Sunday 29th October

So it was a seven start for me and there was a glimmer of light.  I'd remember to put the clock back so there were no surprises but I'd forgotten about the boiler settings but as soon as I saw it I remembered so that's sorted.  Last night's supper worked well...my day old jacket potato with onion, I folded in two eggs, sprinkled it with cheese and served it with beetroot.

It was a bright morning but still damp from last night with lots of mist around.  I made it down to the bottom of the garden by about eight and sat on the wall but no sighting of Mr and Mrs Harold...I just hope they're still surviving.  As to my Harold, I've 'superglued' the ears back on and now he's sitting by the spider plant in the stair well and he looks fairly pleased about it.  I didn't want to risk the ears with the frost that supposed to happen later this week,...t would be such a shame.

I didn't bother with breakfast...I was out there by nine with boots on and ready for action with the wood pile,  I managed to split three of the long lengths but boy was it hard work.  One lump hammer, one axe head, one bolster chisel, two long lengths of flat headed iron bars and lots of effort from me.  The rest of the wood is undercover, the smaller ones have been cut and stacked and the polythene is dried and folded.  By two I had finished outside and all my tools were put away.  There's only one out in the yard but that one is going to be made into a bird table and water bath .  It will need a little assistance...it needs to be cut to size and needs to be man handled as well as woman handled.

At two thirty I made a pork curry and got it into the oven to cook while I was doing other things except that there wasn't much to do.  The DM Sunday sudoku never appeared...perhaps they'd been caught out by the time change.  About three there was a shout from the yard and I was amazed to see Bekir out there with my 'white haired man'...his chauffeur.  He came to see if there was anything that I wanted doing this year so we discussed the porch and the plan and he will be contacting me in a week's time and it will get done.  Also the metal work for the wall but the rest of the work can be saved for the next spring.  We specked out the sun gazebo half way down the long wall so that the tiles can be used up...it might get done this year...we'll see how the weather holds.  Off they went, I had my curry, lit a fire. got another load of wood in and it's only six...it's been a very long day but I've achieved loads.

Off to Kardjali tomorrow with the Librarian...shopping will be a lazy day for me and we might find somewhere else to have lunch instead of the pizza shop or Kaufland's outside takeaway stall.  I think a sit down in front of a log fire would be nice.  Songs of Praise is belting out and I'm just about to join in the chorus...it's one that I know.  LN...I shall go to my bed content tonight...LN

Monday 30th October

And so for last night...I had a quick nod but managed to stay awake for Strictly results and it was a no brainer who was going from the two couples in the dance-off.  I watch Attenborough until the quick nod off turned into something more serious and at twelve woke up in front of the computer.  The upside is that it's a quick trip to the bathroom from my desk and then straight into the bedroom...almost like a bungalow and I'd turned off the downstairs lights and pulled up the drawbridge at about seven.  Unfortunately when I got to bed there wasn't an ounce of sleep to be found and I ended up trying to imagine the white light, did some breathing exercises and muscle relaxing but nothing doing.  Out with the Kindle and half an hour with the history of Egypt and eventually I managed to switch off the light and go to sleep.

It was a six thirty start this morning and I love the fact that the extra hour has given me more morning light.  I don't mind the dark nights.  I fed the birds and made coffee and went on to the computer to catch up on the DM Sudoku and they'd managed to upload Sundays so I was happy.  Eventually I had to print it off, make my entries and then I realised I'd screwed it entirely so back to the drawing board.  At nine I went down for more coffee and noticed that my painter had arrived to attack the wood and I'd decided that he wasn't going to do it.  I discussed Bekir's visit yesterday and that he was prepared to use his machine to cut it up so there was no way I was going to let him tackle it manually.  I explained that there were lots more jobs that I wanted him to do later, he's worried that he owes me money in labour and I was taking it away from him but it was going to take him far too long to split the lengths that were store in the garage and eventually he agreed so he gathered up his tool and I got the Beast out and took him home and started to get ready for the Librarian arriving and setting off.

Kardjali via the back lane and over to my favourite car park.  I had a birthday card to post so into the post office and I got told off by the lady in front for talking too loudly in English.  I asked her what was her problem, it isn't a library but she chose to ignore me.  Unfortunately she'd addressed the large letter that she was sending wrongly and it took ages for her to be served.  The joys of Bulgarian post offices...you just can't buy a stamp...you get a receipt for everyone you send...time and motion at it's best,  Over to the cheapy shop and I got a pair of UG boots and another pair as a surprise for a little person I know.  Into the other cheapy shop and we both bought birthday cards for our caches, Kaufland for lunch (we didn't fancy the smart restaurant) and then final visit to Lidl.  Back lane home complete with a plastic container of chocolate eclairs so it was tea and coffee back at mine and off she went.

Fire lit, logs in for the night, not interested in supper yet so maybe later.  Tomorrow I'm going to be sawing up the logs that my painter managed to split lengthwise for me before I told him to stop and the rest will be done when Bekir appears.  As for the weather today...sunny but that wind was sure cold and it was winter boots and body warmer with a roll neck sweater and I've shut the door in the little house to the room where the plants are stored so that the wind doesn't open it up tonight.  The curry will go into the freezer...a meal for another day and I might even invest in a microwave tomorrow...Kaufland have one on offer and maybe it's time that I had one.  I'll see how I feel tomorrow morning.  LN...Now relax after I've thrown a log on the fire...LN

Tuesday 31st October

Five o'clock pit stop but then back to sleep until seven this morning.  The sky was light but the sun wasn't up and it was cold out there.  There was a white sheen to the grass...my first ground frost of the year and the cosmos have taken a bit of a shaking.  After tonight's threatened minus four they may be no more and destined for the compost heap.  

Today my student's sister was coming round for an English session and I was unsure how to play it.  It had been a long time since she was at school and had not really studied English so the starting point was a little low.  Last night I fell on a site on the internet which despite it being a little American in tone was structured well so I printed off a few...'really useful phrases. really useful nouns and pronouns and verbs'.  So it was a bit of a heavy start but we got there and her homework is to write the Bulgarian alongside the English and we'll have a look at it on Friday.  I also gave her a link to the site so that she can listen to the text, answer the multi-choice questions, have the ability to look at the written text together with the spoken text and it seems very logical to me.  She can also work at her own pace.  She arrived just before eleven and left at half twelve...we'd had a good first session.

I'd cleaned through before she arrived, sat out on the swinging bench for part of the morning so after she left I again took up my position of the bench with the Kindle.  It turned out into a beautiful day if you kept out of the wind...that was very keen.  I came in at two went on to the internet for a little of 'Good Morning' and I was amazed how Britain had adopted Halloween.  The presenters were all heavily made up and then when it went on to Lose Women it was exactly the same.  Perhaps I'm missing something.  Carved pumpkins were all we seemed to get up to and no mention of knocking on peoples' doors for money and sweets.  And we did have November the fifth to look forward to.

Gentle afternoon with a bonfire and the Kindle.  I toyed with the idea of carrying on with downsizing some of the wood that was split yesterday but the idea didn't last long.  I reckoned that tomorrow was another day and I would use it well....weather permitting.  The remains of the curry from the other night is now warmed up for tonight and fresh rice is finishing on the woodburner.  I'd lit the fire at four thirty when the temperature was dropping and now the house is cosy, curtain over the door in place and locked up and I'm in for the night.  LN...Welcome November tomorrow...LN