Monday 11th July

Unsettled night last night.  I went to bed at about eleven and at two thirty I was awake  and not much chance of getting off again but eventually I did until five thirty this morning.  I walked the garden on a tortoise watch but nothing to be found until Blue appeared but the fly screen of the porch so I donned rubber gloves and returned it to the grass.  I put the gloves on because tortoise carry ticks on their legs, mine probably don't have them since I don't have sheep in the garden but in the wild they do...just a precaution.

I had a shower and washed my hair and sat out on the terrace wrapped in a towel to dry off.  I'd taken a lightweight dress out with me and put it on and then went up to my bedroom to dry my hair.  Jeans and a t-shirt went on and  I'd made the decision to go into Djebel and have the oil changed in the Beast and then to carry on to Kardjali and get the MOT out of the way.  Breakfast was on the cards before I left and I fried tomatoes that were delivered by my student and had them on toast.  I was half way through when Avatar arrived wanting her fire lighter filled up with gas even bringing her gas canister with her but I used mine instead since it was to hand in the porch.  She'd also bought me box of chocolates that she said that she didn't want...they were a good make so I thanked her.

I drove to the garage and there was no car being worked on and no one waiting...I was in luck.  I found the last sticker under the insulation on the bonnet with the mileage recorded but there was no date on it.....so we went with it anyway.  Lyubo smelt the oil and ran it over his fingers and thought that it was OK but with journeys coming up when the  kiddiwinkles come  over, it's a safety measure that I wanted to take.  I walked into town and joined the queue to the cashpoint and was about tenth in the queue which means nothing.  Invariably you find that some of the people have two or three cards belonging to other people and today didn't disappoint.  Eventually I got my money, was given a plant from my friend with the shop and went on to the car shop to see if the Beast was ready...and it was.  I paid my dues, walked down to the garage, it drives like a dream and on to Kardjali and to the usual garage that does the MOT,  Again I was in luck, they were just finishing one off and mine was next on the conveyor.  I was recognised by the owner, he introduced me to his grandson who greeted me in the tradition 'kiss hand and touch to forehead' as a mark of respect.  I thanked him and carried on to the office, handed over my documents and it was completed in no time at all, the Beast is good for another year.  I drove back to Djebel, stopped off at my local supermarket and drove home, parked up and walked over to Avatar's house and sat in the garden noticing that they are all taking Covid precautions with chairs far apart.  We have so many people over from Turkey and they do go house hopping that I think it's time to be wise.

Avatar gave me a bowl of meat for supper and I had it with bread and that was enough for me for tonight.  Watered the garden since the pots were looking a little sad and they'll have overnight to perk up.  Nine my time and time to relax before bed and hope that I have a better night than last night,  LN....Both students tomorrow, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon...and the rest of the week is mine......LN

Monday 11th July

Unsettled night last night.  I went to bed at about eleven and at two thirty I was awake  and not much chance of getting off again but eventually I did until five thirty this morning.  I walked the garden on a tortoise watch but nothing to be found until Blue appeared but the fly screen of the porch so I donned rubber gloves and returned it to the grass.  I put the gloves on because tortoise carry ticks on their legs, mine probably don't have them since I don't have sheep in the garden but in the wild they do...just a precaution.

I had a shower and washed my hair and sat out on the terrace wrapped in a towel to dry off.  I'd taken a lightweight dress out with me and put it on and then went up to my bedroom to dry my hair.  Jeans and a t-shirt went on and  I'd made the decision to go into Djebel and have the oil changed in the Beast and then to carry on to Kardjali and get the MOT out of the way.  Breakfast was on the cards before I left and I fried tomatoes that were delivered by my student and had them on toast.  I was half way through when Avatar arrived wanting her fire lighter filled up with gas even bringing her gas canister with her but I used mine instead since it was to hand in the porch.  She'd also bought me box of chocolates that she said that she didn't want...they were a good make so I thanked her.

I drove to the garage and there was no car being worked on and no one waiting...I was in luck.  I found the last sticker under the insulation on the bonnet with the mileage recorded but there was no date on it.....so we went with it anyway.  Lyubo smelt the oil and ran it over his fingers and thought that it was OK but with journeys coming up when the  kiddiwinkles come  over, it's a safety measure that I wanted to take.  I walked into town and joined the queue to the cashpoint and was about tenth in the queue which means nothing.  Invariably you find that some of the people have two or three cards belonging to other people and today didn't disappoint.  Eventually I got my money, was given a plant from my friend with the shop and went on to the car shop to see if the Beast was ready...and it was.  I paid my dues, walked down to the garage, it drives like a dream and on to Kardjali and to the usual garage that does the MOT,  Again I was in luck, they were just finishing one off and mine was next on the conveyor.  I was recognised by the owner, he introduced me to his grandson who greeted me in the tradition 'kiss hand and touch to forehead' as a mark of respect.  I thanked him and carried on to the office, handed over my documents and it was completed in no time at all, the Beast is good for another year.  I drove back to Djebel, stopped off at my local supermarket and drove home, parked up and walked over to Avatar's house and sat in the garden noticing that they are all taking Covid precautions with chairs far apart.  We have so many people over from Turkey and they do go house hopping that I think it's time to be wise.

Avatar gave me a bowl of meat for supper and I had it with bread and that was enough for me for tonight.  Watered the garden since the pots were looking a little sad and they'll have overnight to perk up.  Nine my time and time to relax before bed and hope that I have a better night than last night,  LN....Both students tomorrow, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon...and the rest of the week is mine......LN

Tuesday 12th July

Six thirty start again, coffee, washing up done from yesterday, bread out for the birds and fruit picked for the tortoise.  I went out and found none of them so dropped some melon by the wall and under the pear tree on the long wall where they were sure to find it.  I made breakfast of bacon and egg just before eight and turned on Transponder TV to catch the breaking news.  The story about Mo Farah surprised me.  How many more are out there?

My student arrived just after ten and she's worked really hard using You Tube but I must admit that I'm having problems finding the path through.  She is still using Turkish as her starter language so I decided to use my Learning Bulgarian book which starts off with the question in English, how to say the phrase in Bulgarian and the final column is written Bulgarian.  I tried to explain that she came to me to learn to speak English not to learn it to be able to write it and want her to hear 'What time is it?' and immediately look at her watch or phone, the phrase should trigger the action.  Her homework is to go through the phrase book and write down twenty questions, in English, she wants to ask me.  They don't have to be difficult and I will do the same, I want her to start thinking in English and questions should trigger automatic responses without the need to translation.  

Off she went and I moved to the garden and repaired the surround on one of the flowerbeds.  It had collapsed when I was mowing the grass and went back for a second run at it but now it's mended.  I measured the gap, found the wood, got the saw out, nails and the hammer and the job is done and dusted.  I finished it off with the last of my old engine oil and now I need more and have requested it from the garage already.  Drove to Djebel and the garage shop, sorted out the insurance on the Beast and I'm covered for the next year.  I carried on to the flat above the shop and my student was waiting and was so pleased to show me his homework which I'd left for him last week.  He had to draw me three houses from last weeks text and I got a Nomadic tent, a tree house and an underground house and he was able to tell me the advantages of each one.  He'd also written a couple of passages on the advantages of a new house over an old on and what was better, an apartment or a house.  Today's lesson went well, we did a tourist's view of Bangkok, the Grand Palace, the Sky Railway and this prompted us to find out the top speed of high speed railways and how they work using magnets without any drag from contact with the ground.  We all live and learn.

Home just before seven, cooked a spicy sausage with a sliced onion, added two fresh chopped tomatoes, chili flakes and done and dusted in thirty minutes.   Next job to water the garden, it's not been a scorcher of a day and the ground is still very dry underneath.  LN.....Tomorrow is a woodworking day...and then see what else I can get up to......LN

Wednesday 13th July

Five thirty start, opened the windows that I'd closed last night when the temperature dropped.  I opened the door to the terrace and the cat shot off the sofa and not to be seen again until four this afternoon. There were a couple of woodpeckers ground feeding and instead they decided to come on to my lonesome pine but didn't stay around long to get lots of pickies.   A bonfire was on the cards for this morning, I took the rubbish and the hose pipe down with me, better safe than sorry and found more rubbish in the little house that also got burnt.  I'd soaked the area well to put out anything before it began, connected the hose pipe to the pipe with the holes in for the shrubs near the wall and suddenly there was a loud bang which came from the burning drum and I'm still trying to work out what it was.  I'm thinking that one of the small batteries must have fallen in the rubbish bin when I was sorting out a replacement for the bathroom scales but it upset a few of the local dogs.  My turn to get them going.

I made breakfast of bacon and egg to use up the rest of the packet and sat watching morning TV on the little computer.  The main discussion was about the MP's that are putting themselves up for election for the PM's job and it would have been interesting if Boris had put himself forward again.  It really doesn't matter to me...there's no obvious leader amongst them and with the present state of affairs, they won't be lasting long either but looking at the opposition...not much there to write home about.

More of the same, two bedrooms finished and the rugs washed and dried to day...sunny and windy...just what you need.  At eleven I remembered that the hose was still running at the bottom of the garden so turned it off, moved inside and the idea of woodwork had gone out of the window....it was hot out there.  I settled on the sofa, put on Netflix and carried on watching 'Manifest', one that I'd fallen on the other night.  I managed to stay awake and suddenly noticed people in my yard so went out and realised I recognised the older Turkish woman but couldn't place her at first, she started talking about the Librarian that used to live here and it came to me, she was a lady from that village.  There was another Turkish couple with her and as she told me, her son, and they were looking for telephone numbers that I didn't have or contact details.  I have had no contact with the Librarian since she returned to the UK.  I took the telephone number of the couple and said that if I heard anything I would be in touch but not holding out much hope and off they went.

Little house all locked up and only watering the garden is left on the list and there's a very unhappy cow out there bellowing for her calf that seems to have gone AWOL.  Such is the excitement in a village.  LN.....More of the same tomorrow unless it's a very good day and it could well be a visit to a pool....and why not indeed.....LN

Thursday 14th July

Another early start. first load of washing went in at six, garden watered by eight, first load of washing pegged out and second load in.  It was all go this morning and eventually I stopped at nine thirty to make some toast for breakfast.  I think that not taking the tablets has given me more energy that last month with it's ups and downs and red lumps at bumps.  The carpet that I'd put in for washing on Monday was ready to collect yesterday so before he sold it on I thought it was time I collected it.  So first stop was the petrol station and I bough petrol for the mower since it was a little low in the can and knew I'd be needing some by the weekend then  Second stop at the car shop to remind them that I wanted more old engine oil and he said he would get it ready for me to collect so went to the cash point as as per usual, it was empty.  Down to th garage and the oil was ready for me, stopped off at the wood yard to check the quality and picked out the pile that I wanted, on to the second cash machine and took out enough to pay for three tons of wood.  Back to the leva shop and bought a few cleaning cloths and some rubber gloves, my nails need protecting, stopped at the supermarket and bought fresh crusty bread for lunch with a few more items, picked up the carpet and I was home for one.  What a busy but fulfilling morning.

Avatar was in her garden when I'd finished unloading the Nipper so went over and had a sit down with her, she offered me lunch but I'd got tuna may on crusty bread in my head so refused her offer.  I made a sandwich using a new butter that I'd never bought before from Kaufland and it will be offered to Avatar, I don't like the flavour so my sandwiches came with naked bread but the mayo worked.  If she doesn't want the two packs, it can go on the bonfire...I should stick to Lurpak.

I was expecting the wood this afternoon but it didn't arrive so looks like I'll have work to do tomorrow.  I put Netflix on, watched my latest, had a nap, it was hot, got the washing in and put it away and watered the garden.  No supper required, I really pigged out this afternoon so a gentle evening to get my strength up for tomorrow.  LN.....Something satisfying about doing jobs that are on your mind.....and now I'm waiting for tonight's super moon.......LN

Friday 15th July

Early start again which seems to be the norm.  Coffee for starters and washed and dressed for woodwork....expecting three tons to be delivered first thing and my day was laid out before me.  I'd moved the Beast and Nipper out to the grass outside of the house yesterday expecting an afternoon delivery yesterday but the best laid plans.  I had toast and jam for breakfast and decided to fill my time with other jobs so moved the plank from the little house to the yard and started measuring up how to make the lid for the chest to make the best use of the wood.  Avatar came over and asked if she could borrow my electric mower but it's not working so I offered her the petrol and said I would take it over.  She said her electric had suddenly stopped, I suggested that it was the cable but she was adamant it wasn't so I took the petrol one over. and thought I'd give hers a try so plugged it in, the little green light came on and we were ready for lift off.  I trundled mine back home, went inside for a drink of water, started another job in the kitchen sorting out the plastic bags that I have stuffed in various places and then I heard the car horn outside, everything else had come to a standstill, my work had arrived.

The man maneuvered the lorry into the drive and put it as near to the wood store as was possible and together we angled the lorry out again and both gate posts are still intact.  Off he went. O brought the Beast and the Nipper back into the yard, too many cows about and they have no respect for soft body panels.  I'd sorted the woodstore out already so it was just a matter of biting the bullet so to speak and getting on with the job....it's three tons but looks almost like a mountain to climb to shift it from the yard to the store so I filled up the first log carrier, I find it much easier that a wheel barrow and made a start.  It was now just before twelve so I worked non stopped until one, it was still very hot even though I was working in the shade so I went in the house, put Netflix on, had a packet of crisps, settled down and promptly fell asleep until three.  I checked on the yard to see if the fairies had taken control and moved it but no....the heap was still waiting for me.

So back to it and only water breaks managed to finish it by seven thirty. Avatar came over and told me to finish, she'd made chicken and potatoes for super for the both of us but I said I was determined to see the back of it today and I did.  She appeared with the chicken a little later and it was a welcomed gift.  So the wood is in for this winter, I have some left over from last year and it's another thing off my mind.  If you time it right, the wood is dry and if you put it into a dry place it stays that way, this wood is not green at all, completely dry and should burn like a dream.  I've had my chicken for supper, the boiler is on and I'm going to luxuriate for an hour or so to stave off any aches and pains.  I've managed to knock up sixteen and a half thousand steps today so good work all round.  LN....Bath and bedtime and maybe the swimming pool tomorrow.....LN

Saturday 16th July

So a lovely long bath last night and it was midnight before I emerged, dried off and went to bed.  I was awake at three thirty, it was a warm night but soon off to sleep again and seven when I faced the day.  I made coffee and sat out on the terrace enjoying the morning, listening to the birds and watching my little world come to life.  I did the circuit of the garden and no tortoise to be seen, it was maybe a little early for them, perhaps they'd had a disturbed night.  I went back to the house, made more coffee and returned to the terrace then realised I hadn't watered the garden so back on to my feet, hose on and made sure the plants and pots were OK for the day....it was going to be a scorcher.

I settled on toast for breakfast and remembered that I didn't have any butter so forgot about breakfast, put a load of washing in the machine, washed and dressed for Kardjali, pegged the washing out and was just about to leave when there were two men at my gate.  The younger one spoke in perfect English and said he was the grandson of one of my neighbours and was asking about the wood that I'd had delivered and how much it was.  I told them and I commented on his English and it turns out that he lives in England and had done for five years and I mentioned that I have a house near Brighton and he commented that he loves Brighton and was there a few weeks back.  The neighbour's son was over from Turkey and wanted to buy the winter wood for his mother before he went back..nice thought and off they went.  I set off and on the road to Djebel passed what I thought was my friend from Fotinovo so I pulled over and waited to see if the car turned round or not and it did.  I suggested coffee in Djebel so we set off in tandem, managed to park up at the central car-park and walked to the restaurant,  We ordered coke and since I'd missed breakfast I ordered toast with cheese and salami and all this for a final bill of just over six leva or three pounds to you and me.

Lots of traffic on the road, I parked up in the central car park in Kardjali and my app advised me that the car-park was free after one so that was a bonus.  I walked down to my charity shop and found a couple of blouses up the another one and bought a pair of long shorts or short trousers and then to Kaufland and only managed to buy a wooden bench that was on offer, over to Lidl for butter, coke and fizzy water and I was home for four.  I watched some of the world athletics on TV, promptly fell asleep, munched on crisps and silly stuff, got the washing in, watered the garden and it's just after nine my time...soon be time for bed.  LN.....I very restful day after yesterday's onslaught.....LN

Sunday 17th July

Disturbed night, I was awake at two thirty, felt wide awake so settled for Sudoku until I was ready to put out the light and try again. It worked but I was awake at seven thirty to a beautiful day so I made coffee and sat out on the terrace until the urge to water the garden kicked in.  I'd watered last night but everything still needed it again and today we've had hot and windy and the poor plants have suffered so it looks like I'll be out there again shortly.  Now I had butter I liked I made poached eggs on toast and sat in the table in the stair well watching the gardening programmes until I felt the urge to get washed and start my day.  

I moved to the sofa and watched the athletics and promptly nodded off catching up on the sleep that I'd missed.  Fortunately I felt refreshed and a new me kicked in.  The table from the stairwell is now outside on the terrace, the table cloth is washed and still on the line waiting to come in and be put away, the carpets from the stairwell and the porch are outside and they will be washed tomorrow.  I thought about taking them to my man at five leva a throw but I think they are beyond it and am quite prepared to do them myself.  The floor is hoovered and washed over, the spider plant has been trimmed and well watered, I found a new little table to fit under the stairs as a temporary measure and have drawn up a plan for something to fill the gap and do the job that I want it to do.  I watched more of the athletics and we have someone in the one hundred meter final defending her world record so fingers crossed she'll manage it around nine tonight.

Tools away, hoover cleaned out ready for tomorrow, mop is cleaned and put away but I do need to buy another bucket, it's got a split down the side so not much use to man nor me but at least the wringing bit still works.  Barbecued ribs went from the freezer to the oven and is no more.  Unfortunately a slither of bone wedged between two of my teeth and eventually I managed to dig it out without any damage being done.  And now to horse, garden needs watering, the washing needs  bringing in and things need battening down just in case the wind picks up again tonight.  LN.......And then shower and bed and hopefully a better night.....LN

Monday 18th July

Reasonable night but another early start.  Collected the rubbish together for a bonfire but unfortunately the wind got up so it's been delayed for another day.  Everywhere is so dry that you have to be really careful so better safe than sorry.  Toast for breakfast, watered the pots and then fed some of the flowers that seem to be going over to keep them at it.  The geraniums have done so well this year and all from last year's cuttings so I'll be creating more this autumn.  Lots of martins swamping the nest under the eaves again and not sure why.  There was a baby teetering on the edge and it's almost as if they're offering encouragement for it to take to the air, they didn't stay long and disappeared as quickly as they came.  I did a tortoise watch and only found CS this morning under the wild plum tree so filled up a watering can and topped up the three dustbin lids that I've put out for them and my only other sighting was of Blue under the cranberry near the top little garden.  

As for the rest of the morning, the athletics kept me entertained and my task was to find an insurance company that would cover a holiday I'd found.  I did some Google searches, phoned up a few companies, the main Bulgarian company didn't want to know due to the two million tariff required for the policy.  I thought I'd struck lucky using an expats company and was doing fine until I came to the mention of two million and they only cover one million so that was the end of that.  I gave up at five, sorted out a few more boxes so that the landing wasn't like an obstacle course and now that's all done.  Also started a load of washing and couldn't understand why it had stopped in the middle of the cycle and then noticed that the television was off so it must have been a short power cut so started the machine again and that washing is now drying on the airer.  Mush too late to put it outside.  

Tuna mayo with beetroot and silver skin onions and it was a nice change from chopped up normal onions.  Almost ten my time so I'm really late tonight with the posting, students tomorrow, morning and afternoon and I'm tempted to head into Kardjali tomorrow, the fridge looks like Mother Hubbard's cupboard and the goody box is teetering on empty as is the gas tank on the Nipper.  LN......I detect an early to bed, early to rise coming on.....LN

Tuesday 19th July

So this morning was another early start and I was watering the garden by six thirty and cleaning the two small carpets that I'd taken up from the stairwell and the porch.  I hung them on the washing line. used an all purpose cleaner with water and a scrubbing brush and then hosed them down thoroughly to remove the soap.  I've just got back and think it's time to turn them over to check that they are fully dry.  Another job off the list.

I popped over to see Avar, she'd mentioned that her eldest son will probably come to see her this week and would be having a barbecue to I took over a pack of mosquito smoke coils so that if they sit out or in the garage at least they'll have some protection.  At that she decided that we were having breakfast at her house and she was cooking pancakes with two sorts of local cheese and said that they would be ready in half an hour.  I went home and went back at the allotted hour and we decided to eat inside, she'd prepared two for each of us and a dish of fresh tomatoes and water to wash them down.  I stayed there for half an hour, went home, checked my messages and my student would not be able to make it this morning which was good for me, I had other fish to fry and fried them.  The third bedroom has a balcony door but no balcony and the door hadn't been opened for a while so I managed to get it open, the fly screen wasn't properly on the pegs so I removed it, oiled the pegs. cleaned off the dirt, cleaned the screen and managed to get the screen in the correct position and now it closed as it should do.  I've put a new curtain up as well so that room is finished.

I move to the computer and checked emails etc. and there were two more emails from Bulgarian insurance companies saying that they were unable to provide me with insurance for the cruise.  Today wasn't the day to start over again so I moved down to the sofa and had a nap pretending to watch the TV.  I woke up, got changed and was off to see my afternoon student and unfortunately found a text that wasn't what I thought it was going to be, was difficult to negotiate but we managed it.  It was supposed to be on Robin Hood but instead was discussing whether it was a trued story or concocted by troubadours using ballads and so much for the band of merry men.

The lesson went well, I offered him the chance to give them up for the summer but he was determined that they should continue so they will.  I caught up with his elder brother who was off to Sofia to deliver his final presentation at the end of his university degree and a proud mother gave him a hug as he left.  I left the shop and set off for home stopping off at the local supermarket to get eggs for Avatar.  A packet of crisps on the way home was supper, I delivered the eggs and turned on the Worlds to watch Laura gain GB's first bronze medal in the fifteen hundred meter track race.  I should be watering the garden but the light's gone so they'll have to wait until the morning and I've maid my mind up that I'm swimming tomorrow at my favourite pool.  LN.....So the rest of the week is mine without anything set in stone.......LN