Thursday 1st August

Well it's shite rabbits or whatever you want to say and the new year is half over.  The second half for me is the countdown to winter, clearing out the woodstore and getting in more but it's hard to start thinking about that when the temperature is still in the mid thirties.  The grass or what was left of it has started to respond to the couple of days of rain that we have had over the last two weeks and so have the weeds.

The watering holes were priority this morning that was after I'd managed to strip the bed, wash the sheets and make it up ready for tonight, then empty the laundry basket and the second load in.  There was ample room on the two airers and I was putting the dried washing away by three thirty this afternoon.  The door to my balcony was open as was the door to the guest room balcony and with the sun and the breeze from the hillside nothing takes long to dry. There's been no sightings of tortoise today, there was quite a heavy branch that had fallen from the pear tree by the high wall so I'd lifted it over the wall, complete with pears when I heard the sheep on the hillside.  I went back to collect the fallen ones to put those over as well and as I approached the wall there was a scurrying of feet, the sheet shot away but came back when I was throwing over the ones from the ground.  A lot of the watering holes on the hillsides have dried up so it must be good for them to have something with some moisture in it, the grass is very dry and that's all there appears to be. That's why I keep the watering holes for the tortoise always topped up.  I put the hose on the old veg garden and the old bonfire pit garden and dug out some of the weeds that have really been encouraged by the odd day of rain and my watering.  

Quite a late breakfast of tomatoes on cheesy bread and a snack about an hour later with the rest of the cheesy bread and white cheese.  I did go into stomach overload but a couple of laps of the garden put everything right again.  As for the lumps and bumps, not a sign of red blotches and a much better peaceful sleep last night.  My blood pressure for the last couple of days has also been high and it was suggested that the magnetic storm out in space could have had something to do with it.  Checking it this morning I'm back to normal and I used the cuff monitor not the small wrist one, it seems to give a more reliable result.  

Quick trip  into Djebel this afternoon, I managed to see my student working in his mother's fish tackle shop so we had a hug and a high five.  I missed the lesson this week but he's still doing his football training, either early in the day or the evening and he is so dedicated.  I had five minutes with his mother in the shop next door, bought more of the big square plastic cheese containers from the supermarket and four for four lev is much cheaper that flower pots and I'll use them for geraniums next year. Swimming tomorrow, it's a friend's birthday so we'll have lunch out and go to the one nearer her home.  The one we go to doesn't charge an entrance fee if you have lunch there so it's a 'win, win place' otherwise it can run to an expensive day out.  

Lovely gentle evening, the setting sun is colouring the hillside and lighting up the villages, just a few sheep that haven't made it back to base yet foraging in the field opposite and cows heading their way home.  LN......Another lovely evening on my hillside......LN

Friday 2nd August

Another beautiful morning and today I had a mission to complete and very successful it was.  Two days ago a friends daughter had messaged me to see if I could help her out.  She was in England, mother is in Bulgaria so she asked if I could get a bouquet of flowers to make the day special for her mother.  I went back to her saying that I could but wanted to know what message did she want with the flowers so she messaged me and I made a card to go with the flowers with exactly the words that she wanted.  On wednesday I went to see the florist who is a friend and told her what I wanted, gave her the message to be included, picked the flowers and the wrapping paper and left it to her.  I was browsing the shop she served another customer and found a small mirror compact with the exact words that she's written on the card so had to include it with the flowers and somehow the card I'm made matched front of the compact....divine intervention.  I went to pick up the flowers on Thursday evening, they were beautiful, the card was added to the bouquet and the mirror tied to the ribbon holding the flowers together and it sat in water overnight.  I added another card from the girls, I wrote one out from me and wrapped my present to her, put everything in the car this morning, put my swim suit on ready for the pool and set off.  Quite an eventful journey, I was on a very narrow road and going at about ten miles an hour was a car with a Netherland number plate, I pulled up behind him, he eventually saw me, the road widened so that I could over take and as I started to he did a left turn to pull off the road, without any indication that he was about to carry out the manoeuvre.  Fortunately I was able to turn the wheel and change direction, he saw me and came to a stop, I threw my hands up in the air, turned in front of him and went back to the road.  Thank goodness I had the presence of mind to react quickly.  

I arrived at my friend's house carrying the flowers and the present and she said thank you but I added they're not from me so I said she should look at the card and that's when she went to pieces.  Overjoyed, unexpected and we'd managed to keep it from her, loved the card, loved the compact and that went straight in her hand bag and we set off for the pool after she'd put the flowers in water.  As we arrived I suddenly realised that having to consider lots of things before I'd left home,I'd forgotten my bag with my swimming gear in it but fortunately I had my costume on so I had to dry out in the sun which was OK.  It was a little busier than normal but not too crowded, we had a very pleasant lunch, more swims, more dries off and left around four thirty so she could shop in Kirkovo.  Back to hers for coffee, an uneventful drive home and I was home for around six.

Visited two neighbours and am going sick visiting Monday with my Avatar, one of the village ladies has just come out of hospital and I should really go and pay my respects taking some biscuits and chocolate with us.  LN....Splendid day....I love it when a plan comes together.....LN

Saturday 3rd August

Quite a funny day. Seven start this morning and meandered through the usual things to do and thought about what I could get up to later.  After a pleasant day yesterday it had the feel of Sunday about it.  I made coffee and took it out to the bedroom balcony and read for a while and had to put up the umbrella because it was so hot, stood that for a while and came in and made fried tomatoes on toast for breakfast. so fed me. fed the cat and the birds and went back to my book.  It was definitely too hot to get the mower out, toyed with the idea of clearing out the woodstore ready for the new wood which I shall be ordering later this month but instead did very little until one when I cleared the outside sink area, chopped back the grapevine and threw the branches over the road for the cows.  I've also worked out how to get it to rain, water the plants early, guaranteed to do it after that.

I moved some of the baby plants from the bonfire bed and put them into the old gravel bed near to the little house terrace.  I also sprinkled some of the white fertilizer that I'd bought the other day on to the bed so that it would get a good soaking and work it's way into the soil quickly. The storm came on quite suddenly, the wind got up, the sky went really black and then came the thunder.  I moved the things that were destined to be deposited around the garden and would need collecting tomorrow into the little house and then it started and it bucketed down.  I quickly went in and closed doors and windows, brought the cushions in from the balcony and then decided that I'd have a late lunch and ealy supper so made myself a quick meal of chicken and potato wedges in the air-fryer and was eating it around six this evening.

I moved on to the bed to read some more and woke up at nine this evening hence the really late update.  It was hard work to get down to writing it tonight, fell asleep again and now it's just after eleven and again time for bed.  The weather is hot, clammy but I have managed to open up the windows now that the wind had dropped but the thunder is still rattling around, it's going to be one of those nights.  LN.....Let's see what tomorrow brings......LN

Sunday 4th August

I'd gone to sleep on the bed last night around seven and woke up and thought it was morning.  I went round checking clocks but it was nine at night and I felt so refreshed.  I was really late doing the blog but back to normal now more or less.  Again I fell asleep this afternoon while reading.

I made the usual tomatoes on toast using them all up.  I messaged my old student to see if she was working this week or if we would, weather permitting manage to get a swim day in for a lesson, she wants to learn and I want to teach her but she's going back to her old job until the end of this month so it looks like it's on hold until next year.  She came over around one today, we walked the garden, she's pointed out the ones that she wants cuttings from so it looks like I shall be busy and also mentioned that it was time to repot my orchid saying that the roots need to be under the soil not hanging over the edge of the pot.  I just thought they were aerial roots.  We drank coffee, talked books and she's reading Vanity Fair but in Bulgarian and I might try to get it on the Kindle since I've not read it.  She bought the biscuits I'd asked her for to save me going into Djebel and had also brought me tomatoes from their garden....I'm set up for the week for breakfasts.  Off she went around three thirty, the family had visitors late afternoon and she wanted to see them before they went back to Germany.

So my afternoon nap made me feel better.  I've just been across to see my Avatar but I found the door locked and the key thrown on to the ground so I went down to the bench in the lower village square and settled with the other old ladies from the village.  We talked about all things including 'Translate' on phones and the one man said that he uses it which I was quite surprised about.  I also mentioned that it was quiet today, no dogs barking from the next village and apparently the police were involved today, it's very quiet but I don't know how it was resolved.  Apparently sheep are missing, local farmers are not happy bunnies and I'll probably hear more later.  The wild boar hopefully is in somebody's freezer and having a better life than being chased round a pen and worried by ten hunting dogs.

The thunder has now subsided again and it's turning into a lovely evening and very still.  I put chicken wings in the oven before I went over to see Avatar and now they are ready for supper.  One of the packs had some freezer burn on them so were cooked in a different pan and they will probably go to the cat tomorrow...waste not want not.  LN....Visiting our injured lady tomorrow morning at ten and then taking the Nipper to the garage for it's pre-MOT.  It's market day so I can have a mooch round.....LN

Monday 5th August

So a really early start for me, I tried to go off again, five was just too early but couldn't.  I was out of bed at five forty five, made coffee, got settled into my book and had only around eight percent to go.  I was now thinking about how it was going to end, this is supposed to be the last book but I just didn't think that it could be fitted in.  I made more coffee read until eight and then the fun began.  I didn't have to be anywhere until ten and that was only out onto the grass outside my house, I was visiting the sick with my Avatar.

So what did I do in the one hour fifty until I moved the car out?  I put the pork that I'd taken out of the freezer last night into the slow cooker, put plenty of curry spice over it and a tin of tomatoes and that was going to be supper.  I fried tomatoes and had them on toast for breakfast, put the chicken wings out for the cat but didn't see hide nor hair of her, washed up last night's plates and cooking tins and dishes from this morning, dried them and put those away and it was still only eight thirty.  I was on target.  I suddenly heard a noise coming from the top of the old wood burner and realised that there must be a bird that had descended viia the chimney.  I removed the items from the window sill, opened the window, cleared outside the window in the conservatory and opened the fly screen, opened the door to the outside world, cleared the slow cooker from the top of the woodburner, shut the kitchen door and then removed he central rings from the wood burner.  I have this strange feeling that this bird knew the ropes, it shot towards the window and flew into the conservatory and quick look round and then outside and freedom.  Now I had to put everything back together again and then it was my time to get ready.

I washed an dressed, moved the Nipper out and Avatar was waiting for my signal, she got n the car and we were off.  It's not a long drive but I had to be careful down the rough track and we were there for just after ten.  The son's daughter was looking after mother, she fell after the wedding that I'd missed, ended up in hospital and had a nasty gash on the top of her leg with about twelve stitches in it.   We stayed for about half an hour, I left clutching eggs from their chickens, drove back to my village and she realised that she'd left her telephone at the house so we went back for it.  As she got out of the Nipper I suggested that she keep the eggs, I have seven in the fridge and really don't have them anymore now that I've taken to tomatoes.

Next task for me was to drive into Djebel, take my car down to the garage and get it ready for its MOT.  Fortunately it wasn't busy so I started to walk back to the town and there was an electrical maintenance vehicle and the man opened the window, I recognised him and he gave me a lift to the town centre and I walked on to the shop.  I sorted the insurance and after about twenty minutes the son arrived handing me the keys to the Nipper, it was finished and he drove me back to the garage and the bill for checking everything....thirty five lev which is about sixteen pounds and now I was all set to go to for the MOT...but not today.  I was just about to park up when the phone went and Yusti had left his phone in the car so I went back to the garage, handed it over and today I seem to be surrounded by people who lose phones so back to the car-prk and managed to find a spot quite quickly.  First stop was the cashpoint, walked the market since it was market day, checked the price of delivered winter wood but didn't order, saw the mayor of the village with the nuisance dogs and gave it to him with both barrels.  He won't do anything but the are out there again worrying the wild boar and barking like crazy and the next step has got to be the police.  I drove home, finished my book and looking for something else to read, fell asleep and now it's time for supper.

I'll get the MOT done tomorrow in Kardjali and if the weather looks good, I'm off for a day at the pool and if not, I'll come back and tidy the wood store and clear it out so that I can put the new wood away when I get round to ordering it.  LN....It's been a day of achievement...I like those.....LN

Tuesday 6th August

Another silly five start so I read for a while, made coffee, drank more coffee and slowly watched the clock go round to just before seven and then it was getting more reasonable.  I'd got my plan together, Nipper cleaned and then on to have the MOT done and I must say that I was a little concerned about doing it.  I heard from the garage that new rulings from the EU and the programming for the MOT software had meant that even some of the newer models were failing the processing of the test and this was further confirmed to me by an old long friend who appeared this morning while the Nipper was having a wash and brush up ready for the occasion. He asked me how I got on with my MOT garage in Kardjali, said that I'd used it every since I arrived for both the Beast, Beauty and now the Nipper and I'd never had a problem.....and I was hoping that today it was going to said through.  

The garage was busy this morning and I didn't head off for Kardjali and the test station until ten thirty and when I got there it was very busy.  I drove in an apparently there was someone in front of me, I couldn't back the car out, there was someone blocking me and I was getting a little stressed.  I had to pull back, the car before me was a fairly new one and electric and the mechanic was having issues with carrying out some of the test but I was told to pull behind it and wait, I was next.  I went into the office and put my documents down plus my residents permit and watched the screen as mine went through the process and was told that the Nipper had a clean bill of health, advised that my insurance was about to run out but I told him that I'd taken the new one out yesterday, paid my dues, received my stickers and document and the Nipper was driven out into the yard for me.  So that's it for another year with both of mine, the Beast and the Nipper.

The clouds were gathering and so I went to Kaufland and parked up and a thought came into my head that there was a reduction of the price of lawnmowers and low and behold there was.  I used there facilities before I started shopping, checked out the display of lawn mowers near the front window and a new electric one was down to a very reasonable price so it got a trolley from outside, caught the attention of an assistant who was just about to open another checkout, carried the mower from the display to the back of the next checkout, she processed the sale, I put it in the trolley, paid with my card and wheeled it to the Nipper.  I went back in and bought a few more items drove to the mobile phone shop and paid for my house phone which costs me about three pounds a month, stopped at Lidl for a few items, filled up with gas and then home James for about three thirty.  The plan to go swimming was abandoned as the clouds were gathering and rain looked imminent.

Unpacked the shopping, put a film on and promptly went to sleep for most of it, the slow cooker was put on before I started watching and now I have the two day old curry with baked beans added this morning ready for tonight.  Avatar's guests have arrived, I shouted a quick welcome to them but will stay out of the way, she has son, daughter in law, grandchildren, lots of toys and 'equipment' for the children in the garden and I'm best out of the way.  They do spoil the little ones.  LN.......I'm so pleased that both cars are set for another year, let's see what Europe throws at us next......LN

Wednesday 7th August

Six start this morning so getting better considering I had an earlier night last night.  I was watching a Netflix last night, fell asleep in the last episode and for the life of me couldn't remember the name and it wasn't showing up readily this morning so not really sure 'who dunnit'.  Usual household routines, toast and apricot jam for breakfast but not until much later.  I was out on the balcony reading, it was a beautiful morning and I really should have started outside earlier but as the temperature started to climb the inclination went.

I removed the new mower from the Nipper and put it in the shade on the yard, found the instructions and despite the fact that they were in English, it was one of these numbered parts diagram and it took me a while to figure it out but eventually I got there.  I moved it on to the wood store terrace but by now that sun was relentless so I thought I'd check out the last episode by searching for it but instead I fell upon 'Scent of a Woman' so that occupied some of my morning.  I just love that film, brilliant acting throughout and have watched it several times.  Eventually bit the bullet and set upon the big house grass, not that there's much grass there due to the drought but the weeds needed massacring and they have been but didn't manage to do it all.  I gave up at seven, noticed that Rosy was trying hard to bite into a pear without much success so I went and got a knife from the conservatory and cut up about five for her leaving her to chomp through them.  She took what she wanted and then waddled off, it was her bedtime.  I've just come in, it's nine, cables tidied, mowers away but it certainly doesn't look as clean as when it came out of the box.  I'm not too sure about the grass box on it, it's made of netting and not sure how long it will last so I might see if I can modify one of the old ones to fit but tonight wasn't the night.

Not sure there will be any supper tonight, not any hunger pains biting so it might just be a snack later.  More grass cutting tomorrow or dust and seed head collecting if I'm being realistic about it.  LN......Time for a relax in the bath to clean of this layer of dust I've collected and back to my book while soothing my aching limbs......LN

Thursday 8th August

So I was on Messenger at one this morning to my grandson who's asked if he can have my old Calibra that's sitting in my drive in the UK.  Of course I said that it would be OK, I just hope that it's not going to be too much for him.  I loved that car but company cars were forthcoming and it did get neglected and then when I came out here, it got totally neglected and we have a few more hurdles to negotiate...like moving it from A to B.

Despite my late to bed I was still early to rise and at five thirty I was full of the joys of ...hardly spring, when it's August.  I'd had such a good day yesterday with the grass that I was out this morning at eight but decided to use the petrol biggie but I did have to do a little maintenance first.  The filter needed cleaning, I had to sort out the petrol primer which I did and added more oil but I think I need to flush out the oil and renew.  I'm still using the oil that came with the machine so maybe time for a change.  I fired it up after filling it up and it started, reluctantly at first but after talking to it nicely it it burst into action.  Again it wasn't so much cutting the grass but clearing the weeds and dust for the the surface but I'd finished the little house 'grass' by ten and so it was time to think about breakfast.  I made toast and put cream cheese and sliced smoked ham on it and that's all I've had today so supper will be in the offing when I've posted this update.  Not sure yet what it will be but I'm sure I can find something.

The temperature was climbing so I reverted to my book and a sofa but then decided to find something pleasant on Netflix and I found an old film called the Patriot.  Unfortunately it was a long one so I saved it for later, went back to my book and promptly fell asleep for a couple of hours.  At four I was out there again and I managed to finish the big house grass and the Grave garden, weeded the little bed between the steps, put pellets of fertilizer on the soil, soaked it well and moved a few Zinnia from the bonfire bed to brighten up a neglected corner at the bottom of the steps.  I cleared the other side but done nothing with it yet.  The rubbish had been accumulating so I connected the hose pipes so that it went down to the burning bucket and soaked the ground....the grass is so dry that precautions are necessary.  I got the thing going so while it was burning I watered the shrubs at the bottom of the garden, this heat has been ruthless.  I moved up the garden with the hose and cleared the weeds from the high wall garden, watered the pots and came in at seven and finished watching my film.  It was set in the time period of Outlander and I was expecting to see Jamie pop up at some point and Clare but obviously made before Outlander was filmed'

So tomorrow I have the yard to do and I can probably manage that with the strimmer, the mowers just kick up too much dust. Despite the heat I've managed to tame the garden into some semblance of order, just need to really attack the shrubs, dried grass at the base of the walls but it does provide shade for the tortoise so maybe that can wait for a while.  Green was a little amorous around Rosy today but she was having none of it and legged it pretty sharpish and I've actually spotted Red for the first time for ages in the long wall garden when I was watering.  It's an area that gets lots of shade.  So now time for a bath and relax and finish my book but that's after I've found something for supper.  LN......I might just forget the garden and find a pool tomorrow. ....Ln  

Friday 9th August

Seven this morning so maybe I'm getting back to my sleeping pattern, no nap this afternoon so bodes well for tonight.  Usual routines except that I heard a baby trapped in the old wood burner in the kitchen so the first joy was to clear the path to freedom for it which entails clearing everything from the little wood burner and giving it an escape route.  It all went well, I had to put the torched into the burning section so that it got frightened enough to try for freedom, out it came, hit the glass but then went out of the window into the conservatory, quick look round and out of the door to the outside world.  I put everything back to normal until the next time.

I had a bonfire first thing to get rid of the rubbish again having to soak the area well, didn't want any mishaps.  I came in and had a late breakfast of tomatoes on toast, took some chicken from the freezer, I was already thinking about supper.  Filled up the water stations for the troops, then out with the new electric mower and did the yard over, not much grass but took the heads off the weeds so they would take root and provide more.  I put the mower away, there was nothing outside the wall that the cows couldn't manage to eat and moved the cable to the wood store terrace.  I took the strimmer outside, there were places where the big mower just couldn't get close to and it didn't take long to do.

Unfortunately my attention was drawn to the old cotoneaster bed that I'd neglected for a few years but planted it up last year.  It had over wintered, the iris had done well and some of the plants had survived but there was a lot of grass and creeping vine and it looked like a challenge and it was.  Unfortunately it's in full sun, I came in at twelve to cool off and went out again at four to carry on with my challenge and was out there until six.  I did most of it, found a lavender that was hanging on ny it's fingernails or would have been if it had any so I moved it and put it to soak and it looks like there is life in it.  I also soaked the garden and put some fertilizer on it to give it a boost, cut back the leaves of the iris, washed the soil from the stone surround and now it's ready for planting up again.

I put chicken wings in the oven for supper at six, went for a bath while the chicken was cooking, read for a while and put the Kindle down, I didn't want it to go the way of the previous two.  Dried off, pyjamas on, supper served, ice-cream for afters and now have to find something on Netflix to look forward to watching or just settle for my book tonight.  LN.....I should sleep well tonight, the garden despite the drought is looking reasonable and I've had a good day......LN

Saturday 10th August

Five start but managed to get my head down again and it was seven when I started my day for the second time. I didn't do much this morning, fet the remains of last night chicken and bones to the cat, settled for toast and apricot jam for my breakfast and had two cups of coffee.  The sky was cloudy, I thought it might rain but it only threatened it and by evening the clouds had mostly cleared.  Having said that it's been sticky but I really wasn't moving around much.  I'd got a few aches and pains from gardening yesterday more from the stretching and bending than the actual gardening.

I was surprised this morning by a visit from Avatar's daughter in law asking if I had a copy machine.  I invited her in, we went upstairs to the printer and they'd forgotten to get copies of two documents, they were off to Greece and had forgotten to take copies.  It was a two minute job and off she went and I settled back down onto the sofa with my book until I was ready to get dressed and face the day.  I washed and dressed and took up the horizontal position again and promptly fell asleep until two, read for another hour, checked emails and at three thirty decided to prepare the lavender that I'd dug up yesterday in a sorry state and soaked overnight, for planting.  I also had three small rose bushes that I'd been given from my flower shop lady and they were all going into the cleared bed.  With the garden spade I dug over the space that I'd made yesterday, found the two obligatory jam pot lids as I was digging and planted the lavender and the rose bushes.  I put the tools away and locked up the wood store, had a shower and washed my hair and realised that the water pressure was down and it took ages to get the hair shampoo free and an hour later heard a digger going along the road...obviously they'd had a problem.  

Just come in from taking the photos for tonight's offering, the sky is mainly clear with just a few clouds.  I've got to go round and put the mosquito tablets in the electric plugs and the bug killer machine, it's very hot and sticky, perfect breeding weather for the beasties.  I'm not interested in supper tonight, too hot to eat so back to the book, I've only got eight percent of it to read and then on to the next.  LN.....Those dogs in the next village are barking like crazy.....I think I need to speak to someone who will do something about it on Monday.....LN