into Kardjali so that I'm here all day on Saturday in case Bekir comes round to fix the leak.  LN.....Feeling very relaxed.....LN

Friday 5th May

Five thirty start and I decided to go for the cheap rate electricity and get a load of washing it and I was pegging it out by seven.  All go at this end.  Took the photos of the morning and went round the garden and was amazed at the number of flowers in bloom and the ones that are coming into flower.  I went back to bed with the book for a while but was out in the garden with fork in hand by eight.  My task today and I did choose to accept it was to dig out the weeds round the wild plum tree and I was hard at it when my painter stuck his head over the wall advising me that he was heading into Djebel and that he was catching the bus.  I gave him the tidings of bad news...the bus had already left at just after nine so I offered to take him in...he had an apartment to quote for, for painting the inside.  I dropped him off in Djebel centre, I went and had a word with my student's mum and then carried on to the garage.  I'd noticed some water on the front of the Beast and I wanted it checked out.  No problem...everything fine.  I did a little shopping and bought a chicken instead of chicken wings...it worked out much cheaper.

So we met up at eleven and I dropped him off at his home, I left with leeks and some flower bulbs from his garden.  I made myself  cheese sandwich for an early lunch, grabbed my book and took it outside on the terrace.  The sun was so hot it would have been a pity to miss it...another layer of suntan so that at least I have some colour for when I go to the UK.  I was out there until two when it got too hot and I went back to digging under the shade of the acacia tree.  There were lots of poppies that had self set and I had the brainwave to use the old tyres, till them with soil and replant the poppies in them.  That gave me enough not to feel guilty about digging the rest up.  

Working away and heard voices by the main entry door and Bekir and his son were there.  He'd come in response to my phone call to mend the leak in the bathroom.  He had one shot at it, thought he'd fixed it, put the water back on and it was still leaking so he headed into Djebel with his son to buy and new connector and this time it was a success.  We walked the garden together, I suggested and described my new garden gazebo and we agreed that they would start work in October.  There is metal work to do, the well needs to be sorted and the balcony needs to be put on the third bedroom.  It was good see him again.

So chicken cooked and served with roasted potatoes with onions and there's plenty left for the next couple of days.  There has been thunder rattling around today and at last there is some rain which will be good for the garden.  The moon is out though so there shouldn't be too much.  Early night for me and tomorrow the first task is to sort out the sliding drawers in the bathroom until and put back what I need and throw out the ones that I no longer want.  LN...Challenge accepted...LN

Saturday 6th May

Well the mother of all storms last night and this morning my internet was down so I think it did more to some than others.  I made the phone call and was advised that the subscriber would be advised of my call but thought they had more fish to fry to worry about my demands.  The world and all its friends were probably phoning...

It was cold, damp and the fog came galloping in and enveloped the hills and even my garden so I couldn't see the wall.  I did put my nose out to check on the plants that I'd put in yesterday...the poppies are getting there, the plants from my painter are standing proud and look to be settling in nicely.  I started to make toast for breakfast and decided I needed more....so out with the eggs and poached a couple of them and I sat at the table in the stairwell enjoying the brief glimmers of the sun between the clouds.  Washed up and cleared the kitchen and then headed upstairs to sort the bathroom sliding baskets...and I now have one spare.  Most of my winter pyjamas, tights and vests are away but are close to hand just in case we get a snap cold spell that has been known to happen.  Just for the record...there are no leaks from the boiler connector...

I had a bit of a wardrobe sift and have put some things in the suitcase ready for my trip.  I'm only taking hand luggage...I can buy more when I get to the UK should I need it.  As for the rest of the day....it was too cold to be outside.  I checked what I had to when the internet came back on and went back to reading.  Lying on the sofa I realised that I needed to light the fire.....no it's not that cold, I could have put another sweater on but the homeliness of a fire was obvioulsy needed.  I had no need to go anywhere or do anything....the grass is obviously doing its stuff and growing so my trusty lawnmower will be out next week...so much for rainy days.

Cold chicken tonight for supper and it looks like I could be having it upstairs by the computer.  I'm doing a clean up on my little machine to take to the UK and the scan seems to be taking forever.  LN...At least it's warm....LN

Sunday 7th May

I didn't managed to get my head down until two this morning...I was waiting for a scan to finish on my little PC and it seemed to take forever.  Eventually put it to sleep, put myself to sleep and slept through until six thirty.  Another couple of poached for breakfast..I lazed about with Sudoku and didn't managed to do it so it's printed off and I'll have another go tonight.  

I managed to get out there with the fork in hand to tackle the side garden and managed about three meters and moved to the bottom beds and carried on digging up lots of broken tiles ...bulder's rubble...who needs it.  The sun was out but the wind was pretty brisk so I came in at twelve thirtyish and lunch was a junior chocolate roll...very reasonable.  I went out again just after two and set about the garden under my pine tree.  I've seen weeks this year that I've never had before...they must go in cycles.  Lots of the rosette weeds with long stems and little white flowers but they're pretty easy to lift but I still have a big passion against chickweed,

Thsi is going to be a short update....I managed to light the bonfire to get rid of the house rubbish and the weeds and the sky has got darker and darker and there's been a rumble of thunder and I think it's about to break into a full storm any minute.  It might blow over...but I doubt it..

Nothing on for tomorrow....I'll see what the weather is doing....quick sign off...there's been a pretty big flash and clap.  LN....Time to switch off...LN