Tuesday 21st July

Seven start, and first was to get out there and water the garden.  I said good morning to the Green Goddess who was making her way near to the bonfire and as I moved the hose round the garden I spotted Blue Boy munching on of the fallen red wild plums.  I suppose I should really be collecting them up and making jam...I've done it before but just too much effort today.  I heard chopping going on and from the gate I noticed Avatar wielding her axe with venom and when I went over later in the day I realised why...there was just loads to do.  She'd ordered it from the local forestry, her brother works there and had ordered ten cubic of pine which is good if you've got a short chimney that you can get to easily, which I haven't.  I'll stick to my oak and I should be thinking of ordering it...I had three tons last year but this year I'm having four but in two deliveries so that I don't have such a heap to get through.  I told her that she was silly ordering it, her son comes over in about three weeks and she doesn't even stay here for the winter.  I joked with her that I knew where to go if my wood runs out and asked her for a key...and we laughed...there isn't one.

After finishing the garden, I moved up to the bedroom, played a few games and then stupidly put the computer on and found my way to family ancestry.  I've come to the conclusion that I shall have to be buying official documents for my dear great, great and hopefully it will have more information on it than I can find in the computer records.  I'm going to have to wait though, the Archives are still closed due to the virus and I'm wondering if they can email them to me not stamped copies.  I don't need them for an official purpose only for my benefit.  I didn't bother with breakfast but I found the remains of a packet of peanuts from last night and it was two when I turned it off and had a shower.  I moved on to the balcony and dried off enjoying the sun but listening to the wind and watching the umbrella on the terrace, I realised that I had to get down there double sharpish and reel it in and secure it and looking at the cover, I think I need to do some work on it.

I needed something sweet and remembered that I had a Galia melon so cut a slice and another chunk for my Avatar.  She started again and I thought she needed a break so I went over to disturb her.  She told me that a man in the next village has been fined thee hundred lev for not obeying the quarantine orders and Avatar is locking her gate to Haciber....she's still out visiting and Avatar is worried that if the neighbour is sitting in her garden, she could be fined too.  I came home, walked the garden, noticed that the buddlieh was a little distressed so put the hose on it leaving it on for about half an hour.  It should recover overnight.  I cooked a chicken escalope for supper and at almost ten my time it won't be long before I'm heading to my pit. Too much lethargy today...must do better tomorrow.  LN....Time to renew my energy.......LN

Wednesday 22nd July

Seven start and felt quite energised this morning.  By seven thirty I'd stripped the bed and the sheets and pillowcases were washing along with the rest of the laundry, I watered the shrubs that looked like they needed it and the pots on the terrace.  Washing pegged out and didn't bother with breakfast, I herd the van but thought I might head into Djebel and I'd by bread there.  As it turned out I didn't go into Djebel, I was far too busy in the garden.  

I came in for breakfast, Avatar had been out there chopping since about seven and I don't think she stopped for anything and she's still out there now.  At around ten thirty I cooked a spicy sausage and cheese triangle omelette and took half over for her.  She stopped briefly, we put the food inside the house and she said that she wasn't going to stop, there was a breeze blowing and she was taking advantage of it.  I reckon that will do her for the day...I told her I'd brought her breakfast because she needed her strength...silly lady.....she's taken on a lot and she's has determined as I am.  She'll finish it by the end of tomorrow.  I came back and almost trod on Green Goddess who seemed to be looking for a way to get out, I sympathised but there's not much out there but the road is dangerous.  The youngsters belt up and down and one day I promise to shop them...none has a licence.  I'd spotted Blue Boy down the bottom of the garden earlier but as for Rosie....no sightings.

I turned my attention to the grave garden at the side of the house and now the grass and weeds that had taken over are now planted up with things that have been hanging about in pots on the terrace.  I'd put some of 'Pepe's white things' into a pot and they'd germinated.  I'd taken some out and planted them but I was aware that the others needed a home...and now they've got one.  The rest of the cosmos are also in one of the beds and so are the marigolds...I have saved lives today.

I came in at three thirty and took to the sofa and my book and yes...I was out for the count until five.  Washing in and garden watered and it was seven by the time I'd had a burn up and got rid of the weeds.  Supper was a packet of salted spicy peanuts, it's a very warm sultry night so it might be a bath before bedtime.  LN....Time to pull up the drawbridge....LN

Thursday 23rd July

I did manage a Badedas bath but not until eleven last night but it felt so good to get into a fresh bed.  The sleep of the just that went on until six thirty.  Sun was up, I made a coffee and sat on the terrace drinking it and thinking how far I've come and brought the house back to life again.  I heard my Avatar chopping away, she was determined to get it all put away in the woodshed before her son comes over.  I think she's crazy and actually called her 'cuckoo glava' but she's done it.  I walked the estate and no sight or sound of any of the 'family'...they appear to have gone to ground.  I breakfasted on poached eggs on toast and at this point I hadn't dressed or washed but I had made my bed so I didn't feel too slovenly.  I'd got ahead of myself again yesterday...I thought yesterday was Thursday and today was obviously Friday but wrong....and I've now gained an extra day...two Fridays.  

Kitchen washed and tidied and I headed upstairs to get dressed but instead found myself in front of the computer and working my way through the original records of births, deaths and marriages but I still need to go to the Shropshire Archives and I will have to pay someone to get me the solution.  I need the name of my great, great's wife so that I can confirm that I'm on the right track as I go further backwards and suddenly the morning had disappeared and I actually got washed and dressed at one thirty.  I'd dressed to go into Djebel, I was going to order my wood for delivery tomorrow.  I buy it by the ton and after two weeks of dry weather, I was going to get more for my money.  My Fotinovo friends arrived, I made coffee and we sat on the terrace with the breeze coming off the hillside, it was very pleasant.  I mentioned that wood was on the menu so we got in the car and went to the shop and the lady recognised me so it made the ordering really easy.  I went to the cash machine, paid my dues at the shop and three tons of wood's being delivered tomorrow after lunch.  The other delivery is next Monday.  I got dropped off at home and realised that I hadn't done the other things I wanted to in Djebel so I loaded up the aloe vera for my student's mum and went back.  I bought four cans of insect killer, a new hose pipe to get easily to the bottom of the garden and the connector was put on for me.  Into the supermarket and bought bread, chicken wings and two bottles of lemonade, one for me and one for Avatar.  I parked up and took the bottle over to her and she was just finishing off and as I left asked her if she wanted supper and I smiled at her.  I flapped my arms about indicating that we were having chicken wings and she said that she 'might manage a little bit' and smiled.

Chicken wings and roast veg in the oven and an hour later it was ready.  I delivered it with a container of mayo handing it over the fence and she was very grateful and I mentioned that my wood was coming tomorrow so if she wanted to help me, I wouldn't say no...but I would really.  Supper was good and I have chicken wings left over and I'll probably have them for a late breakfast....building up my strength for the challenge tomorrow.  LN....It's been a good day.....LN

Friday 24th July

Funny old day.....I woke up with cramp in my calf at four, five and six and thought I'd never get going for my task was today....the wood cometh.  I knew it wasn't arriving until after lunch but how much after lunch?  I didn't anticipate it arriving at four thirty and a very late afternoon.  I played arise with my new pink hose pipe and did I have a mare of finding connectors.  The metal ones that are supposed to be the dog's whatsits began to leak like a sieve once I connected it to the outside tap so out came the container and I somehow couldn't understand what I needed to do to get it all working.  I now have three hoses and a curly one as a spare at at least I can now easily get to the gardens by the wall at the bottom of the garden and then I had a brain wave.  I decided to put the hose pipe that is really meant for the vegetable garden to put a fine spray over the plants  round the isolated shrubs.  By wrapping them a few times round the base of each shrub, it seemed to work so now I can just connect it up when ever it's needed.

I came in for breakfast...Marmite on toast and tidied the kitchen. washed up from last night and noticed that the water was only luke warm not melting my fingers.  I run it through a timer so that I don't forget it and went up to the bathroom to investigate it further.  The boiler plugged into the socket worked so now I have to get a new timer but it wasn't going to be today so I left it on and now it's still hot enough for a bath tonight.   I went out again and cleared the veg garden of the weeds and now it's really looking very bare.  It's much too late in the year to get anything else growing so by weeding I'm giving the few plants that are growing there a better chance of survival....taking the competition away.    I played around with Ancestry for a while and now think I'm on a bit of a track to find the answers that I'm looking for...fingers crossed.  I went down for a coffee  and opened a pack of biscuits and spent an hour waiting for the wood and dipping the biscuits n the coffee.  I went out to check the hoses and as I walked back to the door I saw the wood lorry about to drive by so I waved and he saw me.  He reversed in the drive, dropped his load, I had a mutter that some of the wood seemed exceptionally small and to be honest, it's not as good as last year but it's here.  I've put nearly a ton away and the rest will be done tomorrow and it was just before nine when I came in and I've knocked up thirteen thousand steps today.

No supper, I'm not hungry and now for that bath and bed....I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow, big pile left to shift.   LN.....Badedas beckons.....LN

Saturday 25th July

I think I mentioned that I wasn't too pleased with the quality of wood that arrived yesterday so I messaged Fotinovo to see if they wanted to cancel the Monday delivery...the wood was small and really two seasons old.  I was out there at six thirty with my coffee, finished it and straight away on to woodwork, if of a different variety.  My Avatar came round to see if I needed help, which I obviously refused and i mentioned that I thought the wood was rubbish.  She disagreed immediately and with her knowledge of wood fires I bowed to her better judgement and so messaged again to say that a second opinion was that it was all good.  I felt a little guilty, he did what I would have done and said could he come round to check for himself which was the best thing to do.  In previous years I had freshly cut wood which looked rather Alpine yellow but this year it's a dirty grey and I'm learning to live with it.  My Avatar also brought me a cheesy bun from the van and I had this vision of finishing the wood and making a bacon bun but it didn't happen.  

I carried on with the wood and he arrived when I only had about six more loads to shift.  He'd come prepared for work but I told him that I wanted to finish it...no way was he taking the glory that he helped an old lady with her winter preparations....and we laughed.  I made coffee and we sat in the shade and off he went happy that if the delivery on Monday is as good as mine, he won't be disappointed.  It got to be a hard slog, the big stuff was away and I'd put the small stuff in a separate heap and eventually I'd finished everything.  The bark that had come off from the oak was dumped at the bottom of the garden and I'll use it to lay on the garden in the winter...a sort of heavy mulching.  I was absolutely amazed....it was three thirty by the time I'd finished everything.  I had a phone call from A in the UK and we had a catch-up.  Most of the conversation was about the virus and she was very concerned that her eldest son and family are heading out to Spain and will potentially have to isolate when they get back.  The problem is that the rules change overnight.  Greece is totally closed off for Bulgarians apart from flying in and I hear today that Italy has also closed its borders.  Looks like I'm on my hillside for the foreseeable future... and that's the way I like it.

I didn't managed to get to Kardjali today for the timer device for the boiler...I might manage a trip tomorrow.  I've spent an hour watering the pots and garden well...it's been up in the thirties today so the poor things were hanging on and digging into reserves that they wished that they had.  Supper was a chicken escalope, the mayo was ladled on to the bread and that was breakfast, lunch and supper all rolled into one.  Not a healthy way to be but I've walked it off today already..thirteen thousand plus steps and just over nine kilometres....not bad since I haven't left the gate.  So supper over, washing up done, the drawbridge is pulled up and I've run the bath.  LN.....Relax time...LN

Sunday 26th July

Up and down last night...something didn't agree with me and I felt whacked this morning.  I didn't have to water....I'd spent long enough last night and it was all looking good.  I got a load of washing in by seven and collected the rubbish ready for a bonfire and pegged out just before I lit the bonfire.  I realised that the water was cold and remembered that I now have to manually switch the tot water boiler it on until I get another timer.  Coffee made, morning tasks completed so i went back to bed and played Soda Crush for an hour or so...I was on a roll and managed to complete four games before the session ran out.  I don't buy extra lives to make the game last longer and was amazed when I found myself second in the new week's session....well there's a first...well not quite.

Bacon came out of the freezer, made it to the microwave to thaw and then into the frying pan to cook along with an egg.  I halved the cheesy bread that my Avatar had brought me yesterday, made a gigantic sandwich and ate it sitting in front of the computer.  I'd checked emails and the likes and went into Ancestry chasing, yet again, my four times great.....and he's still elusive.  There was a bit of a gale blowing out there and things started to fly.  By this afternoon, the thunder started, the electricity went off so I settled on the sofa with my book and yes, you've guessed it.  I woke up about three and by this time, the clouds were over and it was threatening rain so I got the washing in before the event.  As it happened, it blew over eventually and now we've still got a stiff breeze coming off the hills...it might mean I have to water the garden but with the cloud cover, the temperature went down.

I've felt a little listless today, moving that wood was quite a challenge and I was left with a very achy left calf.  I normally lead with the right when coming down stairs but that seemed to put more pressure on the left calf so I had to remember to change how I came down the stairs.  I'd put Deep Heat on it last night, it had eased it slightly but not completely so more on it tonight.   LN.....No plans for tomorrow...see how I feel.....LN  

Monday 27th July

Six thirty start and a beautiful night's sleep.  There must have been enough breeze from the hillside to keep the temperature down.  Took my coffee out to the terrace and just listened to the morning coming awake with me.  The sun was up, not a cloud in the sky and not too hot.  I probably should have watered the garden but didn't and regretted it...I ended up doing it around one this afternoon when I noticed I had crispy zinnia.  I put toast in managing to salvage a couple of slices from a loaf that was destined for the hillside..there's no van today...Monday is market day....and it's a day to avoid Djebel.  The world and all its friends including all of the relatives that have arrived from Turkey or are holidaying from work in the rest of Europe and all back for the Muslim holiday.  Most are bringing new (to them) cars to show off and hopefully not the virus.  As for wearing masks, that's one reason I didn't venture in today.  The van will come tomorrow.

The rest of the morning was spent updating my little computer that I take with me on holiday.  As I booted it up and selected Windows not Android it came back with a message that the time and date were incorrect so that was the first thing I had to do and when I loaded the security package, another message told me that I had to do a Windows update....it was going to be one of those mornings.  I'd bought where it could be loaded on to five devices so this was the second.

The clouds had come over and it had cooled down a little so I thought it was about time that I got the mower out and tackled the grass.  It's not that it's grown very much but  one of the weeds puts up long stalked flower heads that bang on your legs as you walk down the garden and they had to go....and now they've gone.  I did the little house grass first which is not normal since I normally start with the other.  Little house garden finished, I came in for a drink and downed a couple of bottles of water, had a bowl of peanuts to replace the salt and unfortunately for me....the sun had come out and I was pleased to come in for a while.  I went out again, carried on where I'd left off and the outcome is, all was done by four thirty and I sat outside reading and finished a book that's kept me going for a while.  I was tired of water at this time so I blitzed a jar of apricots in the blender, added water and poured the contents into a couple of water bottles, one down and one to go for later.

A phone call from England and I have a visitor coming over in September so I better start getting the hoover out a bit more and tiles washed down i the bathrooms.  It's not that it's dirty but it just needs freshening up for guests.  Funny old light tonight.  There's a golden glow over everything and it makes the grass really look dried out.  It looks like it could rain but I've been saying that for a couple of days and nothing to date.  University Challenge has started up again so that's me sorted for tonight and the lost family programme and then to bed....busy old day with the grass.  LN.....I might have a day off tomorrow....LN

Tuesday 28th July

Last night I got completely carried away with chasing my ancestor and again to no avail.  It was three in the morning when I got to bed and slept well until six thirty and dog dozed until seven I got up to face the day.  I took my coffee outside, I'd watered everything well last night so only played around with the hoses and managed to fix it so that the shrub watering system that I'd fixed up was working.  I left that hose connected to the outside tap and gave them a good soaking.

Haciber arrived with cake for her grandson's birthday, she was having trouble opening the gate so I let her in, took the cake from her, washed the plate and off she went.  I was still in my night attire, heard the bread van so had to run upstairs quickly, change my top but left my bottoms on, they would pass for muster.  I ran down the road and met my Avatar and her grandson coming back so I bought bread and a cheesy bun and stopped off to have five minutes with Avatar in her garden.  I carried on to mine, made more coffee and sat on the terrace in the shade and ate my cheesy bun and it kept me going until tree this afternoon when I topped up with tuna mayo sandwiches.

Green Goddess was out and about this morning and I spotted Blue Boy at the bottom of the garden when I was sorting out the watering hose.  I think he'd been enjoying a shower to keep him cool...it's been a hot one today.  I lay on the bed and played a few games of Soda Crush and promptly fell asleep catching up on lost moments.  It was too hot to be out so I settled down again with my quest and have a new lead.  I checked up on one site that I use and I've let them know that one or two of their links were going to the wrong files and I've now got the name on the site of BGSearcher....I like that.  I'd let my relatives know that they were barking up the wrong tree, two potential cousins one married to Mary and ours to Maria and now the error has been corrected.  

It was at this point that the need to feed came on so down and made the sandwiches and took them back up to the computer.  At five I headed out and started to water the garden and it seemed to take me ages bit I did everything,,,I sort of feel guilty if I don't.  My butternut squash are coming along nicely, the cucumbers obviously don't take too well to sporadic watering and I have one tomato beautifully ripe and two more on the way.  I've done better in previous years on the veg front but it's been a funny old year weatherwise.  No need for supper, the sandwiches were filling so a few more bottles of water and that will see me through until morning.  LN.....An early night for me......LN

Wednesday 29th July

Early night last night and it was well worth it....I've felt much better all day.  It's been another really hot one though so I've not had an awful lot of energy. I didn't need to water the garden this morning but I've just spend an hour tonight making sure that they've got enough for the roots to suck up.  

I was on the computer registering with one of the hardware companies when I heard Haciber screeching at the gate.  I've got into the habit of putting the latch over without a padlock but she can't manage to open it.  I went out and she's clutching a dish of pancakes...my breakfast had arrived.  I thanked her, brought them inside and sent her home with a dirty dish, grabbed one of my lemons from the conservatory and sugar and 'lemoned' them.  I took them upstairs where I was slaving away trying to make an order for solar lamps but that entailed registering on a website where the script has been automatically translated but you know what those can be like.  Eventually I managed it, payment is made to the person delivering the goods and the transport costs were only five leva so I was really happy with that.  Only problem is, I haven't got a delivery date and time so it looks like I might be home for the next couple of days and no tracking number issued.  I forgot to mention...the pancakes were delicious.

The afternoon has been spent on ancestry and yet again and still no further forward.  The hunt has now moved to Flintshire in Wales and I'm thinking that my great, great was related to the William that I've tracked down.  My greats first boy was named William and his daughter was Martha....hence I'm searching for a couple and Wales might be just the hint I need.  I had the urge to hoover the kitchen and the rest of the downstairs so got the old hoover out, did a couple of laps of the kitchen and it stopped.  It's done it before so I emptied the bag, washed and cleaned the filters so that was the end of my activity flourish for today.  I might carry on tomorrow now that having to wait in for my parcel.  Nothing for supper, I finished the tuna mayo on toast at around four this afternoon so that's me finished for the day.

Everything watered, everything good in my little world on my hillside.  LN....Just need my great, great to be solved......LN

Thursday 30th July

Another night when I looked up at the clock last night and noticed that it was almost one....I'd got absorbed in ancestry...and yet again.  This time I took a look at my tree and noticed that I'd gained some ancestors and lost other and it's all down to the fact that two maybe cousins have two families, some with the same first names and thanks to the 'hints' that they keep sending out, I must have accepted one and just got it wrong.  Support sent me a response which bore no resemblance to the question I'd asked so I asked it again in a different way and I got some sort of response.  I'd even sent a copy of my PowerPoint family to explain the problem but either they didn't refer to it or thought they knew the answer already.  I've just sent them two more queries...somehow I have duplicates on the site and if I remove one, I'm not sure if it removes both records so back to the oracle.

Seven start and it was a hot one last night.  I think it's the first night I was uncomfortable.  Washed and dressed fairly early, my delivery of solar lights was expected this morning and I heard the phone around nine thirty and the man is telling me that he's going to be late.  My neighbour came round and delivered more frothy pancakes, it's their holiday and I suddenly remembered that I'd not got sweets in for the children that normally come round and I couldn't go in to Djebel to buy some, a delivery was expected.  I got a text from him to tell me that it would be here before six so I thought that I was in for a long wait, it was too hot to do anything in the garden so I sat on the terrace under my giant umbrella reading a free book that I've downloaded from Gutenberg.  It's based in Shropshire and is written by a Mrs Sherwood.  I got lots with this name in my family tree and she's writing about the late seventeen hundreds and early eighteenth and it's an insight into the sort of life they experienced. The telephone went again, my man at twelve thirty was by the old school so had managed to follow my directions so I gave him the next clue and went out to the gate and accepted my parcel, I paid the man and off he went, it felt like Christmas, I knew what was in there but it was still nice to receive a parcel.  The next minute I had five children in the garden so I explained that I'd not got any sweets but would give them money so they could get their own and they were very pleased with that.

I set the lights up in the sun and we'll see how many come on later.  I might just have spent forty leva on rubbish but they look pretty.  I had two more lots of pancakes, two from Haciber with some chocolates and two from Zelinger, who always remembers.  I do Christmas, they do 'Festival of the Sacrifice' and we've had guns going off and all sorts today so best keep indoors.

I've checked...I have six lanterns lit up but they've not had long to charge today so should improve by tomorrow night and three out of the five other solar lights are working...I'll check them out when I've posted.  I found an old metal stand in the little house and I'll paint it tomorrow...and tart it up to take a couple of the lanterns.  Rosie was out and about today and Blue Boy...two out of three isn't bad.  Garden watered and too hot to eat, I'll get something later.  LN....Swimming pool tomorrow if it's a similar day tomorrow......LN