Monday 1st June

Woke up fairly refreshed at six, tea and back to bed and Soda Crush to chill me out.  I knocked off a couple of games fairly swiftly and then hit the brick wall...and ran out of games.  I looked down the garden and there was this strange lump by the walnut so I went down to investigate and it turned out to be a very wet cat that jumped up and ran off.  I didn't bother with breakfast, I had a shower and washed my hair, dried it and had a bit of a shock with my new toothpaste.  I squeeze it on to the brush and instead of blue it was grey and then I read the tube...it had an additive of ...charcoal. There was a bit of a strange taste with it but later my daughter said that it is supposed to make your teeth look whiter.  We'll see.

I was in the Nipper by nine thirty and headed for my student's mum's shop to collect my mail and there were three of them.  Yesterday there was one, they must have had a search round the house, two from the bank and one from Princess.  I sat down in the shop after a sort of elbow rub but still maintaining two meters.  I haven't seen the family for about seven weeks so it was good to catch up a little but soon Kardjali was calling me, I had that form to put into the Statistics Department.  I managed to park up, walked up to the third floor and we were still down to a table and forms so I posted mine in the box and back to the car.  I tried to park up in the free car-park but the world and all its friends were out today so I moved to the pay-park and booked for one hour.  I went down to my cheapy shop and what a disappointment,  They no longer have special cheap days, they just have a thirty percent discount.  My allegiance to this shop is over.  I did buy a long white cotton blouse for just over one lev so I did get a bargain but it didn't feel like it.  I made a quick call to Princess to thank her, told her I was wearing a mask, pistol in my pocket, I was off to do a bank and she suggested a pop sock as a disguise.  I promised to  send her the details of visiting hours...

I carried on to Kaufland and bought Gold Blend which was on offer, some outside cushions, meat for the freezer, onions and I did manage to pick up two pairs of swimming shoes for when we can manage to get to Greece....one pair for me and one for my guest, when he manages to get over here without needing to be put into isolation.  Lots of people around and I couldn't wait to get out and the same in Lidl, I forgot Monday is a busy day with few people working.  I was surprised when my local phone rand and it was a Bulgarian number...it was the Statistics office and they are not known for their communication skills at the best of time and I tried to answer the questions but I was on a hide into nothing.  I tried to ask her if there was a problem with my form but they only use big long words for something that could be so simple and she finished the conversation saying that everything was OK and while she might have been happy, I wasn't.  I filled up with gas and drove to Djebel and went into the garage shop.    I asked my friend if she would phone the Statistics office on my behalf to find out what the real problem was.  Now last year I submitted the form and the lady in the office completed it for me and now the issue was whether I was a foreigner or living here.  I'd given my address so my friend explained that yes, I was English but had lived here for around ten years so yes, I could be considered a local and what was her problem.  She ended this conversation just as quickly saying that she would treat me as a 'local' and I think they must have a new computer program and I wasn't fitting into a box.

Home for three thirty, I unpacked my shopping, washed my blouse, made a coffee and sat out on the bench watching the clouds gather.  The blouse came in and is now in the lounge finishing off, the spare rib chop went in with a jacket potato but the chop was ready before the potato so it was sentenced to six minutes in the microwave and then back into the oven along with the chop.  The washing up can wait, I've had enough for today, legalities in Bulgaria can be very testing.  Apparently we have only two days of this weather remaining and then we get back to summer.  LN...More seeds to put in tomorrow, weather permitting....LN

Tuesday 2nd June

Good night's sleep according to my Fitbit but it was a bit disjointed.  I wanted to watch the programme of discovering the foundlings background and I promptly went to sleep just as the programme was about to start, woke up, managed to turn over to the other channel and caught the last forty minutes of it....fascinating...not knowing where you came from obviously would affect you and so would finding out.  What sadness when you have to leave a child to be found...heartbreaking.

So just before seven when I woke up, coffee this morning and back to bed and it's been a funny old day.  Toasted cheese and ham sandwiches for breakfast and then it was a none day.  It was too cold to go out there straightway and I eventually decided it was warmer outside than in the house so ventured out and started weeding, moving plants, planting up the newbies and putting them in the  nursery area on the little house terrace.  At this point I went down to look at the red hot poker and cleared round the bottom of it and it's doing well.  I also managed to find the second plant, no flowers on it this year but it was just a very small plant when it went in.  At this point the sun went in, the thunder started and so did the rain.  I put the tools away thinking that that was probably the end of my day outside but then it stopped, the sun came out so I went and settled down on the bench and enjoyed the sun.  I came in for a coffee when the flies drove me inside, took out a gardening book and looked at what I should be doing.

I eventually went out again with the intention of a bonfire,  I got it going, sort of, everything was damp so I'll give it another go to finish it off tomorrow.  While I was watching it I decided to carry on weeding the bottom high wall bed and managed to find the clematis that I'd put in last year, no flowers but it looks very healthy so I pointed it in the right direction, upwards and tomorrow I'll secure it to the tree.  I came in at six fifteen when the rain was getting through the top I was wearing so I took it off and PJ top when on...I'm half ready for bed.  Cold chicken wings for supper followed by a very small chocolate cake and that will do until tomorrow morning.  Friday we go up to twenty two degrees and the rain stops on Friday according to the weather reports.  LN...Roll on next week....LN

Wednesday 3rd June

Seven start, coffee only this time I didn't take it back to bed.  I sat in the chair in the stairwell and watched the birds playing and the jays heading to the cherry tree, thieving birds.  There aren't many this year, the late snow that we had put paid to that, the few that are there are beginning to ripen but this year I'm leaving them to it.  They can have them.  Noisy birds though.  I also heard a call from the hoepoo so I went down to the bottom of the garden and managed to look over the wall near the bonfire pit but didn't manage to spot it.  It also stopped calling so must have moved.  Hey ho...I'll keep looking out for it...they are beautiful birds but very hard to see.  The cuckoo was performing on the electricity wires again but flew off when it spotted me.

It was pretty cold out there and damp under foot, it had obviously been raining overnight.  I came in and grabbed my coffee and went out again taking up position of the bench on the terrace until I got cold and came back into what warmth there was.  It was only twelve outside and nineteen in but you would think that I would have got used to it but my body does say summer so I made a ham and cheese omelette and sat inside in the sun eating it.  I tidied the kitchen, washed, dressed and it was back to tights and joggy bottoms for a day of gardening for as long as the good weather lasted.

I planted up more cosmos and took zinnias from old fire pit and spread them around the garden, emptied out the weeds from more pots and they now have zinnias in them.  I've also dug up a walnut that was growing in the wrong place and that's now in a ten litre plastic bottle and is due for delivery once I know when it's a happy where it is.  I came in for a coffee, got settle on the sofa for an hour or so and had tuna mayo and toast, decided to go out and do a bit more but it was raining so came in and lit the fire...I don't suffer, I took action.

There was nothing to do outside that didn't require a wet-suit so I decided to have a bath, had a thirty minute snooze, put on my PJ's and am just about to go and check up on the fire.  It's clouded over again and we had a few peels of thunder....Friday is supposed to be...'the day it all changes'.  No supper required, soon be time for bed.  LN....I've put the winter quilt back on....call me chicken.....LN

Thursday 4th June

Just before seven start, coffee and back to bed with the Kindle and Soda Crush and very successful it was too.  The minutes were ticking away.  At eight my lives were up so I made more and went out to walk the garden.  The sun was up, it was a beautiful morning except for the wind that was whipping around bending new plantings to ninety degrees forcing me to move some of them.  I sat out on the bench for a time but came in, I was getting cold out there despite the sun so it was straight up to the bathroom to get ready for the day. I put on a short sleeved t-shirt, then changed my mind and put another one on, I intended doing something today....I hadn't decided what so referred to list of 'things to do'.

Breakfast was poached eggs on ham, I tidied the kitchen and promptly took up position of the sofa and started reading a book that I'd left alone for a while and tried to get back into it again but at eleven thirty, I picked up the hedge trimmer and headed out to attack the forsythia on the frog garden.  I also grabbed the battery for the strimmer...I meant business.  I took at least about two feet from the top of the forsythia, used the strimmer to clear round the stones that edge the bed and missed all of the lilies of which there are so many different types, the day lilies being most prominent.  I cleared up the trimmings and lobbed them over the wall, moved to the rose garden and cut back the spirea that had finished flowering and at the same time took the honeysuckle back...it really is a bully.  Moving down the wall the lilac was cut back although it might stop it flowering next year, did a little topiary on the wild plums and the round trimmed bush under the acacia missing the two spikes on the red hot poker.  At this point I'd had enough so came in, the clouds were gathering and there was thunder rattling around so I was back to my book until I suddenly remembered I'd left tools out.  Toys away, battery back on charge and hedge trimmer back on its charger.  

I passed the afternoon watch a Disney musical on BBC2 and at that point it was five so gave supper a passing thought but it went out of my head as quickly as it came in.  I've just realised what the time is, my neighbour has just appeared on the terrace and delivered a pot of her home made yogurt so a dish of that with a spoonful of strawberry jam in it will probably do for me.  It's almost nine here and I've just noticed the moon.....stunning.  LN...Soon be time for bed.....LN

Friday 5th June

So I confirmed it was Friday when I checked my email and my usual Friday email that was missing from last week because of an issue with their systems, was there.  They'd only missed one in nine years but now back to normal.  Coffee and back to bed and I was really lazy this morning, I was still in my PJ's at ten, I'd breakfasted on toasted ham and cheese sandwiches and walked the garden, sat on the bench but the wind drove me back in.  Sun was shining, a beautiful morning but that wind was vicious blowing flower pots around and whistling through the trees.

I had my egg delivery, I'd asked the lady who brought me the yogurt if she had any to spare and obviously she did so I paid her for them, offered to pay for the yogurt and she replied that that was from her heart.  She's one of the few in the village that keeps herself very much to herself, works extremely hard in the garden and looking after her cows and hasn't much time for some of the others in the village.  She hasn't time to sit and chew the fat going from house to house.  I tidied up the flyaway pots and put the bots on the lower level of the benches, remembered that I'd looked at an Escalonia that I planted in at the bottom of the garden and had decided that it needed an new place to rest...it wasn't doing well.  I dug it up, it had rooted OK but it was trying to make its way through the shale and having difficulty so now it's in the bed against the long wall at the bottom of the garden where it has more depth of soil.  I watered it, gave it some fertilizer and wished it well.  I also remembered that there was a sucker from the Sumac tree that I'd promised to a friend so I dug it out and it's now planted up and fingers crossed, it will increase its root ball.

I went back into the house and had just settled down when I heard the gate latch and my neighbour was back again only this time with cherries, a tomato and a cucumber.  I declined the cucumber but welcomed the others and off she went.  It was now getting on for three and I felt hungry so found a can of tuna, boiled a potato, shredded a carrot and added beetroot and a diced onion and mayonnaise.  This was now a late lunch that could also take the place of supper and it probably will.

Not much on the camera front today, only the red hot poker that took my fancy and it's its first year.  If the wind drops I'll be attacking the grass tomorrow, if not I might be heading to Kardjali.  I'm sure there's something in Lidl or Kaufland that I can't live without.  LN.....And now relax.....LN

Saturday 6th June

So last night it was supposed to be a Strawberry Moon...the best I could do was one with a tinge of apricot about it and even that was with clouds covering its face.  As the sky got darker, the full moon got brighter but the clouds remained.  A reasonable night's sleep and I woke up just before seven, coffee and Soda Crush and it was another lazy day.  It was fairly cloudy but at least it was dry...and that lawn was on the agenda.  I made a ham and cheese omelette, the washing up is still waiting but the grass is done.

I cleared out a few more pots and moved more zinnia and was putting off starting the grass....delay tactics but at twelve I started and gave myself until five to get it finished.  It was damp in places and pretty hard going but I came in at one thirty, settled for water to get me going again and was out again at two and finished the big house grass by three thirty.  I came in again, a couple of bananas and more water and out I went again, determined and at five it was finished.  I was more or less praying for the machine to run out of petrol but no luck.  Machine away, more water and I went in, synced my Fitbit and not quite a record but eighteen thousand steps and almost twelve kilometres.... I'm feeling virtuous and probably will undo the hard work with lashing of butter on a jacket potato.

I haven't really mentioned this but for the last few years, a pine martin has settled in the eaves of the little house gaining access from near the garage.  My guest has tried various methods to stop them having access but I've sort of given up and they normally disappear when they are big enough to leave the nest.  I hear them skittering around and haven't really caught sight of them but today I heard a rumpus outside, went into the conservatory with the camera and tried to take a photo but the sun was shining on the window so I unlatched the fly screen and they were happily playing between the garage and the front wall where it's quite overgrown.  There's also a concrete pipe and they were having great fun going through it.  At one point two of them stood watching me watching them and they played on the bricks on the inside of the garage running in and out of them...they were so quick and I was just trying to take pictures, I couldn't see much because of the sun and I was quite a way from them but I managed it. They look big enough to leave and when they've gone, the cladding from the roof is going to come down and get the area cleared out and sealed up properly.  It's their last year.  They have to go....they make too much noise.

Well the garden looks tidy and I'll finish off by strimming the boundaries tomorrow.  It's a heck of a job but it's worth it.  As for my luck with the residents of the eaves of the little house...cheeky little nippers..caught on camera.  LN...What a good day....LN

Sunday 7th June

So I had my jacket potato and I was right, the calories I'd burnt off yesterday I put them back on for sure with the butter I added.  Bath followed on and then I got settled in front of the computer and ended up watching the Eric Clapton story and because we're two hours on from the UK, it finished at one thirty..what a story it was and fortunately his life appears to have turned out alright.  I went to bed, woke up at four and just couldn't managed to get off again so I ended up doing two loads of washing which was pegged on the line at seven.  I was way ahead of myself.  Breakfast was four Riveta to take away some of the extra calories that the butter had added last night and two Sudoku later, I was ready for the garden.  

The original plan was to get the strimmer out but I'd forgotten to put the battery on charge the last time I'd used it.  There was enough charge to make a start on it though but for some reason, two of the plastic strimmer heads broke up so not sure if I've got plastic fatigue so it went back into the workshop to be looked at later.  The grass in the yard was really in need of love and attention, as was the grass on the ditch outside the front wall and the grass on the other side. The electric mower came out and the grass box was filled up in around twenty seconds so I removed the box, using the end of a bungy chord, I managed to raise the flap at the back of the mower by around three inches which made it perfect.  The grass could come out but the shrapnel, i.e. stones that the mower picked up would head to the ground not be aimed at my legs as I lugged the mower around.  Yard and front of property complete and the debris swept up, I moved on to the path between the house and the front wall and another success.  I sat down on the bench in the sun and worked out where to go next so I moved the cable to the patio on the workshop terrace and finished the grass along the back of the long wall and round the bench moving down to the bonfire pit.  Lots of stones were thrown up, I was a little worried about the mower at one point but...it managed it and I was wearing my wellies for protection.  I carried on along the stone wall at the bottom but I really do need to bring out the electric strimmer to finish off directly beneath the wall...it was getting dangerous and that can wait for another day.

I'd made a decision to get in the sun this afternoon only the weather had other ideas.  The clouds gathered and it looked like we were in for a thundery afternoon so I got the washing in and tools away, I did leave the small battery hedge trimmer out with the intention of a little garden topiary but instead, I settled down on the sofa with a coffee and a packet of biscuits, moved upstairs to look at the pictures I'd taken of the wild life that I'd encountered this morning and promptly fell asleep in front of the computer.  I slept really deeply so must have caught up on the zzz's that I missed out on last night.

Chinese pork ribs are in the oven and that will be supper, washing needs to be put away and again, another good day.  Tomorrow I have to put a water hose in the vegetable garden so that I can hitch it up to the hose pipe and gently water the new plants not give them a deluge.  I'm out of bread so need to go into Djebel, there is no bread van tomorrow and I might see what's left of the market now that lock-down is over more or less here.  LN...Another good day....LN

Monday 8th June

Five start again, two hours of messing around on the Kindle, walked the garden in my PJ's in the morning mist and really wasn't sure what the weather would do today.  I made more coffee, made my bed and decided not to go into Kardjali, I had enough of the essentials that I normally traveled in for.  I went into the kitchen and saw that the bread had feint spots of green on it so it was pt out for the birds.  I took a packet of bacon from the freezer for breakfast and fried it off with an egg and some fruit loaf and for tonight I took out some hamburgers which had the day to thaw out.  I reclined after breakfast with Sudoku and nodded off having a very weird dream that I put down to the fried bun loaf.  That should teach me a lesson..get a loaf of bread when it's available...no deliveries to the village on a Monday...it's market day when the village empties and Djebel is buzzing.  

I set off at eleven and noticed that Avatar's window was open which meant that she was either back from Germany or she'd been burgled.  She came out of the house so I shouted a welcome and asked if she wanted anything from Djebel, she said she didn't and I asked her if she had everything she needed and she said that she did.  Apparently her grand-daughter has come over with her and they have to isolate together....I shan't be venturing over there until the fourteen  days are up.  I put the petrol container into the Nipper to fill it at the garage and plants for my student's mum and one for the lady in the hardware shop.  I'd asked them for tobacco seeds and they hadn't delivered so I gave her one that I'd grown from last year's seeds since I'd promised her one.  I told her it was ready to go out into the garden, had a beautiful perfume at night and would produce lots of seeds.  I walked the market and didn't buy anything, went into the leva shop and bought a few items including some more hair clips. I find that they're upstairs when I want them down and vice-versa....so I invested two leva.  I went back to the shop and unpacked the flower pots from the carrying back and my little student asked me if I wanted any help...so sweet....his mother was amazed.  I did joke with him that I'd come to give him and English lesson, his eyebrows shot up and I told him I was teasing him and off he went to play.  On my drive in there were two sets of police officers out and apparently they're having a purge on seat-belts and anything else they can get you for.  I wasn't stopped, they know the car and only those that want to practice English pull me over.

I remembered to have the petrol can filled, called into the little supermarket at the bottom of town and bought cherries, mayonnaise, bread and biscuits and more cans of tuna.  Not a bad little haul and I couldn't wait to get out...no social distancing there.  When I pulled in I noticed that my painter was strimming Avatar's garden so he's not worried....and now he's banned from mine.  Nipper away, shopping away, sat in the sun until I'd had enough and came into the cool house.  It was a very lazy afternoon, cooked my hamburgers and made a couple of sandwiches, the cherries are ready for washing and eating and I topped off supper with some chocolate caramels.  The shop had been restocked after the Bayram festivities.

Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow,  I might get the strimmer out and attack the bottom wall and get that topiary done, it depends how I feel.  I think I needed a quiet day today, the last two days have been pretty frantic.  LN.... And chill....LN

Tuesday 9th June

Normal morning, six start, coffee and back to bed and used up a couple of hours with Soda Crush and Judge Rinder.  Washed and dressed and today was a gardening day but first job was to strip the bed and get the washing under way...I put it on the banister to dry, it was going back on the bed and I didn't want to bring in any little flies and things from outside.   We have some very small critters.  I noticed a very pretty moth on the window as I came down stairs so took one picture of its underside from inside and one from the outside.   Bacon and egg sandwich for breakfast, more coffee on the go and I sat outside until I was ready to start the bonfire and that's been going all day.

Avatar came round around ten and I said that she was to go home or run the risk of a fine if she was out of her house.  She only came back from Germany yesterday.  She replied that she'd had her temperature taken at the airport and nobody mentioned having to 'isolate' but I kept my distance.  She'd had the garden strimmed yesterday by my painter but she wanted to use the electric mower that she has to take it nearer to the ground so that they could sit and the baby could play on it.  She's tried her mower, it didn't work so she wanted to borrow mine so we distanced ourselves to the wood store and I got it out for her.  

I got the battery hedge trimmer out and set about my topiary and at two I had my Fotinovo friends drop by so it was kettle on, coffee made, cushions out of the storage box, ash tray filled and we say down and enjoyed the view and I enjoyed the company.  Two offers on the table, there is a jazz club that they've been invited to, I've been invited to tag along and next Wednesday we might be heading for our first trip to Greece if the queues are not too long on the border.  I'll be trying out my new beach shoes...fingers crossed.  Off they went, Avatar returned the mower and she's off to Kardjali tomorrow to buy a new mower, she asked me if I still had the geranium that she'd left with me for the winter and I gave it back to her along with three other cuttings that I've taken from it.   I went back to my gardening, tidied up the cuttings and tried to get the bonfire going but no joy and then the rain came.  I put the tools away and came in....more hamburgers for supper but I just haven't got round to cooking them yet.  More of the same tomorrow....I've got the beds at the bottom to finish off and flowers to put in.  LN...All go in my neck of the woods....LN

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 or so.  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 versions would cost.  I now 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.  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

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

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

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

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

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

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.  

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

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

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

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.

Thursday 18th June

Hey Trevor...not my tin....'Old Holborn' is the 'trading name' of the guy that I went down to Greece with for the day...along with his wife may I add. I did the same thing only I gave up cigarettes at twenty four, telling my mother one Sunday night that that was going to be my last cigarette and she laughed.  I used Selotape to seal the packet up, carried it with me for a year, it became me against the Selotape not the tobacco.  I've still got the packet in my 'treasure box.  I did the same thing with alcohol three and a half years ago but fortunately didn't have to carry the bottle around....

Now as for today....what a change.  I slept well, woke up at six thirty, washed and dressed and headed over to Avatar's garden to wait for the bread van.  It was cold, had been raining and not much sign of the sun and it's been hiding itself all day.  I came back from the van with eggs, bread and cheesy bread and the cheesy bread was my breakfast.  I'd had a bit too much sun yesterday on my ankles and they were a little 'pink' shall we say and really very itchy.  I'm normally very careful but we were on the beach, I was paddling with my jeans rolled up and that was my downfall.  I soaked them in diluted apple vinegar which was fairly successful but then the itch came back so I headed up to the terrace and sliced off an aloe vera leaf and slathered it all over the affected parts.....and found immediate relief.  By this time it had started to rain, I began to get cold so put socks on, eventually fell asleep on the sofa reading my book but woke up really cold in the middle of a  downpour.  I made coffee and one of the packets of biscuits from Lidl yesterday made its way to the sofa and half of them are gone already, the rest are there for tomorrow.  

My work today has only been cleaning up the roasting tins that I left soaking overnight and making sure that they are pristine for the next time.  I'm very careful about putting fat down my drain so I soak them in a washing up bowl and throw the dirty water over the wall so that the birds might find something to peck at.  Another book down and I've moved on to book ten so only three to go and I'll be back in the same position with nothing to read.  Hopefully by then the sun will find a permanent home in a blue sky and this spell of rain, cloud and thunder will disappear..fingers crossed.  LN....Bring back summer.....LN

Friday 19th June

Seven start and I meandered through the morning.  I didn't feel like making breakfast straightway and as I came downstairs dressed to face the day Avatar was on the terrace.  I went out to see what she wanted and in her hand she was clutching a giant Toblerone and my dish from the other night containing freshly made yogurt.  The chocolate was a gift from her grand-daughter and she really didn't know what it was.  When I was about eight years old I used to buy a small one with my pocket money and used to ration myself breaking off a triangle and then folding up the packet until the next day.  I knew what they looked like but she had no idea so I opened the packet and showed her the chocolate and she was surprised at the shape.  I snapped a piece off and gave it to her despite her protest, asked her it she wanted kitchen roll to put it in and I think it was probably eaten before she'd got home.  It's been a temptation for me all day and now there's only about half of it left...

I stayed outside and potted up the cuttings that I'd stolen from Greece and I've fingers crossed that a couple of the six may take...if not more.  Avatar had also mentioned that the lavender plant that I gave her last year had gone to Turkey with her daughter so having another couple that had taken successfully I put them to oneside and she had also mentioned that my painter had cut down the Buddleia that I gave her a couple of years ago and it appeared to be struggling.  I had three that had taken in one pot so I picked up the lavender and took them over to her house.  She was sitting in Beyser's garden with some of the other ladies so I dropped the pots into the garden and went to join the ladies.  I was invited for coffee and sat in the garden, maintaining two meters apart and walked back to Avatar's house with her explaining that I'd dropped the plants in her garden and she was very grateful.  

It's been a funny old day weather-wise, showers on and off all afternoon but now it's settled into a very pleasant evening.  I've read most of the afternoon except for when my eyelids went southwards and had a very relaxing day.  It has been too wet underfoot to get the mower out and finish the grass, it's on for tomorrow if it doesn't rain overnight.  It's the only thing on at the moment for tomorrow....I have enough food and only have to pay my phones over the internet, that's all that's pressing.  Unfortunately I have another issue....the water is off so I might have to go into Djebel to get some bottled water, not sure why and for how long it will continue...and I might be fetching for my neighbours too if it doesn't come back on.   LN.....And now back to the tenth book....LN

Saturday 20th June

Seven start this morning and at eight I was asking if anyone wanted water from Djebel.  The water was still not on and we had no idea when it would be reconnected.  Avatar didn't want any, Haciber did and I definitely did so I set off at eight thirty to go into Djebel.  I met my painter as I was getting into the car and he questioned who the bees belonged to.  I said I thought that he was having them and I'd paid the man for his work to take them away and apparently the man hadn't told him that and I think was requesting payment for the bees.  Local politics egh...that's why I pay my way.  There was a police checkpoint just after the fifty sign as I approached Djebel but I sailed through..I waved as I passed them and reckoned that they'd be stopping me on the way back since they were on the other side of the road.  The waterboard vans were going in the opposite direct heading for our village and the digger was making its way following on behind.  Things were happening.

Only one car on the car-park, I took a trolley, water bottles are heavy and I had two to buy.  I bought tuna, mayo, spicy sausage, two loaves of bread and a bag of chocolate caramels.  I'd thought I'd weaned myself off them but yesterday's Toblerone has given me the taste for chocolate again.  Better get a few more steps logged on the Fitbit.  I drove home, the police had gone so I had an uneventful journey home except for the waterboard tractor insisting that I overtook him within fifty meters of my house and he waved as I parked up.  I took the water to Haciber and almost fell down as I traversed the 'drive' and cricked my ankle.  It seemed to be OK but this evening it's caught me out a couple of times, once going up the stairs, I'll probably need to put an elastic bandage on it, from one part of the body to the other. Haciber was on the phone so I opened the door and popped the bottle inside and limped round to join Avatar and finished off half of a cheesy bun that she'd bought from the bread van.  She wanted to cook me eggy bread but I refused, I had shopping to put away.

Shopping away, the water wasn't still on but at least I knew there were men working on it. The grass was calling and I was hoping that the morning's sun had dried it off but I was determined, so started it at one.  I finished the big house grass and came in for water...it was pretty warm out there and went out at two and started again.  By now the clouds were starting to roll over but I continued and by the time I'd finished, it was very black overhead, lightening was flashing and a few heavy raindrops were falling.  Machine away, gloves and rooting powder removed from the outside table, bottle and watering can put away securely, not only was there a storm happening but the wind was gale force.  I came in, had more water to drink and noticed that the water was back on, toilets could flush again so I settled at the computer and then the electricity went off.  It's a weekend of utilities failing.  I went down again and settled on the sofa with my book but realised that I was very damp from working hard in the garden so ran the bath, the electricity was back on so I switched the water heater on so that I could top the water up and stayed there for around an hour and a half, washed my hair and carried on with my book....bliss....

I cooked one of the spicy sausage with an onion and that with mayo was supper.  I've not dried my hair, it's plaited and clipped up and it should be dry by tomorrow.  Sunday tomorrow...a day of rest,  LN.....I'm sure I'll find something to do........LN

Sunday 21st June

So last night I had my first night in my balcony bedroom upstairs and spent the night roaming around the bed....it's huge.  I'd not sorted out the quilts and I was warm and had forgotten that the upstairs is so much warmer than the downstairs bedroom which seems to maintain a regular temperature,  I should be fine tonight...I've changed the quilt.

I woke up at six, I hadn't closed the curtains and it was mountain to mountain mist...not that I could see any of them.  The sun vaguely broke through around seven thirty and then promptly disappeared.  I was washed and dressed by about eight, I'd got fried onions left over from last night so I put the frying pan on the stove, added bacon, fluffed up a couple of eggs and made an omelette adding cheese at the last minute.  Two loads of washing done but there wasn't much chance of pegging it out so it went on the airer in the bathroom.  I emptied the waste bins and headed down the garden to have a burn up taking the garden fork with me.  I cleared the burnt cans out of the burning pit and they're now ready to take down to the container in the square.    Clouds were gathering yet again but I managed to get the fire going well and turned my attention to weeding the bed next to the fire pit.  I worked on it for around half an hour and then the rain started, not much but it wasn't pleasant out there so I came in and turned to my book and took up my usual position and yes you've guessed it, my eyes went southwards for an hour or so.  It wasn't so much a 'sleep' but a 'dog doze'  By this time there was thunder in the air yet again, the air was very humid and my Fitbit was encouraging me to go for a walk and that wasn't going to happen...it was still raining.

I'd lost interest in outside work so turned my attention to sorting out the summer clothes from last year and putting my winter ones away.  I've done most of it, I've washing to do to freshen up some of the blouses, the t-shirts have to be sorted into keepers and leavers and a very large pile that is to go to a charity shop when I find out where they need to be taken.   It's been a good afternoon's work and something I'd been putting off and at least the bed is cleared so that I can crawl into it tonight.  It's turned into a reasonable evening but we still have clouds hanging around. Supper is going to be tuna with mayo with pickled beetroot and I'm off to the kitchen now.  LN.....I need food...LN  

Monday 22nd June

Silly night...I was awake at three thirty and didn't managed to get back off.  I think it's something to do with the weather or lack of the right sort...I need sun.  The mosque was active at around ten to five and as the morning broke I saw that there was mist rising from the mountains. the sky was cloudy and it continued to get better.  I was washed and dressed by seven, a quick bacon sandwich and two loads of washing done and on the lines by eight...I'd done my blouses, summer dresses and I was hoping that the sun would break through and get them all dry.

I was in the Nipper by eight thirty and popped over to Avatar to see if she wanted anything from Kardjali...two kilos of chicken wings were on the list...but only if they were on offer.  I'd written my list, Djebel was busy as I drove through, it was market day but I carried on.  Uneventful journey in and I was very aware of speed limits, there's been a sharp increase of fines apparently and I didn't want to find out how big that increase was.  As I drove by the opticians I noticed that the door was open so I parked up by the 'House of Culture' and made my way to the shop.  It was a different person behind the counter and I said that I wanted to see the optician and since the last time he's changed his consultancy room.  The guy made the appointment for me for Thursday, said that I would need a taxi to take me because it was a difficult area to get to.....but I asked the right question later of my student's mum and she found it for me on Google and I now know where it is and it's not going to be a problem.

I paid my telephone bills and everyone was social distancing and waiting...one in and one out, walked over the road and bought a new bikini and another cotton top from one of the cheapy shops that has suddenly got much cheaper and then made my way to Kaufland.  Both cash machines weren't in operation so I walked over to one of the others in the square and there was a roving gypsy, who I know by sight hanging around the cash point and I felt uncomfortable when he approached me.  I didn't know why he was standing there, the person in front finished his transaction and then handed the man some change.  I didn't want anything to do with him so I walked back to Kaufland and paid by card.  I made a few purchase including another plastic storage box that was on offer to add to the collection.  I'm going to use it for shoes and boots...get them tidied away.  Over to Lidl and bought a beach chair so that I'll have my own next time I go to Greece and not have to borrow one.

I stopped off at the garage shop on my way through Djebel and we had a catch-up.  At this point I noticed that the weather was really building up and as I left the shop the rain started and the drops were huge.  I ran to the Nipper, legged it home and there wasn't any rain on the road but the sky was very black.  I left the car outside the gate, opened the conservatory door, ran down the garden and cleared the washing line in quicksticks and dumped it in the house, put on a raincoat and brought the car into the drive, took the shopping in to put away but left the rest of the purchases and they're still there.  At this point a terrific thunderstorm started, I took to the sofa with a coffee and slept the afternoon away catching up on what I'd missed last night.

It was six when I woke u, the sky has cleared and the sun was shining...this weather is just pee-ing me off.  Supper of chicken wings and boiled potatoes and I went to deliver some to my Avatar and there was no reply so it's sitting in the fridge.  Maybe she's had an early night.  LN....Ironing tomorrow I think...first time for everything....LN

Tuesday 23rd June

It was an early start, five thirty but I rolled over, went back to sleep again and it was twenty to eight when I faced the day.  It was a reasonable morning, I sat out on the bench with my coffee under the bedroom balcony, the other bench on the terrace was dripping from last night's rain.  I came in and filled up the cup and went out again. I walked the garden, the vegetable garden wants weeding, I've got other seedlings that need to be planted up but instead I came in, tidied the kitchen and made a potato and cheese omelette and that was breakfast done and dusted.

I contemplated doing the ironing but instead brought in the chest that I'd bought yesterday along with the collapsible chair that I'd bought for the beach.  When I got to the checkout yesterday I noticed that the cover had split at the bottom, it was the last one on display so I decided that I could do something with it and I did.  The sewing machine is always plugged in in the third bedroom so I unpicked where it had gone wrong and stitched it correctly.  The chair is now back in the bag, in the back of the Nipper and ready for the beach.  I negotiated the chest, still in its box, up the stairs and assembled it but this time reading the 'destructions'...the last time I'd done it out of sequence, struggled to get it unclipped and I wanted an easy time of it.  That done, I've done very little all day, the chest is still lying empty, to start filling it I have to 'break eggs' and I've got enough broken already...clothes that need to find a charity shop so I moved more out of my wardrobe in my bedroom and put them in the third bedroom on the ceiling hanger.  Tomorrow is another day.

So true to form at three thirty the clouds rolled over, the thunder started and then the rain came.  It's so predictable and it's still raining now.  I'll need to get out there and empty the pots that have solid containers underneath otherwise they'll all be turning yellow and drowning.  Supper is going to be the chicken wings that I took over to my Avatar last night, there was no reply when I knocked on the door, so I brought it home and I'll make the potatoes into potato salad.  Ironing tomorrow...if I've remembered how to do it...it's been a while.  LN....Bring on another goodnight's sleep.....LN

Wednesday 24th June

Funny old day today.....very misty this morning and cold but I think inertia has set in.  I made fried spicy sausage sandwich for breakfast with tomato sauce followed by another cup of coffee and really hadn't got much enthusiasm for getting out there....so I didn't.  I'd joined a FB group for finding elusive relatives so I posted that I'd hit the brick wall and that I needed help.  I've not managed to find a birth date for my five times great grandfather and still haven't.  I'd posted confirmed dates on his marriage in 1819 and the comments that I got back was that I'd got dates wrong and I was offered another date for his death.  Nothing very constructive but for the rest of the afternoon I was searching through previously printed documents.  His wife got married again in October 1841 and her husband of twenty two years died in January 1841 so hardly cold.  I haven't found any records of him on the census for the in between years so maybe they weren't living together.  Their only son was born in 1832....any your brain fries when your trying to play with dates and search through records,

I had to stop though...the internet saved me from myself when it went down but my brain didn't stop.  It didn't come on again until five thirty so I filled the time with reading book twelve of Uhtred of Battenburgh...Alfred is long gone but several Ethels from Meria and the Saxons are just about to go for each other and they've both got designs on knocking off Uhtred....the thot plickens.

I did manage to have a brief interlude of tidying the draw packs in the bathroom...I was going to put the winter tights and vests away but who knows...there's still time for me to have to get a pair of tights or a vest out...it was cold this morning.  I munched on salted peanuts this afternoon so there's not much demand for food...it's not high on the agenda.  Nothing on for tomorrow except for seeing my optician late tomorrow afternoon and I'll have to get there in good time since I'm not really sure where the new surgery is.  I've got a rough idea but it's supposed to be difficult to park up there...I'll wait and see.  LN....Eggheads has been superseded by a game of football....pah...LN

Have you tried this web site?
https://www.freebmd.org.uk/

Thursday 25th June

Thanks my loverlie, I gave it a quick look but the records don't start until 1837 and I've gone back further than that already.  I had some luck today though, I checked the Death Duty Registers and the recipient was...his wife Maria Sherwood and so I confirmed that he did die in 1841....he was mine.  I still haven't found his birth record in the Parish records but I'm one step further on.  That's the good news for today.

Really good night's sleep again last night and I was determined to get on with some work in the garden but not that determined....tomorrow is another day.  I've not mentioned this before but I've had sticky eyes and at night they've felt as if I've got a load of sand in there and they've been difficult to open in the morning.  My uncle had an issue with his eyelids and they wouldn't stay open and I was worried that it was moving on another generation...hence my visit to the optician today.

I made coffee and as I walked outside I noticed something on the little house terrace and as I walked up the steps I saw that it was a little bird, lying on its back so there was nothing to do except get shovel and put it in the bonfire.  I thought at first it was one of the martins that have their nest over the door to the little house but both little heads were poking out so back to the bench with my coffee.  I had a top up and by not it was knocking on for eleven, my breakfast had been buttered fruit loaf which didn't take much effort at all.  I decided that work was off the agenda and I settled on the sofa with my book and around twelve I heard my gate latch go so I headed to the door to the conservatory and Avatar was there and she'd come to check that I was OK.  I mentioned that I'd taken round supper one night and hadn't managed to get her to unlock the door and she said that she was in the shower so I'm very pleased she didn't make it to the door.  Off she went and I went back to the sofa and the book and at two went for a shower and washed my hair in preparation for my imminent departure to Kardjali and the optician.  

So hair washed and dried and I left for Kardjali at three thirty leaving enough time to find the new practice.  I'd got a rough idea where it was but I was still having to ask questions in Bulgarian.  I drove down the back lane to the main Greek road and fortunately I was going in the right direction.  There was so much traffic going down to Greece and most of the Romanians.....I suppose we'll have lock down set in again soon.  Anyway I parked up by the Polyclinic and walked towards where I thought it was but had to retrace my steps and found myself in another opticians.  They frowned at me and when I eventually found the eye clinic emblazoned on the front of a brand new building, they were probably pig sick that most of the clients had moved over the road to the new one.  I walked in and the receptionist was the man from the old shop who recognised me and shook my hand and showed me to the waiting room.  The doctor came out and again I was recognised and soon it was my turn.  I explained that I felt like there was sand in my eyes at night and I was given the full treatment and at the end gave me the good news.  He confirmed that all it was was dry-eye and prescribed drop, three times a day for as long as it took and there was nothing at all wrong with my eyes.  Such good news.

I made my way to the garden machine shop and bought a new head for the strimmer, carried on to Lidl and bought another beach chair in case I have visitors later in the year, a french stick and toiled rolls and then filled up with gas...ten leva's worth.  Home via Djebel and I took my drops into the garage shop to confirm that it was only one drop in each eye and I'd understood him correctly.  A chicken schnitzel for supper on french stick with mayo and I'm about to eat a pear from the ones that I bought today.  Nothing for tomorrow, gardening on the agenda now that I have the new strimmer head but since it rained again this afternoon, it might be too wet to bother so the little electric lawnmower might be out...the rain doesn't seem to bother it.  LN....Pleased I confirmed his death date...and now to continue..... backwards....LN  

Friday 26th June

Six thirty start....misty morning, it had rained again overnight and it didn't look very promising for the rest of the day.  Quite used to it by now though so I didn't think I'd get up to much for the rest of the day  and I didn't until three thirty this afternoon.  I did get washed and dressed, thought about heading in to Djebel to get some more coat-hangers but then it started to rain so I thought I'd carry on searching for my five times before and still no luck.  I followed up on the Death Duty Register using the reference but there are so many options on there that I was chasing myself up dead ends so I ended up going for an online chat.  Helpful?  not really, he recommended that I tried to tie up the 127 reference with the 126 reference and I still don't know the difference between them and he obviously knew his stuff but he didn't elaborate. He did send me a link and I think that confused me even more and by this time I was getting hungry.  

I switched the computer off and made a ham baguette for brunch and sat down in the stairwell and noticed that where it had dried up it was now wet again and there seemed little change of that strimmer coming out.  I washed up, moved on to the sofa with my book and settled down with Uhtred who's now stranded in London with enemies all round.   I felt very sleepy but didn't nod off and it all started when I went to get the strimmer out of the wood store to put in the new spool that I'd bought yesterday.  By now it was beginning to dry up so thought I'd test it out on the drive but it was so slow that I got the electric little mower out, lowered the height of the wheels and did the drive.  It was throwing the odd bit of gravel around and I thought that I should really be wearing goggles but I carried on regardless.  I decided to move on to the grave garden to the side of the house but I had to raise the blade, the grass was damp and was sticking inside the outlet even though I'd half raised the exit shoot to the grass catcher leaving the box off but I had to give up.  

I moved to the bottom of the garden where there's not much grass but lots of weeds but not thick juicy ones taking the mower with me.  I threw it around very successfully until one of the wheels dropped off and at this point I became a lawnmower repairs person.  I levered the centre out of the wheel, saw how to repair it, found the washer and the split pin and put it back on.  Twenty minutes later it fell off again but I'd more or less finished so I took it to the terrace, had another look at the problem and realised that the split pin had actually broken so found some wire, made another sort of split pin and I'll replace it with the real thing later.  It should last a while longer.  I finished off down the bottom of the garden as much as I could, it was very long and very wet down there and it will need revisiting when it dries out.

Tools away at seven and I've managed to knock off almost eight thousand steps.  It's turned in to a very pleasant evening and hopefully if it stays dry overnight I could continue with the bottom of the garden tomorrow and I might even get the biggie out and do the rest of the grass.  I also need to attack the vegetable garden...this weather has done marvels for the weeds and somewhere I have beetroot lingering.  I did managed to find the peppers, the tomatoes have outgrown the weeds but need stringing up and the butternut squash are taking over so I've decided to build a strong frame to grow them vertically.  Nothing planned for supper so far, those baguettes were big and it will probably be Camembert and biscuits later.  LN....More a day of two halves..lethargy and activity.....LN

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