Saturday 11th August

So woke up in front of the computer at twelve thirty this morning.  One minute I was watching Monty Don and then he'd gone.  Straight from the desk and into bed and went straight through until seven this morning and it was the sleep of the just.  It was a reasonable morning...I did the watering that I was going to do last night and didn't and everything looked happier for it.  Lots of small birds around diving between the mulberry and next door's garden and generally having a good time or so it seemed.

I sat out on the terrace with my coffee, sorted out some coins ready for the bread van.  I wanted bread and eggs, the sunflower bread from the other day was down to crusts and I needed new eggs...the others were about three weeks old and due for the hillside.  I settled in to weeding my lobbing spot  and decided to checkout my cucumber plants and found four that were worth taking to my neighbours  I made the second cup, had just got settled when I heard the toot at his last stop before he made his way down to us so taking my booty I delivered two cucumbers to Avatar and the others to Haciber and carried on to the van.  I had a surprise invitation to a Mevlit at ten this morning to the house opposite Zelinger's house so came back, toast for breakfast with marmalade and dressed for the occasion.  I also found another two cucumbers hiding in the foliage so put those in a bag and delivered them to Zelinger's door and left them on the door handle...she was already at the neighbour's house.

Lots of neighbours at the Mevlit and it was nods all round.  I always feel refreshed afterwards, the hogga sings the prayers, I close my eyes and do a little meditation, rice and meat at the end and this time we were given a box of Turkish Delight.  I made my way back and my Avatar was sitting in her garden so I went in and sat with her for about half an hour before I headed back.  I'm still into rest mode.......and it's been television most of the afternoon watching the gymnastics and now I'm settled in for the athletics.  Another day with a lack of photos....I promise to do better.  LN....Got some finals about to start...LN

Sunday 12th August

Five start and I watched the sun come up this morning.  The sky was very blue and pink and then turned as the sun started to make its appearance.  There seemed to be a pool of lava hanging in the vee of the mountains and the camera did manage to pick it up.  So up it came and it its job today ws to burn off the overnight moisture from the grass....I wanted to get the mower out and finish the grass off.  The first half had been done without the box on but I was determined to get the rest done properly this time...  I wanted the garden finished.

Poached eggs for breakfast and by nine I was out there and working away.  I'd finished most of it and then I ran out of fuel so it was a lovely excuse to come in and top up the fluid intake and sit for a while.  Realising that this could turn into a long break. I pulled myself together, filled up the mower and off I went.  With the energy level being pretty high I decided that I could go over the other half picking up the dried grass that was littering the surface and now it's all the same and won't grow at different speeds.

This time I did come in and get settled and on went TV Catchup and it's been on for most of the afternoon.  I watched the diving, the gymnastics and now the athletics is on.  It's the last day...everything back to normal next week.  Lunch was in front of the computer, tuna mayo which is my latest obsession followed by the rest of the ice-cream.  I have put in a couple of chicken legs in the oven for tonight but as things stand at the moment...I think I might be having them cold tomorrow.

So now back to the athletics....we have the four by one hundred relays tonight and fingers crossed. we can do it again.  Swimming tomorrow if the weather looks good,,,I need some water therapy on my shoulder...gentle exercise.  LN....Races, shower and bed....LN

Monday 13th August

Seven start this morning and the sun was up and about its business.  I'd changed my mind on the swimming and settled for the strimmer but after spending the majority of the morning searching for my favourite swimsuit that had gone AWOL, it got too hot for strimming so I stayed indoors out of the sun.  I ventured out onto the terrace for my coffee and watched the martins flitting round the nest under the eaves of the little house.  The second brood has finished and I think they're only filling time up before they head for the open road or airwaves again for better climes.  One the frenzy had subsided I started to think about the fact that the day was full of possibilities but the mood soon went away again.  I'm thinking that I did too much yesterday and my body is telling me to slow down a little.

I made toast and marmalade for breakfast, cleared up the kitchen and thought I'd tackle the kitchen windowsill.  It had a accumulated items such as the bottle wine bottle uncorker and since I don't uncork bottles any more it's been relegated to the kitchen under worktop shelf.  I shall probably forget where I put it and when the next guest arrives it will be a 'hunt the uncorker' but that in itself has the benefit of slowing down the consumption rate.  A few of the other things have been put away and now it looks almost presentable.  It normally happens this way....with the possibility of another guest arriving you start looking in corners and with fresh eyes.  If this one does come off....our friendship goes back almost fifty years...amazing.

As for the hunt for the swimsuit, I started with the bathroom and nothing, checked out the swim bag in the Beast and again nothing and something drew me to the chest in my bedroom where I store my winter clothes and as I opened up the lit, there it was.  Not a clue how it got there...maybe my ghost is playing tricks on me again......so stop it.   My next job on the list was to make polish from rosemary, beeswax, soap flakes and turpentine but I was a little short of the turpentine so it's on the list for the next time I go shopping.  The last lot I made was in 2009 in the UK but having bought beeswax from Mrs D of S I thought I'd give it another try.  It's the real thing and give a superb shine that really protects the wood.  

So this afternoon I had my usual nap and woke up at four and now the European Championship has finished I have to find something to fill my time.  I wrote a list of things I need to do and I almost feel that I'm on a countdown to winter already.  It's been a funny old year but it has been good for the garden and everything is still so green, the lawn isn't crispy and brown.  Lovely evening,,,I had a late lunch so no need to think about food and cooking tonight.  LN...Out and about tomorrow.....LN

Tuesday 14th August

What a horrible sleepless night last night.  At four I was still not settled and was playing Soda Crush.  I did manage to eat all the chocolate and find the bears but I didn't even wait for the lives to run out....I put a stop to it, switched off the light and eventually went off into the land of nod.  I was awake at seven thirty though so not a lot of time asleep, the sun was up, the corn was high as an elephants eye...and I'll leave you with that thought with the song rattling through your head.  At eight I was down at the bonfire taking the garden fork with me to get the cans out of the burning basket and once that was going I turned my attention to the weeds between the bottom of the wall and the bonfire bucket.  There's an old rose in the corner where the long wall and the bottom wall meet and that should really be pruned hard or removed...I haven't decided which yet.  I set to and at half nine I could see the wood for the trees and true to form, I hit a small polythene mine and the inevitable jam pot lid.  The polythene is for the bonfire and the lid for the container, have to get my money's worth from the tax that I pay, but it does look so much better and ready for planting up after a good watering.  It probably needs digging over again to bread up some of the subsoil and more of the stone but most of the back breaking or arm/ shoulder knackering is done.  Quick breakfast of toast and a wash and dressed, I was expecting Gouldjan at ten which suddenly shifted to ten forty five which is good for a Bulgarian.

So into the car, I remembered that she never brings a towel when we go swimming so I got one for her.  I'd read on FB that the police were having a purge on car safety equipment and first aid boxes and I suddenly remembered that I hadn't notice a first aid box in the Baby so IU stopped off and bought a 'super' version at a cost of fifteen leva and if you consider the fine is twenty, using reverse logic I might have saved myself five leva.  On to the super hardware shop in Kardjali and I remembered that I'd used the last of the strimmer cord so topped it up with three new ones...that should keep me going.  I dropped Gouldjan off at her old school in Kardjali to pick up some documents and I carried on to the car and she joined me later.  We settled for doners for lunch  and then headed up to the pool.

There were very few people there which is just what is needed.  Lots of unused sunbeds so we settled and I was in to the water in quicksticks.  I was very careful with the arm/shoulder, it was OK while I gently exercised it in the water but it ached a little when I settled back on the sunbed.  I did manage to get in a few zzz's, had an ice-cream and bought a bottle of water when I woke up and back to the pool again.  Not a bad place to spend an afternoon.  More people arrived but it was still very comfortable and we stayed until six fifteen, dropped into Lidl for a few items and then headed home. Gouldjan headed for the terrace and phoned the world and all its friends using Viber while I put  the shopping away and then she came in to send her documents over to Germany.  Unfortunately the files were too large so I had to use one of the programs that I use of the blog to remove loads of pixels and then they went flying over to Germany.  I had my supper while I waited for her to finish and took her home at eight fifty...it was getting late.

Tomorrow's task is to dig over the patch again and water it well  and try out a couple of shrubs in there.  It's by the wall so they should be protected as long as I remember to water them well.  Lovely tired feeling but a day in the sun and a swim does have that effect on you.  LN....I should do it more often....LN

Wednesday 15th August

Absolutely shattered last night and slept well until six thirty this morning.  I should swim every day.  Washing in by seven, pegged out just after seven thirty and my day was going swingingly.  I headed down to the bottom of the garden and grabbed the garden fork and set about clearing some more of the weeds around the buddleia and at eight thirty headed up to get washed....I had a bread van to be ready for....but I left my sleeping attire on...it was good enough  for gardening.  So got bread and cheesy bread for breakfast and decided that it would be tastier filled with bacon and brown sauce so that's what I did.  I sat out on the terrace with yet another cup of coffee and stayed for a while to let it go down .  I'd still given that receipt that I'd found some thought but couldn't remember what I'd spent the money on in the jewellers over Christmas so phoned the UK but he couldn't remember either.  What a pair,  I was just finishing the call when my buddies from one of the villages to the south arrived with his wife so the kettle went on and we sat out,  The conversation focused on stone and marble for worktops and he mentioned that there was a place in Momchilgrad that cut stone to whatever you wanted .  We also talked about my little house in the mountains and how I'd love to go there at sunset and watch the sun go down so off we went to Momchilgrad.  I suggested we took the Beast so that it would have a workout and it would cut kilometres off the journey.

The stone place was amazing and I have a job for them to do and off we set to see my little house, firstly to see if it was still standing and secondly to make sure that the roof hadn't caved in and I was surprised that there's been little deterioration in it over the last nine years.  Problem was...it was a day for camera shots but mine was sitting at home on the table so I'm using an old one of the house and I'll be back to the stone yard with the photo of what I want them to make for me.

Home for three and the kettle went on again and we sat on the terrace with cups in hand.  We've got plans in the pipeline for Plovdiv and the Sunday market in Greece that will be firmed up as his building progresses and needs for things get more urgent.  The beauty of building in BG.  Off they went at four thirty, my chicken went in the oven for supper, washing in and put away and my next visit was supposedly at eight from Gouldjan to check her emails.  I did managed to sneak in half a chicken with bread but at nine she hadn't arrived so I shut up shop and put the lights out downstairs.  At nine there was a tap, tap on the window and she'd arrived.  I'd only brought the Baby into the yard ten minutes before ready to take her home but too late, it stayed in the yard,  The email she was waiting for hadn't arrived so she said that she'd call round tomorrow to check again.  

I'm ready for bed tonight.  It was good to see the little house again and I'm still very impressed with the surrounding views.  It might suddenly become a project   LN...Who can tell...LN

Thursday 16th August

Wide awake at five, lay there until six, went out on the terrace and sat watching the morning and the sun came up, realised I was cold and went back to bed.  I didn't even bother with a coffee and it was seven thirty when I raised my little head from the pillow.  I had great plans for today...I was going out there with the little electric strimmer and finishing off but my electricity company had other ideas.  I heard activity on the road so went out to investigate and there were three of them and a crane and work was about to commence.  I decided to get that first cup of coffee in and toast but I was too late...thy'd beaten me to it,,,my connection was no more.

I lit the gas and got the kettle on so managed coffee and settled for a ham sandwich instead.  I moved out with the camera and saw that they really meant business, the crane was now blcking the road and one of the new concrete poles was being erected.  Of course there were more foremen on the job than actual workmen and I naturally assumed that they would fetch the old one down and connect up the new cables but I was wrong again.  This could take some time.

At twelve it came on again so I could get some of the electronic stuff off my calendar but Gouldjan arrived to connect up to my internet and make her calls using Viber.  At twelve twenty it went off again so she was scuppered and had to resort to using her normal connection to ring Germany to see if the emails that she'd sent the other day had arrived.  Her German is good but the lady that she was speaking to was in the car  so the reception was poor and I'm not sure if it was resolved or not.  I went out to check on the progress of the engineers and by this time the road was clear and I noticed Gouldjan's brother driving towards me.  He asked if Gouldjan was still with me so I went back to the house and told her that her chauffeur had arrived and off they went.

I settled in for a very quiet afternoon, it was much too hot to go outside and start the strimming and it's now been moved to Saturday.  I'm off to Plovdiv tomorrow on a materials excursion with friends.....which might turn into a tourist visit to Asenovgrad and surrounding areas and I know that a visit is planed to a new supermarket that's opened...a poor man's Ikea.  The rest of the chicken has been used up for supper, clouds have gathered so I probably wont have to water tonight.  I did give everything a good soaking last night and first thing this morning.  The batteries for the camer are on chaarge already....I just have to remember to take it.  LN....Utre tourista.....LN

Friday 17th August

Such a lovely day.  I decided to tidy the kitchen before I got the day rolling and realised that the water wasn't that warm and then it hit me.  The electricity had been off for about five hours yesterday and since my boiler is on a timer on the cheap rate...it hadn't yet come on.  Never mind.  There was enough for shower and shampoo at seven thirty and I was ready for eight thirty to set sail for Plovdiv with our newest interlopers.  Certain targets had been set and we hit every one of them...the store room for granite for worktops and  a warehouse that stocked really lovely cookers.  I was so tempted but it would mean that I have to reorganise my kitchen worktops and really CBA.  I'll manage with what I've got.  My translation skills came in useful.

So on to the old town and there are some really lovely buildings there,  Lots of work going on on the roads but we managed to find a parking spot and hoped to goodness that we could managed to find the car when our day was done.  We stopped for drinks, it was a really hot day in Plovdiv, and settled for glorified snacks instead of meals on on the way back found an ice-ream shop....medium portion of pistachio,  one of chocolate mint and the final one of something I can't remember.  We had to sit down to eat them and it was suggested that with one false step we could all end up looking like unicorns...

Back into the car when we eventually found it and up in to the mountains where the temperature dropped immediately by ten degrees.  There were a couple of thunder claps, the road had dried out by the time we got to my mountain pit stop and despite threatening clouds, I had to water the garden tonight.  The zinnias were looking a little crispy.  Nothing on the agenda so far for tomorrow except that I must phone Bekir to get my wood sorted and to see if he can lay the tiles in the porch and finish off the windows.  I did managed to buy myself a present from the granite yard today....a very sad looking candle holder that needs a little love and attention and it will look really good.  Another job on the list.  LN....Maybe a trip to see Ms D of S tomorrow and swimming if the weather is good. ....LN

Saturday 18th August

Seven start and down to the bread van this morning.   It was late and I was early so I sat on the bench for a while in the sun.  The daughter of one of my neighbours arrived and we chatted for a while and as she saw two women approaching she made a beeline for Zelinger's garden.  I recognised one of the  women so headed the same way and we waited for the van together giggling like naughty school kids.  The woman was the one that tried to get me to arrange a 'maestor' to design stairs for her house with not the slightest intention of having any built and not the wherewith all to pay for them.  I read and escaped that well.  

So to replace the bread...the last had developed green spots so over the wall t went for the animals.  One sliced and one normal and I came back and fried off bacon and an egg and made two very large sandwiches and slathered them with brown sauce as is my wont.....delicious..... and that's about the height of my activity for today.  It's been a hot sultry day, I did some filing and sorting of papers that had been left for a while, read for a while, played a few games but it was just too hot for outside work and exceptionally humid.  The other plan was to find a swimming pool but it never materialised so back to my meanderings.  I got my head down this afternoon for a while and even lost interest in the athletics from Birmingham which is unusual for me.  I reckon that I'd filled up my athletics coverage tank with the Europeans and was waiting for the next thing of interest to appear....and so far it hasn't.

At eight my time the weather suddenly changed,  The outside door closed itself, the wind got up and I mean really up so I was closing windows and taking doors out suspended position,  closing and locking them.  The sun went down and gave a very eerie light, there were a few thunder claps and I could see the rain coming over from Kardjali and my first thought was that I wouldn't have to water the garden or the pots.  Another job off the list.  We did have a short heavy shower and I'm not sure how much good it's done but I think it was enough to satisfy them overnight.  I'll top up in the morning.  

I'm not sure what's for supper so it's down to the kitchen to investigate the possibilities.  I've a full freezer and microwave so there must be something.  LN...On my way....LN

Sunday 19th August

Seven start, coffee, sudoku, lazy morning in the garden digging out weeds by the old toilet block and trimming up the bushes growing along the long wall.  Toast for breakfast at eleven.  It would have been tuna mayo on yesterday's crusty bread but I was fresh out of mayo so settled for marmalade.  I went out to the garden again and carried on with the digging, changed tack and cur the rose back in the grave garden mainly to show the second flowering.  I also dug up a couple of red trumpet vines that have self rooted and now they're sitting in water to have a good drink before I pot them up tomorrow.

I came in at twelve thirty...the temperature was in the low thirties and I'd had enough.  I moved upstairs to lie on the bed for a while with the kindle and there was a knocking on the  window downstairs at two and my neighbours daughter had brought round a couple of somethings that I can't remember the name of.  They're not mekitzi or pancakes but more like a thick pancake...they're all getting ready for Byram and I better check on how many sweets I have, the children will be round tomorrow to fill up their bags.  I shall be given meat by the locals...share and share alike...it's why I give out Easter eggs and Christmas presents.

So the pancakes were covered in sugar and lemon juice and I sat and eat them while I did today's DM Sudoku...not record time but I did it.  I was out to the garden again and finished off the bed and watered the crispy offerings...poor flowers had to contend with hot sun and a blasting wind today.  Emptied the wheelbarrow at seven thirty and remembered to turn off the hose ....it's easy to forget and end up with a stonking bill.

Not hungry after the two whatever they were, about to have a shower to cool down a little and freshen up before bedtime.  Phone calls and getting things organised tomorrow.  Beauty needs to go, I need to order my wood and get it put away.  I did meet my painter at the bread van yesterday and he's on standby for the stacking of the said winter life support and I might take a trip into Kardjali via Djebel to get the Baby cleaned.  LN....Achieved lots.....LN

Monday 20th August

Up before the sun this morning and sat on the terrace and watched it come up with a coffee in my hand. The wind was a bit brisk but it was a warm one so I got a small load of washing in and then for reasons unknown to myself...I set about cleaning the cooker and made a reasonable job of it.  The oven is next on the list but I ran out of steam.  More coffee and toast and Marmite for breakfast and looking round my crispy flower garden I set about watering the corners that I'd missed last night, finished off weeding the old toilet block bed and trimmed back the escallonia ....it was broader than it was  high so I am trying to persuade it to go skywards.  I put the trimmings into a jar of water to give them a good start and tomorrow they'll be put in soil.  I also potted up the red tubular flower vine so I'll have three cuttings all being well for the bottom of the garden to ramble through the tall wall trees.

It's been a day of visitors.  The children arrived first, five of them all clutching their bags and smiling.  I hadn't managed to get into Djebel to buy new ones but I found a jar that I'd forgotten about and there were plenty for them.  Their bags were quite full already and it wasn't ten yet.  I had more mekitzi delivered at twelve, more at four and yet more at five.  It's very fortunate that you can put them in the freezer.

As for other work...my shoulder was playing up and it hurt when I was using the fork to dig the red flower vine plant up so I gave up and have more or less convinced myself that I need another trip to the doctor and another x-ray  but this time on the shoulder.  The first was on the front when I believe the damage was done on the back.  So I didn't get into Djebel or Kardjali....I've had another lazy day.  As for starting to sort things out...it's the first day of the holiday for most of the people that I want to spur into action so today's not the day to do it.  LN...I have more watering to do....LN