Wednesday 1st July

Six thirty start but I didn't do much about it.  No coffee, half asleep and half awake until eight and then firstly washed and dressed and then coffee.  I'd missed the bread van and when I checked out the bread in the kitchen it had green spots so it got slung to the dogs and I settled for a bacon omelette for breakfast with cheese slices added.  It was a bit of a dull morning, cloudy sky so swimming was off the cards so I thought I'd do a little more on ancestry and I'm still trying to find my elusive five times great grandfather, without this information I can't go beyond and delve further back.  I thought I'd found his birth record, everything pointed to his father being Thomas which was the norm in those days and I'd found a Thomas with more or less the correct dates.  I'd found a birth record of JnO Jones (surname of his wife) so maybe conceived out of wedlock but made legal before the birth.  I went down this track for about two hours, checking as I went and got back another sixty years and then hit a snag...so back to the drawing board Cecil.  The elusive five times great....

I moved to the bedroom from the computer and had a few games of Soda Crush and again I have an elusive super hard game and that cheesed me off as well so I headed for the bonfire and got that going, put the hose on the new bottom garden to keep the plants well watered and moved up to the vegetable garden to see what I could salvage.  I gave the tomatoes a haircut...all the heavy side growth that only grows and does little else and weeded the cucumber plants.  The butternut squash have gone mad, the beetroot have disappeared altogether but I know they're hiding somewhere, I've made a start but think I shall have to fill the gaps with more seeds. I think I've seen a few carrots which the ants obviously didn't get and what I thought were very special weeds have turned out to be very pretty flowers.  I did a little bit of construction and now the cucumbers are climbing up string and the tomatoes are strung up making the watering much easier.

I came in half seven after putting my tools away and tomorrow is going to be more of the same, I need to finish the weeding and get some more seeds in if only to feed the ants.  Bread needed tomorrow so better set the alarm....not really but get dressed in time to leg it down the road to meet up with the ladies.  LN....Not a good morning but a successful afternoon.....LN  

Thursday 2nd July

A hot balmy night but managed a good night's sleep despite.  Seven thirty start. decided to walk the garden with the first coffee of the morning and suddenly realised that it was heading up to 'bread van' time so had to get into gear and get dressed for my trip down the village.  I left the house at eight thirty and Avatar was sitting in her garden so I joined her.  Her grand-daughter and the boy were still asleep and she was enjoying her solitude and it was over.....I'd arrived.  I noticed that she had had a fly screen fitted to the entry door and she complained that it had cost sixty leva....and I convinced her that it was reasonable and that for that amount of money it was worth it's weight in gold.  I think it will take her a couple of days to remember to close it every time that she goes through it otherwise, why have it fitted....I don't give the flies the opportunity.

The van came so we set off together and when we got there it hadn't parked up but had gone down the back lane for its first call.  I think it's so that the oldies can manage to get there ready for when he arrives.  I also noticed that there was a big yellow machine parked up in the square and I'm reliably informed that they've put asphalt down the back lane for the residents.  I'd heard a machine yesterday but thought it was a digger or some one digging a cesspit and I was amazed that we're still putting down asphalt.  I bought bread and went back into Avatar's garden and we ate a couple of rubbish marmalade sweet bread buns and drank coco-cola despite my protest that I would go back for breakfast.  I was home for just after ten, watered the terrace pots and realised that it was going to be just too hot to be a slave to the garden, the temperature was rising rapidly and so I settled in to my ancestry trail going over what I'd covered yesterday but still no break though.  

By this time the hunger pangs were getting through so I went down to the kitchen and realised that the huge blanket that I'd washed that morning had no chance of drying in the washing machine so I removed it from the machine, put the second one in and then time and motion came into action as I realised that peeling potatoes and putting them on to boil would mean that I would save time while I pegged out the blanket.  My old 'in-box' brain coming into play.  Potatoes boiling, onion peeled and chopped, carrots shredded in the machine, pickled beetroot chopped and tuna opened.  These mixed with mayo was going to be lunch and there was plenty of it and I shan't need supper.  I went out at five and got the blankets in, watered the vegetable garden and I really must put out the hose with the holes in it so that all I have to do is connect it up.  I reconnected the hose to the sprinkler at the bottom of the garden and made sure the plants have enough to last them overnight...my new plants look good and seem to be taking already.  Hose off....I've left it turned on, on occasions and my water bill got pretty high ...so now I remember.

Relax time......not sure about tomorrow yet.  If I get up early I can get the gardening done before it racks up the temperature...I'll see how I feel in the morning....I might even go into Kardjali...that swimming pool is still calling me.  LN....Almost time for bed said Zebedee.....LN

Friday 3rd July

Early to bed, early to rise...but only when you hear the 'tzzzzz' of a mosquito at three thirty.....and I was out of bed like a shot.  I couldn't find it so put the mosquito machine on and sprayed the bed and surrounding area and did the rest of the night with the light on.  Fortunately it was light at about six so I wasn't too bothered by the light of the lamp.  Up by seven and went out to the terrace with my coffee and what a beautiful morning it was.  I look at my garden and it's amazing how beautiful it looks as long as you don't look too closely at the bits that really need weeding.  It's a lot for one but I manage but mainly in fits and starts.  This mornings was a 'fit'.

I'd looked at the trug that stands on the terrace between the two sets of steps and for some reason this year the self sets haven't really done their stuff without any intervention and today I was going to intervene.  I watered it well and started to weed it and took out the petunias that were struggling.  I'd started in the middle working my way to the one end  and as I added more compost, I replanted the ones that I'd already dug out.  I'd found the technique and had finished it, with new baby petunias added by around eleven.  I removed the table cloth from the outside table and put it in the machine and put another layer of wood preservative on the table which really upset the wasps that were scraping off the surface to add to their homes...sorry boys and girls....carry on like that and there'll be nothing left.  

I took to the terrace again and watched some morning television, got fed up with that and played Soda Crush and guess what....I completed the one that's been very difficult to solve and it has taken me almost ten days working on it.  Not exactly working on it, playing the game, not getting too stressed about it and leaving it for the next day.    I pegged out the table cloth and moved inside, the temperature was climbing rapidly so I decided to go upstairs and put the computer on....I hadn't done my admin for the day.  Suddenly I heard a clatter, the wind had got up so I went outside to investigate and noticed nothing and as I walked back into the house I realised that it was coming from inside the house and from the kitchen and guessed that a bird had fallen down the chimney and made its way to the little wood burner in the kitchen.  I cleared the top of it so that I could get to the hot plates on the top, cleared the window sill so that I could get the kitchen window open giving it a clear run and opened the fly screen.  The plan was to let it escape, it would head for the window, onto the conservatory and out of the conservatory door...well that was the plan.  I looked over to see if Avatar was in her garden, she's good at holding birds ...I'm not good with anything that flaps and we've worked together before...but she was obviously having her afternoon rest so I went back to the computer.

I did a little more on my ancestry and again, no major breakthroughs and remembered the bird so I looked out and saw that Avatar was in her garden so I went over and we walked back to the house.  I'd done all the preparation and I explained the plan of attack to Avatar and we went into the kitchen together.  I removed the first flue cover and nothing doing so moved on to the two hot plates and still nothing and I was thinking that it had made its escape.  I completely opened up the top and off it flew towards the window and the conservatory but unfortunately I hadn't had time to open the conservatory door.  I flew into the conservatory, it flew back towards the main house door and it ended up on the top of the shelving unit obviously scared out of its feathers almost.  I opened the conservatory door propping it open with the broom and handed Avatar her walking stick and she poked it and the next thing she'd picked it up and we were outside by the newly painted table.  She said that she thought it had died, she prized its beak open and I was dropping water into it and she was even puffing air into it...a kiss of life for a sparrow.  It fluttered, we gave it some more water and then we put it on the concrete by the frog garden and five minutes later it flew away.  I spent the next thirty minutes putting the kitchen back together again, cleaning windows and polishing the wooden window sill....an area that does get neglected.

Lovely sunset tonight and we have a full moon on its way.  The mosquito machine has been going all day and he's hoping for an undisturbed night.....fingers crossed.  LN....Shower time.....LN

Saturday 4th July

Nice cool bath last night and for a while it felt comfortable but it was another balmy night.  Ten minutes later and your dripping again, hot and very humid.  No visitors last night but I didn't have a deep sleep...I was waiting for the call of the 'wild; which fortunately never came.  I was awake at six and you could hardly see the bottom of the garden, we were waiting for the sun to burn it off and once it was up it didn't take long for it to clear.  I put a cushion on the bench and settled down with my coffee listening to the birds and there are so many of them,  The cuckoos seem to have disappeared but there are still a couple of hoepoo around with one starts off as being a very sweet sound but then gets quickly boring...I love the nightingales there song changes so much.  I made another coffee and took it out with me and by quarter to seven I though it was time I got started.

I opened up the conservatory and realised that there was a rubbish bag that needed burning.  I took it down to the bottom of the garden along with the garden fork, spade, gardening gloves and a fire lighter...I've realised that matches don'r really do it and the others are fine providing they have gas in them.  The burning bin has got surprisingly full so I tried to dig it out with the spade but nothing doing.  I had to tilt it over so that I'd got it at an angle and eventually I was down to the bottom and all the food cans were sorted to put into the container.  Another job done and fairly easy to start the bonfire now that the draft can get through the holes in the bottom of the bin.  I finished weeding the buddlieh bed adding to the fire, thought about getting the strimmer out but the temperature was rising  already so I looked for other things and found them.

My yellow sailing jacket that's used in the winter for bonfire duties needed washing and that was the first of many.  I changed the sheet on my bed for a bigger one so that there's more overhang and that got washed along with the clothes to date for this week and then it started.  Hoover cleaned out, bedrooms all done, all mats from the bedrooms and bathroom washed and pegged out and tiled floors washed over.  I cleaned the stairs and washed them over, moved down to the conservatory and removed the mat, cleaned the window sill off and mopped the floor.  At this point Avatar arrived in the garden and we sat on the terrace.  I knew she wanted to ask me something but I had to squeeze it out of her.  Her gas bottle had run out, she'd asked one of the lads in the village who said he was too busy.  I knew that there was no longer a gas station in in Djebel, I knew there was one in Momchilgrad but I told her that I'd go into Kardjali, I had shopping I could tie it in with and that I would be ready at three thirty....and I was.  

I went down the back lane and first port of call Lidl, picked up mainly water in large, medium and small bottles, cherries and more peanuts.  I saw that the box was empty so I wend delving under the bottom shelf and found more boxes and those boxes had lids so I now have two supersized boxes that I have to do something with...it's for another day.  Cheese, barbecued ribs, ham, chicken schnitzels and ice-cream so I was on a mission to get back before it melted.  I went into my usual garage and was told they didn't fill bottles and directed me to another very deserted garage and after I found the owner who asked me what I wanted, he put fifteen leva's worth into the gas bottle and I set off via the back lane.  I delivered the bottle, had ten minutes with her great grandson, mother was 'resting' and as I left she handed me folded notes and I knew there was more than fifteen in the bundle.  She put it in my back pocket, I removed it and saw that she'd given me an extra twenty for going so I peeled it off and dropped it down her blouse.  She got angry and so did I and I told her that I'd done my shopping so had made use of the journey and after all....friends do that for each other.  I told her I wanted a hundred leva or nothing.....so we settled on nothing.

Car away, shopping away, barbecued ribs eaten, washing in and only two rugs remaining that can stay overnight.  It's threatened thunder and rain for most of the afternoon but it seems to have gone over fortunately and it's not so humid.  Fingers crossed for another good night but without the impending thought of invading mozzies.  LN...I've had a good day.....LN

Sunday 5th July

I woke at four forty according to my Fitbit but the clock on the landing was showing six...Confused.com so I went down to the waterproof one that was sitting on the charger.  As I put the overnight one on to charge and saw that it still had charge so now I was really confused.  I decided to sync it with the Lenovo and I realised why it was playing up.  At some point in the week I'd been trying to download an application when my friend was over and he suggested that I turned off the location finder and that was the answer....the Fitbit was obviously full of data and didn't know where to dump it.  I switched it to 'on', the data was downloaded and everything was back to normal.  You live and learn.

I went out to the garden and wanted to put the hose on the bottom garden and couldn't find the device to connect the two hoses.  I know where I usually put it down and it wasn't there so headed for the little house to check to see if I had another one and I didn't so ended up weeding the veg garden, finding more beetroots among the weeds so I pulled them out and put them into water and will plant them up tomorrow.  I had another search and still couldn't find it then had a brainwave and managed to make one out of another device...result...so I gave the little planted garden a good soak.  I got washed and dressed, breakfasted on poached egg and ham on toast but I made the mistake of using a large spoon not a spatula to remove the egg from the saucepan and the toast was soggy...yuk.  More coffee on the terrace and washed cherries and that made up for the soggy toast.

It was a funny old day, I was thinking of tackling the grass but the temperature was climbing.  I ended up in the bedroom sorting and refolding t-shirts, a couple of phone calls, one to Penny my ancestry guru to see if she cold help with my dilemma and the second one to my daughter who apparently was on the treadmill and wouldn't stop until she'd completed five miles....what a challenge and she did it.  She phoned me back for a catch-up which we did and it was one of those mornings when we both needed a hug so it was a virtual one.  I found myself yet again on this ancestry lark but this time sorting out the documentation and putting it in a ring binder and now it just has to be sorted into date order.  A task for another day.

I finished the rest of the cherries after I'd finished the spare ribs left over from last night.  A dish of ice-cream settled it off and I should do until supper time...whenever that is.  The sky's clouded over and so far we don't have the super moon that we had last night.....it was magnificent.  I posted it on FB and got lots of likes for it.  Kitchen bound...I have a chicken schnitzel that's thawed out ready to take its place in a big fat bun.  Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow so far.  LN...Let's see how it pans out.....LN

Monday 6th July

Six thirty start, it was quite cloudy and a fair wind was blowing and it took quite a while to turn into a hot scorching day.  Washed, dressed, flower and vegetable garden watering and settled down on the terrace with a coffee and enjoyed the morning.  I came in for breakfast, the bread was green tinged again so I threw it over the wall for the animals and had to revive Saturday's French stick in the absence of anything else.  I sprinkled it with water and put it into the microwave for a minute, took it out and it was very hot but softer that when it went in.  I buttered it and added ham and that was breakfast. and it was still only nine fifteen.  I was on a roll.  

I washed the mat that sits in the conservatory, finished it off with the hosepipe, hung it over the table on the terrace to drain the water from it.  When it had stopped dripping I struggled with it down to the washing line and eventually managed to heave it up there and it's still there now and should be ready to go down tomorrow.  I reconnected the hose and watered both of the bottom gardens intending to plant up yet more seedlings but I never got round to it.  I think I was actually delaying starting the grass...and at one thirty I went out and fired up the machine. Big lawn done, I came in for water and ten minutes with the Kindle, out again, another short break for more water and an energy bar and then out again until I'd finished it.  It had taken me around three hours not including breaks...I've got a lot of grass.  I put the mower away, pulled out some poppies that have finished and tomorrow I shall continue with the tidying and strimming and it will be an early start.  it's been a hard slog but I did manage to achieve fifteen thousand steps on the Fitbit.

I came in and settled down on the sofa to peanuts to replace the salt that had escaped and yet more water, moved up to the landing and fired up the computer and ran a bath.  I did emails and checked FB and then headed for the bathroom and removed grass and dust that seemed to have found places that I could never have imagined. I eventually got out of the bath at eight thirty and feel so much better and chilled for the evening.  LN....A good days work.....LN

Tuesday 7th July

Seven start today and what a mixture of weather we've had.  Cloudy this morning, spotting with rain and so much so that I had to go and get the mat from the conservatory that had spent the night on the line, into the dry.  The was wind gusting around, things flying and then it all calmed down, the sun came out and then full circle for this afternoon.

I needed bread so washed and dressed and was just putting on a decent pair of trousers when I heard the horn announcing his arrival.  I grabbed coins from my pot and was the last to arrive and last to be served.  Avatar was down there and we walked back together and she related her story of woe.  Her sister's daughter had arrived last evening with her grandson and he'd managed to put a hole in the new super swimming pool that was only replaced yesterday two weeks ago.  Now the cost of it was one hundred and fifty leva and she's got the same mentality as I have...we care for our money.  As for the youth of today, the locals are working in the rest of Europe on money that they've only dreamed about and it's easy come and easy go....I bet he's got another one before the week is out.  If's a fairly big pool and I did ask her if she was needing to water her flowers today and her eyes went skywards....I think the poor things were almost washed away.

Beans on toast for breakfast and I was tempted to go out with the strimmer but the grass was wet so I've left it for another day.  I somehow got tied up again with trying to find my great.... great and as you can guess I've accumulated lots of documents and I did say that the sorting was for another day....and it still is.  Instead I've drawn the chart on the computer in the presentation program in Windows 10 and it's my first time using it. I knew Powerpoint inside out but I'm having to find out where they've put certain features...like 'group', 'ungroup' and 'regroup'.  When you're drawing boxes attached to boxes with names and dates in them, you really don't want things to move very far, if at all.

As I said, the rain came and it threw it down.  One minute it was fine with a few building clouds, the rain came down in sheets, the thunder started, the wind came in very strong gusts.  I went out to get the money plant in that I'd put out for a little fresh air and that rain was cold, it came as a surprise.  That had put paid to my outside endeavours but it didn't matter...I went back to my family chart and then realised that I was hungry so back down to the kitchen and I made tuna mayo sandwiches and that should do me until tomorrow morning.  I've printed the chart out and it's made checking the documents so much easier.  I can check the dates for each person listed to the original records and made adjustments.  I've only followed my father's line back to the seventeen hundreds and am still waiting for the next breakthrough....it should come.  Of course doing it in this program means that I can hyperlink in the other family charts from the other brothers and sisters that I've found and am speaking to.  

It's another balmy evening so I've just opened up the door to the bedroom terrace to get some air through.  I closed up shop earlier when the heavens opened not wanting to get washed out.  LN....Time for a quick bath to cool down for bedtime.....LN

Wednesday 8th July

So my Fitbit yet again confused me.  It was showing nine fifteen and ten thousand steps and I hadn't even got out of bed.  The clock on the landing was showing seven so I was having a reasonable morning, down to make coffee, plugged my Fitbit into the charger and for some reason the notifications had stopped and the all day updates was switched off.  It soon came back to like again, I synced both Fitbit with my Lenovo and  it was pushing me to apply updates that were waiting.  I went with it, it took five minutes and it's not been a bit of trouble all day.  

Washed and dressed, it was a pretty cool morning so I put on a thicker t-shirt and pottered in the garden for an hour or so.  I swept off the terrace where yesterday's wind had blown potting compost around and deadheaded geraniums, sun flowers and petunias and generally tidied the place up.  I re-panted the beetroot that had sat in water for a day and gave them another watering  and fingers crossed, they will take.  Most of the ones that I left in are looking pretty healthy.  My one tomato is doing quite well and I've got a couple of cucumbers that have set and starting out.  There are lots of small lemons on the tree on the terrace, I took last years off since Monty Don said that they really take the substance out of the tree and constricts this years growth.  Thanks Monty.

Bacon and egg for breakfast, kitchen tidied, a load of washing doing its own thing and then my attention was drawn to the family tree.....and it kept me occupied for most of the day.  I appeared to have a breakthrough but I feel I need to go back to the Shropshire Archive but it's closed because of the virus......bummer.  Settled for Gouda and biscuits mid afternoon and that's filled me up.  I've just fetched the washing in and it was a little damp so on to the airer and no iron necessary...I just love ironing...not.

Nine thirty and I'm late tonight.  Going back to my chart.....I've found three more children to attach to my four times great and found a census record with Maria's surname spelled wrongly but it proves that her husband stayed with her until he died in 1841, he missed the 1841 census but was there for the daughter's weddings.  It's just fascinating and I suppose I'm still regarding it as glamorous and it was probably anything but.  I think I almost found his parents but then lost the entry so have to do the research again.  I think the birth date on his baptism record is correct but the wrong date of birth on his marriage record has followed through on everything else.  Until I find his birth record, I can't go backwards...I'm stumped.  Lots of clouds gathering tonight and the temperature has dropped so I should get a good nights sleep.  LN...Fingers crossed.....LN

Thursday 9th July

Another lovely day in Narnia except that it went down hill when I checked the time on my Fitbit this morning.  Nine twenty... and it was only just before seven with a real clock...bah humbug and yet again.  I went down and made coffee, washed a dressed quickly, put the washing away  and went to get to work on the Fitbit.  I tried the usual way to start it and get the Fitbit logo to display, putting it on charge, taking it off with the charger still connected and pressing the button at the side...and nothing.  I suppose it's two years old, you're not able to get inside it to change a battery so I left it for a while, had toast and jam for breakfast and decided to tackle it later.  You know what it's like...it's like picking a scab when you know you shouldn't...I went back to the Fitbit and still no joy so signed on to the website and went through the problems that others have experience and still couldn't come up with a better process than I was trying.  Eventually I went for on-line help and I was seventeenth in the queue waiting for an operator who I knew would be reading from a script and would tell me at the end that it was out of warranty and would be offering me a discount off a new device.  Maybe I could apply for a job with them...read the script that I told him I'd been trying all morning and 'Could you try it one more time?' so you do.  'Do you see the Fitbit logo?' and me 'No and I didn't the last three times I've tried it'.  So the next step for him was to check the warranty which I knew wouldn't be valid, I've had it two years so here it came, an offer of a twenty five percent discount on a new device.  I'm not exactly sure how or where the discount may be applied and if I have to purchase from the Fitbit store...I was told that it would be applied at the checkout and I assumed that I could try Argos who were already selling the device twenty five percent cheaper.  I really have to investigate.  My only question to the help desk support was did they have a second level of support that could help me further and the response was that they get all of the procedures from the technical department so...'No'.  My survey responses were to the point, very constructive from my point of view suggesting that they read the Community comments and that sales aren't the things they should be chasing.  I reckon that two years for a device of this type should last longer than two years or at least be able to swap out a battery if that's causing the problem.  This whole exercise had taken me up to two thirty this afternoon

I went out and watered the garden, the zinnias were looking very crispy so I moved some of them into the shade and gave them a good drenching. I did the rest of the pots and attached the sprinkler and put it on to the bottom garden and got soaked when I moved it after about an hour to the side garden on the long wall.  I came in and played around with my four greats details again and somehow managed to get into the original birth records as written and worked my through one of the areas of the area where they lived but it could be anywhere but it was fascinating.  Then down to move the hose again and I stayed in the long wall garden and started weeding and it's a slow process....there's loads of them.  I moved it on to the bottom long wall garden and now it's turned off for the night.  It will probably rain tomorrow...sod's law.

I am going to get the strimmer out tomorrow, I've been putting it off and finding other things to do but it needs to be done to leave my weekend clear.  I intend finding some sun and maybe some water or might even head out to one of the other towns...I've seen a few things that I'd like to buy.  Kitchen time....I need to find something for supper and then bedtime.  LN....Frustrating but as expected.....LN

Friday 10th July

So I left the door to the balcony open last night but at three this morning I was cold with only a sheet over me so I got up and found the lightweight quilt that I'd only removed a couple of days ago.  I needed it and snuggled down again and it was seven when I surfaced.  I went out to sit on the terrace with my coffee but I noticed that some of the flowers looked a little 'crispy' despite having dew settle over night so I gave them a good watering....it was going to be a scorcher and not a cloud in the sky.  I moved round the garden with the hose and went back and to the rubbish that needed burning and had a burn up.  I sat down on the wall and took stock of the garden...it's looking good and still quite colouful.   That hose ended up on the buddlieh....the leaves were looking a little sad but the flowers are just coming out.

Back to the house, washed and dressed, more coffee and Marmite on toast for breakfast...I needed the salt.  I hadn't decided what I was going to do today..it was still a mystery to me but I let it play out.  I somehow found myself playing with the Fitbit after breakfast and willing it to kick start itself into existence but still no joy.  I did manage to leave the family chart alone, a few games of Soda Crush and at twelve I found the electric lawnmower in the wood store and that was the start of my day.  I cut the grass between the house and the front wall and was surprised by a medium sided tortoise munching the grass under the bathroom window.  The sound of the mower sent it into a bit of a spin and it burrowed down in the grass at the base of the wall and I still don't know how the beauties get in.  They must come under the wall.  I finished the area, went in to get the camera and it had gone....now name Houdini.  I moved on to the yard and there was dust and stones flying everywhere but it did look better when I'd finished it.  Outside the gate, I did the banks of the now dried up stream and enough on the other side where I park the car occasionally.  It's really slowed down now that we have some sun and not so much rain.  I moved the mower to the back terrace and set it up.  I'd earmarked working on the area near the old outside toilet. I'd meant to do something with it but never got round to it.  I'm not sure if I want something build on a concrete base but clearing it would be a start. I did a l little bit of weeding and that's when I saw my second tortoise.  If it was the first one, it must have moved area at one hell of a lick and this time I managed a camera shoot.  

I removed the wooden covers from the two holes in the concrete and the ant's nests underneath them.  I came in at two and took on water, sat down for a break and went out at three and carried on clearing.  I put the soil into the holes in the concrete, dug out a couple of bushes and cleared the weeds...it was looking better.  I started the bonfire, used the sweeping brush to tidy up the concrete, washed it all down, put some of the old wood on to the bonfire, there wasn't any life left in it.  I came in seven fifteen and was amazed...where had the day gone.  It's been good today...I've now got to think what I want to do with the area but I've made a start.  Now to think of something for supper...potentially hamburgers from the freezer with fried onions...I'm warming to the idea.  I really need a shower or bath tonight but no need to put the boiler on...the water is warm enough.  LN....I've sweated buckets today.....LN

Saturday 11th July

Seven start and it was a hot day once it got started.  It took me until twelve before I got dressed and ready for the day but I had gone to bed in clothes that would see me through the day without anybody noticing.  They weren't flowery pyjamas.  I had one of those mornings where one thing led to another and I achieved a lot without realising I was doing anything.  

I sat out having my coffee and realised that I hadn't put the foam cushions out yet on the sofa and chairs but to do that I needed to find the quilt cover that I'd used last year for the outside armed bench.  I came back inside and had a feeling that it was in the chest in the downstairs bedroom so everything came out and it was right at the bottom.  Everything went back including the winter covers from the sofas in the lounge so that cleared the downstairs bedroom of two other items needing to be on display.  So out I went and put the cover on the foam base and set it up and the cushions for the chairs were in the outside chest where I keep the cushions so that cats don't get settled overnight.  Everything sorted, cushions on the furniture and on the bench on the terrace so I sat down with a coffee and relaxed for all of ten minutes.  

When I'd put the garden umbrella up at the beginning of the year it really wan't pointing the the right direction and I needed to move it.  One of the connectors had broken and I'd replaced it with a bolt with a nut and unfortunately it had seized up so to unscrew it I had to get out the WD40 look alike.  Next step was to take out the 'cheeses' holding the umbrella stand so the wind doesn't blow it over the hillside and I took up stance on the edge of the terrace and remembered not to hold on to the pole, if that went it would have been almost a four food drop for me.  So cheeses out, I managed to twist it round but at this point the wind was getting up so I had a slight panic but all was good.  Angle sorted, bolt replaced, umbrella secured to the upright so it didn't catch the wind too much and I managed to get a bungy cable from my upstairs balcony to the top section of the umbrella to hold it really secure.  I eventually sat down with my coffee and realised that the sun was no longer in my eyes, I was still intact, no accidents so the tools went away and I went back to the terrace.  I checked the time....it was still only ten...time for breakfast.  Toast and Marmite again, washing up done, on to the inside sofa and settled down with my Kindle for emails, Soda Crush and Sudoku and for some reason I went incredibly tired around eleven so I thought 'Why not' so off I went to the land of nod.  

I woke up at one, and walked the garden, checked out on the work I'd done yesterday and nothing had changed, no gremlins had been in overnight.  I went back to the terrace and sat down and the umbrella was still doing it's stuff, the terrace was in shade.  Since I wasn't out there I decided to drop the umbrella and I suddenly noticed that my neighbour from the garden next door was looking for me so I shouted that I was on the terrace.  This time she'd brought me twenty eggs which I'd asked her for yesterday and she settled herself on the steps of the little house while I found some money for her.  We walked the garden together, she was amazed by the oleander and the number of flowers on it and the fact that it lives out in the winter.  She loves flowers but she has cows that come into the garden to get milked and they eat everything while they're waiting.

Off she went, I settled on the computer and tried yet again to unravel my five times great grandfather mystery and he's still a mystery.  I think I might need help from the Shropshire Archives when they start again post the virus.  Supper called and I boiled potatoes and peas, shredded a carrot, chopped an onion, opened a can of tuna and mixed it all with mayo and I'll follow it with ice-cream when I've posted.  No photos...too busy.  LN....Now for the ice-cream.....LN

Sunday 12th July

Five thirty start and I played games for an hour or so sipping my coffee and washed and dressed by seven...it was going to be a long day.  I watered the pots, as well as the sun there was a wind to go with it so very quickly they would lose moisture.  I hadn't got any bread so breakfast would have to wait but I sort of meandered through the early morning and achieved quite a lot.  I cleared the weeds from the little garden at the bottom of the little house terrace and the between terrace garden needs more plants in it now that the weeds have been removed.  The last time I'd used my battery strimmer, the blades flew everywhere and it had been parked in the workshop and I'd relied on the electric one.  I suddenly remembered that I had a new plate that holds the blades in place so I put my hand on it straightaway which was a stroke of luck and even remembered that I had to unscrew it the opposite was to a normal screw and replaced it easily.  I put the battery on charge as soon as the idea came into my head, the WD40 look alike came into its own again and I applied it to the spindle and te strimmer it goes like a dream.  Another job done.  I strimmed round the wooden garden surrounds and they look so much better.  

As I walked to the workshop I'd noticed that the windows on the Nipper were badly in need of cleaning but why stop there so I washed it down and now I have a clean car and it's was still only ten .  I downed tools and walked over to my Avatar's house and sat down with her and Beyser as we waited for the bread van.  There was quite a lot of activity this morning...there was a huge crane lorry that was trying to move a summer kitchen that a neighbour two doors away had installed in his garden.  The neighbour had laid a concrete base and the crane was trying to move it onto the concrete from the space it had first occupied...it was going tobe a hard job.  Firstly he tried from the road and eventually he moved his lorry, with great difficulty into the garden but I didn't stay around long enough to see how they managed to get it out.  I'll her the report tomorrow form the neighbours.

Poached eggs on toast for breakfast and by now it was almost twelve and as I moved towards the sofa I heard some noises from the chimney pipes and suspected that I had another bird down the chimney.  Eventually it found its way into the pechka so I closed the curtains, the doors and opened the door to the conservatory and I anticipated that it would find its way to the light.  Wrong....it flew on to the curtain rail, I thought it had gone back into the boiler, I heard no noise so thought it had somehow found its way back up the chimney so I shut the door to the boiler.  I cleared the garden underneath the walnut and found I have eight little walnut trees growing so I shall be touting them round the village.  Next job that struck me was the water measurement clock box that is still waiting for Bekir and Sally to finish it off.  I'd waterproofed it for the winter and done nothing with it this year so I removed the lid, threw the polythene away, put wood preservative on it, leaving it to dry out and will finish tomorrow.

I moved to the computer to watch a little television and heard a strange noise that I couldn't place so I went down stairs and cold find nothing.  Five minutes later the poor bird was trying to get out, it eventually made its way to the bathroom upstairs so I've shut it in and opened the window and the flyscreen and will leave it overnight and hopefully it's got the sense to get out.  It hid away behind the expansion tank on top of the boiler and with me in the bathroom it wasn't going to move...fingers crossed.  I don't need supper I settled down on the terrace with coffee and a packet of biscuits and I'm topped up for the night.  Not healthy but adequate.  LN... Not much of a day of rest for me......LN

Monday 13th July

Six start this morning  so down for coffee, back to bed, a few games to settle me in to the day and then up and at 'em.  The bird was no longer in the bathroom or hadn't left any traces overnight so must have taken the opportunity offered and exited stage left.  I put the washing away and went out to the garden and pottered.  I planted up Pepi's white things and don't ask....I don't know and started to weed the rest of the little garden between the terrace steps.  After planting up the little ones I decided to water them and that's when the problem started.  The hunt was on for the watering can and it took to me all corners of the garden and I couldn't find it anywhere.  I had a brainwave thinking that my Avatar might have borrowed it when she was mixing cement to repair the wall of the outside toilet so I walked over and she wan't in the garden and on my way back she shouted to me from her bedroom and explained that she was getting ready.  I tried to explain what I was after but watering can hadn't come into my vocabulary before and I think I confused her completely.  I went home and carried on searching and ten minutes later she was in my garden and I had the offending item in my hand.  I'd looked on the little house terrace and there it was...on the sunbed...where else would it be!!

We walked the garden together and I have more orders for shrubs for her garden.  I mentioned that I was about to do breakfast and she said that she hadn't eaten and she wanted me to have breakfast with her...I tried to refuse but it's easier to push water uphill and ten minutes later I was in her garden and cleaning off the table so that we could eat in style.  Eggy bread, honey, yogurt, yogurt drink and there was too much to eat but I managed it and had nothing else all day.  We were joined by near neighbors, Haciber had been to see the doctor, Beyser came to collect some pears that drop readily from the tree and Emula's mother again picking up pears and eating them.  It was getting crowded and they's reverted to Turkish so I left them to it.

I watered the plants, made a coffee and sat watching the garden grow.  I decided to go in and at eleven more or less, the eggy bread was sitting heavy and I was forced to get my head down for a time and it was one before I came back to sense and sensibility.  I heard the telephone ring, missed the call so I phoned her back and she had some good news and wanted to share it with me.  This bug has a lot to answer for but maybe we readjust and revalue our view of what's important.  I went out to the garden and I've had an afternoon of topiary, cutting back shrubs that have flowered and tomorrow I have cuttings to take of philadelphus both wild and cultivated.  I put the trimmings into a bucket of water...I ran out of steam today.  I did manage to find a couple of tortoise in different areas of the garden and they're now marked with nail varnish so that I can identify if I have more.  Blue and green has been used so far....I must search my nail varnish stack just in case they're breeding and it always amazes me how they get in...I have solid walls all round and the gate has mesh on it.  Maybe the neighbours are dumping them here.

Seven when I came in and now I have to think of something light for supper....as I said eggy bread is very filling.  The garden looks a little more cared for and the shrubs now they're trimmed make the panorama better, I hate feeling penned in.  LN...Tortoise watch tomorrow.....LN

Tuesday 14th July

Seven start and what a wonderful night's sleep.  It was a beautiful morning and I was even out there before I drank my coffee.  I made it and took it outside and got stuck in to watering the garden...all of it.  My water bill might be a bit high, but hey....I found another tortoise at the bottom of the garden enjoying the sun so I came in and found pink nail varnish and marked the beast and took the photo....I should really have numbered them. I spotted Blue Boy half way up the garden facing into the sun, I suppose he was getting warmed up for the day before he legged it round the garden.

I popped down to visit Avatar to see if she wanted me to look out for batteries for her solar lights.  She came out of the house and her hands were white and I thought she was making bread but wrong...she was white washing one of the walls in the house and she told me that her son is coming from Germany so I decided to leave the battery stuff to him.  Beyser and Zelinger were sitting on the steps outside Beyser's house having breakfast and Avatar suggested that we pop over for five minutes which I agreed to do.  We found seats, Beyser had put out frothy pancakes and pears cooked in a syrup, to dip them in and tea.  Avatar and myself shared a pancake, we didn't want to deplete the supplies but Beyser went in and made more.  We were in our element.  I offered the pear dish to Avatar, her hands were still covered in white stuff so I picked up a pear slice and fed her like a bird and we all found it very funny.  Simple things.  I told them the story of the tortoise and Zelinger came back with a story to top it.  She said that in one day she had thirty four in her garden...one day nothing and the next full of them.

I went home. made another coffee, decided that I didn't want to go to Haskovo, it was too hot to travel and now we're back to all wearing masks again.  Instead I had a shower and washed my hair and settled myself on the rocking chair in my bedroom and started to read one of my oldest books.  I found my eyes heading southwards so I put my swimsuit on and changed position to the bench on the balcony and got my first layer of suntan on my legs and the tops of my arms.  While I'm gardening I'm usually in long trousers and long sleeve tops so that I don't get bitten by the little ones that you can't see.  I was out there for about and hour and a half, pinking up nicely so came it and it was on with the computer and I spent the afternoon finding my family and what I did find was a website of my great grandfather's brother family who now live in New Zealand and there was a place to add comments so I did.  Hopefully them might be able to remove the brick wall that's bugging me at the moment.  Princess phoned to let me know that she has just managed to pull a new job in a school to start in September and she was only interviewed yesterday.  Her husband has a second interview tomorrow for a job he's applied for so that's good news too.  The virus has a lot to answer for but many people will review outgoings and hopefully make adjustments.

I cooked a couple of hamburgers for supper and had them as sandwiches....not gourmet but adequate.  LN....Cuttings day tomorrow....LN

Wednesday 15th July

Six thirty start and another beautiful day looked to be on the cards.  I collected up washing, paper to burn and headed downstairs, assembled rubbish in the burning basket, collected towels from the kitchen and downstairs bathroom and they were put in the washing machine.  It was only just after seven.  I made coffee and sat on the terrace enjoying the morning and thinking what a beautiful spot this is.  By this time the washing had finished and I took it from the machine.  I carried the burnable rubbish out with me, pegged out the washing and carried on to the bottom of the garden and had a bonfire.  Try that in the UK.  Firstly the neighbours would be up in arms but I have no neighbors and secondly the smoke would be tainting the washing but it's already dispersed by the time it gets here even if it's blowing towards the house.  The freedom abounds.

I boiled some eggs for breakfast and I have two more for egg mayo tonight for supper.  I washed up and tidied the kitchen and went out to start on the cuttings from the bush trimmings from yesterday, they'd been in a bucket overnight for a really good soaking to give them a fighting chance.  I did ten wild philadelphus and five of the cultivated ones and another five of yellow flowering jasmine.  They've got two chances.  I suddenly remembered that I had a folding sun lounger on the top floor of the little house so I climbed the ladder, gingerly came down the ladder carrying it and gave it a good wash down with the hose.  I left it to dry, found a rope, went up to my bedroom balcony, attached the rope to the railings and dangled it down to the terrace,  I went down the stairs and attached the rope to the chair, went back to the terrace and hauled the chair up.  I did notice that there was a split in the seat fabric so I found a needle and some strong cotton and mended the tear, tested it out and I can't have put on that much weight...it held.  I got waylaid with the Kindle on my way through the bedroom and there was a call from couple of friends that came bearing gifts.  Nice sort to have.  We had coffee, caught up on the news and gossip and the new regulations, discussed the political situation in Bulgaria and then forgot about it.  I'd spotted Blue Boy earlier on in the day and we were talking about tortoise and suddenly he spotted a baby one that of course got daubed with glittery nail varnish...and it's now acquired the name of 'Garry'...and then there were four.  I'm still not sure how they get in but let's home they get out the same way.  My visitors were off to Kardjali and I declined the offer to go with them....I only seem to spend money in town.  I walked back to the terrace and Blue Boy was trying to get off the terrace and not having much success so I lifted it up and put it on the grass and off it went towards the long wall garden.

I spend the afternoon downloading a new anti-virus, the one that I was using was conflicting with Defender and another bug program so I went for broke, cancelled the free ones and one that I'm paying for but it's for a single machine and for some reason it won't update to the new machine and short of slashing my wrists, I installed the new one and even managed to pay for it with vouchers already on the system so it's like a freebie.  A little bit of updating on some of the dates on my family chart, a little bit of t.v.. and it's surprising how quickly it moves into evening.  I've watered the plants and given them a good soaking so that they can top up overnight.  I've got about seven butternut squash ten centimetres long already, two tomatoes and four cucumbers.  The beetroot are looking very sad.  Not sure about supper, I had some peanuts about an hour ago and it's almost bedtime.  I think I'll forego it.  LN...Tortoise roll call in the morning.....LN

Thursday 16th July

Six thirty start and it was a cloudy and fairly cool day and I was pleased that I'd pulled up the lightweight quilt last night.  I hadn't had nodded off at all yesterday so I was ready for my bed.  A few games to break me into the morning, washed and dressed and did the roll call on the tortoise and only rose and Blue Boy appeared and then over to my Avatar's house to wait for the bread van and he arrived at eight thirty.  I'd put on a pair of 'local' trousers and a very loose fitting top and I got full complements from my ladies but we didn't longer long,  I had bread and a cheesy bread and I was determined to have fried bacon and egg in my cheesy bun.  I made more coffee and sat in the stair well in the sun watching Breakfast TV and swearing at the biased questions asked by the presenters.  Always trying to lead the 'guests' up alley ways where they compromise themselves.

The telephone went and it was England calling to ask if everything was OK with my computer after yesterdays debacle with trying to load anti-virus software and it was.  The question was whether I'd put it n other devices and I had to remind him that we are two hours on...he'd forgotten.  Princess paid him a visit yesterday and was asking about one of her college books and I seem to recall asking her if she wanted it and now she did.  I pointed him in the direction of my bookshelves but also thought it could be in one of the cupboards in what used to be my study and has now been taken over so I've left the goose chase to them.  I dressed for town and I had a feeling that the insurance and MOT on the Beast was either out or on their way so I brought the documents in to the house and I was right,  The insurance was out on the twelfth and the MOT yesterday so I drove the Nipper into Djebel and did the insurance with my garage shop, drove home and headed in to the garage with the Beast to get it cleaned and checked over before the MOT,  I was surprised to see my buddy from Fotinovo at the garage and he was having a knock on the front end sorted and new brake pads.  We finished at the same time and went out separate ways.  The Beast sailed through the MOT but the government has introduced a new on-line system and the printer has to queue before it prints the final document.  We had to wait at least ten minutes...what a waste of time.

I parked up in the centre of Kardjali and paid both telephone bills was enticed into one of the cheapy shops that had a selection of swim wear on models and I need something new.   As it happens, I found a dress that I don't think I can live without, cheap, but not very cheap but it#s cruise, Captain's table style and looks better on me that the coat hanger.  Kaufland, Lidl, diesel for the Beast and home via the back lane.  I unpacked the shopping, did another tortoise check and found Rosie now in the Grave garden and Green Goddess near the garage when I was putting the Beast away.  Supper time and I haven't a clue what to do for tonight...I'm sure I'll find something.  LN....What's happened to 'Garry'?..baby's gone AWOL......LN

Friday 17th July

A little bit late tonight...I've just spent an hour watering the very crispy flowers...it's been a hot old day.  I woke at six thirty, made my coffee and went out on tortoise watch and managed to spot Green Goddess and Rosie and eventually Blue Boy.  Garry hasn't been seen since but maybe it found a small enough hole to escape through...that's the only way they can get in but if they put weight on they'll work it off digging their way out.  Just don't knock my wall down.  

It was a lovely morning...woody landed on the plum tree, saw me sitting on the terrace so flew down to the mulberry and bashed out a few bugs and then carried on to the wood.  No photo, no camera.  I did do some watering especially on the long wall garden, the new shrubs that I'd put in were really in need and even though it's pretty shady over there, the ground is dry.  I think that it needs more manure and in the winter I'l put a good mulch on.  I came in and fried off the remains of the bacon and put it in the half that was left of the cheesy bread and very unsure what to do today.  I toyed with getting another layer of sun tan on but it was very hot out there so I settled on the terrace under my balcony and in the shade of the umbrella, shaved my legs, removed old nail varnish and gave myself a pedicure.  I found an old Rimmel nail varnish that I'd bought in England around six years ago but it was still runny and a reasonable colour, dark cherry and it looks OK.  I didn't bother with my nails, with the gardening they keep breaking so I might be seeing my nail technician around September time.  

At twelve I did go out on the balcony on the sun lounger but I was only out there for about an hour.  I took  my book out but it was getting very difficult to read,,,lots of things to think about and it was too hot to think so the book went away.  I came inside, put the computer on and caught up emails, television on and then mind numb until I started the quest for my greats again and still no joy.

Garden thoroughly water tonight so they'll have a good drink tonight.  I caught up with Blue Boy again trying to leap from the terrace to the grass so again I picked it up and put it on the lower level.  It stood still for a while and then took off like a bat out of hell heading for the special tree and probably found a hotel for the night.  Supper was Brie and biscuits, it was too hot to slave over a stove tonight.  LN...At least it's cooled down now....LN

Saturday 18th July

Another good nights sleep, snuggled down quite early and it knocked up quite a healthy score on my Fitbit.  I woke up just after half six, the sun had not long come up, the sky was clear and it looked like we were in for another scorcher and it was until around five this evening.

I made coffee and sat on the terrace with it and then got impatient so decided to get the hoses sorted out...the little buddlieh at the bottom of the garden had cut off water supply to its leaves so I had an emergency.  I dragged the hose to more or less a straight line from the outside supply but was about four feet short so I stood down there for about ten minutes giving it a good soak. I propped the hose up by the bottom garden that's got the berberis in it and left it on for about fifteen minutes....and down m=by the bonfire I spotted the Green Goddess who was sun bathing down the bottom of the garden.  I lit a bonfire just to get rid of some of the rubbish and the garden weeds that I'd pulled out..it just keeps everything neat.

I noticed that the cone that I had with petunias was looking very rough.  It was supposedly lined with polythene but time had taken its toll so I removed the plants and soil and put the cone top of a thirteen litre water bottle puncturing a hole in the screw top so that there was some drainage, more compost and then the original compost and plants pushed back in.  I watered it well and it seems to have perked up.  I took a coffee outside and sat on the garden sofa and read for a while but it was very warm out there so I came back in, played a few games until the battery ran low and decided to move on to the main computer....and that was my downfall.  My great, great was still on my brain and I sat and went through the original baptism record and I'm still left with a quandary.  He was apparently born in 1790, baptised in 1793 but when I check out the parents I have different names for the wives and I cant find the marriage record for the first Thomas and Ann....so T's and A's spring to mind.

The clouds had come over so I went out to soak the pots again....it would be good if we had some rain but I doubt it.  Three turned up for the roll call this morning, Green Goddess down the bottom and Blue boy hiding in the gap between the wall and the garage and Rosie announced her arrival with a crunching of leaves as she headed towards Blue boy.  Tonight I've only had one sighting, Rosie was on the bank by the special tree so they've all covered ground today.  Too late to start supper and I've picked all day so I shan't starve to death.  LN....Bath and bedtime....LN

Sunday 19th July

Seven thirty start this morning...I was up late on Ancestry tracking and it was one before I got to sleep.  I didn't solve any problems but sleeping on it put another idea into my head which wasn't any use at all but at least I've investigated it and now I can continue.  I walked the garden and found Rosie down the bottom but didn't spot the others.  There was a rumble in the shrubbery but I left it at that...they might have ganged up and excavating in shifts.

I watered the plants and made a manure drink and fed it to a few.  Everyday is an experiment and we'll see which one works best.  I cooked a spicy sausage and fried off an egg for breakfast and heard the bread van, made my way down there and one problem was solved.  I'd heard children virtually screaming last night and thought that Avatar's grandson had come back from his escapades with his mother and the rest of the family but instead we had three children in a swimming pool in Haciber's garden.  I guessed that Haciber's son and family had come back from Sweden and carried on to the van and she was down there and in deep conversation with the driver.  Off she went and I asked if they were quarantined and he shook his head.  Apparently the police were down yesterday checking on the family but Haciber seemed to be taking no notice at all....she didn't appreciate the situation...and still doesn't.  I came back and started the washing and stripped the sofa of cushion covers, it was another lovely day.  At eleven thirty I moved inside with my book, read for a while and at one thirty I knew how I would be spending the afternoon.  At five thirty Haciber was at the door with cake on a plate and this was a problem for me.  I accepted it, put the cake on to one of mine and washed up hers and handed it back.  It had been cooked by her daughter-in-law and looked delicious but no-way....it went in the bin...I didn't want to run a risk...and they don't even recognise that there is one.

I got the washing in, folded it and put it away straight away and had an hours conversation with my ex-flat mate from Gibraltar.  We first met up in nineteen sixty nine so our friendship has survived heartbreaks, marriages and divorces between us but it's still strong.  Our children are now parents... time goes quickly but the soul remains the same.   Barbecued pork that I'd bought from Lidl went into the oven and that was going to be supper...and was supper...it was delicious.  I'm about to go and water the pots....bath time and bed.  I refuse to get into the trap of last night trying to follow through with my ancients.  Pool tomorrow if the weather looks good.  LN....Tortoise watch....LN

Monday 20th July

Four thirty start so that snooze that I had yesterday afternoon screwed up my sleeping pattern for last night.  It was still dark outside but I managed to see that the sky was pretty cloudy so I anticipated that I wouldn't be swimming today.  I played games and Sudoku until there was light outside, washed and dressed by seven and took my first coffee outside.  I came in for the second coffee, left it on the table and managed to water everything in sight.  I did the pots first, took the spray from the curly hose and used the next break to reconnect the spray head. On my way down the garden I spotted Green Goddess nestling in the long wall garden where she'd obviously bedded up for the night so I was very careful how I watered it...it's not a turtle. I moved up to the burning pit garden, the zinnias were drooping a little and if the clouds did move away....it could have been like yesterday.  I moved round the other beds and the whole process took about an hour, I rescued my coffee and again too my place on the outside sofa and noticed that I'd left Monty Don out overnight and fortunately...no rain.  

I did another circuit of the garden and found Blue Boy near the bonfire perfectly still and as  walked along the bottom wall, Rosie was making her way towards Blue Boy.  I've given them sexes and don't really know what goes on when the sun goes down....I might have it completely wrong.  Back to the house and fried off a spicy sausage to make a sandwich this morning...I didn't fancy and egg.  While I was standing over a hot frying pan I heard a noise coming out of the winter petchka and I remembered that I'd heard a bird fluttering in the pipes yesterday.  I had my breakfast and got into the swing of taking everything off the top of the petchka, set the scene for the release by clearing the window sill so that I could open the window, opened the fly screen so that the bird could make its way to the conservatory.  The conservatory door and fly screen were open but the main door to the house was shut tight.  I wanted to make it clear that it had to make its way outside and I didn't have any issues..success first time.  I moved the hot plates from the petchka and nothing happened,  I moved the big hot plate and suddenly a bird flew out, headed for the window and made it's way outside.

I made my way over to Avatar's house to relate that I'd had another bird down the chimney and it looked like the Marie Celeste.  I called out, the main door was open but no one home and as I turned round Haciber's daughter asked me if I had internet and I responded that I didn't know.  She said she was having problems and only needed it for two minutes or so but no way...she only arrived a couple of days ago and I didn't want visitors especially bringing 'gifts' that I really didn't need.  Princess phone with good news....they are both now reemployed....he got the email this morning and starts the beginning of August where she doesn't go back until the schools recommence. I'm thinking that I shall have to have a visit to England for half-term....we can have mother and daughter time.  Avatar has had some wood delivered and i think it's the government's allowance and so where's mine.  The rest of the afternoon I've been playing around with my ancestry records sorting them out into sections and filling in some of the gaps.  The garden can wait until the morning....I haven't got the energy to get out there tonight and it's getting dark already.  LN.....Fingers crossed for a good night's sleep....LN

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

Friday 31st July

Seven start, washing in, coffee made and I headed out to the terrace with coffee in hand.  It was another beautiful morning and not a cloud in sight;  Lots of martins again swarming the old nest under the eaves of the little house and I thought that one of them might be starting a late hatching so I'll wait and see.  The format is one settles, three or four others seem to take purchase on and around the nest site and then they all fly off again.  As I looked down the garden I noticed a tortoise going at one heck of a lick across the garden so I grabbed the camera so that I could record which one it was....the Green Goddess was out and about.  I heard rustling in the dried leaves under the wall and there was another one and this time it was Blue Boy so two out of three wasn't bad and then Rosie put in an appearance be it ever so hidden.  I tried hard to get a photo and only managed to get it hidden against the wall with lots of leaves and dead grass in the way.  The roll call was complete...all present and correct.

Washing pegged out and I walked the garden and decided to take my Kindle outside and read.  I did emails first and Friday is the day that I receive very interesting email and it get me occupied for about an hour or so.  It has links to You-tube and one of the interviews lasted about an hour and suddenly it was almost twelve.  I realised that I hadn't had any breakfast but by now it was too warm to worry about it.  I would manage and did.  I went up stairs to make the bed and have that wash that I hadn't managed either, toyed with the idea of going in to Kardjali with my list and after much deliberation and it took about two seconds, I put the idea on the back burner, it could wait for another day.  Unfortunately the computer was beckoning me and three hours later, still no resolution to my great, great and by now it was time to get the washing in, water the garden, have a quick bonfire, cook the veal burger that I took from the freezer that morning and work out what to have with it.  No chance of any bread to make a sandwich, I'd left it out of the fridge and the mould had taken hold.  The rest will go over the hillside tomorrow for the animals.

I thinly sliced half a giant potato and put the slices into the frying pan with the burger and made my own chips.  I opened a tin of beans, warmed them up and served the burger and chips with beans.  It was enough, it's still too hot to eat but the hunger took over.  I didn't manage that swim...it's all too much like hard work to make the effort...whether it's the threat of the virus or the quickly changing rules and regulations leading to so much uncertainty.  Kardjali is full of visitors from the rest of Europe and Turkey back for the holidays...so maybe my hillside is a safer place to be.  LN...I do need water though so I'll have to go out tomorrow at some point....LN