A landmark and more progress

So today is a bit of a landmark post to this blog as this is the 300th one that I have published (including the couple of guest posts which have been so gratefully received) which is a remarkable number considering I would have said I'm not disciplined enough to stick to keeping a diary as I've tried and failed before on many occasions. Maybe it is just that the subject matter that I am writing about is so fascinating and awe inspiring to me that I find that when I am feeling less than motivated I get really sad to think that I won't record what has gone on that day.

Before I start I have long planned to include in this blog post a few little tidbits of the statistics of the posts on this blog so I hope you will bear with me; they won't take long.

So, the big headline number is that as I type this blog I have gone past 57,000 page views. That makes an average of 190 per post. My first post (here) was published on 29th July 2013 which means I missed another anniversary very recently as the blog has been going for just over a year The most popular month the blog had was March, which was when I actually traveled out here, and where I received 9,179 view in the month. My most popular blog post (with 453) was Day seven - Ihtiman, Bulgaria to ULTIMATE DESTINATION - the day (and what a day) when I arrived here after that journey across Europe with my parents. My least popular (languishing with only 56 views at the time of writing) is Working on Julian which will hopefully now get a few more clicks as It has a great picture of me in a white overall, and some fascinating text about my preparations to leave. The folder on my harddrive for pictures and videos which I have taken to record my adventure currently stands about about 61GB of data, and 16,000 files. Finally, for this section, I have received 687 comments (including my responses, obviously) which averages to over 2 for every blog. Please do keep your comments coming in as I love reading them and endeavour to reply to each and every one.

Thank you for reading and getting so involved in my adventure. I am so lucky to be out here and being able to write about it, and have you people reading it and sending me words of encouragement, really does help.

So, with that firmly in mind, how far I have come since I started writing the blog, let alone started on this journey, let's go back to last night and me, laying in bed, listening to the "bom.. bom.. bom.." of some very loud music from not the town across the valley by further round to the left, maybe the small village down the hill or even a car parked up somewhere. It kept me awake until near enough 1.30am and I was not impressed at all. I was very close at one point to driving down to find out what was going on and telling them to shut up, but I fell asleep so didn't do this. I wasn't only disturbed by the music; late in the night Rambo started barking fit to wake the dead but when I went onto the balcony to find out what the intruder was it turned out to just be a large tortoise that was walking past the pile of rubble near their cage.

Hazy mountains and the edge of the sun

When the alarm went off this morning you can understand that I was not in a really good state to wake up and it got snoozed for 45 minutes before I was able to get myself out of bed and down to feed the boys. The sun was shining brightly when I got out of bed and I headed out onto the balcony again to snap a load of photographs of the haze and the sun. I loved this one, with me zoomed in on the hills over the way. Just stunning. The boys were on their best behaviour again this morning, though Rambo once more was growling when I went to stroke him while he was eating. Because they were so obedient I didn't lock them straight away but allowed them ten minutes of running around time before I had to leave to get the men.

Roof over the stairs nearly all solid

I left dead on time today and didn't have to stop anywhere, fortunately not seeing anything to photograph while I drove, and pulled up exactly on time at the usual place. They were ready for me and I was able to tell them that I was only "Gore Dolo" today due to the loud music from the night before. Bekir was also good to remember to ask how the rain had effected the roof and was pleased when I told him it was OK. When we got back I went to make breakfast but found that I had forgotten to get any more bacon out of the freezer so I had to settle for an egg and mushroom butty which wasn't quite up to my usual standards. The men were banging and thumping away very quickly as always and I nipped upstairs mid morning to make them a brew and take some shots. They were just closing off the last bits of the planking in the roof and were making great progress as you can see.

Gorgeous Zinnias

After eating my breakfast and seeing her off to work I went to do the watering round; the pressure stood up today and I was able to water everything within range with the hose, then filling the can and taking it up to the top for watering the Zinnias and Magnolias. The Zinnias really are starting to look good, and I'm excited at the thought of growing many more of these next year. The Magnolias, now they don't have any blossom on, look very ordinary but so long as they survive the winter they will be stunning again next spring.

Bekir and Sally on the roof

While I was up the top I took great pleasure in watching the men as they worked together putting the finishing touches on this side of the roof. They work with economy of movement and as I've observed before Orhan seems to fit into this very well providing the tool or section of wood they need next without needing to be told twice. He is also a cheerful fellow and really seems to be friendly; today he was showing me the scars on his head from a motorcycle accident which look pretty bad to be fair.

I spent most of the morning doing paid work and when I wasn't able to, playing with Ralf and Rambo. Rambo managed to get himself shut away for the afternoon when I came downstairs at one point with Ralf and not only was Rambo lazing around inside the house by the stairs, he growled at Ralf as Ralf ran past! Suffice to say when he looked at me he immediately looked guilty and lay down submissively and I took him to the enclosure and put him in there. He knows he isn't allowed but he still comes inside; he can go in the porch and the entrance room so it's not like he came in to escape the heat. Anyway, I had lunch of my own tomatoes again and the new cheese I got yesterday; very nice, and then decided to get Julian ready for driving as I will be taking him down to the vehicle licensing place on Wednesday with Lubo to get him registered onto BG plates. Exciting times.

Before I tidied in Julian

It didn't take me long to tidy through, secure everything, and save all the change which had been laying around the side and I also found the tweezers which I thought I'd lost. I had taken a brew with me and after I finished the tidying I sat for a few minutes and just enjoyed being in there. It was another excellent moment of reflection as I considered again the journey, and the time spent sleeping in there before the bed and bedroom was completed. It isn't that long since I left but it feels a very long time. I should sit in him more; he has a really good vibe to him. I'm really quite excited about getting him drivable again so we can go on overnight trips places.

A nice day for an afternoon stroll

Filling those last little gaps

After this I did a bit more paid work but was dragged away by Bekir needing to go to the builders merchant to get some of the narrow strips of wood, two big buckets of glue type stuff for sticking the plastic waterproofing down (very expensive) and a load more nails. I had fortunately paid him just before as I didn't have enough cash on me for everything and he was able to sub me til I got back. Quite embarrassing really but that's life. I was able to look through their bin of hosepipe bits including regulated splitters, hose joiners and some pulse jet watering spikes. I will remember next time I go down to take the fitting from my hose and if it fits I will pick some of those things up I think. When I got back I found that Sally was just getting right to the end of the finishing off where he was wedging in small bits of wood to fill the gaps between the planks.

Test application of the bezir

When we had left to go to the shop Orhan had just started painting up the decorative boards with the bezir that I had chosen under pressure last week. It looked a really good colour and I think it will match the colour I picked for the windows very well. I wish I'd had more warning that I'd have to make a decision like that but hey, so long as it looks nice who cares.

Holding the first panel in place for my confirmation

With all the bezir painted on it was time for the men to start fitting the decorative planking to the side of the roof. I was alerted by a shout from Bekir who was smiling and waving to me through the window of Room 13 from his vantage point on the roof so I grabbed my camera and took the boys out for a stroll and for me to get pictures as they took this important next step. After they had it roughly aligned they asked how it looked and I was pleased so I said so then I watched for a bit more, headed up to the roof to get some more (not as good) pictures, then went back to work.

Metal work and paneling in place

It was a couple of hours later that I realised I'd been buried in both work, and a short time spent sat on the balcony reading my book and enjoying the sun. I jumped up and saw that, as they were affixing the side panels they were also putting the brackets in place that would hold the guttering. They had made loads of progress and there are only two more side panels to be fitted. It was not long after this that it was suddenly time to go so the usual ritual was observed apart from me forgetting to lock the front door and being reminded by Bekir and Sally to go back and do so. It turns out that I'm not getting my extra worker to finish the fence tomorrow, but he's trying to get one sorted. He also expressed that the rest of the roof will be done really quickly as this middle section was the hardest part. We talked briefly about making the sun terrace weatherproof as well and he has a plan for that also.

Current state of play

There was a clutch of policement on the road near their turnoff, including a border agent, and they had just stopped someone who got out of their car and left their door open into the traffic. Not clever. This person had gone by the time I came back past and the cops were all standing around waiting for their next victim though fortunately that wasn't me. I got back safely and remembered today to go straight out and get the progress picture. Tomorrows is one I am really looking forward to.

The sun on its way down

I started cooking my potatoes for the potato salad I had planned (it worked out very well and was lovely, thanks for asking) and then typed some of this blog. I could see that the sky was lovely however so I took Ralf up with me and snapped some shots of the sun as it hid behind some clouds low in the sky.

Ralf watching Rambo who has just started to jog on

While I was taking those pictures I realised that Ralf was getting excited and kept looking over the side of the roof terrace. I looked down and Rambo was there, looking up at us. I wish I could have got that picture but as I brought the camera round to bear on the shot he moved and started running. You can still see how poised Ralf was though.

Gorgeous end to the day

After eating I again went onto the roof and took some more shots of the sun going down, using my filter (thank you dad) this time and I am really pleased with this result. The sun has been out, barring a few small clouds, all day and the temperature on Thomas went up as high as 35 degrees while we were out at the shop. That is hot. Tomorrow is set to be similar.

So there it is, I didn't do half the things I planned to today (I was all set to shift the wood from round the back but other things distracted me) but I can probably blame the really bad night sleep last night for my lack of energy. It'll be an early night tonight and then tomorrow I'll get loads done. Just you see.

EDIT...

The moon this evening

So, as I was uploading and putting the pictures in place I happened to look out of the window and saw that the moon is out and very clear tonight so I popped onto the balcony to snap a picture. This is just taken on full auto (the flash actually went off!) but I think it has come out pretty well. I just showed this picture to my Special Guest and she commented on how dark it already is. Midsummer has definitely passed and this ties in with a thought I had while I was driving back from dropping the men off, in shadow along some of the road, and remembering not so long again when that was in full sunshine at that time during my trip back. So time passes and how it flies.

Stunning sky at dusk

While I was on the roof I was blown away again by the beauty of the dusk sky and, using the long zoom I had put on for the moon shot, I had a go at capturing the amazing colours and shades of the sky as it tended towards night. I just heard a screech owl flying past and all the noise I can hear at the moment (apart from the buzzing of the fridge and my fingers tapping on the keys) is crickets and frogs. Brilliant. Night.