Saturday 27th June

Seven thirty start so I must be getting used to the lighter mornings now that I'm not closing the curtains at night.  I just love to wake up to the view...whatever it might be.  This morning was better than it's been for ages, clear sky, bit of a wind blowing over the hillside but nothing to distract me from going out there.  I needed bread so got dressed in a stripy pair or trousers and obviously they drew attention with Zelinger pointing out that they were pyjamas and I immediately defended them saying that, no, they were trousers.  I'd just come out of pyjamas and I know the difference.  I think they wear the same for day and night with down to the knee knickers underneath....they don't strip off every morning, freshen and change everything....I do.

So new bread and I walked back from the van with my Avatar and for some reason Beyser started up a conversation, in Turkish, about gas for the kitchen cooking.  I gathered that her bottle had run out and that there was no in the gas station in Djebel but she has enough family to solve the problems herself.  She really had the conversation with Avatar but I gathered that she was trying to get me to go into ...somewhere....to get her gas bottle field and I didn't bite.  Today I had work to do....that grass was growing and never seems to stop.  I also came back with a cheesy bun for breakfast, I offered half to Avatar but she said that she'd already breakfasted so I carried on home, forgetting all about gas and gas bottles.  I sat on the seat in the stairwell for breakfast with yet more coffee and when I'd finished I moved on to the sofa with my book.  The grass was damp from the overnight dew so I thought I'd leave it for a while and settled down with Uhtred and he is no more.  I had a prompt from Amazon to order the next book that is due for release in October at mega cost so I gave it a miss.  I'll find another author to follow.  

At twelve I stuck up the mower, did the front terrace lawn and the side garden that I'd half scalped yesterday.  It doesn't look too bad, give it a week it should be fine.  I carried on and got down to the mulberry and needed water, it was hot out there.  I came in, a couple of Sudoku later and a quick thirty minutes with my eyes closed, I was out again.  I finished the big house grass, came in again for more water and then tackled the rest of the grass.  I came in at seven thirty, I fried a chicken cutlet in breadcrumbs and had it over four slices of bread and that was supper.    

Tomorrow I want to tackle the beds at the bottom of the garden, finish strimming the area by the bottom wall and walnut and then I shall be taking photos.  I dug up lots of zinnia seedling that were growing in the grass by the old bonfire put that's now a zinnia bed and they're going into the beds when I've cleared out the dead grass and dug it over.  I also want to take out the poppies that have finished and expose the two new walnut trees that have seeded from the mother tree and I've got lots of cosmos and cornflower seedlings that really need to find a home.    LN....Shower and an early night for me.....LN

Sunday 28th June

Six thirty start and another day of definitely two halves.  I was out watering the plants in my PJ's and my painters was walking down the road complete with strimmer on shoulder and complemented me on my clothes.  The blouse was white, the trousers cream and I suppose he's used to seeing me in jeans and dark colours.  I did say that they were night ware but they seemed to impress.  I mentioned that I'd finished the grass yesterday and all that was left was the patch between the house and the front wall and he offered to do it.  I followed that I was quite able to do it, jut hadn't found the enthusiasm yet...I'll do it tomorrow.  Off he went, he'd been clearing his family graves near the mosque and they do take great care of them.

I came in and had toast and apricot jam for breakfast and didn't head out gardening until eleven.  I was out there until two clearing out the first of the little gardens at the bottom of the garden and came in when the temperature climbed and I'd had enough.  I took to the sofa with Sudoku book but put it down when my eyes crossed, sleep came and I didn't go out again until four thirty.  I carried on with the little garden, found a few plants I'd forgotten about, took down the Zinnia that I'd salvaged yesterday from the burning pit surround and planted them up. I added cosmos and marigolds. a yukka that was growing in one of the pots and a choisya that I'd grown from a cutting.  Next joh was to take a bag of compost that was lingering in the little house and spread that around and then a bonfire to get rid of the compost bag and the rubbish from the garden clearance.  Everything needed watering so I took the two lengths of hose from the workshop and with fingers crossed attached them to each other and to the curly hose on the terrace and success...no leaks but the spray head that had been left out all winter was only coming out through selective holes in the head.  Of course I got drenched trying to fix it so learnt to live with it...tomorrow is another day.  

I started the second garden but looked at my watch and realised that it was nine o'clock so time to pack up.  Tools away, no photo graphs taken, Camembert and crispbread for supper and I must move it, it's pretty strong smelling.  LN...A very fulfilling day....LN

Monday 29th June

Bed twelve thirty. no sleep by two, read for a while and settled down again and woke up at five thirty....the mosque was waking up the village and I'd beaten him to it.  I watched the sun come up but that was the height of my activity for the morning.  I made toasted cheese sandwiches and by ten I was asleep on the sofa. Heard my outside bell ringing and my neighbour from down the way had brought me some eggs and I think she was surprised that I was still in my night clothes and she asked if I was OK.  I said that I'd not slept well and was catching up and I suppose she doesn't have the luxury.  She has a huge garden, cows, chickens and just loads to do.....I don't envy her.  

I got washed and dressed and prepared to face the day...what was left of it.  I had thought about phoning my painter to help me with my planed project or to even do it,  Behind the cesspit and close to the wall, there were the remains of a lime tree had continuously been cut down and had sent up loads of suckers.  I've chopped these back for years but had missed the last one and now they were quite tall and hiding the view from the mulberry down.  I've got the electric hedge trimmer and then I thought, give it a go and I did.  It's quite deep going back to the wall and heaving a heavy hedge trimmer was pretty hard going but I managed it finishing off with the long handled clippers.  I didn't stop there, the acacia out side the downstairs bedroom has had the bottom branch removed to let more light in and the honeysuckle and laurel behind the well has been trimmed so it makes it easier to get the lawnmower between the wall and the house.  I watered the new plants in the bottom garden and worked out how to get the head to spin....I hadn't really given it much thought yesterday but now I've cracked it.  

The roses have been trimmed and hopefully I'll have another rush of flowers.  I noticed Avatar working in the garden so I thought I'd go over and give her a reason to stop.  I'd got chicken wings cooking in the oven so couldn't be long and we sat down under the pear tree, was joined by one of the neighbours and her great grandson was speeding round in his electric car until there was a sudden shout from behind the house, he'd run out of electric, the battery was flat so he got out, the car started moving so I ended up steering it towards the garage, but it gave up.  Meanwhile great-grand was playing with the controls and so i gave up.  The little lad then appeared with paper and a highlighter and was asking great grand to draw things for him so I ended up with her translation drawing a tree. a plane and flowers in a pot.  I started repeating the names in English and he was copying me...such a little sponge.  

The I remembered the chicken so headed home and the wings were done.  Washing in. tools away and it was nine before I managed to get down to eat my supper.  Late start to the day but I caught up with myself and achieved quite a lot....I can now see the hillside now that the hedge is down.  LN....Time to find a swimming pool tomorrow I'm thinking......LN

Tuesday 30th June

Much better night's sleep and a six thirty start.  I'd settled for a sheet over me and lay on the quilt so this morning's task was to strip the bed down, wash the bottom sheet, quilt cover and sheet that I'd dug out for last night and now I have a newly dressed bed to get in to.  I've settled for bright green pillow cases and I'm looking forward to getting my head down tonight.  I got washed and dressed fairly early and found a packet of bacon in the fridge so half of that with one of the new eggs from my neighbour was breakfast.  I tidied the kitchen, washed up everything in sight and my attention was drawn to the three mats that I have on the floor so I picked them up, took them outside, washed them and put them on the line to dry.  I was feeling quite virtuous....but it had taken me a while to get round to it.  Now that the mats were out I found the mop and bucket from the little house and washed the floor throughout the bottom floor.  

I decided to have five minutes before I carried on and heard the latch on the gate go and I had a visitor.  I made coffee and sat inside for a while but the cigarettes came out so we moved on to the terrace and took more coffee with us.  We chewed over the fat, discussed the new arrangements for crossing the border into Greece and we're still unsure what we have to do in preparation for crossing the border as a day visitor.  I suppose it will come out eventually.  The Bulgarians are closing down some of the fight from Sofia to Gatwick...it's all a bit up in the air...so to speak or not in the air.

Off he went clutching the plant that I'd managed to bring on for his from a runner in the garden.  It's put some really good growth on so it's life is now in his hands.  It's a Sumac and mine is just developing this year's fruit and looking very healthy.  So I collected the washing from the line or rather rescued it, a stiff wind had removed some of the pegs.  I brought the mats in at the same time and put them down in the kitchen and they do look much better.  I made up the bed and removed the big quilt and put the bottom sheet down, the top sheet and then the lightweight quilt removing the others to the guest room.  I decided that I'd had enough for today so I ran a very cool bath, washed my hair and felt much better for it.

That swim today didn't happen, I didn't manage to achieve many lengths in the bath but now that the weather seems to have settled down, it will save for another day.  I've eater a bowl of peanuts this afternoon so can't really say that I'm eager to mess up my kitchen tonight...I will manage until morning.  LN....Maybe swimming tomorrow....LN