Monday 1st April

White rabbits, pinch and a punch and any other phrase that you might like to come out with.  This year is really getting underway and a walk round the garden confirms that life is really returning.  Up at seven and walking the garden at eight thirty checking up on the sleepy ones warming up in the sun.  Rosy was on a mooch and I followed the path that she'd trodden.  The weeds are so soft that when she walks over them they stay down.  I didn't catch sight of her at first, went on to where I saw Blue yesterday but no sign at all so carried on to find Cracked Shell but also had gone AWOL.  Followed another depression in the grass and I thought it was one of the other but no, Blue had made it underneath the high wall and was near the stack of tiles and heard more scrabbling in the dried leaves behind the bed nearer the wood store terrace and this time it was Cracked shell looking extremely dusty.  There's lots of moisture in the weeds this time of year but I filled up two of the dustbin lids with water just in case they fancied a bath to remove the soil but they probably don't even notice it.

As for me, the day was paved with good intentions but I'd had a heck of a day yesterday and was still my PJ's at twelve wandering around the garden doing things so got dressed and it suddenly struck me that I'd not had any breakfast so took a couple of slices of bun loaf and spread it with butter.  That was enough to see me through until I made a couple of ham sandwiches which unfortunately didn't really sit well.  Sofa and Netflix and an afternoon nap left me feeling much better and at three I was repotting some of the house plants, digging up cornflower pants from one garden that's about to get weeded and transferring them to the one that's already done.  They seem to have self seeded all over the place so I've got work to do before they really get settled where they are.

No supper for me tonight, those sandwiches are still sitting heavy so best not to.  Student tomorrow and more of Willy Wonka, some of the jokes in this book need more explaining than the first one in the Chocolate Factory.  LN.....A less energetic day but still some achievements.....LN

Tuesday 2nd April

A disturbed night last night, didn't appear to be any reason for it but this morning I had my botox bottom lip and chin more prominent than when I went to bed last night. I found the anti-histamine tablets and took one with lots of water, didn't bother with coffee but gulped down another glass of water to get the toxins out.  The only thing that I can think of was a handful of mixed nuts, I'd not bought this type before, I normally go for the ones with raisins but these were on off.  I did think about giving the other packet to one of my neighbours but can't think of any that have enough teeth to enjoy them and sucking would only remove the salt.  

I went back to bed and played a few games but I felt incredibly sleepy and realised that I'd woken up early so got my head down again for half an hour or so and the second awakening was around seven thirty so now I was in for coffee and settled on the sofa.  I felt more active so I washed up, put a couple of sausages in the little slow cooker with passata and baked beans for supper and had the rest of the can on toast and boiled up the last of the three sausages.  Breakfast was sorted.  I thought about it and didn't really want to show my face around town so I cancelled my visit to my student and explained the reason why.  His mother is so kind, said that if I needed anything to let them know and I explained that I felt OK, just didn't look it.

Eventually I made it outside to get on with some gardening.  My intention was to clear the weeds and the self-set cornflowers and poppies and unfortunately most of the little gardens are covered with chickweed which I hate.  It's got such deep fine roots which are difficult to remove and after a day working spasmodically through the day, I only have the middle one left to do and the others to tidy.  Some of the cornflowers have been moved to other beds though so I didn't throw all of them over the wall.  I came in at four, went out again at five and came in again at seven after putting the tools away.  At least I've uncovered the shrubs, and given them a chance of appearing in all their glory.

Almost eight my time and I think I need to make a list of the gardening jobs to do and tick them off when complete otherwise it seems never ending and you need to see where the effort has gone.  I did manage to spot Rosy this morning and she really does seem to be the most active along with Cracked Shell.  As for the others, they've been missed, maybe sleeping in or sticking to the overgrown bottom of the garden which is due to be sorted some time this week,  I'm just going to leave the runs at the base of both walls so that there's plenty of food for them and undergrowth.  LN......Supper time and fingers crossed there's nothing in this that's going to upset my system.......LN

Wednesday 3rd April

Another disturbed night.  I was awake at two, slept until four thirty, tossed and turned until five thirty so decided to get up and start my day.  The little Kindle refused to boot, the other tablet had no electric so I turned to the television for company watching more of Mr Monk.  I watched an episode, found my new breakfast cereal, watched the second and it was still only seven thirty, washed and dressed, put the washing away and I was out in the garden setting up for a day of clearing the weeds.

The sun was out so I walked the garden and came across Rosy on the other side of the garden from where I was intending to work and walking back I spotted Green God walking underneath the short wall.  It's the first time I've seen this one so I went into the house to find the nail varnish to refresh it and by the time that I got back it had gone.  So now I had Rosy and C.S. and Green God making a full charge on Rosy and it reminded me that last year this was the one that always seemed to be in hot pursuit with Rosy successfully fending him off.  I'm hoping for Rosy's sake I've got it wrong.....she doesn't go back to sleep until October.  I did spot Blue when I was starting to clear the next big bed with the Choisya in it so found the Blue nail varnish and that one hadn't moved, it was catching the late afternoon sun near the top of the low wall.

I did have a brief interlude this afternoon in the workshop.  The handle of my trusty English fork had started to swivel when I was using it and I really have to do some serious wood work on it but cutting a new square hole in the handle and inserting a dowel so the handle doesn't twist round.  That looked like a lot of work and I found a plastic handle on the broken snow scoop, unattached it and tried it for size but it means I have to reduce the size of the body to fit into the handle.  I think I might have to do it on the grinder since the wood is very old and dry and a chisel goes nowhere near it and now the repair is rescheduled and I used the fork without a handle....and it still worked.  I cleared up at seven, weeds over the wall and tools into the wood store and me into the house.  More of the same for me again tomorrow I think as it stands at the moment or maybe some grass mowing or strimming now that I seem to have the little yellow one working.  LN.....It's a busy time of year......LN

Thursday 4th April

Beautiful sunrise, beautiful morning and it stayed that way until around four thirty this afternoon.  I fed Ms Cat with the remains of the ham that I knew I wouldn't eat and a boiled egg that had been in the fridge too long, she ate the meat first and eventually the egg leaving the white until last....can't say it's my favourite part.  I settled for chocolate wheaty things with milk and so good I went back for seconds.  Probably not good as part of a slimming regime but there will be other times.

I was outside for eight thirty with a short sleeved t-shirt drinking my coffee and taking in the morning.  I love the views and the open space of my garden, the mountains and the way that the sun plays on the mountains.  And so to horse.....the tools came out onto the little house terrace, both mowing machines, the strimmer and the electric cable reel and the reciprocating saw.  I had work to do.  I'd made a decision, the large root that was left after I took out the shrubs for the new bed was going, it didn't look pretty and no way to camouflage it.....hence the saw.  It was a long job and must have taken me around forty minutes to remove it but it looks so much better.  Strimmer came next, I got it to work but the cable doesn't release when the old one is used up so that needs sorting but I trimmed round the bed against the long wall and then cleared the weeds from it.  I did have CS and Blue hampering execution but eventually they took the highway back to the lower garden.  I did stumble upon another Blue, I'd remarked one yesterday but this one had the pale blue colour.  I was a little confused.....maybe I had two blue ones last year and never noticed.

Lunch was a packet of crisps sitting in the sun with bottled water and then the real work began.  The electric mower was up first clearing round the new bed and I was ducking the flying debris.  I managed to get down below the Lonesome Pine and then the big electric came out but this time with a catch box.  I managed to do down to the bottom of the big house grass, Rosy was dicing with death but I kept an eye on her and eventually she went down to the bottom wall where no mower has been this year.  By now the sky was clouding over so I decided that the toys would come in, if the rain stayed off I would use the big machine to finish the grass but the wind got up, a few spots of rain descended.  The wheelbarrow with contents went into storage under the balcony of the little house, I could burn it tomorrow and the mower went into the wood store.  I filled up the log carrier for a fire tonight, realised that I had a lot of dry pots that would benefit from a downpour so heaved they out onto the terraces, locked up, came in and lit the fire.  Supper was a jacket potato from the microwave and a chicken leg from the air-fryer.....first time I've used it for anything other than processed foods.  The rain didn't arrive but the clouds were still very dark overhead.  I noticed a rainbow and on the photo it looks very much like there is a very faint second one.    Fire going well, I remembered to go round and close the windows that I'd opened this morning.  LN......Grass to finish tomorrow if the weather is good, investigate the strimmer issues and clear the long grass from the bottom wall......LN

Friday 5th April

Horrible night's sleep.  I was up at three this morning making drinking chocolate, tried to go back off to sleep and nothing happening so stripped the bed at five, first load of washing in, followed by the second and the third went in at seven and it's been all go ever since. I had chocolate breakfast cereal, watched some of the series I've been watching and was pegging out the washing by nine.  I'd tried to phone my ex last night but there was no reply from his mobile.  He's been having medical issues and so I decided to put keyboard to email and get a message through to the doctor.  To back this up I wanted to speak to the surgery but with the two hour difference and the practice has now changed the system that you can't get to speak to reception until after ten which is twelve my time. I phoned at ten and was surprised that I was third in the queue, eventually I spoke to someone and I have answers to my questions and some of the issues will be resolved on Monday with a medic attending the home.

Job done. I took the petrol mower out to the garden and started my quest for the day, I had three quarters of the little house grass to finish, the bottom of the garden where it's got very long and slow,but steady won the race.  The trimmings went over the wall and the cows had a field day so to speak.  Why search for your own patch when some kind person has cut it already to size and presented it almost like uncooked silage.  Quite a breeze had got up and i fought with the sheets to stay on the washing line, the pegs were pinging until eventually everything was dry enough to bring inside.  The winter bedding was going away, summer sheets and quilts were found in the chest in the bedroom and I'll probably know by three this morning whether it was a mistake or not. If I'm roaming the house cold I can always make my way to the upstairs bedroom, that's still got the winter duvet and bottom sheet on.  

Fire going well, not sure what to have for supper if I bother at all.  I'm really tired so think I might settle into a warm bath and ease out the aches and pains before they develop.  Tomorrow's work involves the small electric and the strimmer if I can keep it going, only a few flower beds to sort out and the pot plants.  LN.....Spring has definitely sprunk........LN

Saturday 6th April

So it ended up being a very late bath, dried off and switched on the TV, Monk is no more, cheese and crackers at one and bed by two.  I slept well though until seven thirty so maybe the plan worked out OK.  Lovely start to the day, the wind was a little brisk but I had a good day in the garden, a few more plants transferred to other locations, some pots cleared and cleaned and seeds that I'd put into kitchen roll are planted up in trugs to see what develops. Most had got the root out already and some had put up the first leaves, I find it a good way to start them off and they seem to like it....well they never said but they give me good foliage and flowers.

I did manage to finish the grass with only the stimming left to do. I did my tortoise hunt and found Red and that's the first sighting this year, he is much bigger so might need more sleep than the others and was down the bottom of the garden warming up in the sun.  He did knock shells with Blue so not sure if they were fighting about territory but I've left the grass and clover at the bottom of the bottom left corner of the garden so that least they can hide from each other.  Rosy was way up the garden, did saunter down to where I'd seen them but soon came back to her end of the garden while CS stayed away from everybody.

I came in and watched a film this afternoon but was out there around three and more of the same except I did wash out the cushion box and that's now on the terrace.  Another wooden trug is washed and ready for preservative tomorrow and I've found a container that fits perfectly in the top of it so no need to fill it up with compost and ruin the wooden staves.  Everything locked away by seven, chicken in cornflakes is in the air-fryer and should be ready anytime now with Duchess potatoes.  LN.....I've had another good day......LN

Sunday 7th April

Slept well most of the night but at around three I was sleeping with my leg out of the bed, trying to cool down a little.  Eventually I got back to sleep and it was seven thirty when I surfaced. Coffee and back to bed and at eight thirty, I was washed and dressed, washing put away and enjoying my chocolate breakfast cereal on the terrace.  We'd had rain overnight, the cushions on the bench hadn't been affected due to the overhang of the roof and the brisk wind had cleared away any dampness.  

I did my morning search of the garden and found Rosy with a very damp shell down the bottom of the garden in the sheltered corner.  There was no sign of any of the others but I must admit I didn't stay out there long.  That wind was cold and it was much more protected in the house despite the sun doing its best.  I went out around eleven and decided that the geranium pots were going to have a spruce and tidy up, they still had last years growth on them and this years had started out but they looked week and bedraggled.  I not have about twenty five new shoots in water, ten of them are from last week and have all rooted and so fingers crossed I shall have new plants in a couple of weeks or so.  I found some old seed that I'd collected and thought I'd give them ago, I've got two long containers with red and yellow daisies and they have two choices. either they will or they won't, the tobacco plants from last year have been transplanted into the new reclaimed garden and some into the garden between the two sets of steps.  There was a space so I thought I'd fill it.  The aloe vera plants have been deweeded along with the pretty red clover looking plant that has pretty pink flowers and never did find out the name.  Unfortunately I was in and out of the little house dodging the rain and moving in when I got fed-up of the barking dogs in the next village.  Don't know if you can do a nuisance report here and would anyone listen?   Might be worth a try, after all I live in the next village so their own neighbours mist be tired of it too.

Came in at two and finished off the brioche and the cream cheese, put the television on and promptly went to sleep for a couple of hours.  Not a problem here....no one to complain.  Checked my phone and responded to a few messages and at six, locked up outside and lit the fire around seven so the house is toasty and warm.  I just hope I'm not regretting this about three this morning.  I shan't be needing supper, I'm still stuffed from a late lunch, I've got more clouds gathering to the west so we could be in for another rain burst.  We did have a few rumbles of thunder and that was about it.  LN.....Nothing planned for tomorrow..more of the same I guess.....LN

Monday 8th April

Early to bed and early to rise but I went back until a more sensible time was showing on the clock.  I've given up with the Fitbit, I'm fairly convinced now that I'd got an allergy to the metal or the pulses from it.  I checked it out on the internet and apparently it can cause t-cells that attack your own body or maybe it's senile decay or a food allergy.  It's good to have options at my age.

Breakfast was not quite what I had in mind, the bread had gone mouldy and there wasn't any more in the freezer and there's no mobile shop on a Monday.  Instead I used up three of the eggs and had a cheese omelette and the last two were used as target practice over the wall.  I choose a stone and aim for it, first one was perfect and the second one was a fraction out but fifty percent success rates not bad.  Kitchen cleared and washing up done, I sauntered out, still in my night attire to check up on the garden and tortoise corner and only found Green, all the rest must still be asleep.  The sun was out, the wind was keen but the absences were noted when I took the register.

I washed and dressed to go into Djebel for bread, realised it was Monday and parking was a complete pain.  After two trips round the main central car-park I managed to find a spot and parked up.  Djebel was heaving....everyone that has relatives here has arrived from Turkey, it's party time and there was a children's' concert in the square.  I went to the flower shop and bought petunias...for some reason I've not grown them this year, left them there while i walked the market, watched some of the concert, went back to the shop for my flowers, bought more and called into the car shop.  Again she was busy, my young student was manning the fishing tackle shop since there's no school and tomorrow we shall have a lesson unless something happens his end.  I went back to the Nipper to find that I'd got a puncture so out with my trusty cigarette lighter compressor and soon there was enough air in it to get to the garage.  The nail was spotted by the father and taken out, the bung was filled with rubber tubing and glue, they put air in the tyre and for eight leva I was good to go and did, stopped at the supermarket leaving Djebel and that was full to capacity so two loaves of bread, no fishes since it was a Turkish holiday and back home.

The flowers are in water, I've planted up the wooden trug between the two sets of steps with some of them but I need to clear out more of the pots,  Supper is going to be something on bread now that I have some, probably chicken fillet, I watched the cows heading home and some of the newbies were looking too tired to drag themselves home.  It's a beautiful evening, the birds are still dipping in to the bread that I threw out this morning and hopefully the weather will be good tomorrow.  LN.....The kitchen calls, hunger pains are beginning to appear......LN

Tuesday 9th April

Another silly night....I woke up at two fifteen and hadn't an ounce of sleep in me so I started to read and it was five when I put the book down and went off again.  This time it worked, it was eight thirty when I woke up.  Coffee and I took to the chair in the stairwell, checked anything that I had to check and noticed a message from Princess telling me that she'd had a super day in the garden yesterday and thanking me for the shredder that I'd bought for last year. First run out with it and said that the garden looked really tidy, she'd also moved the Giai since the chosen  spot seemed to have got very boggy.....my girl is learning.  I was still in my PJ's when my neighbour arrived with two Mekitsi or fluffy pancakes that get traditionally handed out at Bayram and that was breakfast sorted.  She asked me about local buses, she lives in the village but told her that the bus only comes on Monday and Friday so I asked her if she had a problem.  We solved it, I had my student this afternoon so I could take her into Djebel at one thirty so that she could go to work tomorrow.  I filled the morning planting up more of the petunias that I'd bought yesterday, I also cut back the shrub that is swamping the hydrangea near the low wall to the little house terrace.  

I suddenly realised that it was twelve thirty and that I would have to get a wiggle on so tools away, everything locked up, I swept the terrace and headed for the shower and to wash my hair.  I was ready for one fifteen, went out to check tyres and my neighbour and Haciber were sitting on the steps to the little house.  She was early, Haciber complained that the step was cold so I said I would move one of the benches round for them for next time.  I dropped her off in town, I went to the car-shop and we sat in the shop chewing over the fat and having a few girly giggles.  My student arrived from Kardjali, he'd played a game of football that morning and had come back with an almighty egg on his forehead.  Apparently he'd gone up for an aerial ball, his opponent was much taller and came down virtually on top of him clashing heads.  That's football for you.

We had the lesson, the book had lots of peculiar things in it that needed explaining and I think Roald Dahl was having an off day when he wrote it.  Suggestion...don't use Charlie and the Glass Elevator as and English tutorial book.  Lesson over by five, I went back down to the shop and the boy joined up and he did become the butt of a few jokes including including his mother covering the egg with a plantain leaf while I went and bought cream containing Arnica to bring out the bruise.  Home for seven, the garage had worked late and I didn't realise the time, supper in the air fryer, I lit the fire and now in for the night. Definitely gardening tomorrow, the mower needs to be brought into action on the outside grass and the yard needs doing.  Of course it won't stop there.  I need to do down to the mulberry to get the grass all looking the same and then it's more weed clearance.  LN......Hopefully a better night's sleep......LN

Wednesday 10th April

Seven when I woke up after a good night's sleep.  I poached a couple of eggs for breakfast and sent photos to the garage as a thank you for providing the eggs and my daughter to tell her that I had pirates lurking so I needed to be careful.  She new the story, I told the children that if they got egg yolk on the plate they the pirates would get them and it became a joke that got passed down.  She updated me on her antics for the morning, we sent silly messages backwards and forwards both finishing off with love hearts. Before I started the daily chores I walked the garden and followed the tortoise trails along the short wall and I was surprised what greeted me.  There was a threesome going on between Rosy, Red and Green and I'm not sure if I have to rename Rosy.  Green held his own for a while and then decided he was best out of it so shot off towards the bottom of the garden and I left them to it.

I knew what the day held, cutting the grass from the mulberry to the top of the garden, the lane outside the property and the summer ditch / winter stream.  I used the little electric mower for the yard and outside and inside the front wall but the petrol one came out for the grass down to the mulberry.  I got shrapnel-ed quite a bit outside, I wasn't using the grass catcher and the grit from the road was getting picked and thrown out so I put the flap down to cover the exit.  This meant that the grass and grit collected in the back of the machine but at least I came out of it intact and two eyes working.  I stuck at it and swapped over to the petrol when I was on the straight and narrow and it was back wall to the mulberry.  There were a few water stops, the temperature was up but it was tools down and petrol back in the 'garage' and the rest of the cable and electric back in the yard.  Next job was to repot the red oleander that I've had for ages, the pot that it was in split as I put if away for the winter and now it has fresh compost at the bottom of it's new container, in it went and got padded out with more fresh stuff.  I gave everything a good watering, sorted a few more pots out and felt good after a day in the sun.  I did the rounds before I locked up and as I walked down the garden and arrived near the walnut I heard a clattering sound, couldn't see anything for the weeds sheltering the highway to heaven but I suspect that Rosy might become Roland.

Not thought about supper yet but I think it might be tuna mayo salad, not in the mood for cooking.  This morning's washing dried successfully in the guest room and I've just put the washing away.  I did speak to the travel company regarding a holiday in Egypt and at the same time complained about the website.  The young lady said that they've made changes which has really screwed it up, I could see the holiday for three days time but nothing after that even though one of the other screens said that the holiday goes through to late April and early May.  It's one of these A-Z tours that includes a three day Nile cruise and a train journey down to Aswan and an overnight journey back to Cairo.  I have the details and will cost it out tomorrow, single cabins and hotel rooms all the way.  The tours included are the pyramids, Luxor, Valley of the Kings and even though I did it about twenty years ago, I'm still keen to do it again.  LN......Now the kitchen is really calling....I need food.....LN