Thursday 11th July

At last a good night's sleep.  It was a six thirty start but that's OK....the kettle was on the landing and the coffee sitting next to it....and straight back into bed.  It was a cloudy start to the day, the door to the balcony was open but I was soon under the light duvet.  The wind was nippy and I was soon on to my second top-up.  Soda Crush was just a dream ...I must have been playing it for a couple of hours and there was no rush to get out to the garden...I was waiting for it to warm up a little first.  Decided that a pair or my long spring cotton trousers  was the order of the day and I put an over t-shirt on top of my thin one thinking that if it did warm up, I could take the top one off but I never did.  I had some really noisy birds in the garden this morning and it was obviously mother and father out with babies.  They were all over the show....the tomato support, walnut, kimono dragon in the middle of the garden, lonesome pine and the clothes prop and I'm still not sure what they are.

Beans on toast for breakfast...I needed something substantial and used another delaying tactic so that I stayed in not out.  I phoned a friend in the UK who's waiting for hospital tests to check if she's had them or not.....and I forgot...it's in the UK.  I did suggest that she skips over with her health card and we could get it done here within the first week of her visit and she'd have the results either the same or the next day.  I said it tongue in cheek but I'm sure if they sent people to the hospital immediately instead of using the hospital booking system it would run smoother.  I'd love to know the 'no-show' ratings.

So out I went at ten thirty and today I was going to put into practice the instructions for cutting back the iris after flowering and getting rid of the dried leaves and boy do they look better.  I haven't managed to do them all....I decided to clear up the acacia bed, trim the rose, get rid of the old poppies and the new weeds and plant up some of the 'over spill' zinnia from the centre bed.  I came in at one thirty, settled on the sofa and checked my emails and Facebook and went out again at three and carried on with the good work.  A lot of the debris has gone over the wall but I did go down to light the bonfire but there was water in the bottom of the container and lots of maggots in there.  I didn't tip the water out, I couldn't imaging all those maggots making a squiggle for it so I tried to light it but without much joy.  I'll have another go tomorrow.

I did get mince out this morning and the intention was to make a shepherd's pie tonight using the rest of the beans but I never got round to it.  It's more than likely going to be a toasted cheese sandwich and I'll be gastronomic tomorrow...I'm a little weary tonight and have done twelve thousand steps according to my Fitbit so am feeling very virtuous.  Eight thirty my time...time to relax.  LN...Djebel in the morning to get the Beast ready for it's MOT...LN

Friday 12th July

Normal six start and out on to the balcony with my coffee and there were so many birds in the garden and in the perimeter trees.  I saw jays, golden orioles and woodies galore both ground feeding and defending their territories.  I think the babies that I saw yesterday was a woodie that hadn’t quite got its plumage colours right but they’ll develop in time.  I took the big camera out and as I did I thought it was time to change the battery and sure enough, just at the moment that a couple of woodies were vying for the lonesome pine the battery failed and I was looking for a replacement and obviously, they’d moved on.

Washed, dressed, kitchen sorted eventually but it included taking up the mats and washing them on the terrace.  I had no bread for breakfast and didn't bother to walk down to the van when I heard it down in the square.  I'd planned to go into Djebel at some point, had even written out my list but never made it.  The garage has been out of action and without electricity due to the provider so I thought they'd be really busy down there this morning so I'll be doing it tomorrow.  I pottered in the garden, got the bonfire going, managed a wash load and pegged it out and I have another two tortoise and I've got to find the highway.  I think it's Little that's back but I need to put some nail varnish on his shell to confirm and as for the other one.....it's less than Little.....it's Tiny.  Suddenly it was lunchtime...and I still didn't have any bread so I finished off the biscuits that I had.

I went out at three and decided that the second section of the grass had to be done.  The plantain stalks were annoying me every time I headed down the garden and now they're no more...and I did managed to knock up another ten thousand step.  Tools away early...I wanted to watch the men's semi-finals and that's why the update is late.  Well done Roger....there's something about Nadal that I really can't take to. It's the whole shooting match of his preparation, pulling at his shorts front and back and the strange ritual he has with his ears and nose....but he can play tennis....I'll give him that much.  As for the internet...it's been on and off all through the tennis and I did manage to see the final point and Roger's interview.....and now on to the final.

As for the mince that I was going to prepare tonight....I did it last night and ate half of it and the rest I microwaved for tonight and had it watching the tennis.  Haciber has returned from her holiday in Turkey and came round with a packet of biscuits saying the word 'mevlit' so I suppose someone has had prayers said for them but she also asked me to get her a packet of coffee filters the next time I go into Kardjali and they've been added to my list.  I did give her my box with about fifteen in it to keep her going....she might be having a party now she's back.  LN....Shower and early to bed...and possibly early to rise....LN

Saturday 13th July

So at one thirty this morning I realised that I wasn't sleeping because I was cold.  I have a lightweight quilt on the bed and a sheet but I needed more so I got up and found another quilt and threw it on the bed and snuggled down.  It was seven thirty before I raised my head from the pillow, made coffee and 'picked up my bed' and walked on to the terrace and got settled out there.  There was sun peeping through the clouds and it never looked like it was going to be a good day.  It ticked along nicely until four this afternoon and then it threw it down and it's still raining now.  Yes we had the warning and shots fired over the bow as per normal and they were near and loud but it didn't deter me from watching, or at least trying to watch Wimbledon.  

I headed in to Djebel had ten minutes or so with my student's mum, picked up a few things from the hardware shop, fresh bread and tins of tuna, chicken wings for tonight but after two good tuna sandwiches I think I'm having chicken wings tomorrow.  I did remember to pick up ice cream....that could be supper.

For the last few days I've had problems with the screen freezing and I have to reload the page.  I wasn't sure if it was my computer, Transponder TV or the provider.  I lost it this afternoon and phoned the provider....the internet was up and down and I complained...expecting nothing further to happen.  Half an hour later I had a phone call and one of engineers phoned to ask me where my house was in my village and I gave him the house number and tried to explain where about it was but about ten minutes later, two internet cans pulled up outside and complete with umbrellas like something out of Mary Poppins, they made a grand entrance.  They followed me upstairs to the desk, the older engineer took one look at it and said that it was a router problem, the younger one was pinging it and said there was nothing wrong with the speed or the outside dish and that they would fit a new one.  He explained that I was to try it for about three days to confirm that it'd fixed it and to go into the shop if everything was ok and return the old one and pay for the new one.  Yes they know where I live but everything was done professionally and with trust.  Off they went with umbrellas fully extended and so far so good....ready for the Wimbledon finals tomorrow.  

The evening has settled down a little, the thunder is only vaguely rumbling but the forecast for tomorrow doesn't look good at all.  We're supposed to be having thunder and rain all day....I'll let you know.    LN....I think they've fixed it....LN

Sunday 14th July

I'm worn out...I've just finished watching the Men's finals and what a game.  I didn't want him to win but win he did...but someone had to.

As for the rest of the day.  Firstly the storm last night dramatic...the clouds were gathering and heading for Greece but it was obvious that Greece wanted nothing of them so it caused quite a collision over the hillside and then suddenly the squall hit and we had a terrific downpour.  The wind was horrendous and this morning I was emptying the rain out of pots, I lost a gladioli, the flowerpots were everywhere but it didn't take too long to sort out.  It was the weather for long trousers and a hoody but after another breakfast of beans on toast I was out there planting out the seedlings that I'd dug up yesterday but that was after I'd spend about an hour getting my Fitbit to update on my two tablets.  Eventually I managed it but there was swearing involved.

The little garden round the wild plum tree is now planted up as it the bottom new garden.  They have zinnias and self-set yellow daisies...I'm not sure of the lifespan of them but we'll see if they come back next year.  Avatar came round and brought me a dish of her homemade yogurt and said that she hadn't seen me for a while.  She's got guests so I've stayed out of her way but they'll be gone soon.   I put my tools away around three as the rain started and settled in to the match, finished the chicken wings that I'd cooked last night so I was having an early supper.  The rain appears to have cleared up, the moon is out and fingers crossed, it will be a reasonable day tomorrow.  On the agenda....I want the garage to check the filters in the Beast and then I'm taking it into Kardjali for its MOT....well that's the plan for now.  LN...Antiques Roadshow and ...bed.....LN

Monday 15th July

What a good night's sleep....once my kidney's decided to pack in for the night.  I'd just settled off when I got the signal that I had to make one small visit for womankind but it was straight back to sleep and right through until seven thirty.  That's knocked my Fitbit sleep averages for six.  Coffee but there was no going out on to the balcony...it was damp and miserable and better going no place than getting soaked.    I used up the rest of the beans on toast for breakfast and I shall waft myself through the day,  I got dressed and headed down the garden to check out the plants that I'd put in yesterday and they were all looking OK and the ground's so wet anyway, they're more likely to be drowned than dried up.

So today I was toying with the different options on what to do when and I made the decision to take the Beast into the garage, have the filters checked and oil replaced if required but I thought I'd made the wrong decision when I got down to the garage.  As I drove through Djebel there were so many cars around and several were in the garage waiting for things to be done.  I know Monday is market day but with the weather being so rubbish I think a lot of the locals were out of their gardens and 'having a day off' with their mates.  I left the keys with the number two in the garage explaining what I needed done and asked them to clean it outside, the inside was acceptable for me and mentioned that it was going for an MOT so the air filter was important.  I walked to the town, took the old modem and box to the internet shop and paid for it....they didn't need the box or old modem so I ended up carrying it round.  I had a few words with my lovely restaurant lady who is the grandmother of my birthday buddy and then carried on to the garage shop to rest my weary bones until the Beast was ready.  The garage owner came up while I was in the shop and went out with several boxes for the Beast but the bill was much better than I'd expected.  He came up to bring another car which was ready for collection and he gave me a lift back to the garage to pick mine up and as I drove away I  turned right for Kardjali instead of left for home...I was taking it for its MOT.

The garage was quiet and I drove straight in to the bay.  The owner came out and shook and kissed my hand, I tried to blush and said 'Monsieur' as he said 'Madame' and off he went to fly his pigeons which he keeps in his old camper van in the yard.  I think his wife is anti them.  My documents were OK, the list of things to be checked were ticked off even though he hadn't moved from the office and he was already printing up the documents and approached the Beast with the windscreen sticker in his hand.  He did lift the bonnet and check something, attached some cables probably for the emissions and drove the car on to the rollers to check the brakes which is a little more difficult with an automatic than a car with gears.  Sticker on, I paid thirty five lev which is the same that I've paid for the last few years, he drove the Beast over the other pit in the drive through and delivered it to the entrance point for me.  I waved to my pigeon man as I left and shall be seeing him next month when the Nipper has to be done.  I drove to Lidl for a few items, carried on to the petrol station and put some in the Beast and then used the back road to get home.

Lovely day and achieved a lot....I received a wedding invitation for a couple that I don't know but I live in the village so have to be invited and so far I'm not even sure who they are related to....better do my homework.  I't going to be a ham baguette for supper, I'm not in the mood to cook and I'm hoping for another good night's rest.  At last the rain has stopped and tit's turned into a pleasant evening but temperature is only nineteen degrees....I think summer doesn't know it's time to put in an appearance.  LN....Time to close up for the night...LN

Tuesday 16th July

Silly night again last night....there was a three hour gap in my sleep register...and I thought it was going to be OK.  I was up and about at six thirty, coffee and back to bed and someone had stolen the Greek mountains...I couldn't even see the bottom of the garden.  I left all doors and windows closed...it was miserable and cold and solaced myself with another coffee as I snuggled down.

For some reason I looked at the floor tiles in the guest bedroom and noticed that there were one or two dead flies so I got the old hoover from the sewing room and only noticed that the hoover pip had a split in it about a foot from where the metal pipe fixes in.  I swore a bit and then thought that if I could get the end out from where it fixed to the machine I could cut the pipe down and reattach it and with the aid of a pair of scissors, I removed the damaged pipe and 'jobs a guddun'.  I now have another job title to add to my CV....hoover fixer.  I finished the hoovering and put it away, down for a ham baguette, back upstairs for the towels and down yet again for shower and hairwash.  I didn't manage to contact the Librarian to see if our mutual plans were coming to fruition so the day was going to be mine.  We had planned swimming and shopping but it took ages for the sun to break through but then only half-heatedly so I got a load of washing in the machine and as the day progressed the weather further deteriorated so the washing was in as soon as possible before the rains came.  And they did but it was only a shower...just enough to keep the grass growing.

I walked the garden and noticed that one of my shrubs had eventually put on three flowers but I think it's in the wrong place...it needs more sun to flourish.  The orange rose by the gate is up for it's second flowering along with the honeysuckle and the little buddleia at the bottom of the garden is doing very well.  It was there that I noticed yet another new tortoise chomping its way through the grass and leaving fair sized messages as it went....in and out so to speak.  Not a lot of activity this afternoon...I munched on tuna mayo on toast, a couple of bananas and settled down for an afternoon nap to catch up on my missed three hours.  No supper required...I'm replete so I shall be trying yet again to have an early night.

I've got swimming duties tomorrow without rain stops play or it's too cold to go....I'm about to drop his parents a message to see if I'm on duty or not.  LN...Come on summer.... we need sun...LN

Wednesday 17th July

Better night last night, six thirty start and nowhere to be until ten if at all.  I made coffee and went back to bed and didn't surface until eight thirty, I had enough bread for breakfast so didn't bother with the van.  I messaged my swim school mum to see if he was up for it or not and she reckoned that it was a little cold for his lesson, I wanted to know if I was putting on clothes for Kardjali or for the garden...and the garden won. It wasn't cold but I know the water at the pool is exceptionally cold so maybe she was taking precautions and I certainly wouldn't have been taking a dip.

I put on long pants with a t-shirt and one of my gardening overshirts and headed out to see what I would be doing today.  I found a couple of cucumber thingies so walked over the road with them and handed them to Avatar who was slicing a watermelon obviously bought from a car and trailer that was doing a brisk business with the ladies from the village.  I was offered but abstained...they were so big that it would have taken me a week to get through it.  I lifted the onions and cleared the patch but there's lots of bindweed that needed removing and I hate that stuff.  It really needs double digging with a fine tooth comb and today wasn't the day....I couldn't find the comb.  I came in at one and had knocked off almost six thousand steps which surprised me.  I made a cheese and ham toasted sandwich for brunch, had a couple of bananas and a bowl of ice-cream and that set me up for a very nice long afternoon snooze.  

I settled in to the internet and then it went down which was due to them not me so I've started to read book five of the Game of Thrones again, got bored with that and armed with my trusty fork and spade I cleared another couple of patches of the garden, weeded round the beetroot, trimmed the tomatoes and all that's left to do is lift the boards that I use to separated out the sections, remove the bindweed from underneath them and replace the boards with new if necessary.  I've just checked the FitbIt  and I've exceeded my daily goal of ten thousand.  Tools away, the onions are drying on the terrace, I've got three beetroot to do something with tomorrow if I don't take the little one swimming and if I do go to Kardjali, I have to get some coffee filter bags for Haciber requested again today and more for myself since I gave her the remainder of my supply.

No supper required....I'm still topped up from my full on brunch.  It was a pleasant day but the storm clouds are gathering so I might have to move the onions to a better place...and I would just like to remind my mate upstairs that ...it's summer.  LN....Swimming or not swimming?  That is the question....LN

Thursday 18th July

Yet again a silly night....three thirty and nothing doing on the sleep front at all and I'm back to 'shift pattern' sleeping.  Oh for a good all the way through night.  Out of bed by seven thirty, walked the estate holding my coffee to check on the babies that have gone in and everything seems to be doing OK.  There were no 'visitors' in the garden.  Maybe it was just too early for the tortoises but none showed up, perhaps they were having a lie in somewhere.  I checked my messages and the boy was going swimming so I dressed for town but there was no way that I was going to get in that water.  We were down to fourteen degrees one night so I knew it was going to be cold.  

I arrived at ten, we left at ten ten and were on our way.  The car park is very small so we ended up having to pay but I'd rather do that than leave it on the street.  There was a lovely man in the kiosk...no tickets, no receipt and 'mnogo merci' and that's his coffee money.  I had to pay to go in the class this morning, other time I didn't have to and I explained that I was only accompanying my charge but she was determined and for two leva I'm not making a song and dance about it.  The little one had his bathers on so only had to strip off to be ready.  I noticed the instructor and asked him about his trip to Italy with the water polo team and was told that it came third out of a hundred teams in the contest.  I asked him where abouts it was in Italy and he said it was near to Rimini and I mentioned Cattolica and I was bang on.  He was surprised that I knew it but my parents used to go there years ago.  I was right...the water was freezing but my charge managed to jump in, jump out and I told him to keep on breathing....it was very cold.  At this point the instructor said that they would use the baby pool, the group went over to it and I found a bench out of the sun and sat down with my Kindle to carry on with G of T.  They did a few exercises, played water polo and by ten to twelve obviously everyone had had enough, my charge went to get changed and off we went to Billa to buy the coffee filter bags for Haciber.  We carried on to Lidl, he chose the biscuits that he wanted and I picked up a few other things and we headed home.  My now relinquished charge disappeared up to the apartment with the biscuits in his bad and I told him that he was to save some for his parents...well the thought was there.

Home for two thirty after stopping off at the bottom supermarket and buying some large plastic fruit containers that they were getting rid of and the idea is to start sorting out the little house and workshop and tidy things up a bit.  I've got tool everywhere.  Sofa time this afternoon after a couple of ham baguettes and the rest of my bottle of coke and it could have been a grass day but the mood didn't grab me enough...it will keep for tomorrow.  Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow...I have nowhere to go and no one to see...the day is all mine.  LN...Should have got petrol for the mower....doh...LN

Friday 19th July

So another night awake at 3.30...one hour reading and then off for the second instalment. Coffee, walk of the garden and didn't see any sign of any of the tortoise at the bottom of the garden.  Just have to mention the moon last night.... bright orange and caught me by surprise...so it was outwith the camera and I posted it on FB.  Now why couldn't it have been that cloudless when it was the night of the eclipse.  I suppose it was somewhere, just not here.

I didn't bother getting changed for the garden, my PJ's last night turned into garden gear and first task was to remove the old cover from the stool that I'd bought and I was surprised...I liked what was underneath.  It's given me a new idea for the colour scheme...I need green covers for the two sofas.  I headed down with the rubbish to sort out the bonfire, I'd tipped it out when it was waterlogged and no matter how hard I tried, including taking down the drill, I couldn't get any holes in it.  Everything was dried out now so I separated out the tins and tun foil for the container down the road, stuff that could be burnt and the remainder that could be buried in the garden.  The container went back on the bricks, the new rubbish was lit and the old garden rubbish put back and everything ticked away nicely.   Another job done.

I came in and fried off the two tomatoes from my garden and had them on toast for breakfast....fruits of my labours and then went back to clearing some of the bigger weeds under the wall at the bottom of the garden and the ivy that was so easy to clear.  It reminded me of twisting up spaghetti over a fork but if was much bigger fork and much more spaghetti.  The grass had to be done but there was too much dew on the ground this morning to tackle it until after lunch.  I took out the little hedge trimmer and did my topiary on the wild plums and was working my way through them when I surprised by the Librarian...she'd found me at the bottom of the garden.

We headed up and I made coffee and we sat on the terrace.  I trimmed the onions has we spoke and they're now ready for stringing and then we came in and I changed some of the settings on her home phone...she was having issues and had lost the ring tone and date settings so I reset everything.  She left soon afterwards to give it a try at home and if it works, fine and there's no point heading up to Kardjali tomorrow...they don't work on Saturday.

I made lunch and settled down on the sofa with the G of T and yes you've guessed it, I had my afternoon snooze and was ready to get back into the garden at four thirty after a swift coffee.  I knew I was short of petrol and thought I'd probably have enough to finish half of it but I was wrong.  I'd got at least half of the main house garden left to do so quickly changed into another pair of trousers and t-shirt, remembered to pick up the book that I'd bought for my student and headed into Djebel.  Book delivered, petrol purchased and back to it.  The main grass is finished and I came in just before eight.  My lunch will suffice, I've showered and washed my hair, I'm on fruit juice and I'm just about to settle in to the first night of the Proms.  Little house grass on the cards for tomorrow and onion stringing....and I'm sure I'll find something else to do.  LN...Proms is going off...too modern for me....LN

Saturday 20th July

Straight through until seven...whatever next.  I sat out on the bedroom balcony with my coffee and watched the morning come to life and saw someone walking along the bottom wall and couldn't make out who it was until they put up there hand and waved.  It was my next door neighbour collecting the branches of the bush that they use to keep the cows out and apparently they got into her garden yesterday and started to savage the crops.  I named the farmer and yes...it was the same way that told me to get my fences fixed to keep them out but I wasn't going to give her the same advice.  Her method was free if not always successful...mine cost but somehow and I know not how...it doesn't keep the tortoise out...but they're not exactly 'savaging' my crops.

Baked beans on toast for breakfast...the eggs are about to be thrown over the wall and have been in stock for a while.  I know the method, put them into water and if they float they're no use and should be thrown but I don't take chances.  The beans are out of a can.  Again I was out working in my 'last night's PJ's' because they are cotton trousers and a t-shirt.  I watered the terrace pots from the water barrel mixing some of the 'white fertiliser' into the water.  I'd also noticed that I had about ten baby Busy Lizzie seedling in the original pot so I punched some hole in one of the containers, watered the new compost well and potted them up into it and they've spend the day in the shade getting settled.  I used to always have a pot of red ones in an old washbowl on the window sill in the second house we had when I was married.  The were such a joy from the road,  These are white and they'll come in for the winter.  I've also put some wallflower seeds in and fingers crossed they'll germinate.

I realised what I was doing...delaying the inevitable...the rest of the lawn needed to be done so at eleven I went out there and was working well on it until I had a visitor so the kettle went on, we settled on the terrace and he left at just before one.  I was tempted to leave the rest of the lawn but no...back to it and I'd finished around two and I was ready to settle in to watch the athletics from London but I managed a shower and washed my hair again before I settled on the sofa.  I did miss some of them as the eyes went southward but I needed the rest...it was hot out there and the mower seemed to get heavier as I went along.  I might even be thinking about a new one but one that propels itself to take some of the hard work out of it. It's going to be a good week weather wise so it should slow down the growth of the grass ...well here's hoping and I'm strimming tomorrow...I want to get the garden finished.  

Seven my time and I'm thinking about a visit to the kitchen to see what I can find.  Fish fingers have just come to mind and I have large potatoes to make some chippies so that should do just fine.  LN....Sorry no pickies...it's been a workday....LN