Saturday 11th January

As for the moon activity last night, I tried to take a photo of it but wasn't really sure what I was supposed to see and the camera would only pick up a big white blob and no detail.  Through the binoculars I noticed that there were changes with the surface but nothing that would be highlight of my evening.

Six thirty start, fire lit, normal activity and my morning was underway.  My guest was up and at it by eight thirty, took ages to come round and be civilised so I got on with cooking breakfast...bacon and egg sandwiches yet again.  Washing up done and three loads of washing and it was a beautiful morning for getting it out on the washing line.  It stayed out there until four when I brought it in and put it on the clothes airer in the bathroom and now it's ready to be put away.  As I was walking down the garden to get the washing in I noticed that there were four cats sitting on the wall and the resting bench under the wild damson.  What is it...I don't particularly like cats but they like me and obviously have chosen me...why, why, why???!!!

As for the rest of the afternoon, I was on the sofa and watching various things on the Kindle and playing silly games.  I felt very tired and must have needed the afternoon rest.  I was nodding but didn't actually go off but woke up enough to get the fire going ready to warm up the bathroom to air the clothes and it's been going well all evening.  
Supper of hamburgers and chippies...lots of chippies.  One potato didn't supply enough, two gave us too many but we managed them with mayo and tomato sauce.  

As for tomorrow, we were originally going to Greece but that's weather dependent.  I checked Accuweather and it reports that there might be rain tomorrow in Greece and I don't fancy driving down there to walk around in the rain.  LN....I'll see what the morning brings.....LN

Sunday 12th January

Silly night last night.  I stopped up to watch the Voice, Tom Jones sang 'You can leave your hat on' and he certainly still has it.  The ladies in the audience were almost swooning over him, I just have the impression that he has so little personality and he brings it out in song.  Very good for his age though.  So after that I went to bed, didn't settle for quite some time an woke up at six....so not long asleep according to my Fitbit.

Down to light the fire, cleared the dishes from the drainer, coffee, folded up the clothes from the airer, put mine away and delivered the washing to the guest room.  All go in this house.  Breakfast duties next , bacon and egg, more washing up and at twelve I was thinking about getting dressed.  I seemed to settle on the sofa with my Kindle, played a few games but that's what Sundays are for.  Greece wasn't on...it was raining and despite the fact that it wasn't cold, it was cold enough for me to decided that coldish and damp wasn't going to be the order of the day for me.

At twelve I decided that a Badedas bath was going to soothe away my cares and woes, my guest was working away in the little house on a project to be revealed in a later photo.  Bath, hair wash, clothes on, hair dried and television on. ...as I said...it's Sunday and the highest activity rating was getting in a log carrier full and moving it to the conservatory.  I forgot...I also watered the bathroom plant.

Chicken sings, Turkish kebabs and roast veg for supper.  Getting the veg ready I put my thumb into the squash so that's gone to the compost bin along with carrots that have gone off very quickly and a half beetroot.  Veg here from the supermarkets just don't last.  I haven't washed up tonight....only a couple of plates so they can wait until morning.  Got some concreting to do tomorrow as part of the 'project' and I fancy a trip to Kardjali unless it's throwing it down again.  LN....Chill time....LN

Monday 13th January

So I opened the curtains on the morning and it was black as pitch out there and when it eventually went light there was fog as far as the eye could, or couldn't see and it took ages to lift.  I got the fire going around eight....I'd been comfortable in my bed with a cup of coffee and didn't see the need to get up and at 'em until that time.  I wanted to watch Piers Morgan at eight thirty out time...I was interested on his take on the Royal fiasco and rightly so, he was furious that England is being slandered as a racial country by the Americans.  Where did this racist card come from and why so many jump on the bandwagon?  

Bacon and egg came out again, the usual chores needed doing and I ended up on the sofa checking my emails on the Kindle and answering a few.  I dropped one to Angela who'sin the process of downsizing and offered to go and camp on the sofa in about a month's time.  She's going to be at her son's home until she's had essential work done on hers and doesn't plan to walk into hers for another month so thought it would help her out.  I'll see what she comes back with.  

My guest is making a bird table come bird hotel by the look of it and was wanting to put down a concrete base at the end of the support pole so that I can move it about the garden but heavy enough that the wind doesn't blow it over.  I'm really not sure...I get some pretty stiff breezes on my hillside.  When it came to it, I realised that Sally had used up the last of the cement when he was doing the water clock box in the drive so I had to get the Nipper out and have a quick trip into Djebel.  My lady in the hardware shop was quite surprised at my request....not many are doing concreting in these low temperatures.  So a loaf of bread from the supermarket, no van today since it's market day and when I got back I was grabbing wheel barrow and measuring out sand and gravel into the wheelbarrow so that it could be used for mixing it up.  It worked after a fashion, eventually....and we'll see if it turns out perpendicular when all is revealed after the unveiling ceremony.  

It was a cold afternoon so I was cleaning up tools and getting them away and then made a nest on the sofa and watched the snooker.  Eventually set my mind on the kitchen and concocted a hamburger, chilli, baked beans, cannelloni pasta and cheesy white sauce mixture which turned out OK and was demolishes with little effort.  Washing up done, the rest of the chocolates have been demolished and it's getting on for nine my time...soon be time for bed.

Nothing on the cards so far for tomorrow.  If the weather is good I'm sure we can find something to do...it's supposed to be minus three overnight so it could be a chilly start.  LN....I need some sun....LN

Tuesday 14th January

I woke up at five, read for a while and played games and head down at seven for the next shift.  I eventually woke up at eight and down for the first coffee of the day.  By this time I could see on the thermometer that the temperature had dropped to minus four over night, it was white over and all the trees were covered in the sparkly stuff.  It was such a good day that I suggested we go into Kardjali and walk the shops...I felt in need of some exercise and a little retail therapy.

I lit the fire to raise the temperature in the house, it was partly going so didn't take much to get it going, put in a load of washing and made breakfast and all this before nine...I was on a role.  Washing pegged out, dressed for town, Nipper moved outside the gates and we were on the open road Toad by eleven.  I stopped to pick up an old man who was frantically waving his walking stick at me and I had to clear a space for him in the back.  Apparently he's staying with the farmer in the valley for a few days, would like to buy a house here but is going back to Bursa in Turkey on Thursday.  He was very sweet and offered me the bus fare when I dropped him off in Djebel which I always refuse to take.  We had the usual tussle but I won, he took back his money and wished me health for the new year.  I mentioned that he should mention to his host that he was taken to town by the English woman but he said that he knew who I was already...my fame has spread in Turkey...'the woman who picks up any old man that she sees on the way to Djebel'.  I stopped off at the cobblers and picked up a pair of shoes that I'd left last week for re-heeling and a really good job he's made of them.  The heels were a little scuffed so he put new leather round the heel while he was at it'  I've only had the shoes about twenty five years and love them..very soft black leather ankle boots...and there's a good few years left in them.

On to Kardjali and to the cheapy clothes shop and I found a pair of corduroy trousers and a hooded jacket and also a stuffed Angry Bird character.  My guest picked up a college scarf, which college not sure but it will keep his chest warm.  After that we walked down to the lev shop for a few items, back to the car and on to Lidl.  They had ducks on offer so that's for tomorrow and pork chops for tonight along with a lemon and ginger sauce, oven fried mushrooms and fried potatoes.  Firstly though, the things I'd bought were into the washing machine to freshen them up, Angry Bird is drying off over the desk and the rest are on the radiator in the bathroom.  The morning's washing was put on the airer and is now put away.  A decent sized log has just gone onto the wood burner...we're in for another cold one.

Nothing line up for tomorrow so far....I'm still tempted with Greece though if it's sunny tomorrow...it will make a change.  LN....Phone posting time.....LN

Wednesday 15th January

This is an excuse for an update tonight.  My main machine is receiving updates even though it's no longer supported, supper was late since the duck was bigger than I thought it was.  The Hassleback potatoes and beetroot were ready before the duck but the gravy was fantastic.  I promise to do better tomorrow.

Add to today's catastrophes....I started the Beast, moved it out of the garden to clean the dried leaves from under it, cleaned out the inside and tried to start it to put it back and yes you've guessed, the battery was flat so I had to get the charger out.  The upside was I drove down to the spring just after the next village and filled up six eleven litre bottle to keep my plants going for the winter.  As they say...every cloud has a silver lining ans as for the duck episode....the cats will have the bones and fat on the stale bread.

And now to sleep..Pickies tomorrow and it's cold duck so I should be more organised.  LN....i don't like days like this....LN.

Thursday 16th January

So again it's been a funny old day.  I woke up at five a nd got the fire going but went back to sleep again until seven, down for coffee and stoked the fire again.  My guest had obviously got up and put the kettle on, made tea but then gone back to bed so I delivered tea but told him not to get used to it....not much time left now for his to expect that kind of service every morning.

Omelettes for breakfast, washing up done, I fed the cats on the bones from last night's duck and did they fight about it.  As I left the house the white and ginger one with scruffy ears was waiting for me and followed me to the wall and over the wall was the black one and as the food went over, the black one grabbed a wing and shot off towards the hedge.  The white and ginger one stayed put guarding against newcomers.  I was a cold old morning with freezing fog covering the bushes and trees.  I didn't see many cobwebs...the spiders have all found other places to linger.

My guest headed to the workshop to continue with the bird table...I started an investigation to see if an account I had previously set up with a firm transporting 'stuff' from England to Bulgaria was still active....and it is.  I'd looked at an eleven inch laptop come tablet that I'd seen in one of the adverts I received, I'm sorely tempted to order it.   Maybe later...I've got a desktop on its way from England with twin twenty two inch screens with windows ten operating system on it already...my ten year old machine is beginning to creak and is only running windows seven.

As for the rest of the day, I ended up putting more books on my Kindle from my supply on my system.  There are lots there that I haven't read so was sorting out authors and book series.  I like the ones that follow a theme.  Supper of duck with mushrooms in orange gravy covered with mash potatoes followed by ice-cream and several caramel chocolate sweets...rude not to when they're sitting on the table looking at you.  

Temperature is down to minus one already and it's just after nine my time....it could be a real cold one tonight.  LN....More bones for the cats....they love me......LN

Friday 17th January

So pretty much the usual start to the day...but no freezing fog...only cloudy sky.  It was seven thirty when I made it downstairs to get the fire going and it was from scratch...nothing lingering from last night...but I still managed it first time.

Breakfast was bacon, eggs and mushrooms and the cats were hanging around but I only had bread for them this morning.  They must have smelled the bacon.  I think the black one has taken to sleeping in the grave yard garden in amongst the bushes while the white and ginger one seems to have taken to the bonfire bucket.  At least it's dry and wind free and there might even be some pickings in there.  Another load of washing knocked off and put on the airer...no way was that going to dry outside and it took until three this afternoon for even a glimmer of the sun.  It was only minus one overnight yet this morning still felt colder.  I had a few conversations on Messenger this morning, there were four letters waiting for me at their house and rescued by the father from the post office.  I invited my family out to supper tonight but unfortunately the mother had other arrangements.  I'd earmarked the Momchilgrad restaurant but we'll have to do it another time.  Because of my perceived plans going awry, I set off at around three this afternoon to collect my letters from the shop where the mother works, take the Nipper into the garage to get its oil checked and have the cigarette lighter checked out.  I'd tried to connect a charger from the car to the phone and the socket didn't appear to be working so remedial measures had to be taken.  

I was down the garage by three and it appeared to be busy so I joined the queue.  I was eventually looked at around three thirty, the oil was checked and topped up and the fuse was checked and replaced and now I can get my phone on charge.  I was given specific instructions when connecting the charger that I was to put it straight into the cigarette lighter and not twiddle it around in the socket.  I shall heed the spoken word.  Cost for the work done...ten leva and I carried on to the town centre and had half an hour with my student's mum and it was a little warmer in the shop.  I nipped into the supermarket and bought some spicy sausages for tonight...it was too cold to go out and find a restaurant.

Supper cooked and served with pasta...out of ice-cream and out of sorbet...they'll be knocking the stars from my hotel status...thank goodness.  Weather forecast for tomorrow is freezing fog all day which puts paid to Greece but maybe Sunday.  LN...Chocolates could take a bashing tonight......LN

Saturday 18th January

So another silly night.  According to my Fitbit I slept through until four thirty, read until five thirty five and went back off to sleep until eight thirty so in total I had a good night but didn't feel as if I had.  It was a cold old morning so lit the fire straight away and the thermometer has struggled all day...that wind is biting and we've been in and out like the proverbial yoyos.

Breakfast was cooked for me which was nice and I did the washing up and sorted out the kitchen.  I had a message to see if it was convenient to install my new computer with the dual screens after two today and I confirmed that it was.  We spent time in the little house decided what to do at the bottom of the bird house that my guest has constructed.  It has a concrete base that I don't feel is ready to go outside yet...it's just too cold and it might damage it.  It needs bubble wrap or something round it to protect it and I think the birds will have to wait for their dining room table to be completed and installed.  Not sure yet if it's going to be cat proof....my friends in Fotinovo had trouble with their cats managing to get up into it so had to use barbed wire on the main body of it.

So my computer arrived and it cost forty leva to bring it from the UK and I'm fully paid up....I hate having debts.  The box was undone and the bubble wrap that we needed was protecting the two new screens, well new to me so that will come into play tomorrow.  I'd spent the morning clearing off the desk and dismantling what I safely could and the rest was soon done.  The box unpacked, all the screws and Allen keys were supplied and it's a really dinky box of tricks.  All put together while my guest kept Mrs Fotinovo occupied in the kitchen supplying coffee as required while I was fetching and carrying and holding things stable while the two screens were put into place and then I was given a conducted tour of the system.  I now have Windows 10 and will no longer be subject to the messages that my Windows 7 is no longer supported.  Off they went...I've got snooker on the one screen and doing my blog on the other...such luxury, a new keyboard and mouse and not sure where the other system is going.  It's got lots of photos on it and I'm sure I'll have to access it from time to time but I don' want it on the internet until it's got Windows 10 on it.

Originally we were going out to supper but not sure what's happening at the moment.  I'm not hungry and if the mood takes later I'm sure to be able to find something.  Time to put another log on...as I said ...it really is cold out there tonight thought the thermometer is not really reflecting it.  LN....Stoking time.....LN

Sunday 19th January

Six thirty start, fire lit, ashes emptied, food over for the cats and boy was it cold outside.  I came in and went back to bed with a coffee to warm up again.  I came down to a warm lounge and kitchen and cooked breakfast of sausage and eggs and went straight back upstairs and ran myself a hot bath with Badedas, languished for an hour or so, washed my hair and felt much better for it.  Eventually I got round to drying it.

It was the unveiling of the bird table today, I loaded it with food but so far no takers.  I was half wondering if the cats would find it and make their move on it but so far so good but I must admit I haven't checked it out tonight.  A very lazy day....I've done very little and spent quite a bit of time watching the snooker final which is playing now on the other screen.  I like this two screen system...never appreciated it on other people's systems until now that I've got my own.

We decided to go to to Momchilgrad restaurant tonight...I'd not bothered to get anything out of the freezer.  We took the Beast down the back lane and I was surprised how good the surface is and should used it more often to go to Kardjali.  It does take quite a lot of kilometers off the journey.  Unfortunately the restaurant was closed so we headed back to Djebel and over to the pizza restaurant and came out thoroughly stuffed with cheesy chips, pizza, salad and kufte a sort of hamburger.  I brought the Beast back into the yard,,,it was going to be a long process putting it into the garage and I had snooker to get back to.

No plans for tomorrow so far...my guest has to do a test pack and with a day to go it's not a bad idea.  LN....Stuart Bingham is suffering.....LN

Monday 20th January

I woke up at five again. settled down, got up at eight and there was a fire going.  My guest had decided to light it and probably got fed up with the hostess that was running out off steam.  I did get washed and dressed very quickly...it was a cold old start to the day and got breakfast underway.  Washing done and on the airer...my guest will take home socks to last him a week.  The ones that he brought over , specialty hiking socks to keep out the cold take so long to dry that he's going to have problems with them when he gets home.  Here it's not so bad....they can go on the radiator in the bathroom and everything dries very quickly.  

Bacon and eggs for breakfast, washing up done, and there were cats demanding my attention.  I collected the house rubbish that needed burning and as I walked down the garden I was like the Pied Piper.....I had three cats following me each meowing on a different note but the big male was also interested in the ginger and white little one...I think his juices were running.  He made advances and she swiped out a few times giving a very plain message but he obviously had gone past the point of caring what she wanted.  I had a good bonfire and headed into the little house to see if there was anything else that needed taking to the bottom of the garden.  I ended up with several old paint tins the contents of which had been mixed to finish off the bird feeder that had been unveiled this morning.  I hadn't got bird nuts so it was a mixture of muesli and cornflakes and there was very little activity until this afternoon and about five or six large tits found it and it could become a popular haunt.

A little bit of admin this afternoon, Soda Crush and contacting the hotel for my guest tomorrow night making sure that everything runs like clockwork.  At eight this evening we set off to have another attempt at the restaurant in Momchilgrad and this time it was open.  We went down the back lane in the Beast and parked up, I forgot my glasses so had a stab at ordering and managed to get what I wanted for both of us but the pudding was now quite what I'd described to the waiter but it was very tasty.  It's a little more expensive that other restaurants but well worth the extra.  The service is superb and the journey home is very quick and we were home for ten.  

Blog is a little late tonight ...I'm working on my new PC and had to download a newer version of Image Resizer...putting everything so that I know where to find the photos again.  LN....Bus at 1.30 tomorrow for my guest.....LN