Tuesday 11th July

Disturbed night, ended up sleeping in the downstairs bedroom, I just couldn't settle upstairs and I really don't know the reason why.  Slept through until six thirty, decided I needed more and was out for the count until eight, hard boiled some eggs for egg mayo sandwiches for breakfast, dressed and was out mowing the grass at eleven.  I'd watched a couple of episodes of my Netflix series, had a conversation with my daughter and somehow the morning had just gone.  Rosy and Blue were out in the garden sunning themselves but the others were nowhere to be seen.  I guess they heard the mower so took cover.  I didn't have to print off my lesson for today for my student, I'd done it last week and left my folder in the shop so nothing much to do except concentrate on the grass.

I came in at one thirty and had a shower and shampooed my hair,  I've been using Badedas, shampoo and body wash but today it didn't work out.  My hair was obviously tangled from sweating while cutting the grass, the machine had thrown up lots of grit from the mole hills, I feel pebble dashed but clean but when I came to comb my hair out to dry it, no way was I getting though those tangles so I went back to the shower, slathered my hair in conditioner. rinsed it and it made life much easier.  I don't really like conditioner, after two days my hair feels as if it needs washing again and it's a vicious circle.  Anyway, I shall be swimming. god willing tomorrow in the sea so it will need doing again.  By the time that I'd dried my hair and dressed for my student, I had to get my derriere into gear and just made three o'clock.  I'd remembered to take my Beast documents with me so that I could get the insurance renewed, it doesn't run out until next week but it's done and dusted.  I also phoned my holiday lady to see if Bodrum was still on for September but she's still unsure.  Apparently the driver is not available for the dates she mentioned so I'll have to wait and see but at least I've registered my interest.

Student was interesting today.  We read the text and he asked if I had the book with me which I didn't.  I think he wanted to know what happens next.  So we Googled it and  put the name of the book, the author and 'free to read' and he managed to download the book.  We scanned through it and found what we had read and continued to read the next chapter from the computer.  Clever old stick and as well as the one book we now have access to all the author's work which are great for children.  I'm just so pleased that he is interested enough to want to do the next chapter and we've promised each other that we'll read it together next week.  Home for six thirty after chatting to the family in the shop, was having real problems synching my new Fitbit to my computer so restarted the watch and now it works perfectly.  Popped over to Avatar's house and she presented me with a very large dish of melon which I sat in the garden and enjoyed, I did produce a massive burb but I was excused.  Home for eight thirty, all tools away, I'd forgotten the little electric last night but you wouldn't do that in UK and now it's safely gathered in.  My packing is done for tomorrow, the folding chairs and umbrella and tool to get it to stand up are all in the boot.  money and passport are in my bag, I need to be at the venue for eightish.  LN......Sun, sand and the Mediterranean Sea and that's just for starters.......LN

Wednesday 12th July

Woke up at six so much too early to get ready for the beach but in retrospect we should have started earlier.  We set off for the border at eight and so did the world and all its friends and it took us about an hour to get through into Greece.  The roads after that were easy to negotiate, we stopped off at our favourite coffee and cake shop for breakfast, bought bread for my students mum and then carried on to our private beach in Fanari...not the side that the tourists go, there are more locals with little blue and white chalets in an estate.  We moved nearer the rocks and the pine trees and set up camp but unfortunately I'd forgotten the second pole for the sun umbrella so it was made for dwarfs and only one at that.  I was in the water immediately and it was really warm to get in to.  Not much swimming to be done where we were but to lie on the stones and let the wave wash over you was really good...pink up on the beach and wash it away in the water.  Bliss, sheer bliss.

We stayed there until around four thirty, put on fairly decent clothes and finished off at a fish restaurant and I settled for calamari with Greek salad and shared chippies, water to wash it all down with a very comfortable bill at the end of it.  Headed back to the border crossing and the Nipper just didn't feel right.  I looked at the engine temperature and it was right off the scale, I didn't panic and dropped my speed and fortunately there was no one waiting to enter Bulgaria which we just didn't expect.  I explained to the Bulgarian Border police guy while I was waiting for my passport that the engine had overheated and I'd be pulling over to wait for it to cool down.  We had a bottle of water in the car, left it for half an hour, opened the bonnet and eventually it was cool enough to remove the radiator cap.  I topped up the water bottle which obviously topped up the radiator, went back to the Border Police and filled up the bottle again.  His advice was to stop at the spring and fill the bottle up again but by now the temperature needle was in it's normal place so off we set and no more problems, I dropped off my friend and then carried on home and am parked up securely.  The swim gear can get sorted in the morning.....I'm knacked!!

Lovely being in Greece, I am turning a very nice shade of brown that only the Med can provide.  The food is different too and the service impeccable, most family run businesses with Granny holding the fort and the cash and overseeing everything.  But all this comes at a price and Bulgaria is my home and wouldn't change it for anything...Greece is just nice to drive over, enjoy and then return home.  LN......The gods were obviously with us when there was no one waiting to cross at the border this evening....many thanks......LN

Thursday 13th July

Funny old night.  I woke up at three this morning, played games until the sun came up and then went back to sleep until eight thirty.  There wasn't much to get up for except to deliver the bread that I'd bought in Greece yesterday to my student's mum and get the Nipper checked out.  It had behave itself very well after I'd topped it up with water at the border with Greece but I was more concerned about a small hole in one of the hoses and that would be sorted later.

I didn't bother with breakfast, had a shower and washed my hair yet again, the salt water from yesterday had made it impossible to get a brush or comb through it and now I'm back to conditioner, it was going to be another really hot day.  Yesterday evening in the restaurant it was still thirty four degrees at six thirty and this morning it was already up to twenty eight so it we were in for another hot one.  I drove to Djebel after I'd checked the water in the radiator and it was normal and the temperature gauge sat where it normally did.  I stopped firstly at the shop to deliver the bread then went down to the garage and I was seen straightaway.  Three other cars appeared after me but I was first in the queue. The Nipper was checked out, the oil was topped up, the water was OK and there was no sign of any leakage from the pipes.  He moved it over to the inspection pit, I went over to the cool spot to sit in the shade and left him to it until he delivered it to me saying that there was no problem at all, just to keep an eye on it and I jokingly said that I might pop down to Greece.  He smiled at me, there wasn't any charge and I went back to the shop.  I wouldn't accept any money for the bread and we had a bit of a stand off when she wouldn't accept any money for a thermal screen for the inside of the windscreen.....but we still left as friends.  I went next door to the chemist and picked up a small container of antibiotic powder for things that were difficult to heal in this hot sultry climate and was surprised that it was just over nine leva but if it works, it will save a trip to the dermatologist in Kardjali hospital.    I stopped off at the supermarket on the way back and topped up with one or two essentials, a frozen chicken for the freezer and spicy sausages that I intend for tonight but instead made a breakfast/lunch/supper of tuna mayo with hard boiled egg, grated carrot and onion.  After demolishing the contents of the bowl that was going to be put in the fridge for later, I settled on the sofa after a litre of water, and slept until six.  It turned into a very long siesta.  

Temperature is showing on my weather station at thirty five degrees at almost eight this evening and I definitely shan't be cooking tonight or in fact eating anything at all, stuffed from my late lunch.  Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow so far but might be tempted to take myself up to the pool above Kardjali for a day under an umbrella and the pool.  I certainly won't be getting anymore sun.  LN..... I think summer has finally arrived......LN

Friday 14th July

Six thirty start after a balmy night.  I had the good sense to take the quilt off and find a duvet cover to put on the bed and it was just the right weight.  Popped over to see Avatar before eight, I'd promised to take over spicy sausage and a pack of mayo that I'd bought yesterday, her daughter over from Turkey and one of Avatar's nieces were sitting in the garden waiting for the bus to go into Djebel.  It was Friday after all.  Haciber was sitting with them so I sat on the edge of the outside sink and they were all fighting to give me a chair but I was determined to stay where I was...they were the guests.  The two of them got on the bus on its journey up the village to its furthest point to make sure that they got a seat, and they don't charge you double for the scenic tour.  I stayed only for a few minutes after they'd left and went home to make my breakfast.

I had half of one of the spicy sausages with a fried egg in a sandwich and that's done me until now.  I stripped the downstairs bed to the mattress, and got the first load going and managed to find a second load.  I sat down at the desk in the stairwell and had a sudden though about my insurance for the Beast.  I'd renewed it on Tuesday but didn't remember what I'd done with it.  I thought I'd put it in the folder I use for my student stuff but it wasn't there, I searched the Nipper and then decided to check the Beast just in case I'd been super efficient and I had.  I'd put the new insurance into the document folder in the Beast so now I could relax.  After breakfast I started up the mower and immediately set to on the little house grass and it only took me forty five minutes to complete it since I wasn't using the grass box.  Tools away, washing pegged out and since it was now to hot to be doing anything outside I settled on the sofa for an episode of The Last Kingdom, which stretched into two but I'm sure I slept through it and when I woke up, the clouds had rolled over, thunder was rumbling and it was threatening rain which took the idea of washing my windows straight out of my brain....fortunately.

At four I had another burst of energy, washing in and folded but I've still to make the bed up, electric battery strimmer out and finished the yard, between the house and the front wall and round the flower bed surrounds.    While doing this I noticed CS walking across the grass so went in the house to find a tomato that was just going over and a knife but by the time I got out I lost CS.  I carried on round the garden and found Blue and Rosy so they had tomato but Rosy wasn't at all interested and walking back I again came across CS and this one really got stuck in.  To finish off my day I had a bonfire, remembering to connect the hose and dampen the grass round the bin since everything is tinder dry and then watered the garden.  It hasn't rained yet but still threatening it.....the cloud seems to be hanging over the village, stuck in the valley but at least the thunder has stopped.  LN....Now to find something for supper.....I've had a good day getting on with jobs.....maybe a pool day tomorrow if the weather settles......LN

Saturday 15th July

Six thirty start, I slept well though I didn't go to bed until one this morning.  It was very pleasant to get into a laundered bed with just a sheet over me and no need at all to pull up the covers....another balmy night.  It was another beautiful sunrise and it's been a temptation to stay in the house most of the day, the temperature rose to thirty four degrees with no breeze at all, it clouded over again at lunchtime and still cloudy now and very humid.  I had coffee and made toast and strawberry jam for breakfast and walked the garden eating it.  I went out to the Nipper and Green God was trying to climb the fence and I guess that this will be their last year in the garden.  I'm thinking that they need the 'Open road Toad'...to quote Kenneth Grahame from 'Wind in the Willows'.

Lost night my legs really started too itch and I found solace in a tube of cream that I bought to relieve mosquito itch last year and it worked.  Unfortunately it does contain cortisone and I was advised by my student's mum to use it very sparingly....I use the shop as my doctor's surgery with the chemist shop next door.  She's a great believer in natural remedies and normally comes up with something that does the trick.  She opened one of her pots, poured some into my hands since it had melted and the base was pig fat.  I was encouraged to plaster it on my legs and I remarked that I smelled just like a chippie, which she didn't really get and I had to explain it to her.  I did get another tube of the one that I have to take care with from Djebel this afternoon so it's there in reserve if I don't managed to get the flowers to make my own natural remedies.  I did buy the pig-fat and that's sitting in the fridge....I'll have to start looking closely at my garden to see what's available.

I arrived back to a very large van being parked over my drive stopping me from getting into my drive.  I indicated that I wanted them to move, the passengers were all sitting under my tree and obviously waiting for me. I parked up in the yard,  vaguely recognised the one woman and then it came to me, the man and woman had been here before with one of the neighbours from the Librarian's village.  She was an acquaintance who had moved back to the UK and wanted to know if I had any telephone numbers or contact details for her, which I didn't.  Again they were asking the same question, there was a house sale going through and signatures are required and I said that the same applied, I had no details of her whereabouts and suggested that they went back to see the notary.  They got back into the van, he told me that he was working in Holland and left.

It was an afternoon of getting my head down after I'd given the garden a good drenching.  It was probably not the best time to do it but the plants were beginning to look a little crispy and I'll give them another soaking when I've finished the update.  Again not very hungry, it's too hot to eat and I'll probably settle for a chunk of cheese later.  LN......Just checked the weather and it's going to be 35 degrees tomorrow with thirty eight percent humidity....so not a lot of action out of me again tomorrow.......LN

Sunday 16th July

So Utred was returned to his family seat after his final battle with the Saxons and the Scots.  It's taken him five series to do it and there are still three or four books that haven't been covered but I can always go back to reading the books.  I watched the last episode this morning over breakfast and then the tV went off and stayed that way.  Another six months and I'll be watching it again.

It's been another scorcher of a day.  I went out to water the plants and ended up removing the errant grass that insists on cropping up despite my best efforts. The sweet peas have been been harvested for next year and the debris despatched over the wall with the removed grass.  I also had an attempt to dig out one of the mole hills to expose the tunnels and a mole bomb was ignited, not sure it will do anything, there are just too many of them so I'll have to get systematic cleansing in place.  I took a tomato out for the tortoise and CS was on it straightaway.  Rosy ignored it and walked round it so I thought I'd tempt her with dandelion leaves that I took from the under terrace garden but she walked round those as well.  Whether she can smell me on them I don't know....so I gave them to CS that doesn't seem so picky.  I also picked up several very ripe wild plums from the ground and put those on the grass with the rest of the tomatoes...they're easy pickings for one of them.  I cleared out the grass from the far side of the under main terrace garden, noticed that the blue grass has survived but the bed looked very empty so I moved some baby marigolds and petunias and gave them a good watering.  By then it was much too hot to be out and doing.....I came in, had a coffee, played sudoku and then got my head down for an hour or so and felt much better for it.  The kitchen called, I fried off the spicy sausage that remained with onions and had them with mayo and bread and it's sorted me out for the rest of the day and I shan't need anything tonight.  I've just been over to see Avatar.  I went out to take a picture of the sunset and noticed that the deer that runs with the cows was over the road but I just couldn't get a clear shot of it at full stretch.  A yapping wild dog that hangs around the village didn't help matters making the deer skittish so I shouted at the dog and the response was not really reporting here.  She invited me into the garden, paid me for the food that I'd taken over the other day and gave me a tub of ice-cream, a present from her daughter that's now left.  I was still carrying my camera and noticed how many flowers are on her buddleia, she obviously looks after hers better than I look after my two.  

Time for a shower to refresh from the day, nothing much on the agenda for tomorrow but since I've got a friend staying I suppose I ought to get the hoover out and check the bathrooms over.  She's not due until late afternoon and then on Tuesday I'm taking her to the airport, better she stays here the night and then it's potentially a morning without any complications, straightforward, get up and leave.  LN......My shower and bed calls......LN

Monday 17th July

Another six thirty start but Fitbit has informed me that I had a pretty good night with lots of 'deep' sleep.  It must have done me good, the sheets were changed for my guest tonight, washed and put back on, quilts are all sorted, bathrooms cleaned, hoovered through and the floors all washed.  It's either spring cleaning late or early for next year...whatever, it's done and I feel much better for it.  Toast and jam for breakfast, the tortoise water bowls were filled up and only Green was out and about this morning, the others were conspicuous by their absence.  I toyed with the idea of clearing out the little bed between the two steps but that didn't happen, it was another corker of a day which should have been set aside for the pool but what I did manage to do was far more constructive and tomorrow I'm doing another mercy run to Plovdiv airport, my guest is on her way to the UK.

This afternoon was taken up with playing silly games and sudoku.  I'm still managing to get 'Hard' levels out in record time, the easy ones I have trouble with sometimes but perhaps I don't concentrate as much on those.  So a complete wash down at three, changed into long trousers and t-shirt, I was meeting my friend at a village near Momchilgrad.  She was dropping her car off so that it would be there for her return and is staying at mine for the night so that we can leave for the airport in good time without having to think of anything else.  I leave time for problems, no point in wanting everything to go like clockwise and then it doesn't and panic sets in.

I suggested we stopped off for pizza in Djebel so that I didn't have to cook and it was something else off my mind.  She's sleeping downstairs and has her own bathroom and toilet and I'm upstairs and she's got the use of the kitchen.  I have my kettle so I can make coffee as and when I want without interrupting her.  So I've just printed out some documents that she's emailed me, her car need to have insurance taken out while she's away so we're hoping that it can be done from photocopies and she can take it with her to the UK and the car will have the correct documents to be on the road. The advice from locals is to 'do it when you get back' but that would mean that she would be driving the car without insurance and we are more likely to be handed a fine that told to be on our way and get it done.  And now to keep her company downstairs and I've just remembered, I've got a garden to water and lots of plants in pots.  LN.....That hose needs to be put to good use......LN

Monday 17th July

Upstairs last night so that my guest could have the more even temperature in the downstairs bedroom but having said that, I do like waking up to the sunrise.  It didn't disappoint.  I made coffee and went out to the balcony to enjoy the morning, the sun was a really red ball shining through the trees on the boundary and I watched it clear the trees and start to make its journey across the sky.  The birds were very active.  Woody was out but hid in the branches of the lonesome pine so didn.t managed to get a shot of it and the Golden Orioles were out in force, the male and female have different calls but are almost impossible to spot, they're so quick and despite having yellow flashes, look almost like dead leaves or sunlight peeping through the branches.  I must have watched and listened for about thirty minutes, made a second cup and took that out too until the urge to get on and 'do' came over me.

I went downstairs and watered the pots and the connected the long hose and did the shrubs down the bottom of the garden that had started looking crispy.  I also gave round the bonfire bucket a good soaking, I needed to burn rubbish before I left for the airport.  I also noticed that the lavatera has lots of buds on it and should be out any day now and what I thought was a new lobe on my Mexican type cactus appears to be a flower head so that was rescued and place in a prominent position so that I could keep an eye on it.  I've had it a long time and was asked to look after it for a spell and that was ten years ago.....I think I can consider it mine.

My guest was up and about at seven so it was tools down, I washed and dressed, checked the water in the Nipper, filled up water and squash bottles for the journey and we set off at eight for Djebel, stopping off at the car-shop to see if she could managed to sort out insurance for my friends car.  Unfortunately we hit a snag with the software so couldn't achieve it this morning but help will be on hand tomorrow from the Insurance company.  We left at nine thirty, I filled up with gas in Kardjali and off we set taking the scenic route through the mountains to Plovdiv.  No trouble on the way up, we found an food stall just before the airport and had coffee and cheesy bread and I dropped her off in plenty of time for the flight.  The journey home was taken slowly, it was another hot day, the mountain road was hard going, the temperature gauge started climbing and my heart rate started to go up with it.  I tried the usual trick of putting the car heater on at full volume and it dropped and then went up again so I pulled over and really let it cool down.  Eventually I limped to Kardjali then Djebel and the garage and had it checked over again.  He could find nothing wrong with the fan, pump and thermostat, said I'd probably over filled it with water and explained the minimum -maximum markings on the filler bottle and now I know to leave it alone.  Just for safety we've ordered a new radiator cap that will arrive tomorrow.  

As I drove from the garage I noticed that my woodyard had new oak in already cut so I went to the shop in Djebel to check out the price for a ton.  I'll phone them tomorrow and order it, it's cheaper than last year which was a nice surprise for me so I'll probably have it delivered later this week.  Home for five, turkey stuffed with cheese on the worktop destined for the oven and it will be accompanied with chippies.....healthy food is is.....not.  LN....Down to sort supper......LN

Wednesday 19th July

Awake at four thirty this morning after going to bed at ten.....and I played catch-up at ten thirty and slept until twelve.  I had a really sleepless night and woke up sweating my little socks off, I could almost have rung out the t-shirt, it was a hot balmy night.  At seven I was out there with the large lopper and saw.  I thought it was the cows that had brought the branches down but talking to Avatar later, she said that a sudden wind came through and only lasted for five minutes or so and I suppose that did the initial damage and the cows just pulled on it.  I lopped off most of it, sawed through the bigger ones that I could reach and pulled at the one that was hanging, so to speak by a thread of bark, and tugged at it until it stripped off and came away in my hands.  The branches went over the field for the cows and they've stripped them bare, the electricity man was round reading the meters at seven this morning and we had a morning natter.  I was over at Avatars house once I'd put my tools away and we sat in the garden having cheesy bread and melon with Fanta orange.  It was heating up by now so I watered the pots and at ten I was on the sofa with Netflix, ten thirty asleep and then preparing for my student this afternoon.  I showered and washed my hair and drove into Djebel around two thirty.

I called into the wood yard and found the owner in his place of work, told him that I wanted new wood not old, one ton and he is delivering it to me on Friday morning......that should keep me out of mischief for the day.  I suppose for some neighbours it's early to order it and have it stored but it's worked for me for the last two years and once it's in I can relax.  Tomorrow I'm gong to shift money around at my bank, local banks are not paying any interest so instead of bringing money over from the UK where they do pay interest, I'll start using up some BG money.  Another stop tomorrow is the Dermatologist to check out something that bothered me but last time she wasn't working.  I've also got to get the results of my annual MOT to see what if anything has been uncovered.  My student was ready for his lesson and was so keep to show me new football boots that he has bought for himself with a little help from the Bank of MUM.  We settled down with the book and read two and a half chapters and I love that he puts expression into his reading for the different characters.  I sat with his mother until seven, came away with my new radiator cap that I'll fit tomorrow and a dozen eggs, Avatar called me over and I sorted out her WIFI on her phone.  They give her these things to do and I could do it quite easily in Bulgarian or English but the phone language is Turkish...but I managed it.  

Another hot night so I might move downstairs again for the next few days.  Nothing needed for supper tonight, I've got cheese and biscuits if I get the hunger pains later.  LN.....Countdown to winter has begun......LN

Thursday 20th July

Another balmy night and I woke at six thirty and headed out on to the balcony with coffee to cool off.  I love this time of the morning....I was intrigued by a cat and without glasses I wasn't sure what it was and from the photos that I took it's obviously a contortionist.  It was quite happy balancing on the wall and I was amazed that it managed.  I came in for more coffee and then settled on the bed to play a few games before I really started my day.  I planned to go into Kardjali, I wanted to move money around and get my doctors appointment done and dusted and what a waste of time that was.  The manager that I usually see in the bank was on holiday and I thought I wouldn't get served before lunch time, the bank was crowded so I gave up on that and moved to the hospital parking place and went to see reception.  The dermatologist was still on holiday and I was advised to go to the general hospital so I picked up my bag and walked, up to the second floor, I handed over my documents and lo and behold, this one was on holiday too.    I found a quick walking route back to the car and thought about Lidl and dismissed the idea, thought about going to my bank in Momchilgrad to get things sorted and then gave up on that idea too.  Back to the cash-point in Djebel, took out money so that I can pay for my wood tomorrow and the transport and headed home.

I thought about sorting out the woodstore and parked that thought too...it was twelve o'clock and felt that I'd achieved nothing by driving to Kardjali and I really wasn't in the mood for anything.  I made coffee and settled on the sofa and before I knew it I'd gone to the land of nod and didn't wake up until one thirty.  Around lunchtime it started to cloud over, the sky got very heavy and there was a distant rumble of thunder that got nearer and louder and then the rain started.  We had quite a storm and it really did put pay to my idea of the woodshed tidy up.  The mood had gone and now the electricity and wifi was up and down like a bride's nightie so no chance of watching anything so picked up my little Kindle and read for a while.  I started to cook supper around seven just as the electricity went off again but fortunately I have to gas rings on my cooker hob so all I had to do was to light a candle to see what I was frying and how brown it was getting.  So two turkey stuffed with cheese sandwiched between bread with mayo coating and that was my evening meal sorted.  

Half eight my time, it's still clouded over and the temperature is down so I should get a good night tonight.  The wood should be with me around nine so I've got plenty of time to move the Nipper out and I'll put the Beast out on to the grass outside the house.  I can always move them inside again once the lorry has dropped it's load.  I'll see how I go with it before I ask for reinforcements from the village, Avatar has asked to help but as with most things, I have my routine and find that others just get in the way.  LN.....All I need is a good night's sleep .......LN