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Elsa Peters
July 1, 2021, 4:54pm Report to Moderator

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Thursday 1st July

Funny old start to the day, I walked the garden and ended up planting up a bed in the old veg garden, I'd spotted some plants at the bottom of the garden which were obviously self-sets and not thriving very well so I dug them up and in they went.  I'd watered the patch well so that they'd have something to go at if it got hot later in the day but I shouldn't have worried, nature did it for me.

I made coffee and sat out in the sun watching out for the 'family' taking their morning saunters but first saw Blue on my way to dig up the plants.  Last spotted down by the bonfire, he must have spend the night near the mulberry, he certainly does get around.  I have this strange urge to put the Fitbit on one of his little legs but chances are he'd lose it.  I phoned Princess for a quick catch-up before she set off for work and she's OK, works in a school and is fed-up of certain years being sent home because one or two pupils have it and it's a common theme on the news channels.  She unfortunately works across all years and not in direct firing line for having to spend two weeks at home because the children aren't there and I think she's really looking forward to the holidays.  

Breakfast was fried tomatoes on toast, I washed up and tidied the kitchen then took to the sofa.  I hadn't slept well last night so I put the TV on and eventually fell asleep, it was hot and muggy, physically draining so at one I changed into my swim gear, got my other stuff in my rucksack and was in the car by two and going down the back rough road to the Makaza death route.  Goodness knows how long the queues must be a the Makaza crossing looking at the number of cars rushing like lemmings to the sea.  As I neared Kardjali there seemed to be a few clouds gathering but not to be deterred, I carried on to my favourite swim pool and parked up.  The owner was behind the bar and fist-bumped me when he saw me with a big smile on his face, a lot of the beds were empty and I paid my fees and bought a bottle of water which I didn't need.  I got in the water straight away and it wasn't too cold and did several lengths without any interference.  The beauty of this pool is that it's big enough even when the beds are all taken to swim unhindered and you don't get jumped on as you do in some of the smaller pools.  

I watched the clouds gather as I dog paddled around, there were a few claps of thunder and a few drops of rain and then it started.  I stayed in for another ten minutes or so, made it to the sunbed and settled under the umbrella and a towel.  I started my new Michael Palin book on the Kindle and suddenly we had a light hail shower and I realised that my day in the sun was not going to be as I imagined.  Ten minutes later I made it to the changing room, back to the Nipper and driving in places through ankle deep rivers on the roads, I made it to Lidl, stocked up on dairy products and a few 'reduced for quick sale' items, more large bottles of water and home for five thirty.  The cushions are hanging over the balcony on the terrace, they obviously had the downpours here too but it's turned into a beautiful evening and everything looks very green.  I really enjoyed my swim, it's good to get back to pleasurable exercise again, the garden is all very well but it's much more enjoyable in water.  LN....First pool this year and it's July....I'm late.....LN



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Elsa Peters
July 2, 2021, 5:32pm Report to Moderator

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Friday 2nd July

Another silly night.  I woke up at three thirty for no reason except that it was a muggy night, I opened the balcony door and after playing a few silly games I went back to sleep at around four thirty and stayed asleep until eight so I caught up, more or less.  A few clouds n the sky but the sun was shining. I'd put the chair cushions out to drip last night from the balcony rails after the storm and they were still damp.  I took the driest one and used it on the chair as I sat drinking my coffee but my PJ's got damp so I rehung the cushion over the rail and went in and got washed and dressed to see what I could get up to today.  I put a load of washing in the machine, made ham sandwiches for breakfast and sat out on the terrace enjoying them throwing the crusts out to the birds.  The cat was looking longingly but to no avail...the rest was mine.  

Washing pegged out, I walked the garden, sorted the sunflowers out, the heavy rain had left several of them in a horizontal position. The grass was too wet to mow so I went back inside and settle on the sofa, my energy was waning after a disturbed night and I think I nodded off for half an hour or so. I woke up and ten minutes later my neighbour was outside asking if she could take some of the blossom for linden tea from my tree so I went out and helped by taking down some of the branches with my tree lopper and collected the blossom with her.  The leaves she wrapped in a sheet and  took for the cows stopping off at her garden to collect potatoes and she came back and handed me a small bag of newly dug.  She said that she had lost most of her tomato plants and the netting had been damaged by the hail, her peppers weren't looking too good either.

By now the weather was closing in and the thunder started.  I brought the washing in and put it on the clothes airer in the bathroom I didn't want wet washing hanging around and the cushions came in from outside, they were dry and wanted them to stay that way.   I settled down and watched the tennis, had an early supper of hamburgers with a cheese topping and served with potato salad, closely followed by a strawberry yogurt.  Interesting times with the tortoise today, Rosie was out and was scrutinised by the cat who didn't quite know what to do.  She saw that I was accepting the crawling thing and made no effort to remove it so she left it completely alone.  As for Blue, for some reason he made his way to the garage, came out again, went back towards it, investigated the gap between the front wall and the side wall of the garage and last seen heading for the underside of the Beast.  Back to the tennis and now watching the doubles with Venus Williams and Kyrgios, just spotted and interesting cloud forming over the mountains so we're probably in for more thunder tonight.  LN....A bit of a lazy day.....LN



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Elsa Peters
July 3, 2021, 4:59pm Report to Moderator

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Saturday 3rd July

Six start and there was lots of mist around, so much so that I thought it was raining but was proved wrong when I went out to the balcony clutching my first cup of coffee of the day.  I didn't stay out long though, it was quite a chill morning so back to bed, leaving the balcony door open for some air.  Email hadn't woken up, Facebook was boring so I ended up playing Sudoku for an hour or so and then faced the day.

I'd made my plan....I potted up one of my Greek plants that I'd put into water with fingers crossed and it had developed quite good roots already.  I was giving it to my student's mum at the shop joking with her that it was something else for her to kill when I handed it to her.  I stopped off at the shop on my way to the garage, I thought that the handbrake needed to be tightened but apparently it was OK when my student's father checked it.  I asked him to clean the outside of the Nipper, what was inside was my rubbish to sort out and I've booked the Beast in for Tuesday morning so that it can be checked out before I take it for its MOT.  It's not due until the twelfth but I never like leaving it to the last minute.

I drove back to town, parked up in the central carpark and went round to the flower shop to hand a laminated photo of the Greek plant to the shop owner.  She was complaining that no one was buying them but it wasn't obvious how big they can grow.  Maybe the photo will help sales. I went back to the garage, I'd noticed that one of the tyres looked a little low on air so I had them checked out and all put back to the correct pressure, stopped off at the little supermarket for a few items and headed home and managed to catch the end of the last English woman standing in the tennis and watched her make it to the next round.  

I could have settled in for the afternoon with the tennis but I switched the TV off and decided to see how far I could get with the mowing, the plantain heads were banging against my ankles as I walked the garden.  There was fuel in the machine so couldn't clean underneath until the fuel ran out so started on the big house grass, and managed that and also the grave garden and it just managed to finish it.  The rain had started, it was short sharp shower so I turned the machine over, gave it a good clean underneath, was tempted to continue with the rest of the grass but instead I went inside and started watching the Federer-Norrie match and I'm still watching it..Norried started believing he could possibly win and still has the belief.  It's gone to four sets...and Federer has just managed to win the match and at eight my time...I should be thinking of visiting the kitchen.  LN......The rest of the grass can wait until tomorrow......LN



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Elsa Peters
July 4, 2021, 6:07pm Report to Moderator

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Sunday 4th July

So I'll celebrate independence day in my own way...just be and the tortoises with one visit from a neighbour bearing gifts and robbing me of my store of lavender seeds.  It was her birthday yesterday so brought me a gift of a couple of sweet bun things and yesterday I delivered to her mother a framed photograph I'd taken a few years back of both of them at a local event.  So I got the dates right without knowing it.  She was working yesterday so just came round to say thank you.  

What a lovely sunset last night.  The sky was all sorts of colours and so I posted photos to FB but I'll follow up with a few from last night on here.  It's not so colourful tonight, less orange in the mix but maybe I've missed it, I had my head down over a strimmer trying to avoid the shrapnel.  Silly really, I've got a full head mask and forget to wear it.  Another six start for me and I went out on the balcony with my coffee and caught sight of Rosy warming up in the morning sun.  As for Blue not seed shell or pointy head of him since yesterday when he was hanging around the garage and goodness knows why...maybe he's got a secret love nest but having said that Rosy emerged from there today around five so maybe they've got a thing going on.  I made a ham sandwich for breakfast and had a pretty leisurely morning tidying a few things up, reorganising the third bedroom that covers as a sewing room and sorting though a heap of clothes that are due for passing on.  As I said my neighbour came round and I asked her if she knew anyone that could give the lounge and downstairs bedroom the once over with a paint brush, the smoke from the wood-burner had left the white a little jaded.  She said that there's a workman in the village that she could ask, he was reliable. asked the usual price for work and she's going to let me know.  

Off she went and by now some of the heat had gone out of the sun so I filled and fired up the lawnmower and set to on the other half of the grass.  By now it was two o'clock, had clouded over slightly and with due diligence I managed to finish it by four leaving myself only strimming to do now that I'd managed to get the battery strimmer back in action.  I came in and settled on the sofa and promptly went to sleep, I felt drained but having recharged the batteries, strimmed the garden until the battery ran out on the strimmer and I'm really pleased with the results of my labour.  I've noticed that the tobacco plants have traces of Colorado beetles on them so tomorrow I have to find the powder out and give them the treatment... it's very effective.  Tools away, on charge where necessary, it's a pretty calm evening and tomorrow it's probably more of the same unless I make the effort to go to the polyclinic and get the latest version of the Covid Vaccine documentation.  This one is supposed to be recognised throughout Europe so well worth having.  

Nine o'clock my time....I'm late this evening, the boiler is on for soak before bedtime.  LN....Another successful day......LN



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Elsa Peters
July 5, 2021, 5:37pm Report to Moderator

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Monday 5th July

Short and sweet tonight, I've had a full on day and feel absolutely whacked.  Seven start and it was a beautiful morning out on the balcony with my coffee, tomatoes on toast for breakfast and as arranged my potential workman came round, looked at the work, we managed to communicate in local language and I got most of it and the paint for the winter lounge/ corridor is going to be Turkish.  His idea is that it give much better coverage especially near the woodburner and the pipes so I took his word for it.  He gave me a quote and as long as his work is excellent I shan't have a problem with coughing up but I hope it lives up to expectations.  I've not used him before so I'll give him a try.  He's agreed to start work on Thursday at seven thirty in the morning so I better set my alarm.

Now the problem with the downstairs bedroom is that I haven't had any guests this year so the winter clothes, boots etc have remained downstairs.  Normally if I'm expecting anyone I transfer my stuff out and their stuff in so I set to.  The clothes including the hanging rail are upstairs and the bed moved to the centre of the room, everything is out or can be covered with polythene.  By lunchtime I'd hoovered, washed round the skirting areas rejigged furniture and it's all ready for Thursday.  I had a brief respite with potato salad from Lidl and a can of tuna, watched some tennis and then started on the lounge and the only thing left to do is move the books out and the bookcase and take down a couple of pictures.  The clay pots went out to the terrace along with the big red one that I purchased last year and I finally finished at seven.  Only job left tonight is to have a bonfire and lock up the little house and workshop.

Supper was a couple of yogurts with several glasses of water and I'm guessing I shall sleep well tonight or ought to.  As for the weather, the clouds rolled over at one thirty more or less, we had a few bursts of thunder, high winds that subsided almost as quickly has they'd sprung up and a few minutes of heavy rain which forced me to leg it quickly up the stairs and bring in the chair cushions from the balcony and I was just in time.  I briefly caught sight of Rosy ambling down the grass towards the bottom of the garden, Blue is still AWOL and as for Sandy, not a peep.  Tomorrow it's a trip to the garage with the Beast for it's pre-MOT check and then I might as well carry on to Kardjali and get it done and while I'm in Kardjali I might as well try to get my updated Covid Passport.  If England is opening up, I might even start looking at flights.  LN.....Bonfire, shower and bed....LN



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Elsa Peters
July 6, 2021, 5:55pm Report to Moderator

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Tuesday 6th July

Six thirty start and after the first escape on to the balcony with my coffee it was all systems go.  I washed and dressed straightaway and dressed for town, put a load of washing into the machine, got my documents together and packed my handbag and moved the Nipper so that I could bring the Beast down into the yard and give it a bit of a belated spring clean before I took it down for its pre-MOT inspection before the real thing later on.  I used the hosepipe on it and the watering can, that done I went to find the blackboard and easel that I had to deliver to my student's home.  There would be no one at home so I agreed to leave it on the terrace.  Washing pegged out, easel loaded. documents sorted and the remainder of the bread was thrown out for the birds, or the cats or anyone that wants it.

I dropped the blackboard off first and had to stop and have a word with the neighbours...I haven't seen them for ages due to Covid and they wondered what I was up to.  I went to the garage and the checks were done and fully valeted for ten lev and I think I'm getting family rates after all this time.  Lots of traffic going into and out of Kardjali but I went to the MOT garage,  was welcomed by the owner since I've been going there for ten years or so and we talk about his daughter, pigeons and Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones and how his keyboard skills are coming along.  Documents and windscreen sticker obtained and sited, it has gone up by ten leva thanks to Europe bringing in new systems but still not bad at forty five leva.  Over to the hospital and I couldn't find room 200 but there was a huge queue at room 201 so I didn't wait to ask...I went down to my doctor in the basement and she printed two copies of the new European Covid Certificate for me.  Back to Djebel with a brief stop at Lidl and home for three thirty, shopping away and I spent the afternoon crying and laughing my way through a film that I found on Netflix.  It was so good that I've already recommended it to Princess.  Got the washing in and that's ready to put away....not a drop of rain at all.

A flurry of activity tonight. ....I was writing the blog when there was terrific thump on the window and my normal response is to remind the birds that it's a window.  I went to look from the stairs and it was a young woodpecker and it didn't look very good at all.  I went outside and with the shovel tried to lift it and it fluttered and stood upright but still looked extremely dazed so I put some water in a shallow dish and then decided to jerk it into life with the gentle spray of garden hose and it did the trick.  He immediately came round and took off for the hillside and no one was more surprised than I was...I thought he was a goner.  So pretty good day, everything achieved and a life saved.  LN.....A perfect day....LN



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Elsa Peters
July 7, 2021, 6:13pm Report to Moderator

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Wednesday 7th July

Seven start, sun up but it had been another silly night.  I was awake at three and playing games until four thirty so there wasn't much of a spring in my step this morning. I also made the mistake of having two cups of coffee without my tablet or breakfast and felt a little light headed, took my blood pressure so settled for another half tablet and stabilised.  It's my own fault....I should go back to the hot water without additives.  Washed and dressed for Djebel, my house funds were running low and with a workman coming tomorrow I wanted to have the money ready for him and it meant not having to go out and leave him here on his own.  Sally and Bekir were here for years as you know, this one it's his first time here.  I made a couple of ham sandwiches and walked the garden eating them.  Cat was out so she got some of them but it didn't stop her painful call...she doesn't even sound like a cat....perhaps her mother hadn't got good parenting skills and as for the father, like most cases in the animal kingdom in Bulgaria, never to be seen again until it wants to mate with the daughter.

Both of the vehicles were in the yard and I wanted to put the Beast back in the garage but I'd spotted Rosy emerging from there earlier this morning and currently I didn't know where she was.  I swept the old leaves that had blown into it out and on to the area between the wall and the garage wall but still no sign of her so I went inside and decided to carry on with preparing for the onslaught tomorrow morning.  I had five minutes on the sofa and saw her walking towards the little house from the direction of the garage so went out to try to head her off but she went under the Nipper so again my trip into Djebel was delayed.  Eventually I tracked her down so took advantage of the moment and put the Beast into the cleaned out garage, the Nipper went out on the the grass outside the wall and I could make my escape as and when without running over a tortoise....the hardships we endure.

Eventually I set off for Djebel at twelve thirty remembering to take some sticks of bees wax that I'd promised my student's mum.  I parked up outside and she hadn't much to do apart from the odd customers since Wednesday is a slow day so we were able to have conversations about a lot of things.  She told me that the Kardjali football team that her son plays for had won the championship at the weekend and she was over the moon about it and rightly so.  I think that anything that get's the face away from a screen deserves attention and recognition.  Well done Kardjali.  I was surprised, two hours went by really quickly, the cashpoint that I normally use wasn't in action so I found another one and got the jackpot, arrived home, checked the area for roaming tortoise and managed to get the Nipper safely back in the drive without incident.

Tennis this afternoon until I got the urge to get the carpets up in the corridor area, the log basket is now cleaned out and in the little house ready for winter. the floor was hoovered and washed over and very little furniture to move round for the man.  I settled for an early supper of local corned beef, cold baked beans and potato salad and that will see me through until morning with maybe a few peanuts later.  Federer is out, the one that knocked out Andy Murray is still in and his match was really exciting going to five sets.  Calm night, a few clouds over to the west as the sun was setting, I've just finished watering the pots and old vegetable garden...I think the plants have got used to the rain unlike me....it's been a funny old summer so far.  LN.....Early night...early start....LN



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Elsa Peters
July 8, 2021, 4:42pm Report to Moderator

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Thursday 8th July

So six o'clock start and I was very aware of the fact that my workman was coming today so didn't linger long over Sudoku,,,it's an easy thing to do.  I watched the sun come up from the balcony and it makes me realise how much the acacia has grown this year, I had to move to the one side of the balcony to get the really red ball.  I settled for hot water instead of coffee to see if that was making me feel funny in the morning, took my reading and I was pretty much back to a youngster's level but I wished I felt it now.  

I went out a did a circuit of the garden and I saw all three of the beauties at different times.  Rosy was first and I was just about to throw out an oldish apple so I went in and got a knife and sliced it up for her.  She had some of it but then went on her way back towards the yard, I heard a rustle and was surprised to see Sandy, the little one heading towards the apple, he took some of it and then carried on into the undergrowth,  Blue was next and was on a mission to get round to the yard and I've worked out why, I didn't realise but my other big tree in the yard is a mulberry so they're all coming for goodies.  My painter arrived at a quarter to eight, I was beginning to think that he was a no show, but I heard his car and he parked up outside.  I asked him if you wanted to bring it into the yard, he seemed to have lots of stuff, but he declined.  I'd stripped out the bedroom and lounge so he was straight to it and worked steadily and at eleven thirty he said that he was going home for breakfast since he didn't like eating early and came back half an hour later bearing gifts of tomatoes from his garden and cucumbers.  I hadn't the heart to tell him that I 'don't do green' so I thanked him and put them in the kitchen.  It's a good job that I mentioned that I had three tortoise, when he came back from his break, he'd discovered Rosy shell side down with little legs going ten to the dozen.  He called me over and turned her over and off she went towards the grave garden chasing after Blue who was also making his escape,  He's doing a good job, a little bit messy but lime wash is like that and let's the wall breathe...much better than paint with latex in it.  Bedroom and lounge complete and I've made a start of putting it all back together and today has been interspersed with weeding, washing curtains and beating rugs.  I'm absolutely knacked.

He put the first layer on the bathroom ceiling and has repaired a little bit of damp plasterwork on the ceiling.  That will require another coat tomorrow, the woodburner pipes run through the bathroom to get to the chimney.  At four I made coffee and we both sat down to drink it and I think it was the first time that we'd both stopped.  Tools away for him, he'd covered them with polythene so when he left I moved them all into the workshop just in case the rain comes down.  We had a few really heavy spots from one dark cloud but that was it and the weather report states that all is OK for tomorrow....but it said that about today.

Seven thirty my time and I've just put the boiler on for a bath....it's been a hot sticky day and it might freshen me up before bedtime.  Cream cheese for supper with breadsticks, I'm much to tired to thing about going the whole hog in the kitchen.  LN....We're in for a seven thirty start again.....LN



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Elsa Peters
July 9, 2021, 6:10pm Report to Moderator

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Friday 9th July

So I woke up at six and was fully awake and waiting for my workman to appear.  It think it was closer to eight when he did but I'd sorted out the hosepipes, watered most of the garden deciding that there was too much to do inside and he was going to make more work to do today and he was wondering where I'd got to.  He saw that the hose was connected so I advised him in future that if it's going, I'm probably on the other end of it.

I didn't bother with breakfast, he started in the bathroom, moved on to the hall and I left him to it.  I busied myself collecting seeds from the sweet peas, more from the purple humped flowers that currently remain nameless and took the broad beans from the dried up pods, they'll be going in about September. I sorted out the covers for the outside furniture, it looks like the weather has settled down so it's worth risking it.  I removed the dried lavender from the little house, it had been hanging around for a couple of years so it was time it went...the new is flowering profusely so I'll have fresh.  I also found five containers of old glass jars and I'm going to wash them and put them down by the containers, the ladies are the ones that bottle everything in sight and somebody will find a use for them.  

He was now moving to the kitchen so the freezer came out, we moved the table and benches and I'd already stripped off the window sill, washed the curtains and the table cloth.  The central island was cleared and I suggested that he put the plastic sheeting from the wall cupboards to the other side of the island and it should have kept most of the white stuff on the plastic.  It's easy enough to clean down the tiles and there's not much to do in the kitchen mainly one wall and that's got a window in it  After the kitchen he went for his late breakfast - early lunch and he called me to show me a rather large tortoise on the inside of the front gate.  It wasn't one of mine and we noticed that there appeared to be dried blood on the shell and it retreated under the Nipper.  I went to look for it and it was trying to get back onto the road and freedom so I opened the gate and let it go....and after a while it set off up the road.  I'm thinking somebody thought that they were rescuing and pooped it inside my gate.  it I kept busy and brought the swinging bench out and washed it down and when he came he checked on the work he'd done and there were one or two patches that he had to go over, it's difficult to spot until it dries.  Looking at it now I think the bathroom ceiling wants another coat...but I can do that.

He finished, I paid him, he left his tools and picked them up later and I set to putting the kitchen back together again.  I'd noticed a screwdriver on the worktop and though nothing of it but when I came to put the curtains up in the kitchen one of the holding rings wasn't holding in the wall.  A flash of brilliance from me, I slimmed down a dowel, hammered it home and screwed the support back in...a proud moment...it's stronger than it was before.  I've cleaned down the tiles in the bathroom but need to get the ladder out tomorrow and clean the tiles properly from the top down...white doesn't show up on white until you get close.

Too hot to eat, watching the tennis now and then a quick bath and bed.  The concrete near the outside sink has got lots of white stuff around so I'll need to give that a good wash down....not that I'm whinging.....it's done and dusted and generally looks much better.  LN.....And now back to the tennis.....LN
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Elsa Peters
July 10, 2021, 7:08pm Report to Moderator

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Saturday 10th July

Seven start, I had nothing to get up for but it didn't stop me.  I did sit out in the sun with my coffee until the marauding new martins were getting too close for comfort so I did come inside but went out again with the camera when I saw a pair of woodpeckers flitting between the trees and the grass.  I tried really hard to get a photo but it didn't work.   When the sun is really out it's very difficult to see the screen and I have marvellous pictures of the grass and fallen leaves but nothing worth committing to the update.

Washed and dressed and set out to water the garden before the sun really got some heat in it, the flowers seem to want a lot especially the sunflowers in the pots.  I didn't bother with breakfast, spent twenty minutes trying to kick start the Lenovo Yoga that didn't want to boot and eventually got it going.  I use that mainly to keep track of my Fitbit achievements or none achievements and eventually I got it up and running using one of the methods from Google.  That said I decided not to waste the day.  I washed both of the carpets out on the washing line with the hose pipe, it was such a beautiful day, hot and with a fairly stiff breeze and after turning them a few times they were dry..  I washed the tiles down in the bathroom and put that back together again, washed down the doors, tiles and tile surrounds in the corridor and by this time it was time for the Women's final so I stretched out on the cane chair with a footstool and settled down to watch.  I didn't think it was very exciting, they both played reasonable games with the odd spells of genius but that's only my opinion.  

I carried on with the furniture removals and now I've only the lounge to do and I was more or less clearing that as he was making his mess so there's not so much to do.  I had a phone call from the UK that took up half an hour or so, brought the carpet it and laid it, replaced the sofa and cushions, watered the garden and noticed that the sun was going down so went out on to the road to take a photo.  I looked over towards my Avatar's house and she's back.  She came with her daughter from Germany today, neither has been vaccinated and I'm not sure of the status when they arrive from Germany.  I asked if they needed anything, they'd just put the electric on but the water was very slow from the tap so I mentioned that I'd a spare eleven litre bottle.  I took it over with bred, tomatoes, cucumbers and a tin of local corned beef and thought at least they could have something to eat.  I'll probably take the little strimmer round tomorrow and give the grass the once over especially from the gate to the house to make life easier for them.  

Again I've done too much today.....but one last push and it will be finished.  LN.....Why do I start these things?......LN



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