Wednesday 1st November

Another early start, probably because I slept through two episodes of my new Netflix, woke up at twelve and popped myself into bed.  Quick calculation and I had seven hours sleep so really not so bad.  Tonight's task is to stay awake until I'm in bed and not lounging on the sofa.....let's see.  So I made use of my early start, obviously coffee and games until six thirty, washed, dressed, tidied from last night, fluffed up the cushions etc, more coffee and toast with strawberry jam and everything finished by eight thirty.....so what to do with the rest of the day?

I did a walk of the garden and not much was going on, lots of sheep and cows still trying to find enough food to survive, we've only had a couple of days of rain over the last six weeks and that was really nothing to write home about.  I'd put four cuttings from one of my house plants in water and noticed that three of them had already started to grow roots and also two honeysuckle in a different jar have started as well.  I picked them up and took them with me to the little house, potted them up and put them with the others in my 'nursery'.  I carried on with the cleaning and organising and was picking things up and putting things down without much organisation.  I was trying to make a table from a large pallet stretched over two foldable workbenches but as it stood, I didn't have the room.  It reminded me of having to break eggs to make an omelette so.....

I cleared the old winter wood from the room that used to be a bathroom and moved it to the woodstore.  Five large logs had not been split so with my super sized axe and my lump hammer, they are now woodburner size and stacked with the others.  I swept it and dust clouds lingered and then transferred the new wood that's been stored in the what is to be the lounge into the bathroom and now you can see what's available...organised.  Some of the wood was stored in old Beast tyres and now they house a big blue bowl to take potting compost.  Now the space was clear I opened up the workbenches, lifted the palette onto them and jobs a guddun so they say.  I need to do minor adjustments tomorrow but it's looking good in there.  I would have taken photos but it was dark when I came in so tomorrow you'll see the finished article.  I also made it up to second level. opened the balcony door to let the flies out, adjusted one or two of the roof tiles and I have work to do on the timber fascia where the sun has scorched the existing...I'll have to get some wood preservative over the weekend.

I've had a really good day and came in just before six, was expecting a call from Avast to see if we could at last get a payment through to combine all my individual subscriptions and me not having to pay anything until 2026 which seems like a plan.  I checked my phone and I had received a call at five forty five and in my book, six is six and I was waiting and I'm still waiting.  I'll give them until half seven and then I'm going to linger in the depths of my bath for a couple of hours to make sure that I have no aches and pains tomorrow.  I've managed almost seven thousand steps today usually on the wrong end of a broom.  LN......Need to clean up before I get into bed....LN

Thursday 2nd November

So my late bath worked, bed for midnight and went through until six thirty this morning.  I ran the normal routine, coffee, washed dress, washing into the machine and hung in the guest room to dry.  Again I settled for toast and the remains of the strawberry jam while watching my latest Netflix.  There was a covering of light rain on the windows upstairs and the terrace had damp patches and it didn't really get going until just before ten and again, the heavens never really opened.  It was just a damp, dull old day.

The one programme turned into two but eventually I went out to carry on where I'd left off yesterday on tidying the little house workshop.  I took the entire shelving unit apart, found equipment that I never knew that I had so now at least I've been through it.  When the men were here they asked if I had a soldering iron, I said no but it appears I have.  Too late for them but it where I know I can find it next time.  I probably bought it when my guest was over a couple of years ago. It looks like it's never been used and I also found a set of new drill bits in the lid of the box that the machine came in and chisels that were put away so the men didn't get their hands on them...and not by me.  Tomorrow I'm going to give the pallet a light sanding and see if I can find some wood preservative and in the loft there are some huge chunks of wood left over from the beams that could make four legs...it could become a feature piece.  I had a bonfire around four and by accident I dropped an empty can of spray pain in there and around five minutes later there was a very loud bang, bits flew out of the burning bin and dogs started barking in the next village.  I'll take more care next time.  Everything locked away by five, came in and lit the fire and had a call from England which took me up until six.  I noticed that the temperature outside has dropped to fourteen, not low but if feels cold when it was twenty four earlier in the week.  

Supper was two large microwaved potatoes finished off with butter and grated cheese and nice and easy to do.  The house has warmed up quickly thanks to the radiators and it's time I checked to see if it needs another log on.  Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow except more of the same for me...I still have corners that I haven't delved into yet. LN.....Never know what I might find.......hidden in the depths.....LN

Friday 3rd November

Five thirty start and black as you like out there.  I meandered through the morning waiting for the dawn and when it came it was pretty slow to get going. There was some red in the sky but the main feature was the way that the mist was gathering over the streams and rivers.  Eventually the sun broke through and then the wind got up and the clouds soon came over and swallowed it up but eventually it cleared and it's been a reasonable day but not so warm as it has been.  

I made beans on toast for breakfast, tidied the kitchen and washed up, settled down to watch Netflix and disciplined myself to switch it off after watching one episode of my series.  I'm on to series three and I've just found out that there is series four to follow...so where is it taking me next?.  At ten I took the rubbish down to the container and used the car to get there.  I'd arranged to visit my friend who lives in Kardjali but has been looking after her mother after she had a fall and ended up in plaster for two weeks.  It was only the thumb joint so I'm not sure how much plaster they used but she's quite an age and obviously needed the support of her daughter.  As I approached the house, Zelinger and Haciber were just leaving and Zelinger commented that her back is so much better after applying the cream that I bought for her, they'd also had coffee but were on there way out.  We sat outside but it was not very warm.  She brought out the chocolates, coffee and a sponge cake and then we were visited by another old lady who is sadly nearly bent double but manages to get around somehow...and you have to admire how they take it all in their stride.  They've had years of growing tobacco to earn a living and there are so many people like these that live in the villages.  I left around eleven and drove home and the arrangement is that the daughter is coming to me tomorrow and I'm driving her into Kardjali.  She's going home and has to work tomorrow at one in the afternoon.  We'll go for coffee and maybe something for breakfast, either a cheesy bread or a banitsa or maybe even cake,  She lives very near to the Turkish cake and coffee shop that I visited with my student's family one evening after we'd picked my student up from football.  I'll see what she wants to do.  

I went into the workshop to continue with the good work, found out that my industrial hoover still works so emptied it out part filled it up again.  I'd removed the lid and one of the brackets had come loose and I couldn't remember how to put it back together again....it's been around five years since I've touched the thing.  The two honeysuckle that I potted up have started to put new leaves on already.  The root system had calloused up and was just waiting for compost to get going.  Four of the rosemary are looking chirpy and the four cuttings from what I call my bathroom plant since that is where it used to live, are looking really good.  I've yet to find out what it's called, it has about five bright orange tubular flowers in a cluster at the end of a shoot and the leaves are almost vine like.  I'll have to look for an old photo and tempt Google to see if it's able to recognise it.    

I came in at six and lit the fire....it's not really necessary but comforting.  Not sure what to do for supper, better get down to the kitchen and see what I fancy.  LN......Kardjali tomorrow so time to fill up the fridge and the goody box.......LN

Saturday 4th Novembers

Late start for me this morning, I woke and seven and remembered that I was taking my youngish friend who's mother lives in the village back to Kardjali so that she could to to work at eleven.  She arrived at the house at nine, we were having breakfast out so it was just a matter of getting ready and waiting and suddenly I noticed that the wind was pretty blustery so when she arrived I was moving the sunbed from under the wild plum tree and getting it into the little house.  I didn't want to find it on the hillside.  She helped carry it to the yard. we tried to get it through the door but there wasn't room to navigate it through the porch so I opened the door from the little house terrace, we carried it round and managed to get it through and into shelter....and in retrospect, it must have been someone giving me a hint of what was to come.

We drove to her apartment in Kardjali and she offloaded her luggage and then headed for the Turkish restaurant.  The food there is delicious but quite expensive so I said that I would pay, she got quite indignant so I said the the lady serving that she was not to accept my friend's money and the deed was done.  I had filo pastry with salami and cheese, she had a sesame bun thingy that I find dry and we both had black tea.  It wasn't so expensive but she has to work, is not married and lives in an apartment in Kardjali and there's not a lot to spare.  We walked the shops local to her and she took me to the department store that she works in, over the way from her apartment and it's the sister shop top the one that I usually go to in Kardjali centre.  I bought a new ironing board cover, not that I like to do it but the other one has holes in it where I've scorched it...probably because I don't practice very often.  I really should get a new iron...I remember Mikey B buying this one for me about thirteen years ago...he had a shirt to iron and was amazed when I didn't have one.  While we were shopping I had a text on my phone to warn me that there would be rain in Momchilgrad at eleven.....I left her in the shop to start work, made my way back to the car and tried to park up on Kaufland car-park but there were no spaces so I changed my plan and went to Lidl instead.  I didn't buy much, the store was heaving and I just wanted to get out, pay, pack my shopping away and head for home.

As I was pushing the trolley back to the trolley park, a few big spots of rain started to fall.  I headed towards Djebel and home and that's when the cloudburst, and I can only describe it as that happened, driving was really difficult, lots of cars pulled over, it was torrential and with thunder and lightning.  I had headlights on full, windscreen washers going at full speed and the blower on the windows to clear the moisture from inside.  It was so bad that I almost missed the turning to Djebel and driving back there were trees down, lots of dead branches and leaves on the road so I took it really carefully.  Fortunately there wasn't a lot of traffic on the road, just a couple of idiots dicing with death so to speak.  I didn't stop at the car shop to see my student's mum, I just wanted to get home.

I did stop at my local supermarket, I needed a few things that I would have bought in Kaufland and by now, the rain had stopped, the road was like a river and there was sheet and fork lightning all around.  I made my purchases and drove home through the forest in trepidation...I was pleased when I arrived, parked up in the drive, unpacked the car and put the shopping away and it was then that I noticed the damage.  We had no electricity and that didn't come on until five thirty this evening, lots of pots from the terraces had been blown on to the garden, the bird table was down, the plastic tube smashed and my rubbish bin was no more.  I shall have to go shopping for more large pots, some of the bigger shrub plastic pots have been damaged.  I think it had stored up all our rain for the summer and deposited it in one downpour.  The temperature has dropped and I'm not lighting the fire just in case the electricity goes off again, the central heating needs electricity to run the pump.  I've also remembered to change the time on the boiler clock so that it kicks in at the right time and I have hot water tomorrow.

What a day.....I didn't have my camera with me in Kardjali so not a lot of photographic evidence except for when I got home.  We've got stars out so maybe it was short lived and hopefully things will dry out tomorrow.  Lots of damage has been reported in the villages with trees down and roof tiles flying...some of the houses are old and not up to it.  LN......Thankfully I came away unscathed.....I'll ask around tomorrow......and I've got solar light lit.......LN

Sunday 5th November

Woke up at five thirty but it was a very leisurely morning...I played games, drank coffee, spilt said coffee on duvet, thought to ignore it but decided to strip the bed and the sheet, cover and pillow went into the machine.  The sun was out but I've taken to drying clothes inside, pesky midges get everywhere so why bring them inside on the washing.  I was making poached eggs on toast at eight, washing up and everything done by nine and now the day was mine.  I watched two episodes of my series, slept for an hour or so on the sofa, not quite sure what I filled my morning with but at one decided to walk the garden, get some wood in just in case the sun didn't stay around for long and it was then that I noticed that the storm had done more damage that I'd realised yesterday.  It had brought down the tops of some of the trees in the top garden by the workshop terrace, one had come down from the other side and was resting on the wall and the to of one of the others from the otherside was resting precariously in the tree on my side.  

The reciprocating saw came out along with the loppers and the branch cutter and I set to work.  Nearest to the terrace was the easy part, I could get at the branches with the saw but where the trees from the other side had fallen onto my trees it became more difficult.  I was more worried that it might come down on top of me so I really took care and thought about what I was doing since there was nobody else about to pick up the pieces.  Anyway...all's well that ends well, I've tidied up the area, separated out the stuff that can go over the wall and started to saw up the larger branches for the fire.  Unfortunately I've still got some to do, the light was failing and I'd run out of steam and tomorrow is really another day.  Tools away, I had other work to do.

I made the bed up for tonight, got more logs in just in case but it's twenty five degrees in the house so probably not going to light a fire.  I've got a rack of barbecue ribs in the oven and the aroma is drifting around the house and they should be ready by more or less seven.  I might made a few croquette potatoes tonight to go with them or just with bread...it's quite a large rack.  Probably got a lesson with my student tomorrow, I'll check with his mother to see if he has football or lots of homework.  Boiler is on for a bath tonight...I did quite a few stretches pulling those branches down.  Forgot to mention that the storm reached Greece and a tornado overturned cars.  LN......Mabe I got the start of it through my garden.....LN

Monday 6th November

I woke up at five and then managed to get back off again until six and coffee at seven.  I'd heard animal bells ringing and I thought it was a little early so went out to check and there was a small flock of sheep cowering in the corner of the field and obviously where they shouldn't be.  I watched them for a while and noticed that there was a man heading over the hillside for the next village heading in this direction so I stayed on the balcony to see the outcome.  He shouted a good morning to me, he rambled on about why they were here and I didn't get all of it as some of it was in Turkish so I waved and went inside and left him to it.  I didn't recognise the man, he could have been anybody but not my sheep to worry about.  

I got dressed and did the usual things like getting the washing machine going, making coffee and carried on by making fried egg and spicy sausage for breakfast and while I was at it I sliced up the rest of the sausage, sliced and onion and cubed a potato and that all went in the slow cooker with some chilli flakes.  I cooked it on high until I went to see my student and switched it off while I was out. The rest of the morning was filled with watching my series, clearing the branches from yesterday and putting them over the wall for the animals since they had lots of leaves on them.  I also had a bonfire and suddenly noticed that CS was out and about which I thought was unusual since I thought they'd all gone to bed for the winter so I managed to find some dandelion leaves and he scoffed them down.  I think that I must have disturbed him when I took my bonfire stick out of the bush where I keep it and proved it when I watched him make his way back there and become completely hidden under the bushes.

Quick wash and change and I drove in for the lesson with my student and his mother told me that he's not playing football at the moment, his back leg muscle is giving him pain and I suggested that he bones and growing faster than his muscles and it's what we used to call growing pains.  She mentioned that for his birthday in December they'd bought him a massage gun that was handed over early to alleviate the pain and he was so pleased to demonstrate it to me when I went up to the apartment for the lesson.  What a good piece of kit it is.  We had a good lesson, we're reading another Roald Dahl book and both finding it interesting and funny and he managed thirty pages and related the story to his mother when we went back to the shop.  I'm using this approach to help his understanding ...he's started to learn German at school so don't want to confuse by throwing Grammar into the mix.  I stopped off at the hardware shop and bought plastic filler to replace the foam that I removed when I was trying to get access to the room under the little house....and that will be another job done.  Slow cooker back on and that will soon be supper.....nothing on the agenda except a few jobs round the garden.  LN....Thirty one degrees inside the house today and twenty five out....summer is back......LN

Tuesday 7th November

Seven start and the morning just chugged along nicely.  The usual tasks were completed, games, coffee, washing put away, breakfast of toast and apricot jam and kitchen put back to normal.  I put the remains of last night's supper with more spicy sausage into the other slow cooker and that should be ready now.  It was a beautiful morning, more mist than hillside and the moon was lying lazily on it's side and appeared very jagged around the edges on full magnification.

I've had a good day outside, the rest of the greenery from the trees has gone over the wall for the animals and the solid stuff has all been cut with the reciprocating say and is ready to be stacked. I toyed with the idea of cutting down the tops of the trees still standing in the workshop garden but really need somebody else with me before I get up on a ladder.  My young neighbour that I take into Kardjali when the buses aren't running will be here on Friday so she will be here, not exactly holding the ladder but knows the numbers of the emergency services...   I watered the pots in the little house and it looks like I've got several weigelas looking lively and the two honeysuckles have put on new leaves already.  I chopped some starter wood and began cleaning out the porch to the little house.  It's been a dumping ground but now the wood is well stacked, the saw will come into play tomorrow to get the wood not suitable for re-using cut into starter wood.

I came in at five after putting the tools away and locking up the estate, some of the logs came inside but the rest of it is still on the terrace, I'm giving the bugglies time to vacate the premises...don't want those coming inside.  It's now time to serve up supper before it spoils, nothing so far for tomorrow, probably more of the same.  The weather is just too good to be inside.  LN......The weather is still maintaining the quiet after the storm.....LN

Wednesday 8th November

Five thirty start and pitch black outside.  I didn't feel that I could settle off again so out with the Kindle, played sudoku and got some really good times under my belt, got bored so took a few photos of the morning and read my new Phillipa Gregory's  'The Red Queen'.  When the sun came up I moved to the rocking chair and carried on reading, more coffee and decided to reply to a couple of emails that I'd been meaning to do for a while.  One is to a friend that I worked with when I was seventeen and we've sort of charted each others movements through another friend that I used to work with when I was sixteen.  I'm lucky, not many friendships last that long.  I went downstairs and checked emails on my BG phone, it's easier on that to report junk and 'block' than using either the PC or the Kindle.  Horses for courses so they say.

Breakfast was two boiled eggs with toast and mayo, yet more coffee and then I set about putting out the remains of last night's supper for the cat, half a loaf of bread with 'green' bits starting and fortunately I had a new loaf for my toast.  I'd had such an early morning that the energy levels had dropped so I took to the sofa and put Netflix on and watched a film sleeping through some of it and waking up at twelve.  I went back to where I'd fallen asleep and followed the plot and at the end realised that I was a lazy pumpkin, so went into the workshop and carried on clearing out the porch, putting wood preservative on an old lintel that I use as door stop to protect the plastic door frame and shook the rugs.  The wood is tidied away, I've moved the tools and the barrel they sit in from the door entrance to the old little washroom.  Everything is still handy but the entrance look so much tidier.  I chopped more starter wood, cleared up the logs that I'd cut yesterday and they're now in my wood carriers, swept the leaves and sawdust from the little house terrace and the leaves under the Beast in the garage.  Eventually I'd had enough, was about to take photo but the light beat me, I'll have to do that tomorrow.

Supper is now calling me and I haven't a clue what to cook so I better go on the hunt.  Just after six my time, I could put something in the oven and go for a shower and wash my hair.....it's full of old concrete dust where I've been sweeping......the plan is made...not set in concrete and I just hope I'm not.  LN.....Another good day......LN

Thursday 9th November

A really unsettled night, awake most of it and eventually went off again around five and woke up at seven thirty.  It was a slow morning after that, I had no bread so went without breakfast, read my Kindle, another beautiful morning with the sun, mist and mountains and eventually I went out to feed the cat on the remains of last night's hamburger.  

I had a bonfire, had lots of rubbish to get rid of, sat on the wall at the bottom of the garden in the sunshine and heard the turkeys having their morning exercise.  The Kmet's brother takes them for a walk most days and I suppose he's looking after future income...they'll obviously fetch a good price in the New Year.  I made my way to the little house, move the table into the centre of the room and decided to tidy up a mixed jar of screws, bolts and flat headed tacks and now they each have their own jars.  I tipped the contents into an old frying pan that I have and sifted through and it was quite therapeutic.  It does make it so much easier when things are easy to find.  Next job is to sort through the seeds that I have, throw out the old ones and get some of the new ones started.  My young friend arrives tomorrow and I think we have a day of putting to oneside the bottles and jars that she wants and I'll probably end up washing them for her.  She also wants 'bits' from the garden so we'll be doing some potting and I've already suggested that she leaves them in the little house for the winter and takes them when they're ready to plant out.  She doesn't really have the room at her mother's house.  I came into the main house around three, searched for something to 'pick' at and found a half packet of crisps and a chocolate bar so that was breakfast and lunch combined.  I went back to my book, back to the little house and at five I was locking it up, the outside temperature had dropped and there was a nip in the wind.

I came in and lit the fire and it was soon blazing away.  The wood is from three or four years ago so is really dry and the radiators kick in almost immediately.  I decided that pizza was on the menu for supper, set the oven and brought it up to temperature and in it went for ten minutes from frozen.  The crust was a little hard and that's probably the difference between ten and twelve minutes, I shall know for next time. I've finished my book...it's almost as if it should read 'to be continued'.  We've got rid of Richard of York and put Henry Tudor on the thrown and it makes me realise that I know so little about this period of history.  We never studied it as school, it was the French Revolution and ancient civilisations, Ur of the Chaldees I still remember to this day....thank you Miss Knight.  I really should start reading up about the bits in between.

Not sure about tomorrow..... I'll see how what my young friend needs and then possibly go shopping for a few basics.  LN...Here's hoping for a better night's sleep.....LN

Friday 10th November

Well another early start, five thirty, the moon was so bright that I went out to take some pickies and there was a real nip in the air.  The mist hadn't started to form but there appeared to be a halo around the moon but around it all not just the bit that was illuminated by the sun...quite magical....I soon came in though, closed the door and got back into bed. I filled in the time until dawn broke playing Sudoku and sourcing another book to read, I was dressed and only noticed how cold it really was when I noticed that there was a ground frost, it was white over and it reminded me that I should get the winter checks done on both vehicles and today looked like as good a day as any.

I put the bread out for the animals, those little green specks had turned into something more gross so I peeled a potato, sliced it finely and chopped it, put it into the frying pan with some oil, browned it and added two beaten up eggs for an omelette.  When it had set I sprinkled grated Cheddar onto it and served it up.....it was delicious and really filled the gap.  I cleared the kitchen, got dressed, I'd made my decision that I was going into the garage so I put warm clothes on but first of all I headed down to my friend's mother's house to let her know that I wouldn't be home for a while.  She spotted the car and met up with me, she'd had a big acacia come down in the storm and wanted to show it to me so we walked about four hundred yards down one of the offshoot lanes.  She was carrying an axe and started to take some of the side branches off it but no way was it effective on the tree...one of the local lads is going round with the chain saw.  It should see them through for quite a few nights.

I drove to the garage, explained that I wanted winter checks doing and the engine was a little too warm to just fill it with antifreeze so I let the man who'd arrived after me have his car washed.  His son, my ex-student is in Sofia on a training course so he's a bit of a one man band at the moment.  He was sorting out the antifreeze when it suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't had an oil change for quite some time so I found where it had been written in the book and sure enough, it was well over so it went in for a complete overhaul.  Oil change, oil filter, plugs, air filter check which was OK, antifreeze and checks on fan and now my purse is lighter but the Nipper is all set for the winter.  I'm taking the Beast in probably on Monday...in for a penny, in for lots of stotinki.  I drove to the shop and spent time with his wife, we do giggle quite a lot between customers.  I went into the hardware shop and bought brown coloured silicon to make a few changes to the porch on the little house, bread from the supermarket and then down to the other supermarket for coffee, mayo, biscuits and an éclair to have with my coffee when I got home.  I lit the fire and it was really quite reluctant to get going, I guess the chimney is cold or the wind is in the wrong direction or the wood is so old that it just takes a long time to burn.  It's going well now though and the two logs that I put on are really slow not like the logs from last night.

I'm not bothering about supper again....I settled on sof and have started to watch 'Six Feet Under' on Netflix and I'm finding it interesting, funny in places and sad in others.  I've switched it off now, just checked the temperature, outside is ten degrees and inside twenty three so not bad....love my woodburner.  Again I'm taking my young friend to Kardjali since there is no bus on a Saturday and I'll top up on some bits that I can't get locally.  LN.....Two winter jobs still on the list......Beast and gas bottle....and then...bring it on.....LN

Saturday 11th November

Another early start in the dark so played games and drank coffee until the morning came to life.  There wasn't a lot of it, the sun was swallowed up by the clouds and we saw very little of it until this afternoon when I slept through most of it.  It was quite strange and the Greek mountains seemed to be doing a good job of keeping the rain clouds at bay until the wind shifted round and the clouds then appeared to be pushing the clouds up from the Mediterranean.  I put a load of washing in the machine while the electricity was on cheap rate, had a shower and washed my hair, dressed for town, dried my hair, had marmite on toast for breakfast and had timed it perfectly to be ready for my friend's arrival at nine but at eight thirty she was calling my name from the terrace.  I went down the stairs and let her in, her baggage was outside by the Nipper so I put it inside for her but by now it was raining quite heavily.  I finished tying up my hair, put my body warmer and boots on and we left at nine.   She hadn't had breakfast and was expecting us to go to the Turkish restaurant again but the weather was so grim that I wanted to drop her off, get my shopping done and get back.  I parked up outside her apartment block, she took her luggage and I drove back though the town and on to Kaufland which was heaving.  I think everyone had seen the weather forecast and had the same idea as I did.

I bought potatoes, a tin of mushrooms and one of pineapple, a rose bush for me and made my way to the coffee aisle and they had Nescafe on promotion so I put twelve two hundred gram jars in my trolley.  Seemed like overkill but the company is moving to packet stuff which appears to be more dust than coffee grains and I do like the jars for other things...win - win.  For some reason I thought of Bekir and blow me down, an aisle further on there he was clutching a chunk of cheese and he was on his own.  I asked him where his friends were and he said that one had died suddenly that he was normally out and about with on a Saturday and 'pushka mush' who was a member of the gun club has problems with his knees and can't walk very far.  He apologised for not bringing my hammer back that he was fitting a new stale to, I'd forgotten about it and somehow he seemed very lonely.  I asked about his wife and he said she was out with the sheep and he mentioned that in a couple of years, he's going to give them up and I replied that the children don't really want that lifestyle...it's all money and Facebook and he agreed.  Off he went, I went to the cash desk and settled my bill but I worked it out that I'd saved over fifty leva by waiting for the offer on coffee...quite a saving.  I didn't go to Lidl, the car-parts shop was closed, which was unusual, so I drove home in torrential rain and with thunder clattering about.  

I unloaded the shopping, lit the fire which turned out to be a mistake.  I'd just got it going nicely when the electricity went off so I was offloading the contents of the woodburner into the little woodburner in the kitchen since the pump doesn't work without power and the UPS only does forty minutes.  I settled on the sofa, started reading a book about meditation and promptly fell asleep through the storm, the power came back on around four so relit the fire and so far so good.  Spicy chicken wings went into the over and are now ready for consumption so I'm going to say goodnight and get settled in front of Netflix.  LN......The forecast is ran on and off for the week so it should be a quiet one for me......LN

Sunday 12th November

Five thirty start again, just one or two hints of morning over the mountains but I had to wait until seven for the show to start.  The sun lingered on the edge but then found itself behind the clouds and didn't really show its face until round ten when i went down for a bonfire, got it going well ad sat on the wall watching an eagle ascending on the thermals.  I thought at one point it was hovering over the turkeys but they were obviously penned up and not out for their morning stroll.  It was cold on the balcony so I didn't stay out there long first thing and I made more coffee and sat on the rocker until it was time to think about getting washed and dressed ready to face the day.  I did hit one sticking point, the elastic in my PJ's wasn't so elastic so I found more in the sewing box, managed to find a safety pin and renewed said elastic so that they don't begin to fall down and I have to keep hitching them up...the job is done.

Scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast around ten, I left the washing up and logged on to the internet to try to find out the name of my oriental looking orange and yellow flowering plant that's in my lounge.  I must have had it for about eight years, found a wild one growing in North Africa but it has been a mystery to me.  I resorted to Gardeners' World, asked the question and included a photo and had the answer with the hour....thanks boys and it is listed in my Botanica A-Z...I should have started at the A section and looked properly and it would have been solved earlier.....it's  Aeschynanthus speciosus.

I had a bonfire and really did work up a head of smoke, there was quite a breeze blowing so the lid went on very early on....it's still very dry on the hillside despite the rain that we've had.  The rest of the day has been very leisurely, watch Netflix, lit the fire, had the rest of the spicy chicken wings for an early supper and read my Kindle.  I didn't have an afternoon nap so should sleep well tonight.  I've only just realised it's just after eight thirty my time, soon be time for bed.  LN.....Student tomorrow and the Beast is going for its winter checks.......LN

Monday 3th November

Eleven in bed, two awake, back to sleep until five and eventually out of bed at seven.  Obviously a disturbed night and hopefully it will be a better night tonight.  Lots of rain last night, eight degrees outside this morning and twenty one inside but the house felt really cold, I think the swift change in the weather has led to my not acclimatising quickly enough...I should be alright by January or February!!

Toast with triangle cheese spread for breakfast, the chicken bones from last night went out for the cat, I called her but there was no response but the bones have gone.  If my cat didn't then somebody else's cat did.  There are so many around it could have been any one of them.  I saw a black and white one walking at the base of the low wall this lunchtime but certainly no sign of mine....maybe it got involved with a tin of white paint.  I hadn't got my glasses on to confirm or deny.  I managed a burst of activity, I filled up the log carrier and the starter wood bucket and also another bucket with the tree felling from last week.  Burning it with good logs makes them last longer....after all it's only November.  I made a start on the terrace, the cushion box is in the little house and I emptied it to get rid of the nasties that have taken up residence and I wanted the cushions to dry out and they will now they're inside with air getting round them.  I was going to bring in the wooden box but I need a few days of sun to dry the wood out before it comes in.  

I came in and read for a while, I had my student lesson this afternoon and the upside of reading a book is that there's no preparation.  Last week we'd left it at page seventy two and I'd remembered it because my grandmother's house was the same number.  We'd discussed this and my student had to remind me where we should begin and he did. All he said was 'grandmother's door number' and he immediately turned to the page.  This weeks reminder is 'ice cream with chocolate' and yes, we're on page ninety nine.....he supplies the cryptic clue and I supply the number.  Works for us and it tethers one weeks lesson to the next.  In the shop with his mother, I mentioned that the rest of the oil container that her husband had handed me at the garage bottle was for diesel motors.  She began to explain that some of the oils could be used on either and that I must have misread it so I fetched the container from the boot.  I checked her stock in the shop and sure enough, the colour of the container was the same as the one that I had but mine was solely for diesel not for either and obviously a mistake had been made.  The car goes back tomorrow, unfortunately at a loss to them so I might suggest to see if it is possible to empty it out of the Nipper and put it in the Beast...that probably needs an oil change anyway....two birds with one stone.  

I drove home, it's cold and I reckon it could be a frost tonight although the outside temperature is reading eight degrees.  So Nipper in tomorrow again, I'll be turning the freezer off and emptying it before I go so that it can start to defrost while the contents sit in a duvet to keep cold.  It's a job that really needs doing and the contents reorganising...I know what's at the top but really not sure what's at the bottom of each drawer.  It's down to six degrees outside but twenty three in with the woodburner doing what it's supposed to do.  LN.....I've just thrown another log on and that should be it for tonight.....now to find food for me.......LN  

Tuesday 14th November

Not such a good night last night.  I went to sleep watching my series on Netflix,must have slept through a couple of episodes and I think I missed on on the plot.  One of the main characters who had a brain issue obviously had a blow out and I hardly recognised him at all.  I was intrigued how the plot was unfolding so watched one more episode in my sleepy state and went to bed, couldn't get to sleep and was playing Sudoku until about three....it happens.  I eventually woke up at seven thirty which was not bad at all for me, coffee, Sudoku, washed and dressed.  I was taking the Nipper in for another change of oil after yesterday's fiasco, in the Nipper for nine thirty and down at the garage for ten.  Her husband came to the shop for parts and said that he'd been really busy and done three tyre changes already but that there was no one there so he suggested I made my way down to the garage.  I'd had this thought that we could salvage the oil and do a swift oil change in the Beast, he wasn't too keen on the idea so I've left it up to him.  I also took from the shop a back windscreen wiper blade to have that fixed, coming back from Kardjali in the rain the other night I couldn't see anything behind me, the wiper ws doing nothing,

It was a beautiful morning, couldn't see much for the mist but it had cleared as I drove in.  The garage is in a beautiful setting with one of the tributaries to the main Kardjali river running by it and the air is so fresh down there.  I walked down to the river, it's not so pretty close up and there is a lot of builder's rubble cascading down the bank and it needs topsoil to redress the situation.  The Nipper was straight into the bay and the job completed in about thirty minutes and in that time there were about three other cars pulling up for attention.  He drove my out to the side of the garage, hadn't noticed the wiper blade so I tried to do it with the help of his father in law and eventually he came out to do it for us.  We were making a real pig's ear of it so we left it to the expert.

I drove to the shop, paid for the wiper blade, discussed what my student might like for his birthday present.  She said that what he wanted was too much money so I said that it would be his birthday come Christmas present...and she's under instructions to order it and I'll give her the money when it comes.  I drove home, the plan to take the Beast to the garage came to nothing and I settled for two tuna and mayo sandwiches followed by the rest of the white seedless grapes that I'd bought on Saturday.  The internet  went down so I checked it and it was the service provider, nothing wrong with my end and eventually it was restored enough for me to take to the sofa and try and catch up on the plot.

Today it got up to thirty two degrees in the house and seventeen outside, it dropped as the sun went down so I lit the fire and it's going really well now.  Tomorrow I will take the Beast to the garage around nine thirty and see how he's doing for customers.  I will take my Kindle if the weather is good and sit in the sun and read my book until he can fit me in...it's as good a place as any to spend an hour or so.  LN.....No supper for me, the sandwiches are still evident so I'm drinking water....and I've decided, it's bathnight.....LN

Wednesday 15th November

Not a bad night last night and a reasonable start.  The curtains were open in the bedroom and I saw the beginning of morning breaking and eventually I just had to get the camera out and take a few shots.  The house was warm, the fire had been going well last night and this house does retain the heat.  I caught the morning before the mist had started to rise and clouds were going at a fast rate of knots across the sky coming in from the south.  I went out onto the balcony with the camera and the lonesome pine was a focal point since it was static against the sky as it went from dark grey with white light to red and yellow as the sun was getting closer to rising.  I became more mottled and then the colours began to fade.  Morning had arrived so it was time to go back inside, make more coffee and get back into bed and watch the rest in comfort.

I went on to the computer and checked emails and spent another forty minutes on-line embroiled with my security provider without any outcome.  I decided to phone the company instead, got cut off after they gave me one resolution that I wasn't happy with so I phoned customer service and again gave up.  I won't name and shame but I'm seriously thinking of putting a strongly worded email with transcripts of the conversation....either they put too much emphasis on the number of calls not the number of satisfied customers.  In all I probably spent about an hour and a half of my life this morning on something that is still not resolved.  By this time breakfast was calling so I made two slices of toast and that's seen me through until now.  I didn't get the Beast in for an oil change, my equilibrium had all gone to pot after the morning I'd had so I put on Netflix.  I did get spurred into action to do a lap of the garden to satisfy the requirements of my Fitbit but that was about it for today.

I went upstairs and as I came down I noticed the sunset so had to get out there once again for a few pickies at the end of glorious day.  It's been windy but the skies have been worth taking lots of photos.  LN......The Beast is definitely in the garage tomorrow......and now supper calls.....LN

Thursday 16th November

One o'clock to bed again but straight to sleep and woke up at six this morning.  No sign of the mountains or hillside, everything was misted over and eventually it turned into fog which stayed with us for quite some time.  I washed, dressed, headed down to the kitchen and unplugged the freezer, that little beauty was getting turned out, bits on top of bits and literally, I had to get to the bottom of it.  I used the laundry basket and another large container, the laundry basket has holes so I put everything into a couple of large plastic bags first and covered it with a very large feather duvet from the chest in the guest room.  For the other solid container I didn't bother with a water proof but found another duvet from my downstairs bedroom, everything on to the kitchen table and then and then wrapped up to keep everything frozen.  By now it was getting on for eight o'clock so I brought the Beast out of the garage into the yard, reversed the Nipper up towards the porch door, opened the gates and drove the Beast out onto the grass outside the front wall.  It was going in for oil change, new filters, full winter check, wash and brush up and anything else that needed doing.  When I got down to the garage, the son suggested that I went back and waited in the shop, it was cold so he turned the Beast round and drove me back to the town.  It was going to take about an hour for the work to be done.

I sat with his mother for a while, the shop was quite busy so I decided to take a walk to the local morning breakfast spot which was very busy as usual.  I joined the queue, there were about four in front of me, they didn't have what I wanted so I settle for a filo cheese special.  I eventually got served, started to walk back to the shop and decided to call in on another friend that has another shop, there was no one serving but as I walked away, my friend appeared, she was running the coffee shop come lottery terminal and also the clothes shop next door.  Her son had bought an apartment in Plovdiv and had moved there with his wife and younger daughter leaving the older one, my birthday buddy, still in school in Djebel.  There was another friend there too and we had coffee together, had a verbal catch-up in stilted Bulgarian but we managed to fill twenty minutes or so.  I ate my banitsa, picked the cheese out of it and gave the rest to a dog on my way back to the shop.  I explained that I'd got lost, which was a joke, there are only two road in Djebel, the son had brought my car back, waited for five minutes or so and then driven back to the garage to help his father.  I noticed a jar of something orange on the counter, his mother opened the jar, took out the contents and cleaned the computer keyboard with it.  I'd not see it before, it's called Magic gel, it picks up dirt and grime and gets where other things can, you can wash it out when it's dirty and continue using it....so I had to have one.  She refused to take payment, it won't replace my hoover but I'm sure I can find a use for it.

I said fond farewells and walked down to the garage on the sunny side of the street since the air was cold. I'd paid for the work in the shop so made sure that they knew at the garage.  There were lots of cars waiting which is good...it's winter tyre time and the police get quite active.  I drove home, sorted out the freezer, put the quilts on the stair rails to air and take the dampness out of them.  They're now back where they should be, the house was up to thirty degrees this afternoon and we have stars out tonight, maybe heading for a frost. I now have space in the freezer, I threw quite a lot of 'bits' away that I'll never get round to cooking....the animals will do well tomorrow or I'll put it in the container at the lower village.  Fire lit at five and I realised that the doors were still open so it was time to shut up shop. LN.....A very restful morning with lots done....I like days like these.....LN

Friday 17th November

Firstly happy birthday to my sister who would have been ninety one today if she was still around....there was quite an age gap between us.  We weren't really friends growing up, she always reminded me that she had to look after me as if it was my fault and she was around during the war years and I was born after it.  She was the one that was very competent and a homemaker, I was the one that set off on a cruise at twenty one, went back to one of the places that we visited and worked a beach bar and eventually joined the police force..... and my life has flowed ever since....and now Bulgaria.

A very dull start to the day but eventually it cleared up but it's been cold.  The food went out for the animals and when I checked later in the day there was nothing left at all.  I salvaged a beef rib joint from yesterday that one of the locals must have given me for the meat byram, it went into the slow cooker with two beef stock cubes and later in the day I removed the ribs with the boney bits and that's ready for cat in the morning.  I didn't want to put it out tonight, something else may have demolished it.  I went down to have a bonfire and walking back I spotted what I thought was a deer a the bottom of the field.  It's white bits stuck out so I came in and got the camera and sure enough it was one of the ones that normally runs with the cows but this time, no cows.  At the same time, a woodpecker flew into the acacia, it took me a while to focus, it was playing hide and seek in the branches.  I think it was a juvenile and more intent on cleaning its feathers that watching me and eventually I managed to get one reasonable shot, I was amazed at the brightness of the red in its plumage.  It changed position and went to the plum tree and I lost it but another one came to the acacia, spotted me and shot off for quieter pastures.

I filled the log containers and set the fire for tonight, went to the terrace and brought the bougainvillea into the porch.  It has lost most of its leaves but trying hard to create new and brought in the freesia bulbs that have decided to show the first leave.  Three are up already but there's about eight or nine in the pot so a few more to go.  I've filled up eight eleven litre bottles from the water butt and put them into the little house for winter watering.  The hose pipe went on the outlet tap and the rest of the contents are now on the garden, didn't want the yard to get saturated by just letting it go.  Tomorrow I'll clean it out and get it into the little house for winter, I don't leave it out in case it freezes and splits.  The real countdown to winter has begun.  

Supper is going to be the beef, I added onions, carrots and potatoes to the slow cooker and I think it's ready when I am....the beauty of a slow cooker.  LN.....Another good day.....LN

Saturday 18th November

Very dull morning but after last night's downpour I'm not surprised.  I was watching Netflix and I suddenly realised that the wind was howling, things were blowing about and the rain was pelting it down.  I put the outside garden light on that illuminates the terrace and halfway down the garden and could hardly see out of the window....so much so that I decided it was time to go to bed to see what the morning brought.  I snuggled down, put the extra quilt over me and slept through until five, snuggled down again and it was just before seven when I was making my first cup of enlivening elixir.  It was still raining but not a lot, fortunately I'd put the lid on the water barrel so that was still empty but I never did get round to cleaning it and putting it away.  I went to make toast and I had the green stuff starting on it so the raven had a field day when I threw it on to the garden at the side of the house.  I'd notice blue tits and robins hanging around earlier but they didn't even get a look in, the larger birds were flying off with the booty.

Breakfast went on the back burner, I put the bones and the trimmings from the slow cooker out for cat, took the rest of the meat from the pot and put it into the liquidiser, gave it a few spins and back into the slow cooker it went with the contents of a can of chili beans....and that's for tonight.  The energy levels were low this morning, I  managed to set the fire for tonight, wrote a shopping list for the presents for the ladies for Christmas, thought about driving to Kardjali and buying said items and then couldn't get round to it.  Instead I settled on the sofa, found the film Nanny McPhee and the Big Band and had a most enjoyable morning.  It was English, it was harmless and thoroughly enjoyable....into the realms of beyond.  It took me a while to identify Emma Thompson,  I knew the voice but the facial features were heavily disguised.

At one I decided to head into Djebel and popped into the car shop to hand over a pair of socks to my student's mum.  She'd spotted mine the other day, they've got cat's faces on them and a couple of pompoms and mine are pink and fluffy.  She liked them and now she had a pair of her own.  I also bought AAA batteries for the speakers for my Apple old iPod, elastic bungies to attach the heavy sheeting over the Beast in the garage for when I go to England and to pay for my student's birthday present that she's ordered from the internet for me.  I stayed for a short while and then to the supermarket to get bread and now that the freezer was 'in reasonable shape' I could buy extra and freeze it.  The goody box was empty but I only spent twenty lev which is about eight pounds....chocolate biscuits, peanuts, crisps, mayo and two loaves of bread and no fish...it wasn't the day for feeding the five thousand.

I parked up and unpacked, brought in an extra log carrier of logs, it was cold now and there is also a snow warning going out.  Not sure if it's for us or not but better to be prepared that hacking through the snow to the woodstore.  Yet another afternoon on to my security company, fortunately I'd got the case number and I must remember that it's not this operator's fault, that lies with the company.  It's now two online chats and two telephone conversations and at last it's been escalated to the second line of defence and I shall be getting an email from them.  Let's see what happens next...it's only been ongoing for a year or so but raised its ugly head again about three weeks ago.   Just keep taking the money....all operators have to do is to meet the closure targets and keep the call count up....resolve the issue?...Not really necessary.  If it can be resolved, do it, if it can't, let's both park it.....  LN.....Fire lit...time to relax......LN

Sunday 19th November

Five degrees this morning outside and twenty in so not so bad. Bit of a no-brainer where I stayed....I waited for it to warm up before I ventured out for real.  I emptied the remains of the slow cooker over the wall after putting enough for Cat under the plum tree....I could have had more meals out of it but decided against it.  Just my quirky mind...if I decide it has to go, so be it.  I was hungry but I didn't know for what so I didn't have anything until much later in the day when I made tuna mayo sandwiches.  

Bed made, fire set, wood got it for tonight, kitchen tidied and I went out on to the terrace to start my tidy up out there.  The sun was out so I sat on the bench out of the wind and got a late layer of suntan on but then realised that I had work to do so pulled myself together and started to get on with it.  I opened up the little house and found the large square flat containers that I use to over winter my outside pots so that I can water them well.  One had developed a crack and subsequent hole so I found a sheet of heavy gauge polythene in the wood store and cut enough to cover the bottom and brought it up the sides so that the water was retained.....another few lev saved.  I'd noticed that the table on the terrace had a piece of wood that had fallen off, it hadn't collapsed or anything but I decided to get a few nails and make a repair.  Also noticed that a couple of the screws holding the top on from underneath had broken and decided to replace them.  Unfortunately I had to remove the half screw before I could put a new screw in, eventually I managed it bringing everything I had into the workshop into play or so it seemed...job done....it will last a few more years.

Back to the post on the terrace.....I trimmed the dead flowers from the geraniums, tobacco and the petunias but decided it was too early to bring them inside just yet. After tripping up over the hosepipe a few times, that's now coiled up and put in the wood store so that it lasts another year.  I came in about four this afternoon, it was getting a little nippy, the heat was going out of the sun in my part of the world and at five thirty, I've just set a lighter to the fire and it all seems to be going well so far. Not bothered with supper just yet, the tuna is lying a little heavy so I'll leave it until later.  LN.....Beautiful weather for this time of the year, lots of very active woodpeckers, jays, blue tits and robins and I even heard my Little Owl....all this from my garden.....LN

Monday 20th November

Well it's been a funny old day.  I woke up at six thirty, white over outside and I had an amazing sunrise.  It was minus one outside and only sixteen in but no need to light the fire, the central heating would soon be up over the mountains and then everything would be back to normal....and it was.  The house eventually climbed to twenty eight degrees and outside settled for sixteen.   Not bad for November.

I ordered a birthday card for my SIL from the internet and unfortunately they asked me if I'd rate the website after this transaction.  Fortunately they caught me on a good day, I told them that all I wanted to do was to order a card, pay for it and leave but they are always after the next sale.  I didn't want to add any more reminders, I didn't want to send another card , I didn't want the cash bonus for using the app......why can't companies be satisfied and just provide a service.  Oh and all these cookies I keep accepting...not are ever received.  I mailed my daughter to see if she had any ideas for a present and said that if the cost was high to give me time to organise a bank heist.  She thought this was funny and so did the man at my bank when I was transferring money over to my daughter's account after she'd ordered said present.  The bank clerk asked me what I'd like to use as a reference for the transfer and I told him to put 'Bank heist complete'.  Subject to internal checks it should go through without I get security services down on me like a ton of bricks.

Toast and cheese triangles for breakfast, I checked my phone and noticed that there was a message from the garage and I took it that the lesson with my student was being moved to tomorrow at two instead of three in the afternoon. Another message came through asking where I was and I suddenly realised that the first message was from Sunday, not today.  I'd had a lovely morning, the bonfire was slow to start but I'd got it going and worked up a fair head of smoke and obviously had taken on the whiff of 'eau de bonne feu'.  Now with this sudden change of plans it was a quick strip wash, the hair would have to do and I dressed to suit the tropical weather and I was at the shop for two thirty.  I met the boy on the pavement, he was just going into the supermarket for something for his lunch and I went up to the apartment around ten minutes to three to start the lesson.  We carried on reading and managed twenty pages when it was time to get him to Kardjali for his football training at half four.  By now the temperature was dropping, I'd got thin socks on and my summer shoes, a lightweight fleece and a waterproof, windproof in the car. I offered to take him in to Kardjali, watch some of the practice game and bring him home again....didn't want him hanging around waiting for a bus at seven twenty.  As the game wore on I was getting colder to the point where I couldn't feel my fingers they were so cold.  The session finished just after six, his words were that it had been a good practice game, he went to get changed and we piled into the car and headed for Djebel.  His mother was still working in the shop and his father down at the garage obviously with a late job, we had a hug on the pavement and I set off for home to get my fire lit.  The drive home was uneventful, fire going perfectly first time and to my surprise in the cupboard I found a box of chocolate drinks from last year.  Two packets into a glass, topped with hot water and I found cream in the fridge.....bliss, sheer bliss.

Think it's time to get settled in for the evening....I've started to watch 'House of Cards' again on Netflix and I do find it very funny.  No supper for me, the chocolate drink has topped me up nicely and nothing in the diary for tomorrow.  LN......I'm sure I'll find something to do......LN

Tuesday 21st November

Another disturbed night not helped by the fact that I went to sleep downstairs and yet again and woke at three.  Fortunately I made it up to bed and slept solidly until seven and then I was straight into the day.  So the overall count of zzzz's was OK but at three this afternoon I could have willing got my head down but didn't and I promise myself I shall not repeat any of the above tonight.  

Another cold start to the day, the sun came up, I got washed and dressed and made the decision to go into Kardjali and make a start on the Christmas list for the locals but firstly I got rid of the household rubbish and lit the bonfire.  After yesterday's burn-up, I'm pleased to report that there is only ash in the burning in, a few tin cans and they will be easy to remove before the rest goes on the garden.  It's mainly wood ash and that's good for the garden.  I didn't bother with breakfast and instead bought it from one of the local breakfast shops after I paid my first visit to my usual cheapy shop for Christmas stocking fillers.  I was disappointed, there was just too much to choose from, the owners had reconfigured the store to get more stock in and it seemed overwhelming so I made a rapid exit and only spent just under forty lev where normally I would be up to the hundred.  I did find some really super Santa stockings made out of felt and they were cheaper than the gift bags and it should limit the amount that I can get into them.  I put the purchases into the Nipper and walked to my cheapy Tuesday clothes shop but didn't by anything although I was tempted by a wine coloured velour top but the queue was so long that I wasn't worth the effort and then to the breakfast shop next door....one Princessa which is a slice of bread with cheese and ham, toasted but unfortunately it had gone cold but I followed it with a deep fried chocolate stuffed cake which replaced breakfast really successfully.  Over to Kaufland and made a few purchases including a new wrist blood pressure monitor, over to Lidl and then back to Djebel stopping off at the garage shop to return the body warmer that she let me borrow for the football evening.  I didn't stay for long, drove home, unpacked the shopping and settled down with a cup of coffee on the sofa and managed to stay awake.

The evening sky was quite beautiful tonight and I managed to take a few while supper was cooking.   Chicken wings with vegetables went into the oven and it was ready to be served at sixish with mayo followed by a chocolate pudding from my trip to Lidl and a few more goodies for the goody box.  Not much on the agenda for tomorrow so far....I've got a few admin things to sort out and then I might go into Djebel and make another attack on the Christmas list.  As for the blood pressure monitor.....I tried for an hour to set the day, date, year and time but to no avail....blood pressure reading is very good considering the stain I was under trying to set it up.  It should be perfect tomorrow. LN.....Now to settle down in front of Netflix and make it up the stairs before my eyelids come down.....LN

Wednesday 22nd November

Another silly night last night.  I went to bed at eleven thirty. more or less straight to sleep but unfortunately I woke up at two, no sleep in me so went downstairs to the fire, threw a log on, watched Netflix until three thirty and back to bed.  This time I went through until seven so in total, not so bad but I'm tired of interrupted sleep.  Note to self...cut back on the coffee throughout the day.

I was amazed, there was still a red tinge in the woodburner so on with another log and it was living for another day.  I was cursing the new wood last night, I think the air was just heavy and the chimney wasn't drawing at all so maybe it's the wood or maybe it isn't....only time will tell.  I might try mixing some of the wood from the pollarded trees to add more moisture to the mix..this wood seems very dry.  I put the washing away, washed and dressed, toasted tea loaf for breakfast, chicken bones left over from last night out for the cat and it was sitting waiting for me.  No sign of any sunrise this morning and no sunset tonight.  Today's task was to complete my plans for my upcoming visit for Christmas and book my hotel for the night before my flight and this is where the problems started.  I normally stay at the same hotel and there was a plan that you could plum into to get the rate down and two years ago I signed up.  When I came to book today the system told me that I wasn't eligible and I eventually had to book through another well known company.  This went through OK and I think I must have had four emails confirming my booking, one notifying me that a special request has been accepted and all this was  that I would be checking in later.  Not to worry, accepted and paid for is good enough for me.  I shan't be driving up this time, I'll be taking the bus, don't want any unforeseen happenings like last time when I and the car came back on a low loader and it cost me another night in the hotel.

Work done I opened my santa's grotto getting the  presents ready for my ladies.  I'd bought smelly candles so I wrapped them in aluminium foil so that they don't pervade everything else, put them in the mini-santa sacks and then drove into Djebel to buy the rest of the stuff that I needed.  First to the bankomat, then to the dinky-doo shop to buy large containers to replace the plant pots damaged in the storm and hand cream, pot holders, pop-socks, dish wash pads and lots more things that the ladies don't buy for themselves.  They all went into the big pot saving on carrier bags that I probably wouldn't have been able to manage.  I was parked outside the mosque, drove round to the carshop, I needed some firelighters, I was down to my last box.  We chatted for a while and I've been invited to watch my student play for his team on Sunday morning in one of the small village outside of Kardjali.  I'm keen to go, the match starts at ten and I shall have to be in Djebel by seven forty-five.....and only rain will stop play for me.

Drove home and peeled the price ticket off the items, found the wrapping paper and managed to find the sellotape so that's my work sorted for tomorrow.  The clock downstairs is still not behaving itself so I'll have to try and find a new clock inside and see if I can replace it.  Alternatively I shall move the clock from the upstairs, downstairs until I can find a replacement.  No supper required, I've picked on bun loaf and I'll manage through until tomorrow.  LN.......Santa's grotto is officially declared open.....LN

Thursday 23rd November

Early to sleep last night, I had a late bath and slept well on the sofa until I woke up and meandered my way upstairs.  This is not good.  I've decided that I've been drinking too much coffee, eating too much rubbish and I think I might be back on the blood pressure tablets until it calms down again.  I went on the hunt this morning for my usual and found three half packets all with the expiry date of February twenty three so got washed and dressed, fresh lemon juice with hot water and foregoing the coffee and set off for the chemist.  They're very obliging, I waited in the queue, handed over the half packet and asked for three new ones and they were handed over.  Ninety tablets for thirteen leva and that means that I shall have enough until I leave for England, one pack to take with me and one for when I get back.  Nothing like being prepared.

I popped into the car shop, I'd had a message from my student's mother to say that the game has been cancelled on Sunday and brought forward to tomorrow so my early start for Sunday is off my list...thank goodness.  It's been cancelled because bad weather is forecast so I should really check it out and I just have.  Minus three overnight on Saturday and rain, minus nine on Sunday and snow.  No wonder they changed the day.  I shall be getting in wood to keep the home fires burning  finding the snow shovel and have it at the ready.  I did make a start today on clearing up the rest of the stuff that needs to come inside.  The grass mower is in the wood store, the large wooden box from the corridor terrace is in the little house along with the water barrel that I emptied the other day.  There was lots of sludge inside so gave it a wash out and put away the two concertina hoses so and found a stray bench so that came in as well.  Tomorrow is a day of clearing the weeds from the pots that are overwintering in the little house and bringing everything in, watering them well and forgetting about them until I go to the UK, one more water and they'll be left to their own devices.  It's the survival of the fittest in this neck on the woods.

I stopped off at the supermarket on my way home from Djebel and bought more presents in the form of alcohol for Santa's grotto. Before I went home I drove down to see the lady who has the garden next to mine to tell them that a couple of trees had come down onto the wall.  They thought it was the big pear tree and were quite pleased to see that they were rubbish plum trees and I'm thinking I should really lop mine to the ground before they fall down.  I think I shall have to ask Emula one of the boys from the village to come up with his chain saw....it will only take him about fifteen minutes at the most.   We managed to pull the offending tree from the wall and they can chop it up for logs in their own time.  

Haciber came round with a rice and meat dish, a cake and a bottle of water as a 'mevlit' gift from Beyser who has recently died.  It's a tradition here but now it's been commercialised, it's prepared in Djebel, not at home and in some ways the standard is better...there's more meat in the rice.  I had that for lunch and settled on the sofa and went to sleep for a couple of hours or so and feel much better for it.   It was after I woke up that I started on the outside clean-up.  Fire going well and I'm acclimatising myself ready for my minus temperatures at the weekend according to internet.  Let's wait and see.  LN......Dull and dismall all day so no photos worth posting...a day of manual labour tomorrow, all will be safely gathered in......LN

Friday 24th November

Usual routine, the sun was out but there was a very fierce wind blowing, the poor lemon was still bending despite being staked well and attached to the roof down pipe.  It was the last day for all of the pots on the terrace.....they were going into winter storage but it took me ages to work up to it.  Instead I fried off the remains of last night's supper and had in on plain bread.  It wasn't exactly fried spicy sausage, it was more warmed up in chopped tomatoes but it filled a gap well.  I put the crusts out for the cat with the scrapings from the frying pan and most of it went, just a few onions remaining.....it appeared neither of us liked them.  I went into the lounge to check if the food had gone and sitting on the wall under the wild plum tree was a bird I didn't recognise.  It looked very pale, medium sized and kept changing position to face into the wind.  I grabbed the camera for the table under the stairs and managed to take a shot but really didn't think it would be any good so moved to the stairwell and started to climb the stairs to take another and it was spooked, and off it flew.  

I carried on up the stairs and stripped the quilt cover from my bed and earmarked it for the washing machine.  With the temperatures about to plummet according to the weather reports and it's down to minus three tonight and minus nine tomorrow, the zebra blanket quilt covers have been installed along with the same under sheet.  It's more the feel of getting into a warm bed and losing the initial chill of cotton sheets.....everything is a bonus when you get old and the temperature drops.  I then spent another hour searching for the second quilt cover that I have and what a waste of time that was...I've obviously put it somewhere safe.  I was going to make up the bed downstairs closer to the woodburner.....not that I've ever been cold in this house after the central heating went in and I added more insulation in the loft.  So back to the kitchen for a tidy up, the slow cooker was washed and was immediately put into action.  I added a chicken breast and a tin of mushrooms, it's been cooking all day and I've just blitzed most of the mushrooms and put them back with the chicken and that's supper done and dusted.  

Back to the terraces....I eventually plucked up courage at around two this afternoon and finished the job around five.  Some of the larger pots were very heavy so I had to become ingenious in my approach, bringing into play the log carrier and the lifting trolley.  Thanks to 'Spike' I had to come in and take tweezers to my knee to remove the spines, thanks D of S, it's your plant and I'm looking after it as a favour.  The little house is very full, tomorrow's job s to give them a good watering but calculating the weight of the pots, I guess that most of them are OK and won't die of thirst.  The pottery animals will also have to come in, I've just remembered that they're sitting on the terrace wall and I should fetch them in incase the wind gets up again.  Starting to write the blog and I loaded the photos on to the computer and I was amazed at the picture of the bird.  I had to get the RSPB book out and it looks very much that it might be a Peregrine.  It just looked grey in colour sitting on the wall but when I put the photo on the computer, the detail of the breast and legs matches the description in the book.  Just a pity it didn't longer longer for more of a photo shoot.

Supper is ready, the fire needs attention so I'm heading down to the lounge....a long soak tonight in a hot bath to make sure that I don't have aches and pains tomorrow.  LN......Looking forward to trying out the 'nest' for the first time this winter.....LN  

Saturday 25th November

Really strange today....it felt like a Sunday and nothing would shake the idea.  I think it was because I didn't make any plans to go anywhere...I had shopping in, freezer full, pots all away and nothing really to do in preparation for winter or my time in the UK.  I did get on with replies to messages that I should have done before and had a surprise conversation on line with an old friend who wanted to catch up.  I also contacted my son and made Christmas arrangements so that I manage to see him and his family and confirmed arrangements with my daughter for Christmas day.  It's good because I have time before and after Christmas for me and should be able to catch up on friends.

What did my day hold?  I woke at seven which was OK, I'd fallen asleep on the sofa again last night and expected a two a.m. wake up which just didn't happen.  It was probably due to the humping of heavy pots and clearing the terraces yesterday.  It was hard work but when there's only you to do it you just get on with it.  I could pay for help but while I'm able I still do most things.  It was a dull start to the day, lightning was flashing over the mountains and from the photo you will see the dark clouds rising.  As the morning wore on, other clouds appeared coming up from the south which seemed to hold the others back.  I made ham and poached eggs on toast for breakfast and put the remains of that and last night's supper out for the cat and tt was then that the rain started.  It was gentle at first but suddenly the heavens opened and it's been like that for the rest of the day.  My only trip outside was to load up the log carrier and bring it inside and those already in the conservatory were moved to the log basket inside and one more trip to fill up the other log carrier so that now I have one inside and two outside.  It also means that the logs warm up.

Today's activities have been interspersed with Netflix and House of Cards which I'm finding fascinating.  Perhaps they could do House of Parliament but I guess that lots of people would hang their heads in shame at the comings and goings.  I managed an hours nap on the sofa mid morning, had cheese and biscuits for a late lunch and have been lazing for the rest of the afternoon.  I was going to start to wrap the presents but the mood didn't take me and I just realised that I've cut out coffee completely to help my blood pressure and I think I might be getting mild withdrawal symptoms.  Half seven my time, the fire has been going well all day and the house is super warm.  My first night in the nest was brilliant but for some of the night I slept with my leg out of the bed...maybe a little too warm, I'll have to remove the summer throw.  No supper for me, no bugs nibbling away at the moment, things could change and I might be searching the fridge later.  LN.....Tomorrow, the presents will get wrapped......LN

Sunday 26th November

So despite my early to bed, I did open my eyes at five and open the curtains, checked that it had snowed, last night's rain had solidified and the thunder and lightning had gone away.  Having said that I snuggled down again and it was seven when I awoke for the second time, it was snowing very lightly, the temperature had dropped to two degrees so it was time to get the fire going, it was only eighteen degrees in the house.  It was still comfortable but looking at the sky there was no change of much improvement for the day.  

The fire sprung to life and it's still going now.  It's minus two outside and twenty two in so not much change of me tripping the lights fantastic....I'll stay by my fire.  I was surprised this morning by a couple of Messenger communications.  Guljan my ex-student suggested that she could come over with her parents this afternoon around two to see the snowy view from my house of the mountains and countryside.  They would only stay for coffee but as it was they stayed much longer.  I had work to do before they arrived.  It was still only nine thirty so I had plenty of time to get on with 'stuff' so I cleaned the kitchen, mde breakfast of toasted ham and cheese sandwiches and cleaned the kitchen again.  My morning was interspersed by Netflix...a little work and a little leisure doesn't go amiss when there's no hurry.  The hoover came out and it took me about thirty minutes to do all through, the hardest part is getting it into action, kitchen, lounge, bedrooms and upstairs and then it was time for a shower and hair wash.  I'd been putting the hair off for a few days but now it was really necessary.  It I have a bath it's difficult to wash my hair and if I have a shower, it's cold this weather but with the fire going it wasn't such a bad experience,

I put the coffee cups ready, with biscuits that I had lingering and they arrived at two thirty.  Mother was drawn to the Choisya in the grave garden and they want a rooted cutting so I'll have to get one started for them.  I mentioned that the pots were all in the little house so I got the keys and we had a tour, they want seeds of my sundaisies so I shall get some going for them probably before I go away.  I have babies already so I could pot some up to grow on until the spring when they can be planted out.  We moved inside, they were surprised how warm it was, we sat in the lounge, I provided the beverages and opened the biscuits.  I was surprised, mother has developed a slipped disk so I found a tube of Deep Heat, husband applied some to her back and I sent her off with the tube.  They stayed until five, I was just clearing up the cups and there was a knock of the door and it was my other Gulcan's mother from the next village with homemade bread for me and a chunk of frozen meat that went straight into the freezer.  She said that she intended to bring it earlier but had been putting it off, she's busy with the cows most days but she looked well.  Her daughter, my good friend is working in Germany with her husband and she's not sure when she is over next.  I was tempted to get the car out and drive her home but the screen was iced over, she'd walked up and intended walking back to I left her to it.  

Looks like it's a full moon tonight and despite valiant efforts I couldn't get the camera to take a good picture.  I've just checked the weather station and it's showing minus three degrees so far but I've got a notion that it's really going to drop with no cloud cover and a full moon. Most of the snow has gone but I must remember to put out the wild bird food in the morning...the ground is going to be solid by morning.  LN.....I've got fire duties to perform and biscuits to finish from this afternoon...it's a hard life.....LN

Monday 27th November

It was still dark when I opened my curtains. I'd had a good night's sleep so I went down and checked the outside thermometer and it was minus six and only sixteen degrees in the house but it didn't feel cold at all.  I remembered the old days growing up when I would make pictures on the frost on the inside of the window, I was lucky enough to have an electric blanket, winceyette sheets and the chimney going through my bedroom and dad would light the fire before he set off for the mine before the rest of the house was awake.  We survived though and being back here I've gone back in time in some ways but we now have very effective roof and loft insulation and even when I came back this evening with a fire all day, it was nineteen degrees and just on freezing point outside.

As the sun came up the temperature inside the house went up steadily, I sliced a spicy sausage and fried it off adding an egg and topped it off with HP sauce....one of my little luxuries that for some reason Kaufland have stopped stocking.  Back to the tea and giving the coffee a miss, and I'm feeling much better for it so I'll keep taking the tablets for a little while longer.  Kitchen cleared and food put out for the cat and it actually came up over the wall as I made my clicking sounds and the food was demolished n quick sticks.  Next job was to find used bottles that hadn't been used for anything else so I went up the ladder into the little house and came back with five of them.  I was taking them to Gulcan's mother who will put them to good use for her milk cows.  As I was putting them next to the car I saw a small stag walking along the road, I raced into the house to get the camera, it got spooked and took off over the field opposite, came back onto the road but because of the sun I couldn't see the screen.  I took a photo anyway, moved into the shade just as it took off over the next field, never to be seen or captured by the camera.

Bottles readied I started the car first time and set about clearing the windscreen and wipers, left it running while I finished off indoors, final touches to the screen and set off for the next village.  She was home, was very grateful for the bottles, made me promise that I would visit soon since I couldn't stay this time, I was off to Kardjali to get my bus ticket for Sofia to tie in with my flight to the UK.  I parked up in Kaufland carpark and walked over the the bus station and saw that Marieta had a ten thirty departure which made more sense so bought the ticket.  After that I went into the hardware shop next to Kaufland and they had a sale on carpets and bought one for my side of the bed at a very reasonable price and also managed to buy a Christmas present thought not sure who it's for yet.  Put the things in the car and went into Kaufland and bought yet more presents and noticed that they had my coffee on off but it's gone up in price from when I bought it last week.  Home james, I'd put too many warm clothes on so stripped off my body warmer and my sweater also came off, it was twenty five in the house.  I laid the carpet in the bedroom and quickly found another sweater and set off for Djebel for my student's lesson.  It went well, I left the shop and came home by six twenty, lit the fire in the first five minutes and switched on the slow cooker to reheat a pork curry in that I'd prepared that morning.  The temperature outside is back down to zero and inside up to twenty two.  Time for me to check the curry and cook the rice and then settle in with Netflix for the evening.  LN.......It's been a good day....objectives achieved....bus ticket checked off the list....LN

Tuesday 28th November

Bed at one a.m after falling asleep yet again but up the wooden hills to bed, slept until six then back to sleep until eight.  I made tea, played games and didn't get out of the nest until nine, got dressed and made beans on toast for breakfast.  Cat got fed the remains of the curry and bread which didn't go down well, but the birds had fun picking up the rice somehow making it into a ball before taking off.  I wonder how many grains they succeeded in getting back to where they were going.  It was ten before the kitchen was cleared and washing up done, I was intending doing something with the leeks that my student's mum had given to be yesterday but the flesh was week so I set the fire for later instead.  It was a cloudy start to the day and the temperature had risen to eleven degrees and inside settled at around seventeen without a fire so it didn't get lit until five this evening...and now it's all toasty again.

It took me a while to get going, the wind was up and cold so I dressed up warmly to go outside wearing hat, coat and boots.  I started off having a bonfire, moved the remaining bench from the little house terrace to the main terrace, took the tree loppers from the woodstore and attacked the dead conifer from on of the little gardens by the bottom wall.  The medlar tree also got attacked, I don't like the fruit and because it had been so dry all summer and I hadn't water it, the fruit really wasn't worth giving away so the trimmings and fruit have gone over the wall for the animals.  I'm sure they'll appreciate it.  Next job was to put tools away including my garden spade and fork that normally sit at the ready and to get in more wood for the evening.  I loaded up the log carrier but changed tack and found one of the old carpets from the four that are waiting to be cleaned, folded it up and put it over the bonnet of the Beast to protect it for the winter.  Once started I found the plastic sheeting that I used last year, folded it in half and using elastic cord secured it over the carpet over the bonnet and it's a good job that I did.  It's chucking it down now and if the temperature drops we'll have lots of snow by the morning but somehow I don't think it will happen.  At around four and having finished off outside and locked everything away, I lit the fire and settled on the sofa to catch up on where I'd fallen asleep last night while watching House of Cards on Netflix.  I had to go back only one episode, soon got back intot he plot and have been glued to it until seven this evening.  Not too bothered about supper so far, I found a chocolate oaty thing that filled a gap and it might be all I need for tonight.

Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow so far....if the weather remains like this I'll be present wrapping and get another thing off my run down to UK.  LN.....A lazy day with three hours of activity and quite a bit achieved.....LN

Wednesday 29th November

So I started to watch the last episode of House of Cards last night, fell asleep during it so had to go back to the beginning just so see how they would wind it up.  It wasn't quite the end I expected, it looks like it might be left open for another series...who can say....watch this space.  I got to bed around eleven thirty so not so bad for me, managed to get off to sleep fairly quickly and woke up at six.  I opened the curtains and it was still dark outside, made tea, load of washing in for six thirty and out on the airer for just after seven.  I went back to bed, lots of blue, lots of dark forbidding clouds and it seemed to take ages for the sun to break through the clouds.  Beans on toast for breakfast, I set the fire for tonight and the morning seemed to go in slow motion, all the morning tasks complete and it was only nine o'clock.  The day was all mine.  

I decided that today was the day that the present ceremony wrapping would begin and I worked steadily at it until twelve and now it's deciding who I haven't bought for, what I would get for them, put it on a list and stick to it.  I'd also run out of red ribbon to add the final flourish, I had other colours so decided to go into Djebel at one with the objective of getting money out of the cash point, buying the last few presents, catching up with friends that I hadn't seen for a while, the weather was good so why not enjoy it.  As I sat in the stairwell at the desk the temperature got up to twenty five and it was sixteen outside, not bad for November, only two frosts so far and one day of snow.  My shopping expedition fell short, the cash point wasn't working so I couldn't go on my spending spree.  I did buy two plastic flower ornaments that I love to take to England with me and more of my magic cleaning gel which I won't be able to take so it's here for any visitors that have hold luggage.  I did manage to get the two colours that I wanted of the wrapping ribbon, fifteen metres for two leva.  The lady hadn't got rolls of it in the colours I wanted so I settled for what she had on the roll.

Home for five thirty, lit the fire perking up the inside temperature to a very reasonable level, cooked some pork coated stuff that I found in the freezer in the air fryer and it was not fit for human consumption so the cat will have it in the morning.  I'd also put in the basket some croquette potatoes so they did for tonight with tomato sauce and mayo.  The washing up can wait, it's nine my time and I shan't be long before my head hits the pillow.  I might go into Kardjali tomorrow if the weather is good and finish my shopping, I've got a few personal presents that I need to search for and at least there's lots of choice for money machines.  LN......Time to switch off, relax and enjoy the fire and see if Netflix has anything to offer.......LN

Thursday 30th November

Silly night, two thirty start so it was time to play Sudoku until the sleepy dust fell once again on the eyelids and that didn't happen until four more or less.  I did venture downstairs and made a cup of drinking chocolate with milk and took it back to bed....the house was still warm so I didn't wake up because of the cold.  It had dropped to four degrees last night.

Awake at seven and tea this time to start of the day.  The was mist covering the mountains which turned into widespread fog as the sun got behind the clouds.  The heat was getting through but not enough to burn away the misty covering.  I stayed in bed playing games and eventually began my day for real at eight, more tea, washed, dressed, jumped on the scales and quickly jumped off again.  I've worked out that if I have two glasses of tea that a pint of water weight a pound and a quarter so I should weigh myself in for the day before I do anything else...lessons to be learnt.  Toast for breakfast with apricot jam, cat had the pork from last night and came when I called it but is still wary of eating until I move away...so not really my cat at all.  I set the fire for tonight and was intending being active but the only thing I think I've achieved today was to use machine oil to oil the metal fittings on the windows so that the locks work without any effort.  Some of the keys were getting difficult to turn in the lock so now everything is OK.  I managed to wash up from yesterday and today and almost time to upset it again but I'm not sure what I want to cook for myself.  

I decided not to go into Djebel or Kardjali today, it was cold and damp and not my favourite kind of weather to be our and about in.  Instead I took up a horizontal position on the sofa, Netflix went on and I must admit I've had a very lazy day.  I don't feel guilty, most of the things I do don't upset or impinge on others so no harm done there then.  I did have another burst of activity...I have a pair of very good pair of Barbour leather boots that I get into with a struggle and out of with a bigger struggle so I found the brown renovating polish in the box in the porch and I've tidied them up and am going to offer them to my student's mum.  I've only worn them a few times, they look like new and she can pass them on if they're no good for her.  While I was at it I gave my brown boots the same treatment.  Last effort was to fill up the log basket and then the log carrier to store in the porch.  I also moved some of the boxes of the wood from the pollarded trees from in front of the bought in wood so that I can reach more of the  stacked wood.....and then the fire was lit and I went back to the sofa to finish series one.  I'm all locked up for the night, I've just found a gift back for my student's birthday present tomorrow and a suitable card with footballs all over it which I think he will appreciate.  He's fourteen I remember when he was born...oh how time flies.  Kitchen calls to find something that the cat and I will enjoy but cat will have to wait until tomorrow.  LN.....Kitchen and fire duties......LN