Monday 17th July

It was a six start, the weather was dull and drab and not really worth getting up for.  The beauty of it was I didn't have to go anywhere, do anything, and meet anyone.  This again a morning myth.....I phoned the Librarian to see how she was...her guests had gone...her computer wasn't working, I was more or less out of coffee so we decided that a trip to Kardjali could be on the cards...I think we both needed a day out.

I got ready for town, decided that it was cold enough for a cardigan so cut up and cropped a red t-shirt thinking that it would go well with my orange and red cardi.  As it was, when I did it and put it on I didn't like it so it was back to my navy one, on with my necklace and she arrived just before twelve and off we set.  As I said it was a dull old day and surprisingly cold for July and driving into Kardjali, the heavens opened and the wipers were on a full whack.  There was lots of traffic so we decided to leave the reporting of the computer to the electrical shop until we were leaving so we parked in our normal paid parking spot.  We walked to our cheapy shop and I picked up a t-shirt with a lovely slogan on the back that could be framed...the assistant wanted me to translate it into Bulgarian for her so I really tried but she managed to ask her assistant and she came back to me with the translation...I'll stick to English.  I also found a t-shirt for her to frame that will go superbly well in her red and white bathroom....it shows several bottle of Heinz tomato ketchup...qwerky.

We went for lunch at one of the bigger restaurants and settled for salad, chippies, chicken in a crispy batter and a four cheese pizza.  We were both stuffed to the gills but managed to push it down. I think we'll both me skipping supper tonight.  I paid my M-Tel bill, stopped off at my china shop, picked up a peculiar vase that on reflection upside down looks like and alien and bought a couple of candle holders, one for each of us.  Over to the computer shop, the lady plugged it in and it appeared to work properly so with egg on our faces we headed home.

One cup of coffee each and off she headed and we both agreed that it had been good to catch up and do what we would normally do.  Harold was out but at a distance...you'll have to look closely.  LN....Eggheads is on...LN

Tuesday 18th July

Bit of a silly night last night.....I went to bed at ten with the Kindle, hadn't bothered with supper and ended up eating a packet of chocolate coated peanuts and had a sugar rush at two thirty this morning.  Ended up reading until four thirty and managed to get back off until six thirty.  It was the rain that woke me up...it was pouring down.  It was back to bed with a coffee and I stayed there until eightish got washed and dressed and hoped that I could get out into the garden later that day...that's if it stopped raining....it would be easy to pull out the weeds.  But it was cold and I didn't hold out much hope.  It got lighter so I put a load of washing in but at eleven thirty Remsie was knocking at my door.  She wanted to know if I had any work in Momchilgrad and by that I knew that she wanted to go thee for something but couldn't explain where they wanted to go.  Now she doesn't ask for much so I agreed to pick her up at twelve but by quarter to she was ready for town and her and a daughter were back at my door.

Off we set down the back lane and it turned out to be very muddy because of all the rain we've had.  We were there for just after twelve and it turned out we were heading for the mosque where the hojja had a walk in centre for people who were ill or thought they had problems.  The reckoned it would only take about ten minutes but when we saw the number of people waiting...I knew we were in for the long haul.  I set about taking photos while they were talking with others who were waiting but after an hour ...the men started arriving and washing their feet and the rest for the next prayer session in the mosque, the hojja gave up on his listening and enter the mosque to conduct the prayers....and we're still waiting yea, yea, yea.  So prayers over, normal service was resumed and Remsie and her daughter eventually got in to see him at just after three.  At this point I was still sitting enjoying the quiet when two ladies arrived and I thought I heard them speaking English. I didn't say anything but then they approached me and asked me in Bulgarian if I was waiting to see the hojja.  I explained that I wasn't and that I was English and at that they burst forth....they were originally from Bulgaria but had lived in London for twenty years and were contemplating returning.  I think I'd describe the hojja as a soothsayer or spiritual guide.  Remsie and her daughter emerged, we decided to take the highway back to Djebel and stop off at the supermarket for a few things.  I dropped them off, money was offered which I refused...I'll take coffee with them at some point or head off to Izmir to enjoy the daughter's hospitality.

So it was four when we got back and cold so I gave in and lit the fire.  I cooked one of the spicy sausage that I'd bought at the supermarket with an onion and had an early supper and I've just finished it off with yogurt with pine syrup....and I’m now being informed that there is no internet connection so I’ve copied and pasted this over to Word while I investigate.  

It’s been a very gentle day and sitting in the garden at the mosque was very ‘centring’….I hope that Remsie and her daughter received the help that they needed and that the two ladies will be able to make informed decision.  I kept the thought in my head…the past has gone, the future hasn’t arrived so live in the moment.   LN …Time to throw another log on the fire…LN

Wednesday 19th July

Five thirty start and what a lovely morning it was in Narnia...we have the mist in the valley and all's good with the world.  I didn't set to straight away...I got my coffee and headed back to bed and played around with Candy Crush managing to find the bears and spread the jam everywhere...well it kept me quiet for a while.  Washed dressed and down for breakfast and the idea was to have a ham sandwich which somehow progressed to a spicy sausage fried and an egg which sat so heavy that I had to come in from sorting out the weeds.  It was just too much bending over with such a full stomach.

Eventually I went out there again after downing several glasses of water but by this time the sun had got pretty hot so again I wasn't in it for the long haul but I did manage to clear the frog garden, the vegetable patch which will have more beetroot planted tomorrow and then it was definitely time for a little siesta.  I had my head down for about an hour and a half then back to it....I cleared under the wall by the lilac and the flower beds either side and then dug out the trench for the wooden edging but its actual placement and staining will be tomorrow.

Shower and shampoo and ready by five forty for the baby party.  It's my Avatar's son's first grandson and we were heading into Djebel to play pin the dosh on the little one and his parents.  We piled on to the coach and I had to help a few up the steps and as we were driving in I spotted the Emergency Exit and it suddenly occurred to me that we wouldn't managed to get a lot of them up there and the ones that were left we would never get them through it.  I prayed for a safe journey...

It was at a new venue for me...in the square, the meal was more or less the same that you always get.  There were about one hundred and fifty there, mother, sister and grandmothers were all dressed to kill while my Turkish ladies were as you would expect.  I do think this is the end of an era in Bulgaria...a lot of the sons of my generation mostly work abroad, their children work abroad to and the villages will die with the older generation...such a shame.  I saw people that I hadn't seen for a while and it was good to catch up and by eight thirty the money had been collected, the photographs taken and Haciber was rushing to get us back on the coach.  Uneventful journey back through the forest and good to be out but even better to be home and we have another one at the weekend for another new arrival.  

The list is building for tomorrow....LN...Need to get my strength up...LN

Thursday 20th July

Seven start and a lovely night's sleep.  There were a few odd noises last night as I was settling down and I couldn't understand them but as I opened up the lounge door to tilt and turn a ginger cat emerged from under the pillows on the terrace sofa.  I think they might have to come in tonight...I am not a home for waifs and strays.  I went down to the bread van this morning and was surprised to see the bridegroom from the other day pursuing his normal routine.  I mentioned it to his grandmother and was told that they're going away later.  Ham sandwich with the fresh bread for breakfast but it didn't seem as fresh as it normally does but it served its purpose.

The grass was still fairly damp from the overnight dew so the lawn was on the back boiler.  It was on today's list and I was determined to get it done but I suppose I was delaying it.  The internet was up and down this morning...I was doing my Sudoku and off it went so a few games of Freecell and then out to the garden.  I looked at the poor bottle brush and realised that it was about time I repotted it...it was looking very sorry for itself so I removed it from the pot and it was very dry inside despite the downpours of the last couple of days.  I gave it a good drink, cut off the top of a garden bucket which had split at the bottom, put it in one of the new large plastic buckets and put it all back together again with new soil from the vegetable garden.  I tidied up the rest of the pots and that's where I found my large moth that was obviously hoping to keep hidden....it's now sitting on the terrace....still.  The other job was to clear up the sawdust from the little house workshop from the window sills and clear the cobwebs...you could hardly see out.

Twelve thirty and I struck up the lawnmower.  I came in at one thirty after completing about half of it, checked emails and topped up with water and then back out again but before I could start the second half I had to dig up some hollyhock self sets and I've put them in a bucket to plant up tomorrow.  Back to the lawn and everything done just after three.  Carried on with the tidying, watered everything, out with the strimmer, did the front between the wall and the house and the yard.  

So I've decided not to go to the wedding henna party tonight in Djebel...I felt really quite knacked after doing the grass....I need a bath to sooth the aching bones.  More ham sandwiches for supper  and half a pot of yogurt....I was reading up this afternoon about  what zinc and magnesium do in the body and I realise that I'm probably depleted of zinc.  One of the telltale signs is week nails and white lines in them and I've got both....so I'm going to concentrate on improving my diet.  On the other hand I Googled why my cosmos hadn't flowered and it's because they have too much nitrogen.   What you get to know it you put the right words in the search.

So tomorrow I'm off to pay my car insurance..it's not finished but will be by next week and its the only thing outstanding on the Beast. Lovely sunset tonight and a beautiful calm evening.  LN...A little tele and bedtime...LN

Friday 21st July

What a stupid night...I went to bed at half ten and unfortunately woke up at midnight....no glass slipper in sight....so it was a quick reach for the Kindle and settled into the book.  I had one more attempt to get off but to no avail and it was four thirty when I put my head down on the pillow.  Six thirty when I came round again so I was up, washed and dressed and sitting on the terrace with the coffee by seven.  As I approached the outside chairs the cat shot off...it obviously likes it here.....now where's that pepper.  I was entertained by the martins, the woodpecker was sauntering up and down the mulberry but that was before I managed to get the camera outside.

I had one or two conversations on messenger, I got the thought of going swimming in my head but I decided to work on the garden instead.  I had breakfast first consisting of toast with Marmite and headed up to do the DM Sudoku which turned out to be a real challenge.  I ended up printing it off....three failed attempts on screen doesn't do the ego any good but you do get a record time when you enter it from the paper copy.  I emptied the old potting compost from the various containers and it's now sittings in the wheel barrow and hasn't made it yet to the bottom of the garden.  First job for tomorrow.  

I came in for cold drink and a nap and at two my painter was in the garden wanting to borrow my hedge cutters.  He's got work in Djebel tomorrow and I really should buy him a pair when Lidl have them next on offer.  The rest of the afternoon was spent weeding the top flower beds...it's not something I like doing but the poor plants were having to compete with the weeds for moisture so I knocked out the competition.  The hose is going round the garden....it's been a scorcher today so they really do need a good drink.  I've watch my favourite programmes, a jacket potato went in at six and I've just split it and topped it with loads of butter and cheese and it should be finished now.  Tomorrow I've another baby party...it must be something in the water.  LN..Supper and time to move the hose....LN

Saturday 22nd July

Lovely night's sleep...the sleep of the just and a seven start.  I was out there watering the pots and getting soaked when I don't quite get the hose right but it was a beautiful morning.  While the hose was doing its thing attached to the spray in the side garden, I sat and had my coffee and I had yet another wonderful display by the martins and I'm really not sure why they all congregate around a nest with a baby without they're trying to give it encouragement to get out there and fly.

I headed down to the bread van at nine...it was late this morning and there was a party air around my Avatar's house....Haciber was out with a box of very sticky chocolates brought over from somewhere and that appeared to be my breakfast.  The van eventually came and I confirmed that the baby party was today at eleven and the bus would be there promptly.  So I came back with fresh bread and a cheesy bun and that with another cup of coffee was my breakfast.  Work in the garden was finished for the time being, it was heading for ten by the time breakfast was over so I was showered and shampooed and at the allotted hour I was on my way to the meeting point.  As it happened I met the bus going down and he turned round and headed for the shade and the ladies assembled in Avatar's garden as there appeared to be a problem with the bus.  So we waited and ten minutes later another appeared and the first one set off for another venue....no scheduling here.

We loaded up and headed for Djebel...there was one stop to pick up a few more but the majority of the people were from Djebel itself with only a few from our village.  It was the same venue, same menu, same format, same guests more or less but I was with different people on my table.   There was a brief incident when I covered the bread with my serviette to keep the flies away, decided to put what I thought was an ashtray on top of it to keep the serviette in place only to find that it was the salt container so it was spilt everywhere.  Of course some of it had to go over my shoulder for luck....and then the bottle of fizzy was tipped over so we called ourselves the accident table....

It was a very young baby that managed to sleep most of the way through it and was eventually taken away by the father back to the apartment.  I did managed to get quite a few photos with the zoom on...it saves making yourself really obvious when there are so many people around.  Back on to the bus and home by three and for me it was head down for the rest of the afternoon.  I made a coffee which was still by my side when I woke so I'm expecting a disturbed night....three hours in the afternoon is quite a 'nap'.  I've just had a visit from my Avatar's daughter in law with the new baby and he loved my swinging chair...at only ten months he seems to have spirit but no teeth and I made the comment that he's like his great grandmother...she's got some but they normally sit in the glass...she doesn't like them.  I showed her the photos from the other day and just posted them on her FB page.

Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow....a little light gardening in the morning and I'll probably find a swimming pool later...much too hot not to.  Friends are all busy with guests and family over from the UK so I'll enjoy the peace and solitude...at the controlled pool in Kardjali.....no jumpers or the whistle gets blown.  So the rest of the cheesy bread for supper....LN...Chilled as you like...LN

Sunday 23rd July

I was right...three this morning I was still reading but I did managed to stay asleep until six thirty.  I'm not sure where the morning went but the highlight was walking down the garden and looking over the wall and seeing not one, but two hares...and where was the camera...on the desk in the house.  I crept up the garden, grabbed the camera and peered over the wall but obviously they had changed their position.  I saw movement under the yellow wild plum tree, focused the camera at the base of the tree and there was Harold.  The second one wasn't there ....but I was satisfied.  It was very spooked and eventually it must have sensed me and off he shot down the hill to the wooded area.  I did have another sighting but no way could I catch it but those I got were good.

I was back in the house and viewed the shots on the PC and posted them to FB.  While I was playing with pictures, I put the ones from the baby party yesterday on to the Kindle and took them down to show her grandmother.  She was over the moon....she had a computer but she's got a virus and it's in for repair...she's going to let me know when it's back.  I decided that it was better to put them on a memory stick and it's waiting for her on the hall table.  On the way back I stopped off at my Avatar's garden and she had the great grandson in the pushchair and baby minding.  Haciber was sitting with her and almost demanded to see the photos on the Kindle but it was far too bright outside to see them.  She can see them another day.

I watered the pots, moved the wheelbarrow to the workshop terrace ready to pot up the willow tree in a couple of the old tyres from the Beast...it's on the list for tomorrow....as is some woodworking.  It's been a funny old day weather wise...hot, close, threatening thunder which never happened, clouded over, cleared and has now clouded over again but at leased the temperature has dropped.  I did manage to get the large umbrella out and got the weights in the stand so that the wind doesn't blow it away.  My terraces were tidy and it was just as well....Ms D of S left me a message saying that she was going to Djebel with her brother and could they call for a coffee and obviously the answer was yes.  It was the first time that her brother had been to visit the house and baby but said that it won't be the last...she's obviously made them very comfortable...I did warn her.  So they left at five, I put a jacket potato in the oven so it was an easy supper for me.  I grated cheese on it and it finished off while I went round the garden with the hose giving the plants a chance to top up overnight.

Nine my time and I think I'm going to linger in the bath....it's been a sticky old day.  I might head in to Kardjali tomorrow....I've a few things on my shopping list that I can't get in Djebel, I'll see how the day takes me.  LN...Choices, choices...and a Harold spy session...LN

Monday 24th July

A very warm night but managed to get through until six thirty so not so bad.  I was a bit of a slow starter...I was out on the terrace for quite a while and then on to the computer.  Maybe another guest....I think someone needs to get away for a little peace and quiet....but yet to be arrange.  Bysinger was my first visitor this morning with a bowl of tomatoes, courgettes and peppers...now I have to do something with the two that I'm really not keen on...

I got spurred into action today...I looked at the bottom of the garden and the weeds that had accumulated there so by ten I was out there and didn't come in until one.  I've done some good work out there, thrown the debris over the wall for the cows but only one appeared late this afternoon and demolished the lot of it...at least one is satisfied.  I was so hot and sweaty so had a shower and washed my hair, thought about a nap but it never happened instead I got the bikini on and went on my bedroom balcony to dry off.  It was hot, hot, hot and I was ready until I suddenly realised that the clouds were rolling in and that sun went into hiding.  I think it was the bikini that put Phoebe off.

Back to the sofa but at four I thought that I might as well go out there and carry on where I left off and I did another couple of hours.  The hose is giving life to the marigolds and spreading over to the medlar tree and I'm hoping it bulks out the fruit.  On one of the back to the past programmes I found out that medlars are referred to by the French as dog's backsides and apparently you have to wait until they are decaying to eat them...

Another shower is on the cards before bedtime....it might be when I move the hose to its next spot...I've not had much luck so far.  I've got a chicken leg in the oven and it's almost ready.  LN....Hose then supper...LN