Wednesday 29th March

Silly five thirty start and it was cold outside with the outside thermometer reading on the zero.  I was up before the sun, made coffee, stripped my bed, put everything in the washing machine and decided to watch a film called the Accountant.  I had to draw the curtain between the stairwell and the winter lounge once the sun came up so that I could see the screen clearly.  It was too cold to work in the garden, I thought about it but pushed it to the back of my mind, instead I went into Djebel, delivered something to the garage and I was persuaded to change from my winter tyres back to summer.  I wondered if it was a little early and was told that once it get's warm, the winter tyres in summer deteriorate quickly so better the day, better the deed.  I walked over to the sun trap that they've built on the ground near to the garage, moved a chair into the sun, it was pleasant but I had to pull the collar of my bodywarmer up tight, that wind was really chill.  When they'd finished I asked why they hadn't put tie-wraps on the wheels then suddenly noticed that the summer tyres are on alloys...doh...so we all had a giggle at my expense.

I drove back to the town centre, did a little shopping in the high street supermarket and noticed that they'd just had a delivery of fresh bread and that was going to be my breakfast/ lunch.....tuna mayo sandwiches.  I popped in to see my student's mum and sat with her for a while and left around eleven, another stop at the supermarket leaving the town for a few more things and home for around twelve thirty.  The remains of the slow cooker went over the wall for the animals, I did yesterday's washing up, made my sandwiches and sat by the table in the stairwell enjoying the sun.  It was still only six degrees outside but inside it was around twenty four so I knew where I wanted to be.  I finished off with a sour cherry yogurt, made a coffee, settled on the sofa but didn't nod off and at around four I decided to carry on setting up my new Windows 11 computer but gave that up after a while, my mind wasn't in to it.  Instead I went on to the big machine and did emails and FB but there was nothing good going on to interest me so I put the machine to bed along with the other one.....my computer sessions had finished for the day.

Downstairs I lit the fire before it got cold, found a Richard Gere film on Netflix and I finished watching it now.  It was a court room drama and at the end I worked out that the guy was really guilty where all along he'd been playing innocent....a really convincing performance and well acted.  He'd managed to get the case dismissed and ws sent to a hospital for further tests and not much change of a retrial.  Some very good twists in the plot. Nine thirty my time, the temperature has fallen again and I hear that it's going to be minus three tomorrow night so some of the plants that I'd put out I might bring in again to the little house.....that's the problem we haven't really had a winter to speak of...they've had more snow in the UK.  LN.....And now a bath and then into clean sheets.......LN  

Thursday 30th March

After my late bath I went straight into my new laundered bed and slept straight through until seven this morning.  Unfortunately the Fitbit didn't record it...don't say that I've another one on the blink.  I came down to a clean kitchen, made coffee and sat in the stairwell and again we had a very cold start but at least we had a sun that looking to be planning to stay all day and it didn't disappoint.  Bacon sandwich for breakfast and instead of putting Netflix on I played around with my Apple iPod to see if it was  still possible to get new batteries for it and I believe it is.  At some stage I'll check it out before I go back to the UK, there is an Apple shop in the nearest town to me so might be worth a try.  What I did manage to do was to find the original charger, put it on charge and it appears to be able to run so I put new batteries in my old speakers, connected it up and it was all systems go.  It works, the playlist are still there and lots of old CD's that I'd forgotten about.  I didn't put Michael Jackson on at full volume but settled for Jacques Lousier while I caught up on emails and FB.  It was still early so I pumped up the volume and finished tidying my upstairs room for my visitors next week and I only have to make up the bed and hoover and it's ready.  Another problem was solved this morning...I have the keys to Avatar's house and put them away safely while I was in UK.  I virtually took the house apart, they normally hang on the back of the kitchen door but I suddenly remembered that I'd put them in a lidded jar in the goody box so now they're where then should be for when she arrives next month.

At ten I was pegging out another load of washing it was a beautiful day but the wind couldn't decide on the direction is was taking.  I collected up the rubbish for burning and went I lit the fire, the smoke was blowing over the hillside and sod's law states that.....it changes as soon as you think it's sorted.  I got the strimmer out and attacked the path between the house and the front wall and round the grave garden intending to carry on round the old vegetable garden but the battery ran out so on charge it went and I came in and made a coffee. Now I did settled down to Netflix and found the film 'Purple Heart' to watch, I'd not seen it before.  At four I went out again, carried on again where I left off with the strimmer, took the garden fork out and cleared more weeds from the old veg garden and painted the surrounds with old engine oil .  Still got more clearing to do, more painting and a few repairs to the wood work but it looks so much better.

Tools away at six, fire lit, new Obvious Ideas loaded .....now to settle in for the night.  Very calm evening, I haven't checked what the weather is going to do overnight....perhaps I'll have to bring in the japonica runners that I dug up earlier.  LN.....All go on my hillside today......LN

Friday 31st March

At last my Fitbit is recording data and downloading it to my tablet.  Thursday was the best day for step, I managed to clock up almost nine thousand ....for the two previous days I was standing still all day.  I also didn't sleep for two nights, no wonder I've felt so shattered.  Thank you Fitbit....normal service is restored for the time being.

Lovely start to the day, nice sunrise, iffy around mid morning but settled down by the afternoon and it was seventeen degrees sitting on the bench outside with a friend.  Before that though I made my way into Djebel to deliver a shrub and some beeswax that I was handing on having received it from a friend years ago.  My student's mum is going to make hand and face cream with it and I'm sure I shall receive some samples.  I walked the market, lots of men around since it's Friday and mosque day.  I picked up my new perfume that had been delivered to the shop and I'm so pleased with it...it looks and smells authentic.  I bought some gardening gloves from my favourite stall and as I was walking by the flower shop I was dragged in from the pavement.  The lady was telling me that she's going to the UK for five days with her husband and son to visit friends near London.  She'd got new stock in and I bought a four foot tall lemon tree with flowers on it already and a petunia coloured purple and orange...really different.  The fun came getting it into the Nipper and out again and I put it in a tall container to protect it, added a stake and secured it and settled it out of the wind on the terrace.

My friend from Fotinovo came round and we had coffee in the sun on the bench but we had to move under the balcony, it was so warm.  She went on her way around three thirty, I settled down to Netflix now wanting too start any gardening, the sun was fine but the wind was cold.  I played around on the computer for a while and at six thirty there were two men and my friend from down the village at the door.  She'd managed to find me a man who is going to paint the railings on the front wall, side wall and balconies for me and tomorrow we are off to Kardjali at eight thirty to but the materials required along with sandpaper and rollers.  I'll be pleased when they're done, I keep looking at them but I know I shan't manage it  and apparently it's going to take him three days.....and it looks like I'm helping out by removing the shrubs.

Seven my time and I was thinking about supper.  LN.....Better go and see what's available.....LN