Wednesday 29th May

It was a beautiful morning, I was out of bed by six, first coffee made and out on to my bedroom balcony watching the rest of the morning unfold.  There were so many birds in the garden, the jay was stealing the forming cherries. other birds were attacking the mulberry. starlings were chattering on the lawn and chasing each other and the bea-eaters were quietly getting on with their search for food.  I went down to the kitchen to get my second cup and back on the balcony until eight and then I did my tour of the garden, pulled a few weeds from the bottom beds and then it was time for kitchen duties, bacon and egg followed by fruit loaf with butter.  At around ten I checked my Messenger and there was a message from OH....his doctor hadn't the equipment to check out his issues and he was recommended to try Momchilgrad.  I wasn't there to hold his hand...only to be a translator just in case there was no one that could speak English...and there wasn't.

He arrived and explained the problem with the doctor and I said that I'd seen the ear, nose and throat specialist in Momchilgrad when I went down with Labyrinthytis.  He was a lovely old timer with the magnifying glass on a band round his forehead and reminded me of a mad professor.  OH said that it was just what he needed so off we set, straight to reception and the lady said that the doctor was outside.  I'd vaguely recognised him and as he came back into the building the receptionist suggested that we follow him to his surgery, I explained the problem and no sooner the word but the blow and the subject was on the couch and under examination.  The ear trumpet went in, there were some odd screeches from the patient which were ignored and he was told to keep quiet, the kettle went on and both ears were syringed out.  All in all it took about ten minutes and he had firm instructions that he was to have no fizzy drinks and no cold beers.  One of the other doctors came into the surgery and I recognised her as being the other doctor that had seen me and she said that she remembered me despite the fact that it was almost ten years ago.  One prescription for homeopathic drops picked up from the chemist at a third of the price of the item in UK and back home via the garage in Djebel.  

Off he went and I decided that my work for today was to tidy out the wood store, sweep up the leaves from the garage including those under the Beast and neaten up the table and benches underneath the big trees by the front wall.  I used the dry leaves to get the bonfire that I'd had yesterday going again and got up a fair head of steam.  If I don't the cats try to get inside the bin despite the fact that I put a sheet of metal over in and the bottom of the last bin as a deterrent.  A little more weeding around the buddliea, more round the mulberry bed and tomorrow I'll be planting up the petunias that I didn't do today.  

I love it when I can help with unusual problems and apparently the hearing was almost instantly restored...a little fuzzy but it's good to know that some of the old timers are still gainfully employed, still using the same instruments he's used for years and knows that his techniques work.  No antibiotics for him...just old fashioned treatment and remedies.  LN....Kardjali tomorrow...got a few things to do....LN

Thursday 30th May

Well...another beautiful day weather wise...heavy white fluffies and the temperature at eight this morning was up to twenty degrees and climbing.  I had my coffee on my bedroom terrace as is my want to watch the morning, went down for the second cup and instead of sitting down to drink it left it in the conservatory and headed for the bonfire with yesterday's waste and the garden fork for attacking one of the bottom beds.  A woman's work on a hillside is never done...the weeds are never ending.  

By this time my guest had raised himself from his pit and was playing on his Kindle periodically watching me work.  We were on a deadline for ten more or less to head for the garage so I came in and cooked scrambled on toast. got washed and dressed and we were both ready for nine fifteen.  I popped down to see my Avatar to see if she ewanted anything from Kardjali but she wasn't at home and I found her in Beyser's garden having a chinwag.  Beyser was washing out her not so smalls in a bowl of soapy water and Avatar made a joke about her being a washing machine and I responded that she was a machine without electricity which got us both giggling.  I suggested that I go home and bring down my washing and she could do that for me and she was an easy target because she doesn't understand Bulgarian.  She brought me out coffee and I could only manage half of it...they put so much sugar in it that it sets my teeth on edge.  So my shopping list for my Avatar only contained tomatoes and mine wasn't very long so there was not that much to do in Kardjali.

When I got home OH was already there and my guest was playing host on the coffee front.  I grabbed my back,phones and list and we set off at around ten thirty to head for the garage in Djebel.  The car was duly dumped for the work that needed to be done and the three of us headed for town stopping off at Basmar for the piece of wood that we wanted which took minutes and then we headed to a new department store that's opened with five different floors....a real store with decent clothes, luggage, shoes and a floor for children's clothes and toys....just right for Bulgaria.  I did manage to find a pair of canvas shoes that will replace my plastic gardening shoes, as it gets hot they get very slippery inside and I end up falling out of the old ones.

Next stop was Kaufland and they were selling neglected geraniums for forty six stotinki and they will be easy to revive or take babies from so I bought three of the things.  Back into the Nipper and gas from the fuel stop and onwards to Djebel and by this time the work had been finished.  We carried on to the car park in the centre of Djebel and went to the soup kitchen for lunch.......another meal I didn't have to think about.  On the way back to the car I stopped off at my favourite cake shop and bought a thumping big chocolate gateau, arrived home and unpacked the shopping, delivered the tomatoes with a slice of cake and put a joint of pork into the oven.  I watered the new plants and some of the new babies, pur some veg into the over to roast including beetroot that was donated yesterday and thank you...it was delicious.

A little more weeding while supper was cooking, pork and roasted vegetables served, cake served, washing up done and now into shutdown for bedtime.  Nothing on the agenda so far for tomorrow....I've had no information about the delivery of the shredder I've ordered so I don't know whether to contact them.  In England there aren't many deliveries on the weekend but this is Bulgaria so it could come before the allotted day.  Bit of a poor show on photographs...I've somehow been busy but I promise to do better tomorrow.  LN...Finger's crossed for good weather....LN

Friday 31st May

So I woke up just before six and by the time that I got out of bed to see the sunrise it was up and hiding behind the clouds.  Fortunately it popped out for the rest of the day though we've had a lot of high white fluffies, a couple of dark grey ones and it was threatening a downpour, a few drops and that was the end of it.  Not it looks like the heavens could open at any minute so the cushions from the outside furniture need to be stashed away.  The cats will have to sleep on the bare boards.

I made my first cup of coffee and for the second I used the little electric kettle that I'd bought for my trip to Turkey, to boil the water.  A couple of days ago I'd taken a small jar of Gold Blend to the bedroom so made my top up and even went on to the third.  By eight I was on my way down, my guest was compos mentis and so I started his cooked breakfast and I settled for cornflakes.  Kitchen tidied and plates washed, a quick meander round the garden and I settled for sorting out and planting up the rest of the new plants and the aloe vera that have struggled over the winter.  I think the soil was too heavy for them so I've concocted what I think is a suitable mix and now have the separate pots of the things and fingers crossed I might get a flower out of one of them this year.  I headed down the village to Avatar's house but she wasn't there and was with Beyser.  I'd noticed a wheel barrow near to the gate and thought nothing of it but it was Avatar's rubbish and she was heading down to the container in the square.  Zelinger joined us in the garden so I went home, got the rest of the cake and delivered to the ladies, I left with Avatar, she said that it was her barrow so I upped and ran down the road with it towards the container with her trailing after me,  It's a good job she did...when I came to life the sack from the barrow it was almost as heavy as if she'd got a body i there.  In fact I may be an accessory to a crime that I know nothing about.

So I had my afternoon nap and then went out again to carry on with sorting the pots, spraying buckets blue and making the place pretty and it is.  The new petunias have a beautiful aroma so two of then have found themselves in the conservatory and smell almost like cloves...very peasant by the in door.  No supper tonight..we had toasted cheese snacks and cake around four thirty and neither of us are in the mood for food and I'm certainly not in the mood for cooking.  I'll make the mince that I got out of the freezer into hamburgers or a shepherd's pie for tomorrow and one for Avatar...I have to look after her.  Nine my time and I'm ready to get my feet up, I'm pleased with the results of today's labour.  LN  Just a few pickies...LN