Wednesday 9th August

Normal six start and out to the terrace with my coffee to watch the morning come alive.  No mornings are the same...magic.  I had a bit of a shock when I went downstairs though.  My normal routine is to shut the main entrance door taking out the key and throwing it on the coffee table in the middle of the room.  So this morning the car keys were in the door, it was wide open and obviously I hadn't followed the close down lock up procedure.  It's a good job it's Bulgaria and no UK...

I made myself fried tomatoes on toast with lashings of black pepper, tidied the kitchen and washed up, more coffee and then rubbish out for a burning session.  It didn't want to go though so I've left it for tomorrow.  The bin really needs emptying out so that I can start again but everything is tinder dry and the last thing I want to do is set fire to the hillside.  I came in to sorry a splinter out of my finger with a needle but I'm not sure if I got it out or not.  There was blood, well a little but after that the day went down hill.  

I finished the Hangman's Daughter yesterday and was looking for a new book to read.  I think I've settled on the latest  and last to date Outlander but I never got round to downloading it to the Kindle.  It entailed sorting out a credit card and making the payment....and it was too much like hard work.  Instead I started to look at the contents of My Book drive and found lots of old photos of the house and renovations and you forget how far you've really come.  I really should get some printed out and an album made up and when I'm feeling down I should take it out and look at it....my own motivational tool.  I was flicking on the tv channels on the internet and it appears that they are announcing the new Strictly competitors.  I've had five minutes of Jeremy Kyle and soon switched that off...he really can't take that programme seriously...it's got to be for the money.

So this afternoon I came across 'The King's Speech' and I'd forgotten what a good film it was and is.  That took up a couple of hours more or less and the temperature is dropping enough now to make my way out.  It's been a beautiful day again, a little cloudy this morning  but it soon burnt off.  I've managed to put the photos of my Avatar onto the Kindle...I'm showing them to her before I send them on to her family in Germany....it's got to be her decision as to whether they go or not.  A couple of messages about my new found family on my father's side....apparently I have relatives in Canada in Banff....I feel another holiday approaching...'the thot plickens' as they say.  

To horse.....garden to be watered and tonight I will go through the lock up procedure.  Nothing on the agenda so far ...I'll play it by ear Sam.  LN....Watering time...LN

Thursday 10th August

Silly night watching the athletics last night and watching Mo get  through his heat.  What a strange one...a contestant running a time trial to get into the semi-finals and now he wants to do another one to get into a final that's already been run....doh...

Seven start and the sun was already up...it beat me this morning.  I did take the coffee outside and sat for a while, came in for the rest of the rubbish that needed burning and and headed for the bottom of the bottom of the garden,  The cats had already been in to it so the first job was to get the garden fork and clear up the area, it started first time and when it got going I put the lit on it for safety and headed back to water the pots on the terrace.  A very large cloud came over which was super and it stayed for quite a while, a cool wind was blowing so it took a while for the temperature to rise but rise it did.  The house levelled off at thirty four and outside was a little higher and it's still up there now.

I've had another lazy day....at of a pottering day.  Several messenger conversation and confirmation that Gyldjan, who moved to Germany after her wedding last September, is heading back for her official wedding celebrations.  The first was a civil one but you have to have the statutory thrash with all the family, neighbours and friends in attendance and I think it's going to be next month.  She did make a request for me to fetch her from Sofia airport tomorrow....I reminded her that I very rarely pick anyone up from Sofia but offered to be waiting for her in Kardjali if she lets me know what time the bus gets in.  No brainer if you calculate the cost of bus versus diesel.   She's going to let me know....

So my snake catcher cat was stretching, enjoying the evening sun but strolled off when it heard the camera click.  As for the lingering cow...I think it was eyeing up if there was anything to eat on my side of the wall...no way...move along...nothing to see here or to eat.  Supper will be the remains of last night's curry...time for garden watering and I've just noticed that the cat is back.  Strolling around the garden as if he's the resident feline...if it catches snakes and the likes...it can stay.   LN...A girl has to do what a girl has to do....LN

Friday 11th August

Seven start...too much world athletics but not long to go now....   We seem to have a penchant for coming forth...not too good on the medal's table....they don't give anything away for that.  I know it's on the world stage and in front of a world crowd but I think that they're not prepared for it.  Anyway....I've put my head too far over the parapet as it is...

I was sadly disturbed by the weeds and grass that seems to be establishing itself amongst the flowers and today I decided that I should do something about it.  I dug up round the fig by the stack of tiles and removed lots but then I heard the bread van so legged it up to the bedroom to change from my PJ's into more acceptable trousers  to meet and greet the locals.  Skipped down the road, one fresh bread and a cheesy bread for breakfast, walked back with Haciber and Beyser and noticed that my Avatar's daughter has arrived from Turkey.  Beyser dragged me into her garden and insisted on giving me a bag of tomatoes, peppers and chills from her garden and I stopped off at my Avatars to see if she is going to the baby part tomorrow.  She confirmed that she was and said that she's going to put her handbag on the seat to make sure she saves it for me when I get on the bus.  I tend to stay behind to help some of them get up the steps and then it's too late...they plonk themselves down next to her.  I asked her if she wanted the greenery that Beyser had given me knowing that I don't like it but at that Beyser appeared int he garden waiting for her lift into Djebel with the bread van driven by her grandson.  Almost caught out we were.  So I headed home...sat and had my cheesy bun with my coffee and picked up my Kindle, the peppers in a bag and Haciber's dish from the other night and headed back down the road.  All tasks successfully completed and my Avatar and her daughter really loved the photos taken at the last baby party.

So back to my weeding.  I was out there until one and then just had to come in ...it was lethal out there.  I downed about four glasses of water, sat on the sofa to play a couple of games on the kindle but it was too late...my eyelids headed southwards and I was out until approximately four, came round slowly, drank more water and went to tidy up outside.  It didn't stop there though.  I dug over the beetroot bed and they've got slung to the animals since they'd gone really soft.  I rescued the been seeds for next year and I've got more seeds of hollyhocks and snapdragons to remove from their casings on on the whole its been a pretty fair day despite the heat.  I've also managed to string up the other outside chair...it was supposed to be the hammock but no way could I seem to get myself into it so it's been abandoned back where I'd hung it in the first place...definitely not for me.

Garden is on auto-water connected to the hosepipe and I'm moving the spray round the garden.  They really do need a lot and as for my water bill...it's a good job it goes on on direct debit.  I'm really not in the mood for food and am putting it down to the heat.....I have real sympathy for my crispy flowers and we've got a few more days of it to come according to the weather forecasts.  So more athletics tonight....time to move that hose round a bit and get myself something to drink.  Baby party tomorrow in Kardjali and the bus is at eleven so I shall be having a pretty lazy morning.  LN....Where's that litre of water....but firstly a shower...LN

Saturday 12th August

Lazy mare...seven again this morning but again it was the athletics and another fourth place...and tonight the fun starts...relay racing and let's see who drops the baton this year.  I went out and finished off watering the garden from last night...this weather is fine but it drains the soil and drains the energy banks...but it was another day off for me so I was getting showered and hair washing ready for the off at eleven.  I'd got a line of washing out by eight this morning and I was hoping that the pair of local cotton trousers would be dry and I could put them on for the event...and they were.

I strolled down towards Avatar's garden and her grandson was reversing the car out of the drive and she was ready to get into it...so that's the story Jackanory...she was going in by car so so much for out sitting together on the bus.  They were picking up her niece in Djebel and heading in together but there were plenty more on the bus that I am very comfortable with.  I was quite surprised,,, the bus was the small one and as predicted, the second pick up point filled it to capacity so the driver was on the phone and by the time we got to Djebel...the second bus was waiting.  I sat next to the Cmet's mother on the way in and she told me that she was having problems with her hand.  I recommended that she tried Reparil Gel that was recommended to me and when we got to Djebel for the change over she suggested that we went to the chemist together so that she could get a tube to try.  I said it was OK and that I'd go on my owns so into my local and picked up one and handed it to her...she offered me money...I refused...after all it was my suggestion.  It might not work on her.  So we loaded into the second coach and arrived at the venue.  There was a little confusion...there was a wedding taking place on the second floor and one several of the ladies were on their way to the wedding not staying on the ground floor.  Most were retrieved but one had to be rescued.

So many babies and not as organised as some that I've been to.  The food was slow, children running around and the money was collected before the food which has never happened before.  I think several mothers had got together for one gathering.  My only other issue was that the lighting was really bad...no way could you take really good photos so I'm going to have a disappointed grandma...   By two thirty it was over and we were waiting for the bus on the pavement and the noise from the wedding was ridiculous.  I think one or two eardrums will be out of action for the evening after the assault.

I was dropped off at the house and the driver rolled down to Beyser's.  I opened the doors on the first floor to get the air circulating and put on the PC to check out FB and emails.  I was aware that I was beginning to nod off but managed to stave it off with a coffee.  Monty Don has just give me a few more gardening hints and the main one was to keep on deadheading.....I have lots I really should be doing...maybe tomorrow.  No need for supper...lunch was sufficient....LN...Time to water again....LN

Sunday 13th August

Beat the sun up this morning and was determined to get out there and do the grass before it got hot but no such luck.  I got the morning shots and some good ones last night of the sun going down, made coffee and it's going to rain I know.....I sorted out the cushions on the outside furniture and whenever I do that ...it normally pours down.  As for now...it's looking that was, thunderstorms were predicted but to date no thunder and no storms.  Ah well...it's looking like I've got to water again tonight...

So last night's athletics...how exciting.  Congratulations to the relay teams, men and women winning medals, Mo when all the rest of the competitors were out to get you but the American didn't managed it.  I really didn't like it on the start line when the American made Mo's signature sign and ran his finger across his throat...at that point in my eyes he was doomed.  As for the high jump...fifth and sixth...and they're both young.

Eventually I was out in the garden on the wrong end of the lawnmower at ten o'clock.  I'd tidied up the garden first and moved the hoses out of the way but by ten thirty the sun had gained momentum and I was losing it so at the half point I came in to balance the water input with the output.  Two litres later I settled down with my Kindle for a while and after an hour or so went out to finish the deed.  It was difficult to to...because there are so many dry patches you can't maintain lines using the last one as a guide so it turned out a little higgledy piggledy (and that's not liked by spellcheck at all).  Anyway...it was done and machine away for another couple of weeks.  I watched a little of the men's walk and it was just too slow for me.  Competitive walking is not a pretty sight to watch...warnings ...red cards...eliminations...it had it all and our medal prospect was disqualified when he stepped up his pace.

Head down this afternoon after I'd managed to do the DM Sudoku five star in eleven minutes...the stress wore me out.  I felt a little peckish so I settled on fish finger sandwiches...it's too hot to eat much, close and thundery but as I said...nothing to date.  I did managed to speak to the Librarian this morning and weather permitting we are off to my Kardjali pool tomorrow...I need a day of complete relaxation away from looking at the garden and thinking i should be getting on with 'stuff' when there's really no need.  Athletics start again this evening for the final of the women's five thousand and the closing ceremony...Gone for another four years or so.  I can hear ice-cream calling me from the fridge.  LN...Let my evening begin...LN

Monday 14th August

What a day at the London stadium....we won more medals in the relays and it was another late night for me.  I don't think I mentioned that I think I'd had something nibble my elbow yesterday while I was mowing the grass but last night it had turned into a throbbing hot thing and it was itching and I could have scratched it in holes.  I'd gone to bed thinking that it was going to be OK in the morning but I was wrong...it remained red and throbbing and so since we were heading into Kardjali, I phoned the Librarian and mentioned that I needed to stop off at my doctor surgery in the Polyclinic.  I phoned the hospital to check that she was working today and arranged to pop in later in the morning.  So the Librarian arrived and we set off down the lane, managed to find a parking place near the Polyclinic and down into the depths of the building and was in the surgery in quicksticks.  The doctor gave it a quick look and was determined that I was on my way to the main hospital to see the dermatologist but I had to firstly find a shop near the church to get photocopies of my registration document.  I left the Librarian at the Polyclinic while I found the shop, got five copies made and left three of them with the doctor just in case we needed more further into the future...forward planning.

So back into the car and off to hospital registration, paid over twelve leva and was given a ticket and told to go to room one along a corridor.  It was the same area that I'd been to to get the form signed for updating my driving licence.  So I waited and eventually got called in, the doctor looked at it, scratched her head, wrote a prescription for antibiotics and a spray to stop the itching.  Not to be deterred...we had lunch at the hospital for a pittance and headed off to the swimming pool overlooking Kardjali.  Very few people there, it was still early and I had my first swim in the pool on my own...no one splashing ...very restful.  As for the arm...the cold water did it good and took out some of the heat but after about ten minutes it was back again and up to temperature.  We left the pool at three, headed down to the town, found a chemist and paid over thirty lev for the prescription, over to Lidl and home for five thirty.  

Now the tablets have to be taken every twelve hours after food so I made a ham baguette for ballast and  had my first of the ten that I have to take, washing the arm and spraying the infected area.  It's quite strange...there seems to be a border that the infection hasn't gone over...a very defining line.  Next tablet at seven in the morning and fingers crossed that the swelling will disperse it pretty quickly.  The spray has taken some of the itching away...but it's still very red.  Nothing on for tomorrow so far...the weather hasn't been as hot to day ...and definitely not as humid.  No pictures...I'll get one of the arm in the morning....I'm in for an early night.  LN...Where's the Kindle...LN

Tuesday 15th August

Pretty sleepless night scratching and itching...I tried the spray but it stung like crazy so I washed it off.  I checked up the 'ingredients' on the internet today since the destructions are in Bulgarian and I wasn't liking what I was reading.  I'll stick to the antibiotics and keep my fingers crossed that they're going to do the trick.  I was awake at six, down to the kitchen, coffee and a ham baguette so that I could have my early morning tablet.  There's still a lot of fluid hanging around and redness but definitely not as bad as yesterday.  Watched the sunrise and watered the pot plants on the terrace, stripped the bed and got the washing in. collected up the rubbish and got the bonfire going.  Somehow I got the fork in my hand and started off weeding the bottom of the garden near to the wall but it's so stony down there...I'm going to have an awful job trying to get anything really established so it might even be a rockery.  It's the last bit of the garden that needs attention but it will have to wait until the temperature drops...it's too much like hard work.  Washing hung out and then I heard the bread van heading to the square so I was in the house for money and down for my bread.  It appeared to be late...most of my ladies were down already...I think I was the last.

I stopped off at my Avatars for five minutes with her and told her about my visit to the hospital.  She had various theories as to what it could be that took a nibble of me....I still haven't got a clue and can see no puncture marks at all.  As for the rest of the day I really didn't feel up to much.  I think the antibiotics are fairly strong and I'm not sure if it's why I felt a little heady today.  I did manage to give emergency treatment to the zinnias in the vegetable patch.  They were really suffering from the last couple of days and the wind today was very drying.  I found a three litre plastic bottle , cut the fat end off if and sunk it into the ground above the plants feeding the hose pipe into the bottle.  I left it running for about fifteen minutes, reduced it to a trickle and gave them a good soaking but at root level.  It seems to have worked...they've perked up tremendously well.

Read for a while and put some new book series on to the Kindle, got my head down and felt better for my nap.  I've just finished giving everything a good soak...as I said we've had this very drying rain and it's been in the lower thirties again but so far so good...I'm managing to keep most things going.  A chicken went in at six so that is beautifully cooked and I'll be tearing a leg off it for supper.  I've got athletic withdrawals but there is another outing for the team on Sunday so I know what I'll be doing then.  Lovely sunset as I was watering tonight, I've yet to make the bed up...it's all go here.  LN...A woman's work....is never...LN

Wednesday 16th August

Silly night..I was awake at five, making a sandwich at six and taking my tablet at six fifteen.   The sun caught may attention so I had to grab the camera and take a few pickies but then it was back to bed.  I read for a while but at seven was extremely tired so went off again until nine thirty this morning.  I'm putting it down to the tablets and the weather...neither of them is brilliant at the moment.  Today has been such a mixture...sun, cloud, terrific high gusty winds and I've been rescuing things all day, moving things so that they didn't get blown over and shatter and wedging chairs so that they stayed upright.  I don't appear to have lost any trees or sunflowers since I'd staked most of them up but that wind must have been very cruel to some of the more delicate blooms.

I've started a new book that I'm really not sure about but there are three in the series so I'll stick with it...it might liven up.  My head was hurting today and not really sure why.  The destructions for the tablets are in Bulgarian, I've googled it but not really come up with any answers.  Most of the day has been taken up lying on the sofa and taken up with reading, playing games and sleeping...there has been not great urge to get out there and do anything.  

Second tablet down....the arm has lost it's redness but it's still swollen and appears to be bruising.  I suppose that poison has to be taken care of somehow so hence I'm putting down the malaise to it's dispersal....and it looks like there's going to be little activity from now on.  LN....Enforced rest is normally needed....LN

Thursday 17th August

Six start, loo visit and straight back to bed and off to sleep until seven.  Blow the tablet, it had to wait until just after seven this morning.  I went down to the kitchen, made toast and marmalade, I sat in the hallway and had breakfast and then went back to my desk to retrieve the tablet and my bottle of water.  I was out to the garden with the hose pipe at the ready and gave everything a good soaking.  Yesterday's wind had dried out a lot of the plants and they were looking a little sad for themselves.  Working away and my neighbour had come into the garden and found me on the end of the hose.  She was returning my flash drive that I'd given her with the photos of the baby party, her computer was undergoing major surgery but as she explained this morning, she hadn't a clue how to get the photos from the drive to the computer and had to wait until her daughter arrived yesterday to get them off.  She noticed that I have lots of yellow plums going to waste on the bushes halfway down the garden so took enough to fill a couple of jars to make juice.  I offered her more but there are so many this year because of the rain that I think she has lots of her own and was being polite.

Into the house for nine and I seemed to have achieved a lot in a short space of time.  I opened up the computer on the upstairs landing, did the DM Sudoku and played a few games of Free cell and at about ten thirty there was movement in the hall and my fly screen had been opened and I had an intruder.  Now I'm always concerned as to who is going to be there...it's usual for people to stay outside but I was faced with my original student from the garage and I couldn't understand why he was here.  I gave him a hug and he had come to tell me that he had passed his driving test and this was his first solo flight so to speak.  We moved into the lounge, he refused coffee but out came the licence and he proudly showed it to me.  We sat talking for a while and it's good for him...he doesn't have much change to practice his English so now that he's mobile, he could be down more often.  After about half an hour his mother phoned to tell him it was time to get back to the shop, I watched him turn round and head back to Djebel so I phoned her and said that he'd left and would be back shortly.  They'd only let him drive the old Renault....the others will come with more trust. I was really so pleased for him...it seems along time ago that I took him to England and on his  first airplane flight...and where have those years gone?.....

So I stopped for lunch after he left and then settle in with my book for a while but no sleep for me today.  It's been just as hot but my body must be getting used to the tablets...and my head hasn't felt as if it was in a vice.  We've just had another little excitement....Beyser my next door neighbour came to the door and was in a state of panic.  She was speaking Turkish but I got the word 'cleuch' which I know is 'key' but I didn't understand which key she wanted and for what.  I decided that we would have to go to Avatar's house so that she could interpret but then she pointed out that there was a cow in Star Mush garden next door and she was hoping that I had a key to the padlock...which I didn't.  Not to be deterred....I went into my workshop and came out with the bolt cutters and sliced through one of the links so that her and her daughter could go in and get the cow out.  Apparently it had got in down the bottom of the field so it was no use putting a padlock back on...cows don't forget...they'd be back tomorrow so we secured the chain with a bit of wire.  I'm so pleased that my wall is intact....I had several years if them knocking a fence down and me rebuilding....

So the garden calls again...we've had that drying wind all day and it's still keeling over the trees now but it does keep the house very cool with the upstairs doors open.  Off to Haskovo tomorrow....I need to buy some bales of potting compost so that I can takes some cuttings and I'm going to try to get the market garden to sell me a couple of the forty litre size or bigger if they have them.  The Librarian will be over early and if there's time when we hit Kardjali on the way back....we'll stop off at the pool.  Pools close down in September so we've not got many weeks left.  LN...Garden and then tablet time...LN

Friday 18th August

It's been a good and exciting day.  I shopped and bought things that I didn't set out to buy but hey...it's nearly Christmas.

I caught the sun this morning as I had my coffee on the terrace, I mended the hose pipe where I had had to abandon it last night because two of the hoses came away form the connectors.  Fortunately I had some plumbing tape so it didn't take long to fix and then I finished the watering that I hadn't managed last night.  I don't think it did much good though...it was a hard day for the garden yesterday.  I sat and restrung the Why Why Bird that I'd brought back from the UK last time.  It had been hanging in the conservatory for the last twenty five years and was a great talking point within the family....'Why is it called that?'...Well why not!!'.

Watering the grave garden I noticed movement in Star Mush garden...one was back...the grey one that was eyeing it up yesterday.  I shouted at it and it stood looking at me...but it went back to munching and ignored me.  I was washed and dress in good time and the Librarian appeared at just before ten and we set off for Haskovo down the back lane.  I stopped off at Haciber's and told her that there were cows in Star Mush garden....she's local and has phone numbers so could sort out the farmer, not that I think he's really worried...the cows look half starved and there's very little for them to go at.  

I was only intending to buy potting compost so that I can get a few newbies started but it didn't stop there.  I did buy one hundred and twenty litres of the objective but homed in on solar garden lamps and managed to put twelve in the trolley.  I wandered over to the carpet section and noticed that two that I'd seen on my last visit were still on display so they were put on the trolley, saw one more that looked as if it might go in the house and that went into the trolley again.  I paid for the trolley load and then came the fun...getting them in the Beast.  They ended up wedged the whole length of the Beast and the one end was pivoting precariously over the gear stick but fortunately being an automatic...once selected there was very little else to do.  Quick stop off at Kaufland and Lidl and home for four.  The Librarian offered to help but I managed to get everything in and I was sitting down by five.  One more visitor tonight...Beyser came into the garden speaking to me in Turkish....she  knew what she wanted I hadn't got a clue but she eventually settled on the yellow plum tree and she produced a bag so had obviously come prepared.  

The sunset is as good as the sunrise was this morning...and now decisions will have to be made.....Where to put the carpets....LN....Decisions can wait...LN