Friday 9th June

Sorry had to delete yesterday's pickies...they'd thrown the formatting out.  I use Image Resizer to get rid of some of the pixels and if you're not careful...it increases the size and you don't know until you post and check...and I didn't...doh!!!

Lovely long sleep....I remembered the curtains and at six thirty I opened up my world and the door to the balcony. ...to a lovely sunny day.  It stayed that way until about twelve thirty and it was down hill from there.  No rain though, no thunder and lightening so it was a plus.  Bacon, eggs and fried bread for breakfast...I know how to treat guests and then out to the garden.  I've managed to weed three of them and intend to do more tomorrow but rain is forecast for overnight so we'll see how things turn out.  

We had a visit this afternoon that put paid to my gardening which I was pleased about.  We sat outside and chewed over the fat and I caught up on news from the area.  We had a brief discussion about the UK elections but I don't put my views on my diary...too many people seem to be doing that on FB and it gets quite vitriolic....  I stay away from it.

Sheppard's pie for supper which was the left over mince with a potato topping...also left over from last night so I padded it out with chippies.  I'd dearly love to know why new potatoes don't turn a golden brown...I shall have to Google it.  A little late tonight.  I've been searching for the manual to my cooker....the automatic lighter seems to have given up the ghost after seven years...and when I found the said booklet...no mention of it so that's another thing I have to Google.  Lovely sunset last night and so I'm posting the pickies...not even worth venturing forth with the camera tonight.  Now down to keep my guest company....LN...Just a couple of things to Google first...LN

Saturday 10th June

So I think it's a weekend of electrical failures.  I set the timing device on the boiler when I came back and the next day I had no hot water.  Everything seemed to be in order so I thought I screwed it up the first time so made doubly sure setting the time yesterday.  So this morning no hot water so ...device not working.  That coupled with the cooker ignition switch for the hob not working made sure that a day in Kardjali was necessary.

I woke up at six thirty this morning, grabbed a coffee, pitchfork and wellies and headed out to do a couple of hours gardening before the rest came to life.  I more or less finished half way down the long wall and uncovered flowering shrubs that I'd half forgotten about.  I knew they were there just didn't know when they'd burst forth.  Went in at eight thirty and made a cooked breakfast, my Avatar arrived with a bowl of home made yogurt that I was grateful for and into the car by just after ten and heading for the big city.  I've confirmed the telephone number of the man that can with my cooker, bought a new timer, picked up some more USB connectors and cables, a little bit of shopping for essentials like food and back home for three thirty...both hungry as you like or don't like.  French stick, ham and mayo for a late lunch and one of us is still sleeping it off and it's not me.

Supper is in.  Pork chops with barbecue sauce with potato wedges and that should be ready in about twenty minutes.  Gardening tomorrow yet again and just to confirm...the new timer is working.  LN ...So much to do and so little time....LN

Sunday 11th June

I ached this morning after yesterdays onslaught on the garden but it was back to it with a vengeance.  I woke at six thirty, grabbed a coffee and went back to bed with the Kindle.  It was a good start to the day, clouded over this afternoon and went very cold but I did managed to get the washing dry before a few spots of rain dropped on my parade.

I was out potting up my new Hypericom brought over from England and I heard a noise out towards the road.  As usual...they have to be investigated and there is my Avatar filling her wheelbarrow with the road gravel left over from the winter.  I joked with her telling her that it was theft and then Haciber came down to find out what was going on so we stood and had a laugh about it.  I have ballast left over from my building work but she didn't want that...she was quite happy with her pickings.

As for the rest of the day...cooked breakfast and while I was cooking it the phone went and my lovely Ms D or S was in Djebel with the little one and asked if she could pop round to say welcome back.  She arrived around ten, the little one is not so little and lovely so I had my granny cuddles but in the lounge....she's not a babe for the sunlight...much too fair.  I caught up on a little of the gossip...not that there's much and it's better that way and she was on her way by eleven thirty.  I settled back into the garden clearing weeds, issued instructions to my guest on the design for the garden edgings that needed to be constructed and one's already finished, painted with old engine oil and ready to be placed.
The vegetable garden is weeded and dug over,,,I should get it finished by the middle of this week and it'll probably be time to start again if the weather stays like this...warm and with the odd patches of rain.

Head down for a while this afternoon, woke up cold so lit the fire and there's a cosy glow around the house.  The chicken is in for supper but it won't be a full roast....jacket potatoes will fill the bill for tonight....we finished off the French stick for lunch.  So just about seven thirty my time...chicken ready..potatoes underway, a book at bath time to ease out the aches and bed...LN...Another day gone...LN

Monday 12th June

Oh what a good and rewarding day.  My internal alarm kicked in at six, down for coffee and out for six five and into the garden by six twenty.  I don't hang around on my hillside and neither do the weeds...They were on their way out.  Thy'd had three weeks of doing their own thing and now I was back.  The top garden had been hit considerably and I'm not sure why except that I live next to a field and the new wall that I'd planted out was hidden by three foot tall things.  Now they are gone,  I've found tall old fashioned marigolds, forsythia, weigeia, firethawn that looks like it's flowered already, tobacco plants and small marigolds.  

Semile my sheep farmer came round to view the work that his worker had done on the lane, trying to stop the cows getting into my neighbours' gardens.  More reinforcements appeared to be needed,,,the boy was back with Semile's brother armed with equipment to cut the bush that they use to cow proof everything.  I remembered the fun I used to have getting rid of the bastard bovines from my garden and the advice from the farmer was to strengthen my boundaries.  It appears that he can't use the same advice on my neighbours...they're out in force.  The unfortunate thing is he's blocked the lane and the access to the field so the old men that used to walk to the mosque might be climbing my wall or trying to break through....Friday should be interesting...

Breakfast of poached egg and ham on toast.....I washed up and was out there continuing with my task for today and I achieved it.  Weeds cleared from my grave garden and the area strimmed...Does that feel good?  You betcha.....Cold chicken for lunch and since there's not much interest in food....my kitchen is there for the use of...I'm settling for roasted peanuts.  Fence cladding tomorrow so that my kiwi's have something to hang on to...they appear to be wafting in the breeze and they need help to climb up into the plum trees.  LN...I'm going to try to catch Eggheads...LN

  

Tuesday 13th June

Five thirty start and it's getting worse by the day.  I managed a bath last night but there was so little hot water that I was in and out in quicksticks. hair was washed as well.  I really didn't fancy putting my head under the bath tap to wash out the shampoo...still I managed....it's in just as bad state as it was yesterday...it's been a scorcher and I've been sweating my socks off all day...weeding.

It started off well.  I met my painter as I was heading down to the bread van and he was off to work for my Avatar's nephew.  The ladies were out in force...I got brown and white bread and asked if he had any eggs which he did.  Emula's mother also wanted eggs and it transpired that he only had eleven. I'd asked for ten so I suggested that we split it...five or me and six for her...I can easily get some when I'm shopping.  We joked about the fact that they always say that my Turkish trousers are pyjamas so I insulted them by telling them that they were all wearing there pyjamas...it caused a giggle anyway.

Bacon and egg for breakfast and then it was attaching the wire mesh to the long wall so that the kiwi can become established.  I managed to unwind it from the old support ...very carefully ad now it's pegged up on the new.  I set too with the weeding once again and I'm more or less there.  The lawn is more or less finished and the garden is looking good...I'm going to give my ladies lessons in Crown bowling and establish a bowling club in the little house....At last I have a use for it....   More Nato activity and there was a tremendous boom as one of them went through the sound barrier....fair made the garden tremble....and must be costing a fortune...

Afternoon naps were the order of the day but it was back to it when the heat had gone out of the sun.  I came in at seven thirty, supper was a mishmash of the rest of the chicken from Sunday made into a risotto with a dash of curry powder.  Not bad...at least I had jars of lime pickle and mango chutney to enhance the flavour.  

So tomorrow we might have one last day and then find something to do on Thursday.  The weather looks like it's settled down and it's wall to wall sunshine for the rest and all of next week....about time to.  Nothing written in stone for tomorrow...I'll see how I feel and then it might just be down tools and head out.  It's been a gruelling week but as I said...nearly there.  LN...Now for five minutes on the terrace in the cool of the day....LN

Wednesday 14th June

It was a five thirty start for me but I forced myself to stay there until six thirty.  I sat at the desk with the intention of catching up on a few things and noticed a woodpecker on my special fir tree.  I tried to take photos through the glass but it proved difficult so I gently opened  the fly screen on to my balcony and managed to get on to my bench without it flying away.  It made its way along the trunk and eventually ended up in the canopy and blow me down, another one started down at the bottom, worked its way to the top and ended up on my clothes prop pecking its way along that.  Beautiful....  I headed downstairs to grab a coffee and  heard a kettle going.....for once I had company in the morning.  So we both headed out to the terrace and sat with our respective beverages and I managed tomatoes on toast for breakfast, he headed outside to carry on with the lawn and I went back on the computer to waste and little time.  Stripped the guest bed and washed the sheets...it was a beautiful day and they were dry in quicksticks.

My Avatar arrived wanting a little chat.  She told me that her son had been down to Greece and had returned very pink and had gone to the doctors for some creme.  We sat for a while in the garden and I walked her to the gate and noticed my painter in her garden so I went back with her thinking that he was working there.  I looked towards the garage and there's son being covered in lotion from the doctor by my painter and I came back with the funny that I was cold and wanted to warm my hands.  There was laughter in the air or was it hysteria....I'm really not sure...

Back to the garden...the lilac and forsythia have both had severe haircuts but it's opened up the garden.  I have a bonfire going with the trimmings and I've dug out the weeds from the rest of the long wall.  Good work but knackering.  Fish finger sandwiches for supper with mayo...we know how to live gourmet style.  Washing up done, boiler on for respective showers. Tomorrow...Zlatograd and swimming if the weather improves...we have dark clouds tonight that weren't part of Accuweather's predictions.  Situation normal...LN...Better get cossie out...LN

Thursday 15th June

Five thirty start and my had it bucketed it down last night.  Good for the garden and the plant pots but it was rapidly putting pay to our visit to Zlatograd and a day by the pool.  I'd mentally put it on hold but it was up for discussion but the sun came up but it rapidly clouded over.  The cushions from the outside benches and chairs were put out to dry and mine were hung from the balcony.  At least the bench dried pretty quickly so that I could get my morning blast of good clean air.

We started to circulate around eight and I trotted off to visit my Avatar around eight thirty to take her dish back and as I approached her house there was a shout from my other neighbour's garden.  Avatar was out visiting already...apparently her son had had a pretty rough night due to his sunburn.  We sat in the garden for a while and I headed home and saw a gigantic beetle marching along o the concrete in front of the garage,  You could almost hear it. and blow me, as I sat on the terrace, another one marched towards the honeysuckle.  It must be the season for them.  Into the kitchen and breakfast was baked beans on toast....first for a while.  Straight out to the garden to check on the bonfire and it was still going and is still going.  'Please send reinforcements and the Indians came over the hill'.....I carried on with the weeding of the bottom garden and it's been a day of stop and start.  Late lunch of eggs mayo and were both still stuffed to the gills....so nothing on the agenda kitchen-wise tonight...maybe later.  It's settled down into a very pleasant evening and is about twenty seven in the house as we speak.  I'll wait and see what the weather holds for tomorrow before we made any decisions but on Saturday we are off to Greece....supposedly to rather large market.  LN....Best take lots of carrier bags with me....and Euro....LN

Friday 16th June

So as I lay down my little head on the pillow last night there was a terrific humming of something that seemed quite close so I put the bedside light and the main bedroom light on to see if I could see it. Now having the fly screens not much can get in from the outside but I came to the conclusion that it was something big trying to get in bashing itself against the fly screen and since the door to the terrace was open, it thought it seemed a nice place to be.....wrong.  Out with the insect spray and I sprayed the screen, the window area just in case and stuck my head under the light duvet.  If it was in...no chance of it getting me....and it didn't and no sign of dead bodies this morning at seven.

Bacon for breakfast since I'd forgotten there were no eggs and the bread man had been and gone, into the car for ten thirty and decided to head to Kardjali for a few staples like butter and more bacon.  Of course no visit to Kardjali can be made without the compulsory stops at the cheapy shops which proved quite successful, I paid my M-Tel bill, put some more money on my mobile and bought a couple of long cotton shirts that will do for sleeping in now that the temperature is rising.  We stopped off for doner kebabs, on to Kaufland and finished off at Lidl where I was seduced into buying three very large pots of very smelly lilies for half price.  The trouble with Lidl is...they don't know how to look after their plants...they were all crying out for a drink.  Stopped off in Djebel at my students mother's shop to say 'hello' now I'm back and we had a little catch up.  Back home, unpacked and watered the lilies, they're sitting on the terrace and the perfume is amazing and filling the house.  You either love them or hate them.  

So delivered tomatoes to my Avatar, came back, had a coffee, did a load of washing, checked out the bonfire and remembered that I'd bought a very large sticky cake to share with my neighbours.  I wrapped up a couple of slices and saw my Avatar on the wrong end of a wheel barrow full of gravel so I got her to hold the cake, I picked up the wheel barrow and she was shouting after me to put it down and I did....at her gate.  On the way I saw one of my other neighbours so back at the house I cut another piece of cake and delivered it to the garden next to my house where she was working.  Can't leave anyone out here....

Ham sandwiches for supper....we've eaten cooked twice today.  Early tomorrow morning...off to Greece....passports and euro at the ready.  LN...Restful day away from the garden...LN

Saturday 17th June

So last night I watched Monty Donn, went to bed tired but couldn't sleep...you know how it is.  Ten minutes to six came round pretty quickly so it was kettle on, coffee and a pot of tea made and a cup delivered so that we could be out in the car for just after seven.  I made breakfast of bacon and eggs and we were ready for the off at five past seven and arrived to out destination on the dot.  Change of car and we were on the new road to Greece in quicksticks and heading for the market.  It was a good journey down there and we queued for about twenty minutes before out passports were scrutinised firstly by the Bulgarians and secondly by the Greeks and allowed in.  We parked up by the market, there were lots of fruit and vegetable stalls, material for furnishings,clothes for all shapes and sizes,livestock and fish stalls.  I bought apricots, a chicken ornament and a couple of garden shrubs and I haven't a clue what they are but was assured that they were OK left out int he winter.  I was amazed...lot of people spoke English and most were working with smiles on their faces...

Shopping done we sat for a coffee and then set off for Xanti stopping off at the church on the lake which I'd never been to before.  Back to a shopping complex where I earmarked a couple of new sofas, I took photos of the items and labels to see if they would fit in the lounge.  I might very well be on to a winner and if so...a man and a van and they'll be mine.  The weather changed as we headed towards the border and the heavens opened.  The queue to get back into Bulgaria this time was long...it took about an hour to reach the checkpoint.  We were asked where we'd been by the Greek guy and no questions were forthcoming from the Bulgarian...We were home safe and dry.  Meanwhile we were all a little hungry because of the long wait, too late for lunch and too early for the evening menu so we ended up in the supermarket and made sandwiches while we viewed the building work at the house that's being renovated...Good stuff.

Home for seven more or less...I had visitations from my Avatar and another neighbour asking where I'd been hiding, Emula came round for a chat and now I'm waiting for chicken legs to finish in the oven and that will be supper done and dusted.  Very pleasant day...one day a month will be fine but the plan has to be to pick a day when the rest of the tourists aren't at the crossing point to avoid the hanging around.  LN...Tired but content...LN  
  

Sunday 18th June

So I'm sending out thoughts today for my father, father in law and all fathers on your day.  I have fond memories of my own and if I was drinking I'd raise a glass so it's an imaginary one.  His life wasn't easy...he was a miner for many years, saved peoples lives when there were accidents, had his fair share of bashes on the head and had his life curtailed somewhat by the miner's  lung disease.  Never grumbled much, stoic feller.   As for my father in law....a lovely man, a dentist with a twinkle that could be misconstrued by some.  I was blessed.

As for the rest of my day.  I had a very restless night and this cold has really taken hold.  I managed to cook breakfast but it's been downhill for the rest of the day.  I planted up some of the zinnia and carnations and got them watered...this was totally unnecessary..the dark clouds rolled over and we've had a tremendous downpour which at times could have been hail.  It was tools away by three, I've dosed myself up with aspirin  all day, honey and blackcurrant jam this afternoon and stayed horizontal on the sofa.  As my guest added, he has not known me to be ill for years...I normally work my way through it.  Not today though...I'm wondering if I've knocked myself out with the gardening and my body has rebelled.  Anyway...tomorrow is another day....I'm now off to bed.  LN...Fingers crossed for a reasonable night....LN