Friday 20th May

Very early start, shower, hair washed and dried and ready for the off by eight this morning.  I was off to Krumovgrad which is now recognised as the gold rush town in southern Bulgaria and is open pit mining  and apparently very successful.  The town has benefitted from it...it was once run down and now we have water spouts in the pavements, new seating in the newly paved squares, vey full modern coffee bars and I hardly recognised the place, I'd been thee about nine years previously.  We walked the markets, I chatted to a flower stallholder that I see at various markets around the area and she mentioned that the next 'praznic' or fete in the area is at Pripek and will be the first in the village for two years because of Covid.  We found a small cafe for lunch and for four of us it came to fifteen lev which is approximately seven pounds and this saw me through until this evenings hamburger in a toasted bun.  The thing that they really need to spend money on are the toilets in the market place and the bus-station, not pretty or hygienic to visit...I'll have to have a word with the mayor when I next see him at an event.

From there we made out way back to Kardjali, easily parked up using the new system but payment confirmed by sending a text not using the banking payment system.  A few cheapy shops with the visiting guest and I managed to find a pair of black leather ankle boots, forward planning for winter.  The guest googled the name and for eight lev I think I've got a bargain.  We visited the local art centre and met up with a few friends delivering works for a forthcoming showing and I was home for four thirty after a full on day.  It's been a proper summer day with temperature in the high twenties, so much so that I managed to nod off on the way from Krumovgrad to Kardjali....nice to be chauffeured.

A little Netflix this afternoon, supper and then went to the land of nod waking up at around nine my time and fingers crossed I shall manage to get to sleep tonight.  I'm going to have a day of gardening, electrical work changing the plugs on the extension cable and then putting the little mower and hedge trimmer to use, the forsythia has managed to avoid the haircut for a few days now.  LN.....Relaxing day in pleasant company......LN

Saturday 21st May

Another six o'clock start, the sun was up and it was promising to be a very warm day.  Instead of walking the garden and planning my day, I went back to bed with the Kindle, put my Fitbit on charge and what was the use of expending energy when I wasn't being recorded.  Eventually I was out of bed by seven thirty, washed and dressed ready for the garden but firstly made mushrooms on toast and cleared the kitchen deliberately putting off what was to be my first task for the day....changing the cable ends and using the spare reel to wind it round, the other had seen better days. I procrastinated even further and went to see Avatar just for a catch up and she was emerging from her kitchen with a filo pastry dish stuffed with spring onions and soft cheese.  She offered me some, I said that I was fine and had only just had breakfast and it sat on the table with a plate over it to keep warm.  It smelled really delicious and as I was leaving she offered it to me again so I came home with half of it and despite having breakfast, I devoured it as soon as I got back, stuffed to the gills but it was so good.  The ladies really know how to make something out of nothing.

Out to the garden and I gave the little electric mower one more chance to fire up and nothing.  I unwound the cable from the reel, prepared the new one and eventually sorted it out.  Next move was to take the investigate how the starter fires up in the little mower and it seemed pretty easy so put it back together again and still no power getting through to the motor.  I'm not sure if it's worth repairing, it didn't cost much and has given good service so I might see if I can get another one at a reasonable price.  Next job on the list was to sort out the forsythia and cut it down to size so that I can see the bottom of the garden from the terrace...and now I can.  The cuttings went over the wall, the cows eat it currently so let's see if they like it when they're not stealing it from me.  

By now the temperature had really gone up so I came in at two and settled on the sofa and carried on watching my Netflix series and went out again at four thirty and this time watched it all, I didn't nod off.  Fired up the petrol mower, finished the rest of the little house grass and round the cherry tree by the long wall and by now it was getting on for six thirty, I put it away, took the strimmer to the yard and took down the grass and the removed the grass between the house and the front wall.  Tools away, I was surprised how late it was when I'd finished, everything locked up, chicken leg in the oven by eight and I should really be checking it out.  The boiler is on for a bath tonight to ease out the aches and pains, we've swung quickly back into summer after rain and let's hope it stays around a bit longer this time.  I've just watered the garden and the pots, they do benefit from and overnight thirst quencher.  LN......Need to checkout supper.....LN

Sunday 22nd May

Late bath last night and woke up even later with the water cold so I was out drying off very quickly and into my warm nest and slept though until six thirty.  It's been a mixed old day weatherwise. we had a cloudy dull start to the day, warmed up around eleven so went out and had a very slow burning bonfire.  Spotted four of the five tortoise with only shiny purple missing from the role call, Rosy was in the garden at the top of the long wall but didn't seem to be doing any damage to the plants, Cracked Shell was towards the middle of the same stretch and Blue was down the bottom sunning itself.  As for the Don Juan of the outfit, he appeared later in the day when I was sorting out the beds in the grave garden.  

I decided to do some topiary on the bushes in the grave garden which stretched into removing weeds and the leaves dying back from the daffodils.  I've still got plenty of seedlings that need to go in but the planting has been left for another day.  It looks like we shall have rain again overnight so the ground will be ready to accept them and I'll be putting manure on the beds to make sure that they have a reasonable start.  I came in at three to watch the coverage of the Diamond League from Birmingham but couldn't find which programme it was on and the times,  Unfortunately Transponder TV doesn't seem to update the programme guide so instead I turned over to Netflix for an hour or so and promptly went to sleep catching up of my lack of nocturnal resting overnight.  I went out again and did a little more weeding until I felt something prick my finger so it was inside, hot water wash, Germaline on and bandaged.  Went out again but this time to pack up the tools, lock the little house and woodstore and lock myself in the the night.  Time to close the windows since the temperature has dropped and I decided to take in the cushions from the bench on my upstairs balcony after I felt the first drops of rain.

Moved to the kitchen and cooked four fish fingers and made sandwiches for tonight and supper is now over.  I'd forgotten I'd bought them and only found them when I was sorting out the freezer when the middle shelf seemed more secure than Fort Knox.  Lovely light tonight as the sun was going down.  There's a very low cloud formation making everything dull and lifeless except when it set it lit up the trees in the garden and the houses on the hillside...quite magical.  Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow so far so I could be planting up the rest of the seedlings and finalising a few more tubs.  One more job that's really chiding me is to mend the cover on the large terrace umbrella, I'll give it one more go and if not successful, may be time to buy a new on since this one is getting on in years.  LN.....Time to switch off and prepare for an early night.....LN

Monday 23rd May

Early to bed...early to rise but three thirty was just too soon for me so it was Sudoku for an hour and then back off again until seven.  I'm out of a routine and I think it's something to do with the temperature going up and down as it is.  I'm thinking of moving upstairs to see if that helps, I'm finding the downstairs bedroom cold some nights and warm others.....I'm changing room number....

I was having poached eggs on toast at eight thirty, I'd been out to look at the garden and try to plan the day but the best laid plans of mice and men...pahhhh.  The strimmer came out and I went round the grave garden again after I spent time clearing it yesterday.  I've topiarised some of the little shrubs in the long low walled garden and set about clearing the weeds from the circular stone beds round the red plum and the acacia,  It was hard work but one of them is planted up with marigolds that had been lingering in a bucket, they're watered in and are looking really healthy.  I've weeded the garden between the steps and in front of the main terrace, trimmed some of the bushes and moved a few self seeded plants around.  

Unfortunately work has been interspersed with Netflix and this time I managed not to sleep through an episode...which bodes well for tonight.  A few bee-eaters landed on the electricity wires so I shall be looking out for a few more pics of them.  They've got such beautiful colours but not a particularly noticeable call unlike my hiccupping cuckoo that was very vocal this morning and the golden orioles were out and about, they'll be tackling the cherry tree and the mulberry quite soon...villains.

Student tomorrow afternoon and this time I'm going to make sure that I have a half decent text to work through.  I scraped the barrel a little last week, it was interesting , the topic was Petra and we ended up checking it out on the internet for more pictures which was good.  And now to find something for supper, nothing prepared so might be attacking the tinned food stash under the worktop.  LN......Local corned beef, beetroot and grated carrot....healthy snack....LN

Tuesday 24th May

Seven start again, not too good a start to the day, sun was up but clouded over pretty quickly and it was like that for most of the time.  I washed and dressed and had the idea to go into Kardjali and come back for my student's lesson in Djebel but the action to achieve the said idea never materialised. Toast and apricot jam for breakfast. I walked the garden and only saw Blue sunning itself down the bottom of the garden but the others were obviously having a lie in or were in hiding places that I've not discovered to date.

I was feeling cold so changed my town top for a zip up sweater, took my blood pressure and it was fine but I felt lethargic and down for some reason.  I'm putting it down to the weather, there's no stability in it and for tomorrow we are to expect thunderstorms and showers with a temperature of twenty six degrees.  That makes it incredibly humid, upsets the arthritis and saps my energy levels.  So at eleven I took to the sofa, didn't bother with UK TV but put on my Netflix series and watched it for an hour or so and am now engaging with series three.  I didn't fall asleep which I would have loved to do so at twelve thirty I set about finding a text or two for my student this afternoon and found a couple of smaller ones.  We tend to use the text for reading practice and the words that he's not met before I write in English over the text.  Mostly I end up explaining the meaning of some of the longer words over the text to make sure he understands the way that you would use it.  We came across the word 'nap' meaning short sleep while reading a text from a person living in Spain.  This then brought the word 'siesta' up and explaining that the main meal in Spain is at lunchtime and that after lunch they settle down for a 'nap/siesta', the shops reopen at five in the afternoon and stay open until they close depending who owns the store.  This then brought up a conversation about customs of different lands and a second text mentioned that the UK had one of the longest monarchies in Europe which led to a conversation about how many European countries still have kings or queens.  So not only language but history to boot.

Lesson over at five, I spent an hour with his mother in the shop and by now it was thundering and raining quite hard.  The plus side is that I won't have to water my garden tonight.  I stopped off at the supermarket and bought bread, eggs and Turkish biscuits which work out at about twenty five pence for small packets and saves me devouring a big packet.  Better for the pocket and the waistline.  Home just before seven, tuna mayo sandwiches for lunch on fresh bread, washing up can wait until tomorrow to fit in with whatever tomorrow brings or how I feel.  LN.....I'll always be able to find something to do.....LN

Wednesday 25th May

I slept on the settee last night through two sessions of the Netflix I was watching so this afternoon when it got too hot to be outside I rewatched them....that's the beauty of Netflix instead of watching television.  Another good reason is that I find very little on the channels to interest me at the moment....I suppose I'll have to wait for winter.

Scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast, it started off dull but got better and by two as I said, it was time to go inside.  I'd used my time well, the rose growing by the gate made it very difficult to open the gate fully when moving the car in and out.  From the pickies you will see that the rose is very deep from the wall so I ended up poking though a hoe attached to a bungy after first attaching it to the railings.  I picked it upon the inside, threaded it back through the rose, heaved on it and attached the other end to the railings.  Eventually I followed the bungy with some heavy cord to hold it firm incase the bungy snaps.  I followed that with an extension to the original cord that I use to secure the gate and now job done.  While I was at it I secured the white rose and the pink and white one and chopped down a stray plum that had got up to around six feet threatening the view from the upstairs bedroom.

I came in and finished up the rest of the tuna mayo from last night on two slices of toast and was now ready to sit down and see what I'd missed last night.  Unfortunately I got hooked and watched more episodes and eventually got out there again to water the new plants and I did manage to put in around twelve tobacco plants in the old veg garden this morning.  The lupins have taken hold, the cornflowers are about to flower and the sun daisies have lots of buds on them.  I'm happy to see that the bronze ones have survived in the little house over the winter.  No supper required tonight, nine my time already so time to settle in to the rest of the evening.  More of the same tomorrow and that grass seems to be having a growth spurt...pahh.......LN

Thursday 26th May

Seven thirty start this morning which was a bonus for me.  The sun was up, hardly a cloud in the sky and I was planning a day of gardening.  Only had toast for breakfast and shouted at breakfast television and then walked the garden.  I found Rosy down the bottom near the bonfire and CS was not far away, Green God was staying out of everyone's way which saved him bearing the wroth of Rosy.  I grabbed the electric hedge trimmer, the forsythia near to the lavatera was covering a lot of it so I took off the new growth giving the other bush some light.  I moved over to the mulberry and cleared the  weeds and leaves from the daffs....it was looking a little shabby and noticed that Rosy had  made her way to the bushes next to the mulberry and I realised that the fruit was forming and would soon be dropping.  Clever old Rosy, we'd had a few stiff breezes and some of the fruit had dropped already.  I did a load of washing and while it was cooking. as I call it, I started tidying up my shoes in the porch, boots out and day shoes in.  Washing out and the temperature was now up to twenty eight so I made the decision that I was going to get out on the balcony, move my comfy chair out, take my t-shirt off and get some sun.  Arms and legs haven't been out this year yet so it was sun-oil on, small plastic table out to put my legs on and relax.  

I stayed out there for a couple of hours or so, was just changing position so that I could get my back in the sun when I noticed that the clouds were building from Smolyan and that sun was rapidly disappearing.  I put a few more clothes on and as those clouds got darker, the washing had to come in and on my way back to the house I felt the first few spots of rain and heard the first clap of thunder.....my sunbathing today had come to such an abrupt halt.  Now I had time of my hand so I've started to sort out the wardrobe in my bedroom, winter sweaters away in the large chest and now I've got to go through the t-shirts but this time with a vengeance and I need to be cruel.  Some to stay and some to go to the local charity  service in Momchilgrad for the people that need clothes.  Supper was barbecued spare ribs from the freezer along with potato waffle thingies and the potatoes were eaten, the meat was as tough as old boots so cats with strong teeth can test them out in the morning.  Nothing on the agenda tomorrow except more of the same, I'm preparing for summer.  LN.....Time to put on warm pj's.......LN

Friday 27th May

Well the weather seems to have got into its normal pattern for what is supposed to be summer.  Sunny starts, then it clouds roll in and then the thunders starts and today was no different except that we had real rain not just the threat of it.  Looking at the weather forecast for next week, more of the same is indicated.

So seven start and nothing unusual about the morning except that I woke up with a sore throat and a tickly cough which seems to have improved as the day progressed but still don't feel one hundred percent.  So much for getting my first layer of suntan on and I should have heeded my granny's warning....'ne're cast a clout 'til May is out'....nearly there but not quite.  I set about clearing up the baking tins from last night, too much grease on them to wash them in the sink so put on a degreasing cream, boiling water from the kettle, left for thirty minutes or so and it all just comes away.  I collected the water in a bowl and lobbed it over the wall and washed up the tins in the normal way and saves getting a clogged sink.  Toast for breakfast with cheese slices and that did me until beans on toast tonight.  I went out into the yard and my neighbour from the next door garden had kindly brought me a large pot of home made yogurt.  At first I thought it was milk but when I tried to pour it into one of my containers so that I could wash hers and hand it back, it slopped its way out of hers and into mine.....yogurt.  I washed it and took it back to her as she worked in her garden and what a splendid job she's made of it...but after years of practice I'd expect no less.  

The grass was too wet to mow and after a sleepless night I settled on the sofa and went back to sleep until around twelve.  I woke up to some clattering.  The polecat's pups/kits and I'm never sure what they are were romping and exercising in the roof run and making a real clatter.  There was another noise that I didn't recognise at first, it started when the power came back on after a power cut and eventually I reckoned that a bird had fallen down the chimney and found itself in the little spare cooker in the kitchen.  I listened to it for a while then cleared the kitchen window sill so that I could open the window into the porch, moved anything dangling over the window so it had nothing to bump in to and opened the fly screen, took the items from on top of the cooker and put them on the table, removed the tiles and prepared for action.  I opened the door to the firebox on the cooker, the bird shot out and headed for the window, settled on a flower pot, took stock and then went straight out of the door.  All I had to do was to put the house back in order, replace removed items and hope that I have no more.  

I cleared the porch while everything was out of it, cleaned off the window sill, swept the floor, rescued a couple of self-set petunias from other pots and now they're in the porch and another is hanging from the bird table.  Visit from a young lady from the next village who wants me to help her with her English...I've not met her before and I come recommended by Gouldjan but I'm not really sure what help she needs.  If it's regular lessons I'm not interested, if she wants to come round for conversational practice, that's fine...she only lives in the next village.....I'll find out tomorrow.  Tatting tomorrow I think, the grass is still going to be too wet to mow after today's rain...and it keeps growing.  LN.....Roll on summer and end to end sunshine.....LN

Saturday 28th May

Horrible night.....the cold has set in and I've kept myself topped up with honey, salt, lemon and hot water.  The headache set in and I felt hot so at seven this morning I cancelled my new student date by Messenger, I certainly didn't want to pass anything on to her.  She replied around nine, designated arrival at ten and I was beginning to think that I would have to telephone her....but no...all was good.  She was disappointed and I messaged that we should be able to meet up next week.  It was such a relief...I felt rough.  I'd had a shower and washed my hair just in case I hadn't managed to contact her so dressed for the day, there wasn't a lot of activity planned.

I made toast for breakfast, cleared up the kitchen and took to the sofa feeling sorry for myself.  I'm not sure if I went to sleep or not but at ten I made more hot lemon and honey, put the refreshed lamps back on the fir tree under the little house terrace.  I suddenly heard the sheep farmer dogs kicking off outside the gate so I went out to see what was happening and there was Emula off his bicycle and shouting at the four barking dogs.  They are dangerous, it should never be allowed to have four vicious dogs without a shepherd looking after the sheep.  They chase any car that's on the road and apparently according to Avatar, two old ladies were going about their business and were suddenly faced by the dogs and were frightened out of their wits.  I've complained already in jest to the farmer, so have others and his response is that it's a village and he's entitled to do as he wants.  That's almost a challenge!!

At twelve I got the urge to sort out the grass.  The clouds were gathering but nothing ventured nothing gained and I managed to finish the main house grass before the rain really set in along with the thunder.  I did it in two sessions and at the end of the first I went over to see Avatar, she was cutting her grass and we both looked fairly knacked but I still went back to complete the grass and I heard her strike up her mower...she was off......two women with a mission to accomplish.  Despite my shower this morning I had a bath, I was sweating, it was very humid and I felt better for it.  Chicken wings in the oven along with veg roasting and there's enough for Avatar and myself.  It's been a while since I took supper over.  Just check the wings and they're more or less ready, the veg wants a little more time so time to get the sweet chili sauce into a little pot and the mayo.  LN......Second grass tomorrow if it dries out....something to look forward to.....not......LN

Sunday 29th May

What a horrible night's sleep.  I found some throat sweets that said do not use after the expiry date but thought what the heck.  So chicken mayo delivered over the road, I ate mine, the washing up can wait and is still waiting and sorted out my Blood pressure tablet.  I had a relatively early night for me, took a lemon and honey drink to bed with me at at three this morning  my throat was so sore so I made another drink and had another throat tablet.  Back to sleep again eventually and this morning I felt rubbish, my lower lip was out like a baboon's bottom and I'm not sure what caused it, it's been ages since this happened.  So this morning stuck to hot water, toast for breakfast and it was around lunchtime before I began looking the way that I normally do.  It unnerves you when you don't really know what's going on with your body, I've had no issues with these tablets since March time.

Washed and dressed for the garden, I had the rest of the grass to finish and all that's left is to strim round the old toilet block near to the high wall. I checked the number of steps and have only managed six and a half thousand today, yesterday I managed almost thirteen thousand....on the other hand, it is Sunday.  The winter sweaters are all in the chest in my bedroom, the wardrobe space is sorted and I've just got a pile to decide if it stays or goes....and I think most will go to the charity shop.  It was pretty hard going pushing the mower around, the temperature had gone up to the high twenties and I got through about two litres of water.  

By three it was beginning to cloud over and I remembered that I put a load of washing ready but hadn't managed to get it into the machine,  So in it went, there was a stiff old wind blowing so I pegged it out even though there was the odd spot of rain.  I went inside again, coughing and spluttering as I went, lay on the sofa to find something interesting to watch and the sun came out, the washing was horizontal but well secured with pegs so I'd made the right choice.  I fetched it in at half five and it's on the airer although I could have put it straight away.   I'd fallen upon 'Marcella' on Netflix, and have binged on it somewhat.  I don't feel well but tomorrow I'll got to the chemist and get a linctus and some tablets that are within the shelf life.  No supper for me or tablets of any description and hopefully my facial features will be normal in the morning.  LN.....And time to close down for the evening......LN