Thursday 30th October

Well those nuts I had the other day really did upset my system.  I had those big red splodges all up both arms, they stung and itched and I had to take one of my alergia tablets and it's taken until this evening for them to subside.  That's one more thing on the prohibited list but I think I compounded the problem by having a packed ot prunes last night,  I think it's back to water, lemon juice, sea salt and honey to get the toxins out.  The doctor just shakes her head, I've not managed to get into Plovdiv and to the specialist so that another item on the 'must get round to list'.....to join several more.

At seven thirty this morning I received a WhatsApp message inviting me out to supper tonight in Kardjali and naming the restaurant and for the life of me I couldn't remember where it was.  It must have been ten years since I've been there, I had a vague idea and could name the shops round it so Googled it and the rest of the area there wasn't really a landmark that I could get a positioning from but confirmed and said yes I would be there and I'd give myself plenty of time to get my bearings.  I was invited by Guildjan and her husband, a friendship going many years back and I think they wanted to shop me their apartment in Kardjali.  She was with me through my renovations, and was ready to ask for help and I wait to be asked just don't offer it.  The rest of my morning was very relaxed, and I didn't really get round to doing anything until three this afternoon.  The rash had left me a little nervy, I wasn't sure if something else was going on,  I took my blood-pressure and everything was fine.....I just felt 'off'.  So it was Kindle, breakfast of boiled eggs and toast, Peaky Blinders for an hour and more, back to the Kindle and then the day began.

I decided to empty the water butt, it was up to the top, when it flooded over or started to pour down off the roof, the yard became very damp.  I worked out how to do it, use a Jubilee clip to attach the hose pipe to the outlet tab on the water butt.  As long as I could keep the hose level or with a downward slope I could get the water to flow.  Success....it was very slow but I managed it, just need to wash it out with clean water and put it upside down to dry out.  The mouse bait poison is down in the little house and the woodstore, another job off the list, I brought in a log carrier of logs and filled it up with freshly chopped wood and it's ready for the next time.  I laid the fire thinking that it would be late when I arrived this evening but I've not lit it yet.....I shall be in bed with a book before the temperature drops that much.  I also tried to get the Beast to fire up but there was just a lot of clicking so the battery charger came out and I left it on the one battery for about an hour and it went on the second one for about the same time.  By now the day was ticking on so I cleared away the hose pipe into the little house and will finish cleaning the waterbutt tomorrow, disconnected the battery charger and put it away,  tools went back to where they lived and I was thinking about getting ready.  I thought I'd try to turn the Beast over and it started first time, I'll give it a run tomorrow to top it up properly,

I set off about five to give myself time to find the restaurant, got the general direction right but there are so many road-works, handmade signs that no one could understand  and no parking designated areas.  Three times round the block I found a street running parallel with the one I wanted so I pulled in on some rough land and that was me settled until the meal was over.  We ordered pizza from the menu, they arrived and were huge and I have the remains of mine to look forward for for breakfast.  We walked to the apartment and they showed me how they were living, they'd managed to put a new window in the storage room at roof level and Bekir had been doing work on the property.  I managed to find the car, found a quicker way out than into town and arrived home around nine , breakfast into the fridge, cup of coffee made and then I'm off to bed.  LN.....Good to catch up with friends but let's leave it until the roadworks are complete and a multi-storey carpark is raised from the ashes....LN

Friday 31st October

Five start this morning but I checked the weather of which there was very little to see, snuggled down and it was seven the next time I entered into the physical world as we know it.  Starry, starry night last night but obviously the clouds came over in the night and still hung around especially when the fog rose from the rivers.  Lemon juice, ginger  and honey hot drink for breakfast, I've been giving the coffee a swerve first off and saving it for later in the day.  I had my morning tick list ready, washing in the machine, Kindle recharged for the rest of the day, garden water barrel was to be fully emptied, washed out and put in the little house for winter, bonfire and last night's pizza into the microwave for breakfast and the last one was the best.

It was a Milano with lots of ham topping and a cheese that melted into the base.  Unfortunately the crust didn't take too well to the microwave but you can't have everything.  I put it in for six minutes, I was warming up cooked meat so wanted to make sure that everything stayed down, I was still in my pj's, served into a dish and was attempting to attack it with a knife and fork but this became difficult as I was watching an episode of Peaky Blinders and balancing said dish on my knee so fingers came into play.  Fortunately I'd left enough last night to make a really good quantity for breakfast and it lasted me until I settled for a bowl of natural yogurt with a honey topping.  Everything has settled now so I shall be hunting for food when I've posted this update.

Bonfire was the first thing to get going, the rubbish I'd burnt earlier in the week had more or less all burnt away so I didn't have to empty the container before this one was underway.  It lit first time, the clouds had cleared, sky was blue, the sun was up....a perfect morning to send smoke signals to Indians and there was another bonfire in the next village when this mad thought struck me....I do have a weird sense fun and strange ideas but I can't see much change happening at my time of life.  I'd climbed up onto the wall at the bottom of the garden and sat watching the world and thinking what a beautiful place I'd settled in....no one to bother me, walled garden to keep the livestock out and peace and quiet apart from the dogs in the next village.  They really do require a legally applied solution...but it's fighting the odds.

Breakfast over it was a call to action, the water barrel was tackled first.  I removed the Jubilee clip from the hose pipe, reattached the usual connector to the outside tap, I would need it later when it came to washing it out.  I drained the rest of the water out by toppling it from its stand and letting the water flow into the yard, connected the hose and washed the grime from the roof out of it, swished it round again and dragged it into the little house.  While I was there I checked the rodent deterrent that I'd put down yesterday and I'd had visitors to two of the dishes which proves my point that they are setting up residence for the winter.  This task didn't take too long to complete, I came in and picked up the Kindle, went to sit on the bench in the sun but this weather brings out the flies so I moved inside and on to the sofa, still in the sun put protected and read a few chapters, I'm up to eighty percent complete, should finish it tonight and it might even compete with Peaky Blinders.  The boiler is on for a bath, it's down to twelve degrees outside, the sky is clear so we might be in for another cold night but not me 'said the little red hen'.  LN...Good news my winter tyres are all good so will be changed probably tomorrow and  I'll get the winter checks done at the same time...another thing done and dusted......LN