Saturday 28th July

Well prompted by the red moon and a reminder from Mrs D of S that the eclipse was about to take place and would be visible weather permitting, I set out to capture it.  There was only a very fine cloud cover and it was impressive.  I put the pickies on FB last night and will make no apologies for putting them on here....After all, this is my record of events that I want to record.  I stayed up until midnight but by this time the clouds had come in and when the moon got very small my Canon had a real job of capturing anything and as for the Sony, not a snowball in hell's chance.  I found the knack though, focus the object, switch the flash off and keep fingers crossed and most times it worked.

A bit of a disturbed night...the tablets kicked in and I didn't seem to move all night and didn't ache as much this morning as I'd anticipated.  I've had a restful day today, breakfast was only toast and Marmite but sufficient.  I did managed to complete the blind...it's up and working, I got a load of washing in but it never went out and is sitting on the clothes airer in my bedroom in front of the window.  The door's been open most of the day but we've had yet more rain and thunder and lightening.

A bit of a sad day, I heard a thud on the window, looked out but didn't see anything on the ground.  There were feathers sticking on the outside of the glass so I knew something had met it's maker.  As I went up the stairs to get the cobweb cleaner to clean the glass I saw a golden oriole on the terrace under my bedroom balcony but it was long gone.  I've lobbed it in the hedgerow...it will provide food for something.  The weather seems very similar to yesterday and now it's turned into a pleasant evening.  I've just done a little weeding of the vegetable patch, the second lot of beetroot that I put in have had a really good start but a lot of the flowers seem to be suffering from too much rain...there again...aren't we all.  I have some good chillies, the tomatoes are nothing to write home about but the cucumbers are still going strong.

Eight fifteen my time....it's going to be an early night for me and maybe a visit from Mrs D of S tomorrow....I've got baby clothes from her grandchildren that I've been given by Haciber that need distributing to those who have just or are about to give births....Mrs D knows more of the community than I do with regards to children.  LN...Time to switch off and relax.....LN

Sunday 29th July

Lovely moon last night again until the clouds took over.  It almost looked like an eclipse but coming in from the opposite direction.....almost fooled me...

So I was wide awake and reading at half three and managed to get back off until six thirty.  I didn't ache as much as I thought I would but had quite a sleepless night what with one ache and another so I ventured down stairs, made coffee and did the washing up and went out on to my bedroom terrace.  It was quite a pleasant morning and with camera in hand but there wasn't a lot to excite me.  I did manage to catch one of the golden orioles in the pear tree but wasn't sure it was a bird until I checked out the pickies on the computer.  I was thinking pear or yellow leaves.  We've had so much rain that everything is suffering...except the weeds.  I think it was the magpie on the walnut who was looking very bedraggled although it did make an attempt to clean itself up.  The pigeons on the power lines always look well turned out.  I managed to have a bonfire, prune the roses and do a spot of weeding but the flesh was weak so I was soon inside again.

I settled for my second cup of coffee and toast for breakfast and I've done very little since.  The washing that was in my bedroom all night still wasn't dry so I moved it outside remembering to bring it in to finish it off before the heavens opened and then I took up my stance on the sofa watching the women's, men's triathlon  events and the mixed relay which was the first time that I'd seen that.    Interesting.  I'd had a few conversations on Messenger with Mrs D of S but unfortunately, I slept through the visit...she said that I'd looked too comfortable to wake so she didn't.  There was a message at two describing the scene that she'd encountered and when I went out to take pictures of the rain, despite the sun, I noticed that the fairy godmother had left me goodies.  I thanked her and said that I wouldn't tell anybody and I haven't...   Another funny happening on Messenger...I found some old messages going back to 2014.from people that had found the blog and wanted to enrol.  I had to stop blog enrolment....the spammers were hitting my hosting company and they threatened to withdraw the service.  I really should change the message on the blog but today isn't the day for doing it.  The tablets really do hit the head for a six.

So back to the sofa for the afternoon's TV Catch-up and watched the arrival of the Tour de France into Paris with our own yellow jersey winner and the Sky team leading the rest of the riders home.  At eight tonight the sun has finally come out lighting up the garden with a beautiful golden glow but it's too late.  I'm in for the night now.  LN...Time for my tablet....and oblivion.....LN

Monday 30th July

Another restless night but to be expected.  I went out with my coffee and sat on the bench with a cover and a pillow but again there wasn't a lot happening.  Even the birds seem to hide away in this weather.  There was one on the wall that I need to do a little more research into....I think it's the one with the call that I don't recognise and neither does the RSPB,,I seem to have been through them all on the recordings on their site.  I came in when the mist rolled over again and it got cold...it's July for goodness sake ...what is it with this weather.  As soon as I came in and started putting the washing away, one of the tits started pecking around the bench and surrounding area and I managed to get a few shots of him.  Not many around this year so far but there are more of them in the winter.

I went down to make toast and the bread had a few of the green specks and it always get thrown on the hillside and no bread delivery today, so I made an omelette with cream cheese.  I signed on to the computer and checked out the overnight activity and decided to attempt the Sunday five star DM sudoku that I'd attempted yesterday and not got anywhere near.  It's a real challenge and still needs to be solved....time to print it out and use a pencil.  I moved down and settled on the sofa with the Kindle and suddenly there was a knock on the outer door and I thought it was one of the gypsies asking for money for children going into hospital.  I went out and still didn't recognise her but suddenly I remembered that I'd met her about three years ago before the wall was built.  She was standing under the mulberry with her husband and they told me that they owned the field to the left of the house.  I opened up the conversation and she bounded about the terrace and suddenly she got pen and paper out of her bag and asked if I was interested in buying some old pots that she had.  She is on holiday from Turkey, lived in a village above Djebel and I was a bit sceptical and wondered why she'd come to me.  She did reasonable drawings of one ampule but without the metal stand, a large pot and a stone flour mill that could be used as a garden ornament.  I said I might be interested and asked how much she wanted for them.......and I did a double take when.told me....The first price was exorbitant...and  then it started coming down but by this time I'd lost interest and realised I could live without them.  She kept trying and I politely told her no and off she went to her husband waiting in the car outside the gate.  I smiled politely and waved, told her to be careful of the gate fastening and her fingers and off they went.  When I say her prices were high....the three were well over four digits.  I emptied a few of the pots where the water had gathered, did a little weeding, moved a few pots around and when I came back towards the house I noticed that I had a frog on the terrace...I must have disturbed him from the flower beds when the water was thundering down from the wall.

Back to the sofa and the Kindle and it's been a very restful afternoon.  The clouds rolled over, we had thunder, gentle falling rain so I left the buckets on their sides.  It's cleared up now...a bit of a mixture sky, sun making everything look lovely but ...I need sun.  Eggheads and supper.  LN...I'm kitchen bound....LN

Hi Elsa. Wonderful pics and beautiful garden, you must be proud of all your hard work. All ok here. weather still cold and rain on & off. Busy at work with a new house open, and lots more paperwork...lol

My Mum is not improving much and thankful she still recognises me. voice has almost gone, and hearing  one sided convo these days. She will be 90 in Oct.
Take care . From Linda & all in OZ.xx

Tuesday 31st July

Thank you so much Linda for your complements, I think I owe most of it to the rain....we haven't had any summer to speak of, I've only managed two days at the swimming pool and I haven't even bothered going down to Greece and the beach.  Apparently it's supposed to clear up over the coming week but we'll wait and see.  Gentle squeeze for your mum, lots of love to all of you and ninety...where have all the years gone.  I really should try to get one more trip in to Perth....

So the tablets have worked well and I'm really quick to heal.  I'm not hurting so much today but there again...I haven't done a lot to test myself.  I missed the bread van this morning...I was awake and heard it but not washed and dress so didn't want to head down the road.  Just before ten I realised that I plucked a couple of cucumbers yesterday and left them in the conservatory overnight and they were destined for my Avatar so I headed out, hiding them behind my back so that the rest of the neighbours didn't see. Her daughter in law has arrived from Germany and Avatar's sister was visiting from Momchilgrad so I sat with them for a while in the garden.  I explained that I'd had a 'catastrophe' in the bathroom and she was very upset that I hadn't phoned her.  It wouldn't have done much good...no way could she have got me to the hospital.  I mentioned that I'd missed the van and she gave me one of the loaves that she'd bought that morning and the cost...one hundred leva...which means that the next thing I do for her will cost the same so we null the outstanding charges.  That's friendship for you.

Toast for breakfast and my first cup of coffee...I was just too lazy to get out and get one first thing.  As for the rest of the day it's been very leisurely, books, music, and pottering to no great effect.  It rained again very heavily around twelve and we had the thunder rattling around again leaving the grass far too wet to get anywhere near it with machinery.  I just sit and watch it grow.  I'm tempted to get the new electric one out on highest setting to take off the heads of the plantains that batter your legs as you walk down the garden,  As for the new flower beds....they're thriving thanks to the rain.  Seeds that I threw on have all come to fruition and the tiny seeds that I thought wouldn't survive are almost outgrowing themselves.  Not much in the way of birds, elusive golden orioles flitting about but no woodpeckers today.  

I made a couple of tuna mayo sandwiches around four this afternoon so I shan't be needing supper.  I've had another invitation for Sunday to a baby party in Djebel and I've managed to get a lift with my Avatar's D,I.L to the wedding in Assenovgrad  on Monday so my diary is filling up nicely.  A few pictures of the garden when I went out for my constitutional when the rain had dried up a little....it's looking very pretty this year.  LN....TV Catch-up...and relax....LN