Tuesday 20th July

Seven start this morning and a blissful night's sleep.  Made coffee and sat out on the balcony, this morning just a few fluffy clouds in the sky but nothing to write home about.  There were a few jets screaming around but too high to see what they were and so I took the camera out on to the balcony, put the umbrella up so that I could see the screen but everything happened very quickly, it came towards me and I snapped away and thought that I didn't get anything until I put it on the scree and low and behold, I got it.  Not very detailed and looks like a fly in the distance or something on the lens but no....I got it.  I didn't stop there, black cat was rolling in the dusty patches on the lawn and then strolled down the garden as if it owned the joint and  I guess it does.  It sat down by the mulberry and contemplated what to do next and then found a very shady spot near to the acacia and stretched out and just chilled despite the heat.

I'd been down to the bread van earlier and walked down with Haciber who's just returned with her daughter from Chanakale this side of Istanbul and a couple of times she almost fell over.  She made her way to Zelinger's house and while we waited for the van several from the village congregated and there were some new faces that are here for the holiday.  Haciber still wasn't back when the van arrived so I called out to her and one of the sons went to find her but she didn't want anything so I walked with her back to her gate.  She's really not well at all and shouldn't be on her own and I believe her daughter goes back tomorrow to Turkey.

I made breakfast of toasted ham and cheese sandwiches and sat in the stairwell eating them and then decided to sort out my money change pot so that I can sell it back to the chemists and I was surprised to find that I'd got thirty leva in bits and pieces.  I was intending to go into Djebel and change it up and I had a few more things to buy including some hose pipe ends and a new pump for the water bottles.  The springy bit of plastic that makes it 'pump' had cracked and I need a new one.  By now it had got very hot and knocking on for two o'clock so I tidied round a little and settled on the sofa for another session of Blacklist...it sort of drew me in and it's a little obsessive.

At six I'd made my mind up to go out and water the garden and just managed to bring in the cushions from the balcony and the umbrella, the cushions from the terrace and the carpet from the line before the heavens opened.  Nature has watered the garden for me and given it a good soaking.  There was a rumble of thunder but nothing to write home about and the clouds look as if they've lightened their load but still more to come.  Saves me paying for it.  Pizza out for supper and mince out to thaw for tomorrow....and hopefully we'll be back to normal tomorrow.  LN...Need full zoom on for the aircraft I think....LN

Wednesday 21st July

I couldn't manage to get off to sleep last night for reasons unknown and was still playing silly games at one this morning.  Eventually I dropped off and it was six thirty when I woke so not much sleep was had at all and I didn't even manage a catch=up this afternoon despite taking up position on the sofa.  Just nothing doing.  I made coffee and had it inside, nothing to see out there wall to wall mist and fog after yesterday's rain and it took a good time to burn off.  I meandered around a bit, sorted out a few things on the terrace, no need to water the garden and my goodness, Noah didn't it rain yesterday.  There was still water in the bases of the flower pots so I had nothing to do so went inside and made breakfast.  More coffee and toasted cheese sandwich and then decided to go on a tortoise hunt to see if any were about.  The mist had burnt off, I took a large cucumber that I'd been given out with me as a 'treat' and starting in the grave garden did the circuit and it was half way up the long wall that I spotted what I thought was Blu but which could have equally been Rosy since she needs another coat of nail varnish.  I dropped half of the cucumber and there was investigation and an attempt to conquer it and eventually it got the hang of managing the monstrosity which as a fair size portion of the whole.

I carried on to the cranberry towards the workshop terrace and heard strange noises coming from a pile of wood leaning against the house wall.  There are two old polythene garden protectors that I use for new seeds and the sound was like claws on polythene so I moved the wood and what turned out to be Blue had obviously got itself stuck and couldn't get a foothold on the polythene to extricate itself and was unable to turn round due to the narrow gap....doh.  I moved the wood away, pulled the polythene covered object away from it so that it could slide back onto the concrete...goodness knows how long it had been trying to get out.  I put the other half of the cucumber down near to it and it manoeuvred it against the wall so that it couldn't get a way and got stuck in.  Having fed what I thought was Blue earlier I went back to check and there was the cucumber. no tortoise and it wasn't to be found.  The temperature was rising by this time so it was time for me to come in and for them to find safe places to hide in the shade.

I opened up the computer on the desk and started to look for a few names on ancestry to confirm death dates and children of relatives of my grandfather and kept hitting brick walls.  I've confirmed one date of birth for a female and it was out by seven years from the date that was given to me by her relatives. This is all in my hunt for the Canadian relatives, pubs in Birmingham and retirements in Falmouth in Cornwall.  I seemed to be going round in circles so I gave up at two, too hot to go outside and nothing really to do without I started a new project and my get up and go for this week has got up and gone.  My Blacklist on Netflix looked like an easy option for the afternoon so I took it.  The clouds came over at five and are still with us, the breeze has picked up and the temperature has gone down a little and no sign of rain so I'm off to water the pots on the terrace.  LN.....A lazy old day......LN

Thursday 22nd July

Seven start and really funny sensation.  I've had it before, my bottom lip swells up, feels like it's been injected with something and makes me dribble my coffee.  I'm obviously allergic to something in something that I'm eating and I'm trying to narrow it down.  It takes about two hours to get back to normal so I shall have to start making notes on what passes my lips.  I did have peanuts last night with a suspicious coating of some thing orange and a bowl of yogurt before bedtime...who knows!!

I spotted one of the tortoise out and about this morning as I had my coffee on the balcony and even got the binoculars out to spot who it was but to no avail.  The nail varnish is fading rapidly in this heat so another coat called for.  I went out to check and it was Blue and while I was out there I did some weeding on the old veg patch and took photos of the sunflowers that are just coming into bloom.  Unfortunately I also had a couple of casualties of the winds from yesterday. two gladioli are now sitting in a vase decorating the place so not totally gone to waste.  Toasted cheese sandwiches for breakfast and so I continued in the kitchen and put some cubed meat into the slow cooker with onions, pasata and red pepper and that should be ready any time soon and I'll serve it with rice.

I was aware that there was a police siren going off and I'm just wondering if they were out to catch non-quarantineers which wouldn't surprise me at all.  It seems to be a free-for-all due to the Muslim holiday...the world and all it's friends seem to be zooming up and down the village.  I'll hear about it from my Avatar later I'm sure.  Spend some of the day clearing out the wooden trug on the terrace, topped it up with new compost and bird droppings from the nest under the eaves,  moved a few plants from various pots and generally made the area look tidier.  There's only me to see it but it still matters.  Lots of humming moths out around the lavender but they're just too quick to catch, better success on the zinnia or tobacco in the evening.   Did manage a photograph of a really big ugly bugly...you really wouldn't want that nesting in you knickers in the words of Roald Dahl.  A little TV this afternoon, eight thirty now and it's time to start the rice.  I was destined to go into Djebel but never made it...too much like hard work..  LN....Kitchen time....LN

Friday 23rd July

Seven start this morning so I made my coffee and took it out on to the balcony to enjoy the start of day.  The sun was having a bit of a battle with some low lying clouds and I stuck it out until I realised that I was cold.....it's nearly August for goodness sake,,,it feels more like Autumn.  I fiddled around a bit, for some reason I was on the hunt for some leather trousers that I'd planned on making into a handbag and not only did I find them but another couple of waistcoats that I'd bought from my cheapy shops when I was caught up and inspired to start making stuff from them.  It also reminded me that I was going to ask Avatar if I could borrow her hand sewing machine that's sitting in her loft/  She's got workmen there at the moment and I'm sure they could get it down or I could at least go up there to see if it would do what I want it to do.....otherwise, hand sewing and I need to order tools from the internet to punch out the holes.

I didn't bother with breakfast mainly because I'd thrown the last of the bread out yesterday intending to go into Djebel which I hadn't managed to do.  I prepared my list which included the hose connectors and new ends, water pump for the large water bottle, see if the chemist wanted the 30 leva of change that I'd taken from my dumping pot and I now wanted bread.  My first problem was finding a parking space.....I'd forgotten that it was Friday, a holiday to boot and Djebel was full.  I eventually found a space away from the centre behind the mosque and had to pass the leva shop so make my first purchase of the water pumps.  I headed towards the chemist and one of the assistants left the shop and was having a ciggy and a cup of coffee and I approached her and asked if she was interested in change and she was.  I opened the yogurt pot, explained that it was all in different denominations, was list and told her there was thirty leva's worth.  She said that she was went inside the chemist, brought me out the notes and I carried on to my student's mum's shop. I sat for a while putting the world to rights. the yogurt pot was returned to me, the shop got busy so I went on the hunt for the hose connectors.  Found some in the second shop and walking back to the Nipper I had to pass the place where I order my wood and asked how much a ton was this year.  Unexpectedly it had reduced in price so I drove down to the woodyard to see what the quality was like and to tell the man which pile to take it from and a bill of sale was printed in the shop.  I ordered three tons just in case it's a hard winter...you never know Norman.  I stopped off for the bread, headed home with all tasks complete, fixed the hose connectors, bread into the freezer, watered the garden, a little television, tuna mayo sandwiches for a late lunch and the next thing was a man ringing my outside bell with my delivery.  

I'd left the Nipper outside so that he could revers into the yard, he tipped his load and I paid him and then thought of my plan of attack. I stacked the old wood from last year to one side so that gets used first, swept the woodstore, moved a few things round and I was ready for action.  I use the log carrier, much easier that a wheel barrow, worked until six, came in for water and set myself a target of finishing at eight which I did.  Watered the garden, in my eight thirty and I know what I'm doing in the morning......my first preparation for winter, the wood's so dry now that you get more for your money so thereby a saving,  

Sitting wiring this and I was amazed to see a blood red moon rising , couldn't see it from the balcony because of the trees so went outside and it's such an amazing colour,  I need to think about something to eat, don't want much but I think I've worked the tuna mayo sandwiches off.  Need to have a bath and a good soak to ease out the shoulder muscles.  LN.....Boiler on......LN

Saturday 24th July

So it was a seven start...I stopped up to watch the Amy Winehouse programme and it didn't start until eleven my time.  It was interesting and such a shame, on a self destructive path and not able to bring herself back and gain control.  So I made my coffee, took it downstairs, toasted cheese sandwiches for breakfast and I' set myself a target of eight to be outside and carry on where I'd left off last night...the wood wasn't going to move itself.  I was a little late and it was eight thirty when I got out, first job was to unload the two log carriers that I'd left last night and then to start the process of loading and unloading,  I stayed with it until ten and decided to have water and a little television and found that the Olympics Road race was on and in my youth, I was introduced to this sport by a boyfriend and find the tactics fascinating,  Such a good ride by the cappie from Ecuador winning only the second gold medal they've achieved in their Olympic journey.  At eleven I had visitors from my village, my neighbour from the next garden was standing with two young men and I was unsure why they were there so I tried Bulgarian and one said that he didn't understand Bulgarian but spoke English and it transpired that he had a restaurant in Eastbourne and I asked him to leave the name of it with his aunt and I'd look him up when I was next in the UK.   I then accepted a joint of meat from my neighbour and she said that the animal that was sacrificed was a gift from her nephew.  

Off they went and out I went and got stuck in and had finished stacking by one thirty more or less and only had the yard to tidy.  At that there was a screech of brakes and my Fotinovo buddy had turned up bearing beetroot.  I told him he'd timed it perfectly...the last load was stacked and he did the same last year.  I'd thought that he might be round and hoped it was when I'd finished...it's my work and I did it.  I made coffee , we put the world to rights as best we could, we moved on to the terrace so that he could smoke, more coffee and it was about two hours later he went.  I finished the yard dumping the bark and dust on the garden at the bottom of the garden and I'll soak it tomorrow and dig the garden over.  All that's left to do is to move the starter wood from the garage, tidy up the rest of the timber and get the logs that need splitting under cover just in case we have lightening storms.  

Tools away at six thirty and into the bath and now feeling very much cleaner and smelling much better.  It was good honest sweat but it's not to be encouraged.  I haven't thought about supper yet....I need to get my cooking head on.  LN....Another item off my winter checklist.......LN

Sunday 25th July

A very silly night for me.  I was watching my Netflix programme until two thirty this morning, had not an ounce of sleep in me when I went to bed, ended up watching the Olympics skate board, a newly added sport and eventually got my head down around four this morning.  I was awake at the normal time seven, coffee, washing in, washing out on the line, toast for breakfast and the day was all mine.  I put the Olympics on for an overnight catch-up and started to watch the women's cycle race and got hooked.  Just as it was coming to a conclusion my phone went and decided not to answer it, the next thing my house phone was going and I left that to ring too.  The race concluded and Guljan was at the door, she was over from Germany for the holiday and came bearing gift...she was allowed in.

She told me how busy she had been since she got here, the family had killed two calves which they had processed, I had a bag of frozen mince which is sitting in my freezer and she also brought me a box of chocolates and a very pretty sun top for the beach.  They've just bought an apartment in Kardjali and we were supposed to go and visit it this time but didn't manage to get there.  There's supposedly lots of old furniture that is not to her liking but likely to mine or stuff that can be renovated for them....next time, since she flew from Sofia this evening.  Another reason for coming was to get her documents printed out for the flight and when it was time to leave she asked if I could possibly take her home.  It's about a five minute walk but the sheep farmer's dogs guard the flock and the main road and are very nasty so I had no problem getting the Nipper out and dropped her off around one thirty.

I decided it was time to get washed and dressed, the starter wood was beckoning but it didn't shout very loudly so I took to the sofa in the lounge and went back to the Olympics and watched the gymnastics with the young English team doing very well.  I must have nodded off for an hour or so catching up on my lack of sleep last night, woke up and put Netflix on and my program and noticed the box of chocolates on the sofa next to me and it had to be done.  There are a few left, not many and very probably will go this evening.  I'm not one who can have one chocolate and meter them out, too tempting to indulge myself.

The washing came in at seven thirty and I gave the garden a good watering since a few of the flowers were looking crispy around the edges.  The wood will still be there tomorrow so it's now on my mental list but not that pressing.  August I have to sort out my insurance for the Nipper and get it MOT'd so that's also on the mental list but for tonight, back to the Olympics and Netflix.  LN....Good to catch up with friends......LN

Monday 26th July

Seven start this morning and saying I went to bed at eleven, what a brilliant night I had.  I think getting three tons of wood into store took more out of me that I thought it did.  As some point I must remember that I'm not a spring chicken.  I made the mistake of putting on the Olympics and watched the three gold medals that were issued this morning and well done to all of them.  Determination is a character asset that cannot be denied when it works out.  Some times it can be classed as bloody mindedness which damages the soul;  I made a bacon sandwich for breakfast, prepared a stew from the meat that I'd been given by my neighbour from the next garden and put it in the slow cooker with carrots and potatoes ready for this evening.

The Olympics went on for so much longer than I intended and it was lunchtime before I set my mind to anything else.  It was much to hot to go outside and work, I'd watered the garden well last night and knew that it would be alright until the eventing so played around with ancestry for a while and then on to Netflix.  There was only one real job on my list and that was to have a bonfire but the wind off the hillside was just too strong, the grass is so dry that it would just catch and run and can't have that.  I had an early supper and the taste was good but the meat a little tough despite having cooked it on low in the slow cooker for around six hours.  The trouble is that no one here sees to hang meat unlike the UK and t doesn't seem to have much chance to rest before it's cooked and eaten.

I went out to water the garden and managed to get connectors on each of the three hosepipes and can now easily reach the bottom of the garden.  I was just walking towards the grave garden when I heard squeaking and clattering and at first I didn't understand what it was and then I saw Rosy and the one I'd painted with the green nail varnish in a bit of a battle.  I know it's nature and it is what it is but she obviously didn't want it and he was too enraged or dumb to realise it.  He kept trying to mount her and she walked away and he dropped off the back and this must have gone on for about five minutes. enough time for me to get my camera and get out on my bedroom balcony.  The next I saw was that the green one was on his back and trying desperately to get back on his feet and he managed it.  The squared up again and she became really aggressive towards him, making it clear that she wasn't interested and started to eat one of the apricots that I'd put out last night,  Thinking that he was on to a good thing while she was busy he tried once more but she swiftly turned round and saw him off.  By not one of the shrubs was almost drowning, Id left the hose on it so I sauntered down the garden to move the hose on to the next and as I walked back I saw green one walking towards the bottom of the garden and Rosy was no where to be seen  I think the passion had ebbed away.

I finished watering the garden, washing-up is done and the kitchen is tidy.  I've had another restful day and with another two weeks of the Olympics, it's a good job that the wood is in and not sitting in the yard.  Just gone nine my time, I'm late this evening and it won't be long before I'm hitting the sack.  LN...Such a relaxing day....LN

Tuesday 27th July

Funny old day....I slept through until seven so another good night's sleep, I washed and dressed for the garden and first job was to get the garden watered.  It was going to be another really hot day.  I came in and put the Olympics on and watched the mornings events catch-up and congrats to the double swimming medals, last time we had gold and silver in the same event was nineteen o' eight so the boys did well.  I made bacon sandwich for breakfast and topped up with more coffee and managed to start the sort out of the winter starter wood by cleaning out the other half oil drum with kitchen grease remover, lots of water and left it to dry in the sun.  The barrel is now full of the old wood from the garage and tomorrow I'll be sawing it either with the reciprocating saw or manually, depends how I feel and then I'll chop it ready for the winter.  The plan is good but I need to move the old screen that I used to put near the entrance door so that the garage internal wall is clear and I can stack the logs that still need chopping in the garage.  I'm ahead this year, I normally don't make a start on wood until September but at least if I manage to get to the UK, I shan't have a panic on.

By now it was around two in the afternoon and it was thirty two out and thirty four in but at least there was a breeze blowing through the house.  I stationed myself on the sofa and settled in to Blocklist on Netflix and watched a few episodes until the heat started to go out of the day.  It was back to watering for the evening and I had a bonfire to get rid of the rubbish, the wind had dropped and it was a very still evening.  Had a bit of confusion set in...I noticed a couple of tortoise in the garden near the bonfire and did a double take.  They both had blue nail varnish on their shells and I can only guess that the one that I refreshed the paint on was in fact Green Goddess not Blue Boy so now I have two Blues, no old green but the new one that was ravaging Rosy the other night.  I think I need to get some purple varnish out, the other one get's blamed for such a lot.

So I'd packed up for the night and just settled in to the Olympics' afternoon roundup and I spotted a child in the garden and so switched off the television and not only one there one but several and adults.  They are friends from Turkey and are visiting relatives here and one of the sisters from Ankara has three children and the other sister has one boy.  Lovely children but investigated the garden, the tortoise, inside and outside the house which I didn't mind at all.  They are a delightful family and mother was with them.  Off they went after taking lots of photos of the garden and each other and I was really surprised to receive a couple of presents from my friend...a table runner that she has block printed and a shopping bag block printed up with 'present from Ankara'.

I'm not wanting supper...it's too hot to eat at the moment, maybe cheese and biscuits later.  A successful day but I need a bit of brute force to help me move the screen so that I can get on with stacking the logs.  I might be phoning my painter later for some held.  LN   I good day and a really well watered garden.....LN

Wednesday 28th July

Well it's been a pretty quiet day after yesterday.  I slept through again until seven so by the time I'd had coffee, got washed and dressed and made toast for breakfast it was time to put on the overnight results from Tokyo...More success in the swimming in the relay and this year it looks they they're going to be the stream that comes out on top.  Sport took priority yet again and it was close to eleven before I put my nose out and thought about getting on with things.  I'd done a late watering last night so left them to their own devices but I really should be out there now.

So I managed to get three large containers of starter wood chopped and ready for winter and tidied out the porch to the little house.  Tomorrow's job is going to throw away old wood that nothing has been done to for the last five years, I can put a lot of it at the bottom of the garden to rot away making it a perfect spot for buglies.  I'd rather they were down the bottom of the garden than in the little house or wood store.  This seems to be the year where I have more time to get on with things like this so Covid has it's upside.  I did hear today that it will be possible to go to the UK without having to isolate providing you are in possession of a recognised vaccination certificate...still have to check out though if it's necessary to have PCR tests here and there.

I came in at two. despite working in the shade it was really quite humid and I've already got the boiler on so that I can ease out the aches and pains of moving heavy logs and clean out the pores......another sweaty old day.  Another problem that's raised its head is my Sony camera.....every photo that I take seems to be unable to write to the card and a message the it's trying to retrieve data appears.  I've found the manual out and think I might have to refer to the on-line help...or find a man who can.  I wanted a point and shoot and it pointed and shot until it developed the last problem. It's been a picky day food wise, so I think the trend might continue into the evening.  LN....Garden needs water......LN

Thursday 29th July

Another late start and so I made coffee, moved down to the lounge and put on the Olympics to see breaking news and any events that I'd missed over night.  It's really in the wrong time zone but at least I have a two hour advantage over viewers from the UK.  I made toast for breakfast and with another top-up of coffee, I settled in and just enjoyed the morning.  I did have my bath last night but it's so humid that it's time for a shower tonight despite the fact that I've done very little.  I also have to admit that I've binged somewhat on Blacklist my Netflix serial but too hot to work in the garden and really too hot to be sawing and chopping wood.

A lot of my morning was also taken up with trying to sort out my camera.  I eventually came out with an error code which was recognised by Google and there was a tutorial on how to fix it.  Of course like most tutorials they're of use to initiates of the dark arts but for some one like me I really need easy solutions.  I was getting to the stage of resetting the phone and formatting the data disk since I'd copied the files from the camera to the computer but for some obscure reason, there's no way to delete the photos from the camera from the computer.....Before I use drastic measures, I'm going to consult my guru who may be able to help and if not then I might even resort to a hammer and just buy a new one.    Agh....why can't things be simple????

I put my nose out of the door to see who was making a commotion on the street and noticed that there was a carrier bag of goodies but the front gate.  I anticipated potatoes and was really surprised when I had a mixed bag of red and normal onions and I'm assuming that they came from my neighbour with the next door garden.  She's such a sweetie.  I made a Plougman's lunch for supper using up the rest of the Cheddar cheese so I'll have to make a trip to Lidl at some point for another batch.  It really does have a much better flavour that the local hard cheese.  Today has also been a day for keeping fluids up and I must have had around three litres of water today.  I'm staying off the fruit juices for the time being...they're loaded with sugar.    So the only photos that I got today was of a woodpecker knocking seven bells out of my lonesome pine but it was well up inside the canopy...much too hot for even woodpeckers to be out.  One of the tortoise was out mid morning but by the time I got out to check which one it was it had done a Houdini on me and just wasn't to be found.  It the weather is good tomorrow, it might very well be swimming and shopping to top up on a few things and another layer of sun tan wouldn't go amiss.  LN...It's hard work living here.....LN