Saturday 1st May

Six start this morning, washed up, cleaned the baking tins from last night, made coffee and went back to bed with the Kindle....games, emails, and the usual rubbish.  Out of bed by eight and made toast and opened a pot of grapefruit marmalade that I'd made at the tail end of last year and intended finishing off with yogurt but I forgot.  Washed and dressed and out too the garden for eight thirty and no disturbances last night at all.  I continued on the weeding and removing plants from pots and planting them.  I split up the Greek plant and was surprised on the thickness of the gnarled root and have five of them sitting in a bucket of water until the roots get more established together with two winter flowering jasmine that I discovered in the root ball.

I came in for water and to take a five minute break but it stretched out to an hour and could have been longer but I turned off Netflix.  I just love this new series, it's gentle, couples kiss but you see no more and that's quite unusual in this day and age.  I went out again, finished clearing the bed, cleared the back path between the bed and the wall and took the dead branches from the kerria that's currently flowering.  Because the ground on the other side of the wall is around four feet higher, I'm guessing that some of the plants get waterlogged and the cold snow melt doesn't do them any good.  I filled up the wheel barrow with the dead wood and the weeds, took the house rubbish down to the bonfire and had a burn up.  The burning pit was quite full but I managed to get flames out of it, the wind was up so I stood watching it and weeding down the bottom of the garden and found plants that I'd forgotten about.  

I looked up and heading towards the wall was Blue Boy and he appeared to be on the trail of a much smaller tortoise so now I have another one.  I went back to the house and went through my nail varnish collection and came up with a reddish- brown one and this one's now called Sandy.  As for Rosy, haven't seen her for a few days but she's bound to be somewhere....the garden is pretty big.  

Tools away, at six thirty, bonfire is covered over with a lid and it appears to have settled down.  The wind got up this afternoon but it's dropped now and the clouds have come over,  It got quite sticky this afternoon and the temperature got up to twenty seven degrees and tomorrow it is supposed to be warmer.  I've not thought about supper yet, I'll have to get my thinking cap on.  LN....More of the same tomorrow.....LN

Sunday 2nd May

Seven thirty start and this time I didn't go back to bed with a coffee.  Instead I took it outside and sat on the terrace watching the morning and the garden come to life.  I walked the garden, checked up on the sweet peas in the tyres on the workshop terrace and remembered that I intended to spray paint and old tyre rim and make some sort of concoction for the sweet peas to grow up....but that was going to happen much later, I had breakfast to sort.  Yesterday's bonfire had more or less burnt away and as I took the remnants of last year's bin that I'd used as a lid for the new one, it suddenly went from my grasp and rolled down the hillside coming to a stop in the middle of the garden.  I intended burning some more rubbish but the wind was still pretty strong so I thought I'd leave it for another day.

So back to the house and I made poached eggs on toast and sat in the stairwell thinking that I didn't want the pirates to get me which meant not dropping egg yolk on the plate.  It was a tale that I used to tell the children and it's been passed on to the grandchildren...strange what we remember,  I open my mouth and my mother pops out.  I didn't manage to wash up, that can wait for tomorrow but I did get a load of washing in and that was pegged out and dried in quicksticks and is now waiting to be put away.  

I did the sweet pea support, spray painting it blue, attached wire fencing to the bottom of it and suspended it from the top of a wooden tripod that was pushed into the soil in the tyres.  I used metal wire to attach the mesh to the back mesh on the wall that supports the honeysuckle and the clematis and now they have something to grow up.  Next I unreeled the electricity cable down to the bottom of the garden and took my little old strimmer down with me and managed to clear some of the tall weeds by the bottom wall.  I was doing really well until the head came apart and remembered that I'd glued it once before and I'll try it again tomorrow.  I used the battery strimmer until the power ran dry and realised that the latest purchase also needed attention so I was stuffed.  Instead I got the electric mower out and cleared the bottom of the garden between the beds but it's made me realise that I have lots of clearing to do...there is so much clover this year.  So it might be time to purchase another strimmer without I can get a new head for the last one that was bought.

Tools away, I was absolutely shattered, stripped off in the porch, everything was wet, the weather got very close this afternoon and my boots are outside to dry off.  I bought the washing in from the line, sat on the sofa and put the snooker on and promptly nodded off for twenty minutes or so.  I've just finished my shower and that's why I'm late posting and I've yet to dry my hair.  Looking at the garden, it's probably going to take the rest of the week to sort and I think it's been harder this year, I've no guests coming over so no deadlines set.   Kitchen calls, I need something to eat and haven't a clue what to do.  LN...I'm off to investigate....LN

Monday 3rd May

Seven start, I had a bacon sandwich since I didn't make it to the kitchen last night for a midnight feast and slathered it with brown sauce.  The cat joined me with two slices of boiled ham that had seen better days but it was very timid coming towards me.  I tried to encourage it with Turkish and Bulgarian but either it has it's own language that I know nothing about or it's just a scary cat.  I left it to it's own devices and went back to my breakfast.

Funny old morning, reasonable day but it's been a little cloudy and there were a few spot of rain around five this afternoon.  My washing was out on the line by eleven and dry by around half past...a fair old wind was blowing and this time from the west, yesterdays was from the east.  I was still avoiding weeding so got the biggie out and cut the side grass and down to the mulberry over both areas,  It took me two sessions to achieve it and I took up position in front of the television between bouts and then I decided to water the plants on the terrace.  I looked at the oleander that sits next to the lemon and it looked as if there was a lemon on the oleander and I was confused.  I looked closely at it and realised that it was a tree frog.  Now people that know me fairly well know that I don't do creatures very well but it was so cute that I had to get the camera out and try to take a reasonable photo.  It was really difficult, it was well hidden by the leaves but they're the best that I can do.  I've never seen one before so I checked it out on the internet and apparently they are quite common around this area but under threat in Latvia of all places.  I kept checking it out during the afternoon and it's still there and strange that I've never noticed it before.  

So walking the garden today, I am amazed how many shrubs have come in to flower. Spirea, Wisteria, Potentilla and the Iris and Allium are making up a splendid array.
The mower away by five thirty, I've done my statutory ten thousand steps today, aching but happy.  Tomorrow I'm going to weed everything down to the mulberry tomorrow so that I can say that at least one part is done.  I've also got about a million (ok slight exaggeration) baby plants from seed that need going in to the garden so I need bare ground to put them in.  You can only have so many in pots.  Chinese flavoured spare ribs in the oven as we speak along with a couple of hasselback potatoes and they should be ready any time now.  LN.....Kitchen bound.....I'm hungry.....LN

Tuesday 4th May

Five start but I managed to get off again and it was seven for the second awakening.  I imagined the smell of bacon cooking so brought a thought into reality, made my bacon sandwich and sat in the stairwell at the table eating it.  It was a good start to the day, the wind was a little cold but I had to check on the menagerie.  The tree frog has gone on to pastures greener, Rosy was out sunning herself and warming up in the sun and she gave me quite a shock.  Her back leg seemed to be sticking out at a funny angle and at first I thought she'd had a mishap but as I approached, she tucked her head in so I knew she was fine.  I had trouble seeing who it was at first so I went back to the house and found more pink nail varnish and she's suitably 'daubed'.  The bones from last night's supper were put on the wall, I could see no sign of the black cat but when I checked later, the bones had gone.

So my promise to myself to finish weeding down to the Mulberry went out of the window.  All the beds in the grave garden are complete, I've cleared the weeds under the short wall that faces my downstairs bedroom window and I'm now doing the big bed in the side garden.  By six I'd had enough, the weeds are now over the other side of the wall from whence they came in the form of seeds and the cows thought the gods had smiled on them.  Of course they'll come out in the form of seeds germinating in a pile of dung and will then send their fruits of their labours over the wall for it to start all over again.  That's nature for you.

Supper is in the oven and tonight I've got chicken let with roast potatoes and onion....I'm not for slaving over a hot stove.  I had a lovely surprise today...I've been friends with this person since I was sixteen and we've always kept in touch.  She's kept in touch with others that we used to work with and today I got an email from one of them...I've sent a quick response and it's good to know that we have another in the mix.  Tomorrow I'm off to Kardjali for my second jab and hopefully my travel passport....early meeting with friends so better set the alarm.  Sod's law if you want to wake up early, that's the morning you sleep in.  LN....it's been a long time since my bacon sandwich.....LN

Wednesday 5th May

D-Day beckons....my second jab today and it's been full on.  I had trouble sleeping last night, you know how it is, when you want an early start it would be nice to think that you have a very restful night ad I didn't.  I woke at two, realised that it was very hot in the room so I opened the window to let some air through.  The bathroom window was open so you could feel the air-flow, I played a couple of sudoku and convinced myself that I wanted to sleep...and I did until six.  Dark red sky this morning which didn't get captured properly by the camera, the old Canon is much better and needs servicing but that will have to wait until the virus is over and travelling is possible again.  

So I knew what time I had to be in Kardjali and that meant leaving at around quarter to eight to be at the cafe for eight thirty.  I'd arranged to meet in town, the link road between their village and mine is under reconstruction and they would have had to use the scenic route so I took the challenge out of the morning.  I had a mare of a morning getting ready...the temperature was down to eleven degrees and I had to remember to put something on that was easy to take off for my vaccination...it was very much like a production line.  

I was in the Nipper by seven forty five, waved to my student's parents as I drove my the shop and had an uneventful journey into Kardjali apart from the road works and the patches of tarmac missing.  I parked up on the pay-carpark almost next to my friend's car and the cafe that we'd agreed on was closed and I had three minutes to get there spot on time.  First stop off was the Bank and they hadn't even opened the door so we went in with the herd.  I asked to see the head of the floor, we were pointed in her direction and made out request....it's necessary to provide certain documentation for the Immigration department.  That done and all documents provided we went to the Polyclinic to queue up for the jabs and the number of people waiting is a joy to behold....maybe the times are a changing....locals are heading the call.  So job done, my new residency card caused a discussion, the design had been changed post Brexit and so three heads eventually worked it out.  I went down to see my doctor to see if the Passport Certificate could be printed off but it looked like our details had been handwritten but not entered into the computer so no go.

We walked to the town centre and to the place that the documents could be completed in Bulgarian at very little cost....over to Immigration and unfortunately the girl was shutting up for lunch so we decided to have ours and had an appointment for one.   The went in, I sat in the sun, they came out to go pay necessary dues, I still sat in the sun, they went in again, all steps completed for the day so we decided to have another go at getting out passports at the Polyclinic.  They have a different doctor to mine so I waited until they came out and only one certificate was in evidence so we headed up to the third storey to check to see if the details had been entered.  We found a lovely man in the surgery, I explained the problem in Bulgarian and managed to get the point over, he checked the screen and printed off the other two documents.  Yippee, we now have out document for the border controls for going and coming back from Greece.  The sea beckons.

Back to the car-park, five lev for the day's parking, I filled up with gas and came back via the rough lane, I'd not tried it this year.  The Certificate is ready to be photocopied and put in the passport and the original in the health folder.  LN.....Now for restrictions to be lifted...another step towards the beach.....LN

Thursday 6th May

Horrible night last night and not sure if it had something to do with the jab.  I was in a really deep sleep and seemed to be fighting to get out of it which I obviously did otherwise I'd not be writing this blog, put the light on and it was two o'clock.  It took me until five before I was ready to go back to sleep.  Strange feeling....

Second awakening was at seven, washed, dress for gardening but there wasn't a lot of enthusiasm there.  I was also sporting a headache and that's not normal for me so I made toast for breakfast, and put Netflix series on that I've been watching.  I eventually headed out to the garden, put the sunflowers into the little garden between the steps to the garden and my neighbour from the lower village square appeared.  She was still enjoying her Easter holiday and had come bearing gifts of baby onions for salad, explained how to prepare them and commented that Haciber had asked her why she was coming to visit.  Now this is the lady that looks at everything in my garden and wants 'only one' of everything.  We walked the garden and she spotted the wisteria and asked for a branch to put in water in the house and I told her to leave it alone...even I don't break flowers off and only bring in daffs when the wind breaks them off.  House plants are for the house, the rest remain in the garden.  She was also introduced to Rosy who was taking the sun and had the audacity to touch her shell at which point Rosy played 'dead'.   She went back with a baby 'Greek' plant, a weigela cutting that had rooted, tobacco seedlings and a potted up winter flowering jasmine....quite a little haul and I ordered out of the garden...I had work to do.

Eventually I worked up the courage to tackle the grass and clover that's currently masquerading as a lawn.  I fired up the biggie but despite the sunny weather, clover holds a lot of moisture and despite emptying the grass box every couple of runs, the machine was still clogging up and it didn't like the clumps of strong grass.  I resorted to the little electric, and again the grass box was filling very quickly so I went 'boxless'.  I eventually finished it and came in at six thirty...it's been a long old day but I have managed just over fifteen thousand steps and boots filled with grass cuttings.  I emptied them out on the terrace and they're now drying, my socks and the bottom of my jeans are a shade of grass green so they'll be in the washing machine before the day is out.  

I haven't even thought about supper and tomorrow it's weeding.  At least the headache has gone.  LN....Boiler is on for a lengthy soak......LN

Friday 7th May

So I had a better night's sleep and it was a seven fifteen start.  The wind was howling outside and things were moving on the terrace and I was hoping that I would have an easy day in the garden...by not going out there.   Wrong...it wasn't a cold wind so I went out to start weeding and was in it for the long haul.  I was going to settle for toast for breakfast but decided at the last minute to scramble a couple of eggs which was a mistake.  I buttered cold toast, put it on a plate instead of a flat bowl and as I tried to cut the toast, some of the scrambled eggs shot off the plate and I played catch-up for the next ten minutes.  There was lots of activity near the nesting martins and there appeared to be swallows around it with red undercarriages.  They're much larger, I checked out my bird book but didn't get a hard match and haven't bothered yet to find out.  I also had a couple of fly catchers hanging around the grapevine in the yard near the compost bin, they seemed to be catching lots of insects which is fine by me and ten resting on the grapevine to eat them....keep at it boys and girls.

When I went to get the tools out today, Rosie was on the concrete by the Beast and it wasn't where I expected her to be.  My first sighting this morning was when she was sunning herself in the grave garden....obviously checking out the estate for me.  She did make it back to the grave garden and was not far from where I was working and probably taking a rest after her morning activity schedule.  It was hard work out there today...the grass is in such large clumps that I appear to be removing half of the layer of top soil and it's as hard as iron, we've had no rain for a while but the weeds have got really established and have really been left to their own devices.  I've removed around six log containerfuls of debris and there's still more to do but at seven, I called it a day.  The other day I was advised to 'put my back into it' and today I believe I have and I might be suffering for my art tomorrow.

I'm not in the mood for supper tonight...the eggs didn't sit well and I should listen to 'Old Wives' Tales' and not eat eggs around this time.  I've managed thirteen thousand steps again today and certainly exercised my diaphragm and stomach muscles...I might even have a six pack by the end of garden weeding.  LN    Feet up and Netflix tonight....LN

Saturday 8th May

I woke up early and there was a faint glimmer of morning on the hillside but the rest of the sky wasn't looking very promising.  I took a couple of shots, went back to bed with the Kindle, checked emails and at eight breakfast was calling.  I made toast, walked the garden while it was in the toaster, emptied the compost bowl and checked up on the sweet peas in the tyres on the wood store terrace.  They're just beginning to climb the supports.  I went up to the grave garden and saw Rosy coming to life and nibbling at the clover and she was really stretching her neck to get at the smaller leaves at the top of the plant....she's very selective and really doesn't have to fight the competition off...I haven't seen the other two lately.

Toast and marmalade, washed and dressed for the garden and at ten I made my way to the little house and grabbed the log carrying basket and a couple of tools, the fork and spade were already line up and waiting.  The clouds had dissipated and it was breezy but not a bad day.  I carried on where I'd left off yesterday but it was fairly backbreaking.  I had to bend under a very spiky bush to get at the weeds underneath and stabbed myself a couple of times so I went to the little house and bought out the loppers and took the very spiky branches off.  Having had enough of punishment I decided to move down the bed  and tackle between the lilac and the mulberry and that seemed to work for me.  I found the gladioli that have just started and cleared enough to be able to dig it over tomorrow and get some other plants in there.  I've just got close to the wall to sort in this bed and one other but today I felt that I've really broken the back of the weeding along the short wall.  I'd reached the point where I felt I could do no more and put tools away and went into the house and was amazed to find that it was only four thirty....I wasn't tempted to start again.

So it was an early supper for me.  I boiled potatoes and added frozen carrots and peas towards the end of the cooking, chopped and onion and opened a can of tuna.  Mixed everything together with the remains of a tub of mayo, not a lot in there but sufficient unto the day.  I lit the fire while the potatoes were cooking, it's not cold but started to rain and feels damp.  That's the problem, we've had super weather for the last few days, ignoring the wind and now we have rain again so I'll sit and watch the clover grow in the lawn.  If it clears up tomorrow it should made weeding easier and it should also make digging over what's already been weeded easier too.

I've just got the kitchen to tidy, the TV is on downstairs and I'll soon be plonking myself down in front of it.  I've had this funny feeling today that it's Sunday...not got many landmarks between one day and the next.  LN.....I think I need to establish a routine again.....LN

Sunday 9th May

Seven ten start and the sun had beaten me to it...it was up already.  Coffee in the stairwell and switched on the little notepad, checked emails and there was nothing of note, Facebook was still continuing to knock the Labour performance and I went to the paper version of Sudoku.  I'd already started one of the 'very hard' and just couldn't get my head into gear this morning and then it clicked and everything fell into place, well the numbers did anyway.  Washed and dressed for the garden by nine thirty and settled for buttered toast and the washing up is still waiting.

I went to get the tools of the trade from the little house and decided to mend the strimmer to see if I could get it going again.  I had to refer to a printed page of the manual to remember how to dismantle the head, I've only used this one a few times and have never had much success with it and and always reverted to my little electric one but unfortunately the on/off switch has given up the ghost and I have to bash it on the top of the handle.  The last time I was using it the top casing came apart, I've glued it before but now I can't see to find the bit that I'm supposed to glue back in place.  Back to the drawing board Cecil or perhaps I'll just invest in another little electric strimmer, cheap as chips really.  Wondered into the workshop and noticed that there was a half constructed sign that I'd intended to finish to stop the waterboard scribbling the house number on my house wall, so I finished the job.  I used old engine oil on the supports that need bashing into the ground and waited for it to dry before I write the house number on the sign.  In fact, all I was doing was delaying the weeding and so I got my act together and started.

It's been a long old slog today....the grass and clover have really taken over the irls bed and it took me ages to clear it.  Well not exactly clear it, it will be done again more thoroughly now that the majority is cleared.  At least now you can see the trunks and main stems of the shrubs and it does resemble a garden...and tomorrow is another day.  I put my toys away and came in at seven, hadn't had the fireworks going off on my Fitbit so checked it out and I'd only clocked up nine thousand three hundred so immediate action was required.  I got washed up from the garden, put my PJ's on and did a couple of circuits which easily knocks up seven hundred and just as I was approaching the door for the second time, off it went.  

Not bothered about supper, I'll call it another fast day.  I might go into Kardjali tomorrow for a supermarket stock up and to see if there are any bedding plants in Kaufland.  Now that I've got bare earth I might as well cover it up.  I've also got to go to the post office to check for incoming mail....post Brexit I think the mail from the UK is being sent to sidings or customs.  If mine eventually get through I'll need to take the Beast to collect.  LN.....Time to switch off and relax......LN

Monday 10th May

Beautiful start this morning and I was up before the sun.  The usual routine of coffee, toast and gaming and toying with the idea of Kardjali but not really wanting to go.  It almost seemed futile. I have plenty of things in to eat and a lot still to do in the garden so I settled my mind to get on with a few more jobs...and succeeded.

I pottered outside planting things that needed putting in the ground and watering the rest of the post.  I'm pleased to see that the sweet peas have made it on to the supports and are starting the long hard climb.  As for the wisteria that is looking delightful, I think the neighbour chopping down from the oak tree and lobbing it over my wall has done it a power of good, lots of blossoms and now it's back it gets trained up the cranberry.  I also collected everything together from the house that needed burning and had a bonfire.  The wind was a little gusty so I managed to put the base of the old burning bin on top of the new one and kept the stuff contained.  I know it's not tinder dry yet but I take no chances.  I repaired the strimmer or so I thought and the cable still kept breaking so I think I either need a new head for this one or I'll have to invest in a new one....and the decision needs to be taken soon.  I rewound the cable. it worked for a while and the cable snapped so I had to dismantle and reload it and guess what...it snapped again and found itself inside the loading point.....very frustrating so I went on to other things.

I phoned the post office to see if they had mail for me and she did so I got into the Nipper and headed to the next village.  There were two but not the one that I was expecting and I was really disappointed, so much so that I phone the bank to see if they could courier a card to me but they said that they weren't able so we came up with another solution that will be put into place next week if the card doesn't arrive.  Post from the UK is being held up in the systems here and even my bank commented on it....making us suffer I suffer I suppose post Brexit.

Spend the rest of the day weeding, haven't seen any of the tortoises today, they're either hiding from the sun or have gone AWOL.  If anyone spots one on the roads with nail varnish on the shell, they are under strict instructions to return them to where they belong.   After all they only understand English now...foreigners in a strange land and they aren't carrying identification apart from coloured dots.  This Covid and isolation has a lot to answer for!!  LN....The aroma from the kitchen needs attention.....LN