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Elsa Peters
June 10, 2020, 4:03pm Report to Moderator

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Wednesday 10th June

Brilliant night's sleep but I did spend the first hour in front of the computer trying hard to watch Armstrong's trip across the snow plains, and failed miserably.  I put the computer to bed, put me to bed and woke up at six this morning.  Usual routine of coffee and back to bed, washed and dressed early and was intending to carry on with the garden but the weather got the better of me, eventually.

I somehow got into searching again for my great, great, great grandfather's birth record which has proved elusive for the last year ago.  Speaking to another strain of the family, it has the same problem and can't get beyond 1798 so I thought I'd give it one more shot.....and failed.  It was now heading up to mid-day so that was the morning gone.  I did managed to walk the garden, take photos of the grasshopper that was determined to stay on the window, the lilies that are at last coming into bloom and the cow that was happily munching until I heard it and then spotted it so it moved off and viewed me from afar.  I went back to the computer and noticed that there was a recent release from Bernard Cornwell in the Last Kingdom series.  I'd read to book five but this was now book twelve so I decided to go on to Amazon and find out how much the Kindle version would cost.  I know have all books downloaded to the Kindle, took advantage of one of the offers that if you buy three books you gain a credit of three pounds and the offer was applied.  Another was on special offer for just over a pound so the update came to a grand total of twenty pounds.  It was then that the rot set in....I thought I'd signed out so tried to sign in again and this time it was asking for authentication and Amazon were supposed to send me a text message with the code.  I waited and waited, asked for it to be sent again...and nothing.  On to their helpline and someone tried to guide me through it, I was put on to his supervisor and was recommended to remove the phone number and go for the email option.....I still don't know why and neither did they and they only see the first numbers and the last ones so it was suggested that I remove the phone number and add it again at my leisure....it can wait for another day...it was now half passed three and the storm was taking hold.

Thunder, lightening, high winds and things rattling around, the electricity went off so I got settled into my first book and after the first chapter I'm getting back into the story.    I managed to put the lawnmower into the garage to keep it dry and noticed that the cows were sheltering under my trees near the front wall and standing in the road looking very bored.  It's cleared up as quickly as came and it's a beautiful evening...time to walk the garden I think.  LN....It's been a funny old day....LN
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Elsa Peters
June 11, 2020, 4:43pm Report to Moderator

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Thursday 11th June

The sun was out, the sky was blue, a brilliant night's sleep and a trip over to Avatar's house to deliver flower plants to make her house look pretty again, I made poached eggs for breakfast and finished off with bun loaf.  I was stuffed to the gills.  I did a little outside and tidied up the walnut that I'd dug up and put in a pot and also the Sumak tree that seems to have taken, the growing tip is looking good and healthy. I put a support on it just to keep it upright and in a week it should be ready for delivery.  I have one and that's enough for me, hence that's why I dug up the sucker.

My plan for today was to sit on the bench on the balcony and get a first coating of 'summer brown' on the rest of my body.  I got settled on the bench, realised I couldn't read my Kindle in the sun and the old one that I can read outside needed charging so I put it on charge.  I'd fired up the computer to get the new books sent to the old kindle and realised that until there was enough charge in it, it wouldn't happen.  I switched the computer off, it's easy to get stuck into nothing.  I picked up a book that I seem to have had for ages, got comfortable by around eleven, not many flies about, few cows munching and life was good.  A couple of hours of this and that would be enough for a first time and yes, you've guessed it, there was the first rumble of thunder.  I ignored it at first but then the clouds started to gather coming over from Greece and eventually I had to come in and I'd only been out there for about an hour and a half.  My plans had been thwarted...back to the drawing board.

I put more clothes on and took up position on the sofa.  Those clouds got thicker, the thunder got louder and I managed to sleep through part of it and eventually I got up and logged on...the said new books are now on the little Kindle so if we have good weather tomorrow,  I shall be able to read outside.  I do still slide my finger over the screen when I forget but that could be a sign of age.  The book that I took outside to read has now found its way on to the Kindle...I'd tried to find it before but no go.  I didn't order it, once it's there it's not going to go away.  I bought my paperback coffee around thirty years ago and have lent it out several times and I've just noticed that I'd put a book plate in the front of it with a 'Please return to' and my phone number...and they did.  

I haven't thought about supper yet...it could be cheese and biscuits....I can leave it a little longer yet.  LN....Plenty for me to read now....LN
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Elsa Peters
June 12, 2020, 4:33pm Report to Moderator

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Friday 12th June

Another funny night.  I went to bed quite early and read for a while but unfortunately woke up at four and got up seven filling my time with book, Soda Crush and FB.  I got dressed and prepared to go down to the bread van, I was on the last couple of slices and thought I heard him toot his horn.  I set off clutching my two leva and Haciber was sitting in the garden with Haciber so I told them where I was off.  The news was that there was no bread van today because Mondays and Fridays were mosque days so he'd cancelled.  I stayed and chatted to them for a while, Avatar asked me if I could get her some mothballs to keep the moles out of her garden next time I was in Djebel.  I said I though I had some and sure enough, I had a bag of them in the little house so walked back over and handed them over to them telling her that it was a belated Christmas present so she didn't have to pay for them.  I came back and used the last of the bread for beans on toast.

I walked the garden and noticed that there were so many weeds on the vegetable patch that I really had to do something about it.  After breakfast I got the hoe out and hoed the weeds from between the rows of beetroot.  I pushed the soil up against  the tomato plants and left depressions between the rows to make it easier to water them and tomorrow I might even put the hose with holes along the rows now that I've managed to find the giant staples to secure it in place,  I was doing this in the rain, it was only spotting but the thunder was rattling around again and it was a perfect day for planting out the beds that I'd left alone.  I hoed all of those and then planted out more beetroot, carrots and festuka, a blue grass mound from seeds that I'd collected from a plant in my garden.  I was very tempted to dig up my one beetroot from last year...it's very big, probably as tough as old boots and not sure if the seeds will actually germinate or not...probably treated not to.

The rest of the day has been awful, cold, rain, sun, hot and perfect for germinating seeds but not good to get stuck out there.  I took to the sofa and red for most of the afternoon, did some admin, contacted Amazon after receiving thirteen text messages at three fifty seven this morning which was probably the reason I woke up at four,  I would really like to know if it was their system or my phone providers system that was responsible for the delay.  

Chicken for supper tonight with roasted veg, bread van for tomorrow and that is the highlight of my day.  Out tomorrow night so I'll have an easy day tomorrow.  LN...Let's hope the weather is better....LN



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Elsa Peters
June 13, 2020, 8:39pm Report to Moderator

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Saturday 13th June

Seven start and it was a much better morning.  I walked the garden, realised it was cold so came in again and took to bed with coffee to warm up again.  It was an hour wasted again with Soda Crush and I settled in to my book again and got really stuck into it throughout the day.  I made boiled eggs for breakfast and managed to eek out the bread that was left and am now 'breadless'.  I thought I'd head down to the bread van but never managed it.....toyed with the idea of heading into Djebel but didn't managed that either.

The sun was shining so I put on some underwear and that was about it.  I got settled on the bench and pinked up the front and turned round to try and do my back but realised that where the bench was positioned I would probably have railing stripes on the back but fortunately the clouds came over and drove me in.  I did a little bit on the computer and then realised that the sun was out again so I re-positioned the bench and got myself settled.  In this position I could do my back and my legs which and all this was in preparation for a potential trip to Greece on Wednesday.  I didn't want to be lily white...I've been out in the garden in long sleeved tops and long trousers so not much on display at all.  Again it happened, a thumping black cloud came over only this time it was still very hot but...raining...so I gave up but it's as well that I did.  I was duty lobster.

I settled on the sofa, read until three and had a power nap, showered at four and hair washed and dried and ready for five to head into town for a meal and the jazz festival.  We parked up near the restaurant, the three of us ate for around fifteen leva so we didn't really put the boat out financially but ate sufficiently so that no tummies rumbled to disturb the musicians.  We managed to find the venue which was somewhere in the back of Kardjali.  A few people were there already, we were welcomed into the hotel and at around seven two young lads were playing and singing and the main band from Plovdiv started around seven thirty and played for a while with a singer doing her stuff.  The boys came on again, a little break and the band came back but this time with a different singer who was much more soulful than the first.  We left at nine thirty more or less and realised that we should have made a night of it and booked into the hotel....next time.

We drove to mine so that I could be dropped off but it was such a lovely night with loads of stars out so I made coffee and we sat on the terrace enjoying the evening.  Off they went...I realised I hadn't done the blog so sorry no pickies, I tried to get the photos off my phone but no go and I'm too tired to keep trying.  LN....Must learn how to do it....LN
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Elsa Peters
June 14, 2020, 3:51pm Report to Moderator

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Sunday 14th June

I switched off the PC and sent to bed but stayed playing games until one this morning.  I woke up at seven, the sun was up so I took my coffee and went out on to the terrace and sat on the bench listening to the birds and watching the rest of the garden come to life.  I noticed that the clover had come into flower and yet again on the grass but it's very lie-lowing so no need to get the mower out yet.  I heard noises coming from Avatar's garden so looked over towards her house from the guest bedroom and noticed that my painter was wielding his trusty strimmer on the paddock.  I washed and dressed, I needed bread from the van this morning otherwise no breakfast and at nine I went over and joined my Avatar and Haciber in the garden maintaining social distancing and laughing as we did it.  The van wasn't hurrying this morning and it was ten thirty before we heard the toot of the horn.

Avatar came down with me, she was buying bread and beer for my painter, he had begun to huff and puff as he worked his way round the garden.  His rate had gone up for his work, he'd done the entire plot twice and she'd got the money waiting in her pocket.  I only bought bread from the van and the ladies were out in force.  I hadn't seen some of them for about seven weeks, out paths hadn't crossed but there again it was only my second trip during the lock-down.  I walked back towards the house and Avatar was trying to persuade me to have breakfast at her house offering me eggy bread but I carried on home and had a poached egg on toast but that was after I'd pegged out the washing.  The sun was still shining and I'd put on a thick t-shirt but it wasn't a problem in the house, the windows were open and the temperature was just right.  After breakfast I toyed with the idea of having a bonfire but the idea didn't manifest into action so it stays for another day.  The entire burning bin wants sorting, there are lots of tins in there that need taking down to the container in the square....a job for Tuesday, tomorrow might be Kardjali.

I settled on the sofa with my book and had an early nap.  I carried on with the book when I woke up and that's been the story of my day.  The clouds rolled over and the thunder rattled around and I suddenly remembered that the washing was out so before the threatened rain, I removed it from the line and brought it into the house and it's still waiting to be put away.  I'm not sure about supper.....I found myself in possession of a cup of coffee and a packet of tea biscuits and they are no more.  I'll see how I feel later.  LN....Sorry no pickies...too busy with my book....LN
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linda g
June 15, 2020, 10:31am Report to Moderator
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Hiya. haven't read on here for a time, but as usual great read and pics. The garden looks fab. all your hard work , I don't know how you do it. Anyway take care.  
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Elsa Peters
June 15, 2020, 4:14pm Report to Moderator

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Monday 15th June[b][/b]

Lovely sunset last night after the thunderous day.  What is it with this weather...every day the same pattern and today was no different.  I went to bed at eleven last night and read until twelve, these books are very addictive and I managed to sleep through until seven and dog dozed until seven forty...result.  The sun was up and it was a normal sort of day for June....and the normal June weather system would come into action after lunch.

I washed and dressed early, unsure what I wanted to do with my day and settled for toast and apricot jam fr breakfast.  I didn't do the washing up but put it in the sink for later, put the washing away and tidied up my desk.  I collected a few things on it that either lived upstairs or downstairs so I put everything back in it's place...I need this these days.  I opened up to the conservatory and noticed that my stork wind chime had faded in the sun so got the glass paints out and touched it up with black, red and yellow but also noticed that the flying ants had all decided to take to the air so sprayed well and shut the door into the house and went back to the sofa with my book.  He's in the middle of another battle.  I saw that there was a pot of zinnia that I'd dug up yesterday that needed planting so I went out and put some on the high wall of the little house terrace and put three in the little bed by the cherry.  I thought there was quite a 'hum' coming from the cherry tree and stood looking at it and I appear to have a mini swarm on one of the larger branches.  I didn't stop to investigate, came in and phoned my painter so see if any bee-keeper would be interested but unfortunately he didn't answer his phone .  I did go out again to try and photograph them but I think I only caught the top of the cluster...I wasn't foolhardy enough to wait for a reaction.

True to form the heaven opened at around two this afternoon and really stopped play.  It chucked it down, dark skies, thunder, lightening and suddenly I heard a banging sound so went out to investigate.  The jug that I leave for the water board to remove the water from the water meter box hangs from the roof guttering down pipe on a bungy cord.  It was the jug banging on the metal down pipe that was making the noise so I moved the jug into the house.  I also remembered to drop the umbrella down and secure it, the wind had really got up.  Back to the sofa but I was twitchy.....I didn't know what to do about the bees so I cooked fish fingers and made sandwiches for an early supper.  I'd just finished and washed up when Avatar appeared in the garden and wanted me to go over to hers to show me something.  She'd brought her three year old great grandson over with her in a push motor car so I pushed him back and we went into the garden.  Her grand-daughter had bought a very fancy paddling pool for the little one, they'd blown it up, filled it with water and it had sprung a leak on a seam.  I think she thought I would suggest and provide glue but I said that since it was the first time that it had been used, to empty the water out and take it back since it had given way on the seam.  I offered to take her tomorrow but she said that her father in law would take her so we sat in the garden while the little one played on his numerous toys.  

I came home around six, it's turned into another lovely evening, the sheep are just wending their way home and still munching as they go.  LN....Supper over....nothing to do....LN



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Elsa Peters
June 16, 2020, 6:23pm Report to Moderator

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Tuesday 16th June

So I phoned my painter this morning to see if he knew anyone that wanted the bees that were lingering in my cherry tree but again he wasn't responding to his phone.  I went over to Avatar to check whether or not she'd seen him that morning or if she had his telephone number so that I could check if I had his latest and she said that she'd seen him that morning walking to the mosque and at that point I saw him walking towards us.  I told him about the bees and he said that he knew a man who could collect them and that he would like them so he made a phone call and made the arrangements for me.  I didn't care who had them as long as they were gone.  

The man arrived around thirty minutes later with my painter and they parked up.  He came with the gear, I showed him where they were and found the collapsible ladder from the workshop and the smaller ladder that we realised wouldn't do the job so hence the two in the tree.  My painter didn't stay so it was me and the man but he knew what he was doing.  He lit his smoker and got it going well, sprayed the inside of the cone that he'd brought with him with sugar water and soaked it well.  He climbed the ladder with the cone and put it over the nest and started puffing to agitate the bees into moving to a quieter place.  He explained what he was doing, getting most of them in and he'd already picked out one queen which they followed, some were reluctant but eventually most of them were in the cone.  He told me that there were workers out there that would be coming back to the tree and we joked about my garden being the perfect place for them.  Lovely views, lot of flowers and shrubs so not so far to go to work, back to the hive and off again....why would they be anywhere else!!  Eventually he brought the cone down to the little house terrace and the bees that were hanging around the cherry tree eventually found their way to the cone and he surrounded it with more sugar solution.  I asked him how much I owed him, you know me, I pay my way.  He said that he didn't want anything for his labour, he really wanted the bees but that my painter had claimed them so I was even more determined to give him some money and I did.  He took it and I felt better about it especially when he wasn't doing it for himself but so that somebody else could benefit.  Off he went, he's coming back tonight when it's dark to take them away.  The punchline is that my painter phoned and I related the morning to him and he said he thought it would be a good idea to have the hive in my garden and not in his.  I said that I didn't want them, if that was the case I would have bought a hive so he tried to persuade me that it made sense, he would look after them and collect the honey and I told him 'no' again so he said that he would speak to me tomorrow.  

I settled on the sofa with my next book this afternoon and suddenly got he urge to start the grass cutting and managed a quarter of it.  It was still a little damp but hopefully it will clear up, we've had no rain today, only clouds, thunder and rainbows.  I got supper underway by four thirty, three chicken legs and roasted veg and delivered some to Avatar since she has her grand-daughter and great grandson with her...so enough for all of them.  My washing up can wait, Greece tomorrow and I have to be at the venue in Fotinovo by eight fifteen so that we can have a clear run to the border and miss the queues.

I'm just hoping that my bee collection isn't too late, he's waiting for it to be dark and they've all gone to bed.  He's just arrived and wrapped the cone in a tablecloth tying it up securely.  LN.....Early night for the bees and for me......LN



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Elsa Peters
June 17, 2020, 8:32pm Report to Moderator

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Wednesday 17th June

Up at six, games until seven. washed dressed and in the car by just after seven thirty and I was off to Greece for the day.  I arrived at the venue on time and off we set heading for the border crossing and we were unsure what we would find.  They could have turned us back because we were English but there were conversations held in both the Bulgarian office and the Greek office and...we were through.  The only question asked was where we were going and we replied...the beach....and we were.  Unfortunately it did take us an hour to get through the border but needs as needs must.  Just as we got to the checkpoint, they decided that it was necessary to open another lane...Sod's law.

We stopped off at our favourite coffee shop for breakfast of local filo pasty filled with cheese and coffee and obviously the prices are higher than in Bulgaria but the coffee is a lot better...real coffee.  We drove down to the main square and parked up...it was good to be back and freedom was beckoning....we'd been a long time without escaping from lock-down and Bulgaria and now it appeared to be lifting.  There are one or two pockets in BG but they take it day by day and lock down villages, towns and area leaving the rest of us to our own devices but it was strict as we went through it.  We walked the square and had a coffee mainly because we wanted to use the rest-room, drove round the harbour and then down to our beach.  The men were renewing the sun umbrellas and a digger was clearing the beach and smoothing it all out and apart from the workmen, we were the only ones there.

Wet suits went on and swimming was underway, I tried out my new beach shoes but not having a wet suit decided to paddle instead, collect a few stones and read my book.  At just after five we packed up and headed back into the town and to one of our favourite restaurants and had a Greek salad, chippies, calamares and sardines with local bread and washed down with water.  The bill came accompanied by ice-cream lollies and off we set for Lidl to buy a few things that you can't get in BG.  We headed back to the border and the queue was pretty long getting to the actual crossing.  We handed over our English passports on the Greek side but then had to provide out residency cards, car documents and driving licence and we were told to pull over to sign a declaration that we didn't have any symptoms of the virus.  It was all pretty slow getting through but then quickly home for them, I got into my car and drove home having an uneventful journey arriving at ten thirty, hence the late blog.  

Lovely day, the weather was up to twenty eight degrees and when we got back to BG it was still warm but there was rain on the Nipper, and the roads were steaming on the way back.  Shopping unpacked, three small branches with hard wood from the main stem taken from a beautiful tree we found are sitting in water and fingers crossed I can get them to root.  LN....Tired and relaxed and worth the delays.....LN



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tcinbg
June 18, 2020, 1:23am Report to Moderator

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Old Holborn. Must be over 20 years since I hav seen one of those tins. Instant recognition! Rolled my own since I was 16, eventually stopped about 8 years ago, just like that, instantly overnight.
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My Diary by Elsa Peters (only location)

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