A day out

Last night was a far less disturbed and we both slept better however this morning the dog was at it and while I have got used to him now my guest was woken up and then there was no more sleeping for her. This morning Rambo definitely took second place after our brews but this time he was let out before we started hanging the washing out. Because of all the wet weather I had enough backed up to require washing over two nights. Once again hanging it out was very much done on a hope and faith that the weather would improve as first thing it was misty and damp and there was a hint of drizzle in the air.

Mo on the move

A short period of playing with Rambo and his kong was brought to a halt by my stomach demanding breakfast so it was up to Room 13, feed Sassy and refresh Mo's water. Yes, the little tortoise has been named "Mo" so he had better survive now! I used some of my new skills on the camera to change the focus point of the camera and I am so very pleased with how this came out. I'll probably be using this new skill a LOT from now on.

Breakfast was my turn to make and it was bacon and eggs on lovely fresh bread with the usual base of Daddies Brown Sauce and eaten sat at the desk in Room 13 watching as the sun attempting to break through the heavy overcast. All of a sudden there was a burst of sunshine, then it was extinguished by cloud and then there was blue sky and the clouds shifted and we were left with the usual of huge piles of the grey stuff on the horizon and nothing above. I love this place. We left Rambo running around and sat listening to music and chatting until it got time to leave.

I am really proud of this picture

Our plan for the day was to have a bit of a drive around down the new road, then go and pick my friend up and go into the big town for a bit of lunch, some small shopping chores,  and general introductions. Rambo was put back in his enclosure and we jumped into Thomas and drove south on the new road. The views wowed all the way but we reached my planned destination without stopping to take pictures. This was where I had parked the day I picked T up for his first day working however this time, rather than just walking to the middle of the bridge, we walked down the storm drain and then she legged it up the rock pile to get some pictures looking along the overpass. I grabbed the camera and I think this is one of the most perfectly composed and shot photographs I have ever taken.

Cloudscape in the distance

This next is one taken by my guest, from where she was sat (though not at the time the previous picture was taken. You can see just how stunning the clouds are around the horizon. After this we were back up to Thomas and onwards towards my friend's. We went via the cheren put and through the village where Bekir and Sally live which was a nice thing to show her and then along the lovely road down towards her village. We arrived and considered having a cuppa but that thought was put to one side and so I did the beginning of the grand tour and then my friend continued round the main house. Around this time S was ringing me but my UK phone doesn't work any better over here than it did there so we continued our dialogue by text and arranged to meet at Lidl in town.

The town stork

And so we were on the road rather quicker than planned and arrived to see him smiling and waving from by the entrance. We got out and the strangers were introduced, including me to his lovely partner, and then it was decided that we would go together to the favoured chicken shack in town, with them following us. We were able to park up near each other in my normal carpark and then we wandered into the market where lovely food awaited us. As we were walking my guest suddenly stopped and pointed and there, sat on top of the building across the way, was a stork just surveying the land and chilling out. She got a set of cracking photographs but was gutted that it flew off as she was putting her camera down and therefore there weren't any of that.

A market view

We settled ourselves and then I pigged out on the amazingly tasty chicken with lovely fresh bread and a green salad that compliments the whole very well. We had a really nice time as a group of five chatting and S was explaining everything about the adventure they have been through over the past few weeks getting ready for, and travelling to, their new home over here. It is great to have someone like them over here and I look forward to seeing their place sometime in the next couple of weeks. After eating we headed off on a few chores, the first of which was looking for some nonstick pans for me. As we arrived at the shop my guest realised that she had left her glasses so she had to dash back to the chicken shack. She said she got there and the lady laughed and pointed to them; they're SO friendly here. She was able to grab some pictures around the market

Peeping at peeping chicks

Sadly there were no good options for me on the non stick pan front so we left empty handed and then decided to go to the wool shop as that is the business S and S are in. We were very tempted (well, my guest was) by some super decorative slippers in there for 8 lev but she decided not get them. As we left the shop we spotted a cage with a load of baby chicks (peeping away) by the side of the road. If I wasn't going home this winter then I may well have just bought the lot. I'm so bad.

After this we were past the market where I bought a couple of climbing roses (the lady told me to not buy the first one I picked up, and looked out a couple of more healthy looking options) and five tomato plants and a sweet pepper plant and then on past the gun shop where I browsed but didn't, the gift shop with the awesome pictures for another short browsing section and then back to the cars, having to say "NO!" quite firmly to a couple of begging kids. We said "goodbye" to the lovely couple and headed ourselves over to the market garden where once again the bell did not rouse anyone to serve us. We posited that maybe as it is a public holiday, and technically this is not a public shop, they would be closed until next week. We shall return at a more likely time I think. Then it was to Bila for the shopping for dinner and a few other bits like sun cream and finally (as I was starting to be a bit battered from all the people and also eating too much chicken) we went back to my friend's home.

Approaching the feeding grounds

I was gasping for a brew and so the kettle was put on and we sat outside, enjoying the tranquility and watching the world go past. this "world" involved many different types of bird including a stork which sailed over, the circled the local pond before descending out of sight but not before my guest had run out to Thomas, grabbed her camera, and managed to get this shot of it on finals. Cracking. As we had frozen food in the car we didn't stop past the first cuppa and were on the way down the lane towards the cheren put short cut to the new road.

New plants

We were ok along here until we reached the top corner and then the road degraded into a foot deep morass of mud and ruts. I took one look at it and decided that there was no way that Thomas with road tyres would get down there. Sadly we didn't take a picture. I reversed back up the track until I could turn round, then we went the normal, boring, route back home through the village and down the sunflower road. Upon getting home we let Rambo out and he started bombing it around as per usual. The first task was to get the washing in which was all lovely and dry, then I said I was about to have a rest while she started preparing for our evening meal. I did not rest though; I spent some time thinking about what to do with the proposed rose arch (and changed my mind so that has been put off now) and then planted out the tomatoes and sweet peppers.

After this spurt of energy I took my place on the new chair and read and relaxed, being much amused by Rambo snapping at passing flies, and really relaxed which was just what I needed to do after the busy day. Suddenly the wind changed direction and it got cold but then my visitor came down and we sat laughing at Rambo as he played with his kong until finally he annoyed us once too many times and it was put away inside the house. After a bit, and as I was starting to get chilly, we went on a bit of a walk around the grounds discussing various idea about locations for things, not least the two Magnolia which are still in the original pots on the porch. The proposed location for these has been finalised now and also my orchard location, the position of the grey water soakaway and a possible pond with hay bail horticulture around it; all in all a very productive few minutes of chat.

After this we headed inside for me to start this blog, and her to start chopping though neither of us were hungry yet, strangely. The cold had obviously got to me because I suggested a fire and that was started successfully; maybe too successfully as, midway through dinner, there was a massive bang which neither of us knew the source of. A bit of investigating and I saw a pile of ceiling plaster in the sink. Looking around now I can see some more of it bubbling so I hope it doesn't fall on my head; it made a huge clatter.

Dinner was really nice, though the prawns we bought weren't properly shelled which was a bit distracting, and we have been chilling (well, heating because the fire was pumping out the heat) to Tom Middleton and now The Orb and soon it will be time to put the place to bed and head that way ourselves. It has been such a cracking day again today. Let's raise a glass towards tomorrow shall we.