Day out

Last night my internet went off. Just "bam" and it was gone. Right in the middle of a lovely conversation as well and nothing I could do (resetting the router, playing with the DNS etc) would get it back up and running. When I woke up it still wasn't working and I was a bit grumpy about this. More grumpy than usual, and that is saying something.

Super misty start, plus cobwebs in the grass

I got out of bed and found that The Electrician was already up and looking at the switches that he had gotten confused over yesterday so I went up, made us both a brew and then went out to do the rounds with the watering can and with Rambo in attendance. It has been really misty when I first woke up and this was not clearing as quickly as the other days and I snapped a picture of the spiders webs in the grass as the glistened with all the moisture, and then a shot of the house taken from up by the sun bathing area showing just how misty it still was. Rambo was bouncing and legging it around as usual and I really am getting close to needing two big watering cans for my rounds.

I returned to the house and decided that even if the internet wasn't working I would do the small amount of shifting required for me to put it in the correct place; previously it had been shoved in near the fridge and it was a bit of a tangle. I unplugged it all and sorted everything out (liberating an Bulgarian extension in the process) and the connected everything together. Wouldn't you know, I had internet again! I ran downstairs to tell The Electrician and as I was shouting, he called "I've fixed them" and he made me use the, now working correctly, light switches to prove it. Two huge successes in a very short period of time.

Mo snoozing with his head on a stone

Breakfast was some slices of toast and a cup of tea and then it was time for a shower before heading out for our day out at the little town near my friend for the open day. While The Electrician was showering I looked in on Mo and saw that he was asleep with his head resting on a rock. It wasn't that easy to get the angle to show this however, I hope you can see what I mean. I then had my shower and I turned the light on opposite just so I because it was possible. Good effort Electrimagician!

Rocking my new hat

Our plan for today was to go out to the local fair day at the town near my friend, have some food there and maybe go back to hers for a load of beers, wine and whisky and have a little party. We both packed an overnight bag and I grabbed a nice bottle of whisky and off we went in Thomas and arrived to find the main road in blocked so I parked up at the side of the road and we walked and met my friend and A, who owns a place down the road and who I met with her fella the other year. We perambulated through the stalls and I picked up a knife sharpener for 2 lev and then we finally found a stand selling straw hats so I picked this one up for 3 lev. Am I not stunning in it.

Huge Iguana, and huge crowd

After this we made our way round, past a stand with snakes and this huge Iguana and a monkey that you could pay to hold (none of us did) and then stopped off to listen to some politicians talking to the crowd. There was a minutes silence in honour of the dead in the Turkish mine which was largely observed apart from one man near me whose phone kept going off. We left when the chap on stage started introducing all the ministers from the local obshtina. We made our way to a coffee house and had a drink and sit down in the shade and then decided that it was time to think about eating.

My new rose

As we made our way back across town to where I had seen some sheep being roasted earlier, being accosted more than once by people that my friend and A knew, I saw the most gorgeous rose and knew that despite the ban on more flowers I had to own it. I arranged the price and then found my friend had bought a lemon tree. I schlepped these back to Thomas while they stood around thinking about food and when I got back found they had decided that eating in town was too busy and that we would get some chicken and lamb from the roasting spits, and then go back to my friends with beer and eat there.

Man food being served

We selected the nearest stand and asked for some meat and the guy went and cut a bit of a bony piece and then supplemented it with some lovely fatty crispy skinned and meaty bit from nearer the saddle. We then separated with The Electrician and I going to one shop for beer, wine and bread, and my friend and A heading towards their car and a different shop for the same thing.

It's better than it was

Our route, by necessity, was back down the bumpy road, along the new road for half a mile, and then up the cheren put that I had not been on for a couple of months due to the dreadful rain. There was no simple alternative to this other than driving quite a long way round however I wasn't too sure if even the amount of sun in the last week or so had been enough to dry out the morass of mud I had seen when my special guest had been here. With a little trepidation I turned off the main road and quickly found that the mud was dry enough and Thomas went up really easily. The corner which totally put me off coming down that way the last time was still pretty bad and bumpy but at least it was all dry there.

A feast

Upon arriving at my friends we found that we had beaten her there so went round and sat on the terrace to wait. She wasn't long and then beer was shared out and she set to in the kitchen doing some hot potato salad while I washed the lettuce and spring onions and then was shooed out and got the table in place so we could sit and eat. After this I took myself into the sun and sat on the new terrace for a bit before food was served and what a feast; I ate so much that even now as I write this I am not in the slightest hungry.

Ladybug on my finger

After eating we sat outside and supped our beers and chatted and after a while I decided to get away and so I went and lay down on the grass and watched the little creatures scurrying around in the undergrowth. A little ladybird climbed on me so I got a picture and also there was another little bug which went before I could get the camera. It had a black body, about 10mm long and narrow, six legs and had six little pink spots on its back. It was around for quite a while and did climb on my finger for a bit which is when I got the best view of it. I was so chilled out just watching all this happening I think I stayed there for a good half hour or maybe more.

What a stunning view

We all came to the conclusion at about the same time that a big drinking session was not what any of us wanted, and I had stopped drinking full stop well before I went for my lay down in the grass, so I offered to give A a lift home and we headed off. After that stop we went back up towards the village where we collect the men from and up and over their Cheren Put with the stunning views towards the Greek Mountains. I stopped up and we snapped some pictures across the valley; it had rained a bit on this side and the air was so clear it was stunning.

I have a hosepipe attached

And so it was home and that is a good thing, there is something about being in your own space that is very comforting. I set to straight away writing this blog and then decided to go and do my evening round with the watering can; this is something I will have to do from now on as the heat starts to pick up so substantially. Indeed, the little house plants that I left out on the table tennis table will probably have to come in as they got badly bleached by the sun on them today. One thing I have been meaning to do is attach the hose to the standpipe so I can use it to directly water things on the table, and also fill the watering can easier. Today I got my lazy out the way and actually did it. So much easier though Rambo is very suspicious of it and ran away when I tried to spray him.

Rambo and the stunning view

I went down to the trees first and almost emptied the entire watering can down there; there was no point in walking up to the Magnolias because I didn't have enough water in the can to do them both and the new flower bed so I went back for a refill. On the way I realised that Rambo hadn't had his Kong for a bit, and recalled that The Electrician had told me Rambo had looked for it in his enclosure when we got back but couldn't find it. I said "where's your Kong?" a couple of times and he looked at me quizzically, then dashed off and returned almost immediately with it in his mouth. What a clever dog. I then had to refill and he sat up the other end of the patio with the Kong at his feet, looking at me and waiting patiently. Bless him.

I haz made LIFE!

From there it was on up to the top and I watered both the Magnolias but the most excitement was reserved for seeing that I have seedlings in my Zinia bed. WOOOO!! These are the first seeds I have managed to germinate and there are LOADS coming through. This will be such a gorgeous place to sit in the summer now, well it always would have been but these are beautiful flowers. Great.

Chore completed I unattached the hose and put it away (sitting in the sun causes lots of damage to hoses and I'm a tight so and so who wants things to last) and then went up to finish the blog. While we were sitting here we heard Rambo bark and there was Usmivka Muzh with another tub of Ayran and then the Little Lady came popping over with some strawberries and an unidentified plant. I will get pictures of it tomorrow and I'm sure one of you will be able to help me identify it.

I'm still not hungry at all and it is now past 9pm so I won't be eating this evening; what a massive feast it was at lunch. I'm going to sign this off now and will see you all tomorrow.