Sunday 10th September

Half six start and beat the sun this morning.  I sat on the bedroom terrace with my coffee and watched the mist change in the valley,  We'd had a freak shower last night along with a few flashes of lightening but I didn't hear much thunder.  It was probably because I had the Last Night of the Proms' at full blast but I risked it with the PC and everything was fine.  I went out to the garden and started weeding round the walnut tree.  As you know I'm about to start developing this area and started off my digging up the walnut that's self set under the original and it needs to be somewhere else.  It's sitting in a bucket of water for tonight...I'll find a place for it tomorrow.  I found out the barbed wire that my Avatar wanted for the front fence to keep the cows out and took over my coil of the wire to secure the other in place and started cutting up some ten centimetre lengths for her to make it easier.  So I went back home and heard the bread van coming so back down the road and my Avatar had the last cheesy bread so she was determined that I should have it and she got pizza for herself.  We sat in her garden, I left her to do the work and I headed home.

Back down the garden and continued where I'd left off.  I used the hedge trimmer to tidy up one of the shaped bushes, did a bit more weeding and came in for a drink.  It was beginning to get hot out there so I changed my location.  I looked in the wood store and reckoned that it needed sorting so that when the new lot comes I know exactly where it's going.  Last years was moved under the window and despite a promise that my painter was coming to clear last years from the garage...he's not turned up so I got the old axe and the lump hammer which was successful last year and managed to split about half of it.  I was conscious that I was making a lot of noise but hey...omelettes and eggs sprang to mind.  I was in and out keeping my fluid levels up and when I was splitting the last one I noticed my painter walking towards my gate.  Apparently according to my Avatar, he'd asked what I was doing, she told him splitting wood and he came up in a bit of a frenzy telling me that it;s men's work and that I shouldn't be using the axe as a splitter.  Anyway...he's coming with his chain saw to finish the rest on Tuesday so it'll be time to get the next lot in.  I shall only get six cubics this year...I've still got lots left from last.  So off he went, I went to see my Avatar and related the story to her and came back put my tools away and went in to start supper.  Avatar had said that she'd had nothing for evening meal last night and that at midnight her tummy had started rumbling....so I cooked enough for two.....spicy sausage with tomatoes and cannelloni beans topped off with butter fried croutons.  I whipped it over telling her that her tummy kept me awake last night and I didn't want a reoccurance....

I finished my supper...there's lots of washing up to be done tomorrow morning...CBA tnight.  I think a bath is in order firstly to get rid of the salt from the perspiration...log splitting is hard work and secondly to ease the aching limbs.  Good day's work though.  LN....Mojo is back with a vengeance....LN

Monday 11th September

Normal six thirty start and after my late bath last night and warm PJ's I slept really well.  I caught sight of the reflection of the sun as I went down for my coffee so it was kettle on, locating the camera, taking the shot and I went out on to the main terrace to enjoy my cuppa.  I looked up and there was rather a large bird on the grass by my tree and I half expected it to fly away when I went back inside for the camera but surprise. surprise it was still there.  When I got it in camera shot I realised it was a lazy woodpecker ground feeding and by the looks of him he's a really old bird.  Not content with the one two more appeared but this time on the tree.  They had a bit of a fight as to who's territory it was but the old one still foraged in the grass unaware of the disturbance.  What sightings I had...and I managed to get the shots to prove it.  The older one eventually decided that floor pickings had been exhausted and he made his way to the tree to join in the bun fight.  Five minutes later it was all over and they shot off on to the hillside.

I came back in and faced the washing up for the last couple of days and within five minutes the kitchen was ship shape.  I made another coffee and out on to the terrace again contemplating what was on the agenda for breakfast and top of the list was a bacon sandwich again with fried bread since it was yesterdays.  I lay on the sofa with the Kindle and checked out emails and the likes while I munched my sandwich, took the plate back into the kitchen and re tidied the kitchen only this time it took only two seconds.  I decided a little more computer time was necessary so it was on to the main machine but even though it's mine to waste I decide I was wasting too much so I powered down and headed out to the garden and watered the pots.  I also remembered that it was my good friend Angela's birthday so I made a phone call to the birthday girl and she seemed in good spirits.  I'd love to be there with her but ...next year...

The next mission was to dead head the zinnias but I left the sunflowers...the finches are having a field day with them.  As for zinnia seeds I have so many of them that I might be putting them out for a snack for the birds come the colder weather...perhaps I should just harvest the lot of them...sunflowers included.  I also collected some of the big yellow daisy seeds with black centres and they been put into an envelope and labelled and added to the others in the little house.  As for the cuttings...they're looking good.  Forsythia, hypericom and buddlea seem to be doing best, what I think is a mimosa tree seems to be thriving and I'll keep fingers crossed for the rest.  They wont be going out until next year...they'll all spend the winter inside to form good strong plants.

Spent the afternoon on the sofa with a book that I'd brought over from England and forgotten about.  I've read it a few times and it's the journey of a high priestess through the initiation process.  Some good philosophies to ponder on,  I did nod off for an hour or so...it's been a corker again but it's much cooler now.  Supper of a chicken leg with onions and potatoes cubed is in the oven and I should really go and check on it...it's smelling good.  My painter is due tomorrow to clear the rest of the wood from the garage and while he's got his chain saw here...I might get him to trim down the huge logs that are by the house wall and make some seating for the garden...just a thought for now but I'll give it more thought later.    LN...Supper, relax and think chunky furniture....LN

Tuesday 12th September

Five start for me and it was black as you like....but I didn't manage to go off again.  This time Candy Crush came to the rescue along with coffee and it was soon half six and I was waiting for sunrise.  I noticed that there was a heck of a front over the mountains towards Greece and it looked like there might be a chance of rain...wrong.  Cloudy sunrise but interesting patterns in the clouds, I went back to my Kindle, read for a while and then next thing at just before eight my painter was there with his chain saw and some leeks and tomatoes for me.  At this point I was still in my PJ's but they're decent enough to accept visitors so I went out to greet him, told him he was early and from then on it was all systems go.  He said the new axe that I'd bought wasn't much cop so we discussed asking my Avatar for the use of hers.  As it happened she'd seen him walking up the road so had made her way over with home made yogurt and a bucket of unripe apricots that are now in the little house to ripen.  I walked back with her to fetch the axe and I had a discussion with my painter as to why he didn't want to use mine and was trying to use my old one....but he was coerced into it and after about three swipes with it declared it was better than he had ever used before due to the design of the metal on the blade.  I have a convert to all things Lidl....

I started sorting the wood from the garage into what I thought he could manage with the axe and the other I put to one side ready for the chain saw.  As it happened he decided that he could do most of it so I moved it from the garage to the yard so it was easier for him to get to.  I swept up the garage and set about tidying up the porch to the little house.  I decided that the new wood could go into the workshop and the wood from last year could go in the little house and there was more chance of using up some of the really old stuff with the newly chopped.  I am preparing for winter and September is like that.  The starter wood I put into the little house and that's a job for tomorrow...I have two large containers of it already but the rest might as well be done to make the place tidier,

Off he went after we'd stacked and cleaned and by one I was in the kitchen looking for something to eat and settled for local corned beef and toast because the bread had really gone over.  I settled on the sofa for a while and thought I'd check emails and the likes and there was no internet so back to the sofa with my book which didn't last long.  Sleep over came me and it was about half three when I arose from the dead.  I returned the axe to my Avatar and we sat in the garden, Haciber joined us and then Avatars grandsons came to visit so I soon legged it home.  I don't like intruding even though one of them is friends with my student and we go back a while.  I finished tidying the yard and put the debris on the garden to rot down and add more bulk to the soil...I've watered the garden since the promise of rain amounted to zilch and now I'm in for the night and ready Eggheads now the internet is back and much quicker after the maintenance at their end.  We've achieved lots today and tomorrow should really break the back of it.  I'll put in an order for six cubic and that should really set me up for the winter.  LN....I have some TV to watch...LN



  

Wednesday 13th September

Dark when I woke up but it was six but didn't feel like it.  The last hour had been a recurring dream that I was pleased to get out of but for the life of me cannot remember anything more about it.  I started playing my Candy Crush in that there was nothing else much to do...the washing up could wait and my next appointment was with the bread van.  I assembled the rubbish for a bonfire, took the leeks in and topped them for tonight's supper, checked out the cuttings in the little house and suddenly realised it was eight fifteen and still in PJ's so got a bit of a move on and suddenly I heard what I took to be his horn and headed down the village.  Beyser's garden was busy....my Avatar when there and Haciber and I wondered why they weren't on the way to the van when I realised ....there was no van.  It was somebody else with the same sort of horn.  I sat in the garden with the ladies until nine and I decided that the best solution was to give the money to Avatar, she was going to the van anyway and I'd pick it up from her.  As it happened....no van and some very disappointed ladies.  About nine thirty Avatar arrived with bread from yesterday, gave me back my money and she'd cooked and delivered three pancakes.  I had this sudden urge to cover them with sugar and lemon. remembered that I had no lemons in the house but that I had a lemon tree on the terrace.  I took the biggest there was and there was so much juice in it....delicious.  She also went away with some cucumbers and tomatoes from yesterday's goody bag from my painter....I have so many tomatoes and I don't like cucumbers.  I watered the pot plants since it looked like it could be another scorcher but it's been on and off all day.  By lunch time it looked as if the heavens were about to open but then it cleared up again and now there's a mixture of blue, grey and white.

My first job was to sort out the lock on the workshop.  It closed spasmodically, the lock plate was bent and it was very frustrating.  I removed the plate, put it on the outside of the frame and now it works perfectly.  I've also made another support for the plate by straightening a water down pipe clamp in the vice and added it to the door frame.  Clever old me and the screw holes were in the same place.  As for this afternoon...I went down the garden armed with my new tree lopper and attacked the two sloe bushes that are growing and reduced the two wild roses to no more than stumps in the ground.  I just hate roses...they are vicious and seem to hate me attaching themselves at every opportunity to arms, legs and hands.  The bigger sloe still needs some work on it...the main branch is really old so needs removing for the new stuff to take over.  I topped up the bonfire with the cuttings and the weeds and the bottom of the garden is beginning to take shape.  I came in for a water top up, lay on the sofa and I heard a strange noise and couldn't work out where it was coming from.  Eventually I tracked it down to the bathroom and it was obvious that a bird had found its way down the chimney and was now sitting and flapping about in the compartment where you get at the soot to clean it out.  No I'm not very good with birds so I went over to Avatar and I'd cooked up a plan involving a bag  to cover the hole and a flap to make sure that it didn't escape into the rest of the house.  She came over, undid the door on the soot hole, removed the inside plate, put her hand in and picked up the bird so so much for my detailed plans.  She carried it outside, opened her hand and it shot off over the hillside without a backwards glance.

Suddenly there was a flurry of activity and a ginger cat was sitting on the wall having obviously chased something up into the tree.  I couldn't see who was up there so I chased the ginger one away and there in the branches was one of the little ones, probably one of his, hanging on for dear life.  I came away to let her come down, I've just checked and she's made it successfully.  So no plans for supper so far...the leeks are crying out for attention but I suspect they'll have to wait for tomorrow.  It's going to be something quick and easy tonight.  Tomorrow is more gardening now I'm back in the mood.  I think a frame round the big sloe should help it get established again.  LN...Shower, a little TV and a book at bedtime....LN

Thursday 14th September

Silly five start so it was Kindle and games to fill in some of the morning.  The sky was just starting to show some colour so I went out to take a few pickies of the morning but I was soon back in bed and enjoying the view.  With the sun moving round the sky and it's starting point, the view constantly changes and I just love it.  I did take lots of pickies with the Canon but the cable seems to have gone wonky donkey so I've ordered another one from the UK which should be with me in the next week or so.  I've fiddled with it but to no avail so the pickies are pretty limited today...

I was out watering the ones that I didn't get round to last night and I got absolutely drenched.  The cut off valve in the pipe to connect the two hoses seemed to have jammed so there was pressure on the wall end.  I took it off and forgot to turn it off first...Miss Wet T-Shirt was parading the garden.  So much so that I heard the bread van but knew that I wouldn't make it but the next thing my Avatar was in the garden asking if I wanted bread since she was going down there.  Apparently they all knew but me that there wasn't going to be a delivery tomorrow so it was top up time.  I asked her to get me a loaf but by the time that she'd got back to the road the van had already left and when we caught him on his return trip he only had brown left.  I was fortunate ....I had the half loaf that she'd given me yesterday and it was enough for Marmite on toast for breakfast which I ate doing my emails. and then the internet went down again so it was switch off time for me.

At half ten my visions of working in the garden had paled into insignificance.  The day was a corker again so I settled on the sofa and continued reading my old book from the UK.  I think I've read it three or four times but I'm going to do research on the writer....I don't know how much of it is true and for some reason I need to know.  She has some very interesting ideas that I associate with and if I'm doing that I definitely need to know.  So you can guess the rest....my eyelids headed southwards but it was an early start.  It was four before there were any signs of life and by this time it was OK to go out to the garden.  I sorted out the hose...it was dirt in the connector and gave the garden a good watering...you have to feel for them.  I dug over one of the sections of the veg garden removing the weeds and some of the bindweed that seems to be the scourge of some of the flowerbeds as well.  Again my Avatar disturbed me from my gardening only this time to return the one lev that I'd lent to her this morning to get the bread.  I told her to keep it but she surreptitiously slid it on to the outside table and we laughed about it.  I knew she would.  I've got this sneaky suspicion that she'll be making bread in the morning so that we all have fresh...

So seven thirty my time....I've had nothing since my Marmite from this morning and I'm beginning to feel peckish.  The sheep have just gone over the hill with the dog leading them but they were very reluctant....poor things must be worn out trying to nibble an existence when there's very little out there.   We need rain and lots of it.  Kitchen bound...those grubs are biting.  LN....I'm on a mission heading for the freezer...LN

Friday 15th September

Horrible night....I was awake at one thirty and read three.  I got my head down on the pillow and no sooner that I was about to nod when I heard the drone of a mossie.  I was up in a flash, couldn't see it or hear it  again so got out the spray and gave the bedroom a good blast.  By now it was getting on for four, I managed the rest of the night and woke up just before seven.  The sun wasn't up but I watched it come up sitting on the terrace with a coffee and thanking the big man upstairs for leading me to this place.  I had the urge to take up yoga again...it would be a beautiful place to meditate but with winter coming up and wood to get in...I reckoned that some of the positions might make my autumn more difficult than it normally is.  

I got the remains of my Avatar's bread out but there were a few green spots on it so it got lobbed over the hillside. I remembered that there was a brown 'healthy' loaf in the freezer so I took it out and tried to cut enough to make toast....and no luck so I put it on the sofa on the sun to thaw out a bit.  In the meantime I repaired the strimmer once I'd managed to remember where the new cutting plate was, pout a new blade on it and strimmed the grass between the lawn and the front wall and around the yard.  I did round the tomb garden and the veg patch and by this time the bread surrendered to the knife.  Four slices of toast with butter  and the rest of the marmalade and ginger jam so I'm waiting for Lidl to bring in more and yet more coffee.  By this time it was getting too hot to go out and do more in the garden...it was going to be another scorcher.  I'd promised my painter that I would print up his photo that I'd taken ages ago and get it in a frame for his daughter who's over from Norway.  Now the creation was easy but as for the printing, I'd used gloss printing paper and the printer just wouldn't take it up. It drew up the gloss paper and the one underneath and I ended up taking the back off the printer and feeding it in manually and eventually, and I mean eventually, I managed to print it.  It's framed and the two that  were not supposed to print I've laminated so he's got three for the price of 'zilch'.  I played on the computer for a while and eventually got out into the garden again at just after four.  I cut out the old wood from the sloe tree, did a bit of weeding and came back and sorted out one of the old pots.  I renewed the compost and potted up a couple of little bushes that have been hanging around for a while.  

Supper is over...I was hungry and settled for baked beans on toast leaving just enough bread and butter for tomorrow.  I think I might be heading into Kardjali tomorrow...I have a few things to get and I might just be tempted to see if the pool has water in it.  I shan't be gardening...I've lost my mojo again and the weather's looks like being again...hot, hot, hot.  The fly spray is coming out early tonight...doors closed and getting a good dowsing.  From Guldjan's wedding I took a cutting from a Busy Lizzie and I'm pleased to see that the roots are starting.  LN...A very restful day....LN

Saturday 16th September

Six thirty start and I was amazed how dark it was.  I watched the sun-up and said goodbye to the moon...it was pretty magic this morning.  When the sun did come up I was back to Egypt and the way that they worshipped its arrival each day and reading a book about the progression of a princess through her initiation....it took me back to when I was out there.  So I came down, washed up from last night and walked the garden.  I came in, had a shower and washed my hair, rang my Painter to tell him that his photo was ready.  He was working so didn't want to come into Kardjali so I left the photographs in the little car on seat but it's still there now.  I went down to the bread van and since it's spasmodic at the moment, I bought two and put one in the freezer.  Avatar was nowhere to be seen so as I was driving by the house I stopped off to see if she wanted anything from Kardjali.  The answer was no so off I set on the dirt road.

Parked up in the usual square but there was no little man to take the money so it was a free day.  I went to the first cheapy shop and managed to get a denim jacket as ordered by my student, carried on to pay my telephone bill but the shop apparently is now not working on a Saturday.  I carried on to the next cheapy shop and picked up a couple of t-shirts, a pair of jeans and a very short skirt, all destined for my student and her sister.  Kaufland and bought a draw pack that's now sitting in pieces in the middle of the corridor needing only a hammer, wood glue and a screwdriver and apparently more than one pair of hands.  I'll tackle it tomorrow and finally to Lidl for mainly butter but with two kilogram bags of daffodils, I managed to knock up a sizeable bill.

I stopped off at my student's home and the family had just finished lunch and were trying to get me fattened up and I refused all advances.  I settled for a coffee and three small biscuits and they were over the moon with the clothes.  The jeans were a perfect fit for both of them, the jacket need a slight alteration on the sleeves, the t-shirts were brilliant and the skirt looked real funky.  Total bill for everything about seven leva and next week the father want's to go so it looks like I have a date but the daughters have got to come as well.  Chicken wings from the supermarket and more mayo , petrol in the can for the lawnmower and home for four.  Settled in and watched the Triathlon World Champion final which I was amazed at.  The women have such stamina and I was disturbed from my tele and my supper of roasted veg with chicken wings by Beyser bringing me a photo of her father that she wants enlarging, printing and framing.  She looked at the draw pack lying on the floor so I showed her a picture of what it would eventually look like and she couldn't believe that it was down to me.

Garden needs watering after such a hot day yet again. the daffodils are in the little house but wont be brought into play until next month.  Washing up and kitchen tidy on the agenda and a bonfire...I've got a bag of rubbish that will be better out than in.  LN...A hose is calling me....LN

Sunday 17th September

Normal start....the garden that I didn't water last night despite the garden hose calling out to me was completed this morning.  Looks like I might be in for a hefty water bill again.  I suppose the first thing I should ask the men to do is to sort out the well,  I've got the submersible pump...I just need to get another hard hat to make sure that the one that goes down comes up again.  It was all down to the old man that lived next door and part lived in my house....he was in the first stages of dementia I reckon and stone and clothes went down there.  We'll know for a fact when it all comes up again.  I had my bonfire and as I looked over the hillside there was another fire going on.  I thought no more about it and suddenly there was a fire engine rushing down the road clanging away and about half an hour later, we had a couple of police cars with all systems in action.  It didn't take long to get it sorted though and all's good.

I heard the bread van but didn't need to make the trip.  I looked at the pile of wood that had the makings of a five draw cabinet and I'm still not sure where it's going to sit and its purpose.  I thought about using it to store the computer paper but I suppose I'm used to it sitting on the shelving unit.  It needs more thought.  Breakfast didn't need much thought though....fried bacon, egg and fried bread with brown sauce and it's done me well all day.  A banana was the only thing to pass my lips besides breakfast.  I settled in to do the photograph for my neighbour and again I had a problem with the paper.  It seems to draw through about three sheets with it so that the photo paper is underneath the one that is printing so again I fed it in manually and managed to get it to print and it's framed.  I did take it down to her but there were shoes outside but no one appeared to be home so I'll do it later.

Now as for the chest.  It's done, it's standing, the six drawers are made and are encased in the carcass and the only problem I had was with the wheels.  No mention of them made in the destructions apart from a picture showing them in situ.....I've got three in, but three wheels on my wagon is insufficient...I need to think about that tomorrow as well as the use it's going to be put to.  My plant from my desk is potted up and will sit on my desk to make sure that it gets the love an attention it deserves.  It's got a little bit of poo from the birds nest under the nest on the little house terrace.  I'm just hoping it's not too strong for the roots.  Super programme tonight on Beeb 2...hunting with eagles...and now it's time for it to go off...garden watering again, food and my real book at bedtime.  Another scorcher today but it's turned into a gentle evening with still a fair amount of heat lingering.  I've just put the mosquito tablet in the electric plug, the water went off and now it's on again....LN...All's good in my littlw world.....LN

Monday 18th September

It was dark when I woke up and thee was a super view of the moon and above it was Venus...according to the internet.  It was difficult focusing it but eventually managed to catch the pair of them.  The rest of the sky was full of stars and its due to the fact that there's so little light pollution when I live.  I made it back to bed and didn't get  out again until the sun was up and it was obvious that it was going to stay there for the rest of the day and it did.  I took coffee out to the terrace and my scruffy woodpecker was strutting his stuff on the lawn.  I suppose it's easier than clinging on to a tree and bashing hell out of it.

I took my neighbours photo round at about eight fifteen and she was insistent that I got paid for my work.  I had to shout her and become really straight faced telling her that I didn't want money.  Mine is not a photographic studio.  I was taken into the inner sanctum and shown her gallery of family that have moved on to a higher plane and she burst into tears so I ended up consoling as well as telling her that I didn't want money for the work.  I left her and went over to Avatar's house and we sat in the garden with her daughter-in-law who is usually in bed at this time.  They're on a mission to get things sorted...she is taking my Avatar away to Germany tomorrow for the winter but I've been invited to go and experience their life in Germany and are quite proud of the fact that they have Ikea within walking distance....what a temptation.  As we sat in the garden, mu photo neighbour came over with four eggs from her chickens for my work and Haciber joined us complaining that she thought she had the flu starting.  I told her to stay on the wall and not come near... I don't want a summer cold...always the worst...  

About a week or so ago I was clearing the old daisy stalks and I felt something slide down the side of my little nail finger.  I couldn't see anything so I ignored it but it began to feel tender so I started worrying it, prodding and poking as you do and this morning I eventually got the little blighter out.  It was only a thin sliver but obviously my body finally rejected it...and it feels like it's on the mend already...Sudocreme and a bandage to the rescue.  I played around in the garden with a bonfire and moving more of the stones from round the rose at the bottom of the garden. I cleared one wheelbarrow and the second one is laden but the temperature was hotting up so I wasn't out there for long.  I watered the pots but the water pressure is down and according to the neighbours there's a hole in the pipe further along but by tonight, the pressure had gone down considerably...we have no water.  I've got bottles so there's no problem but I'll be down to the spring in the morning.  

I've had a very lazy afternoon and done nothing except read and sleep.  I did mange to get some mince out of the freezer intending to do something with it but it's found its way into the freezer.  The crickets are belting out the night time music along with the frogs down by the lake.  LN....Supper might not be happening tonight....LN

Tuesday 19th September

So last night I couldn't water the garden...the water was off completely so that trickle had dried up completely.  Not strictly true....it was gushing somewhere but not down the pipe and in my direction.  It was dark when I surfaced this morning and I was out there to see if I could catch the moon and Venus again.  Venus was there but no moon...I was just so lucky to catch it yesterday.  I was out on the terrace for seven thirty  and despite the sun being out there was a chill in the air which I was pleased about.  There was no chance of watering the garden...the water was still off.  My Avatar came round and handed me the keys to her house...she goes tonight and I'm the custodian.  I said that I would be checking under the mattress for any money that she's left and she said to check her money box first and she reminded me what it looked like.  It's our joke...

I sorted the water bottles out and intended to go up to the spring at the top of the village to fill them up.  Firstly though I headed in to Djebel and had to take a diversion round the back of the old school...the road was up and men were down the hole. First stop was to pay my internet, I normally pay for ten months and get the year but I'd been told that the rate had gone up and  I got very confused when she tried to tell me how much and even she was getting confused with the new tariffs.  She got her calculator out and I have to pay only two leva difference from last year....so I said yes before she recalculated.  I paid my home phone bill, round to the supermarket , bought two large bottles of water and headed for the diversion back into the village but by this time the road was back to normal so I parked up, got the camera out just to see what they were doing.  I didn't stay too long...they weren't looking too happy about it.  The electric provider stopped for a chat and I though something else was going to fail...false alarm...everything is working even the water now.

I've watered the garden already...everything was looking very 'crispy' and it's going to be my first job tomorrow.  We need rain.  The kitchen is calling me to do something with the mince and I think it's going to be a home-made hamburger.  No need to go up to the spring unless this is just a temporary repair and we'll see in the morning.  LN...Time to change venue....LN