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| Passing like creatures in the night |
In the light of the torch (I don't always use a torch but I grabbed it when I had taken Rambo into his enclosure earlier in the evening) I spotted a frog jumping across the terrace. I tracked him with the torch and when he stopped in the grass I managed to swing the camera round and take a few pictures. He was quite a large one, I'm not sure it is the same one that I found in my store room last week and put outside, but it might be. Another quick example of just how awesome the wildlife is here.
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| The aftermath of Rambo's snoozes |
The other amusing thing last night was where Rambo was when I went to take him to his enclosure. I have pushed one of the trays of soil that was collected with T at the abandoned military base to the side on the porch as I haven't yet needed to use it. That is now no longer the case as Rambo had taken notice of it last night and he was completely curled up asleep in it. I didn't manage to get a picture at the time as he immediately jumped out so I snapped this first thing this morning. He had dug it out to get a nice comfortable dip for him to settle in and in doing so had made a real mess of the entrance. Oh well, I just laughed so much when I saw him and he followed me back to his compound without complaint.
So to this morning. I slept in so much it was great. Nothing woke me, Rambo didn't bark or howl and it was only when I finally needed to have a cup of tea that I got out of bed and went up to Room 13. There was a more than a dribble of water coming out of the tap with the shower, but absolutely nothing upstairs - I did get quite excited as I thought the water may be on its way back. I have been getting a dribble out of the upstairs tap every now and then and was even able to fill the small watering can from it (though it did take some time). Just now I realised that I had left the tap on because it suddenly started running again. I do have some other updates on this water situation but you'll just have to wait for now as that will be later in the blog.
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| Such a pretty flower |
I boiled the kettle and made my first brew but then before I even took more than a sip I was out doing my rounds. The bez pari water is still running ok (though a couple of times it coughed, stopped, then went for it again) so I was able to fill the watering can and go and fill Rambo's bowl. He was quite patient today, particularly considering that it was so late when I was getting started on my rounds, and he was also completely out of water. I grabbed his food bowl and then saw a lovely little flower that had opened since yesterday. As I was getting close to get a picture Rambo did his usual thing of bounding over right towards the delicate bloom and I was just in time to put my arm out and stop him.
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| They are working out how to open the gate |
He is just so bouncy and inquisitive however he is also quite obedient really. We went down from his enclosure to start watering the trees and, because of my late start, the cows were just on their way out for the day. Rambo has a thing about cows and loves to chase them and bark however I was able to keep him pretty much under control and stop him from spooking them. I only had to grab his collar when we went to water the tree nearest the gate. The cows, for their part, were inquisitive in their own way and came right up to the gate as we walked away, watching us going and munching the grass by the gate. They would love to get into my land.
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| The latest edition looking amazing |
I am now firmly into two full watering cans to complete my round and maybe even a third will be needed on the trees soon however I am able to water the pots on the table tennis table using the hose. The most recently bought rose has now got three lovely blooms on it and it smells divine. I am so very pleased I bought it (the other two roses don't actually seem to have done anything at all yet) and the rest of the flowers look like they have recovered well after the battering from the hail the other day.
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| The first wardrobe assembled |
After my brew I decided to start making the wardrobe that I had bought from kaufland yesterday and I found that not only was it easy to put together, but it was a really good quality solid build. I finished off the construction downstairs in the store room and then decided that I should have bought more of them yesterday. My thinking is they will do me really well until I finish off all the renovations and after that they will be good for maybe plants or other types of storage.
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| Egg from the Little Lady |
The decision was made that I would leg it back to Kaufland to buy a few more of these brilliant (and cheap) items of furniture and also some more bread and strawberry jam as I'd forgotten those yesterday however first I was hungry and so I set to making myself a half-sized breakfast but using one of the eggs I had been given by the Little Lady. It was really tasty and has whet my appetite for getting my own chickens in soon.
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| Spot Jesus in this picture |
Before I headed out I decided to quickly check on Mo and Jesus as I hadn't seen them yet today; Mo was easy to spot, pretty much where he had been before but Jesus was nowhere to be seen. I looked and looked and picked up rocks and other items and still couldn't find him. Had he managed to climb out and escape?! It was then that I noticed where he was. See if you can spot him in this close up picture. He's so well camouflaged.
A bit relieved that Jesus had just dug himself a hole rather than having escaped and therefore living somewhere in Room 13 where I could tread on him at any moment, I went down to Thomas and headed towards town. In the little village centre just up the track all the men were gathered around and the Other Brother and the Special One were there so they came over to my window to say hi. The Other Brother explained to me that they were there because of the euro elections. I am presuming they were waiting for a mobile voting van to arrive but I'm not totally sure. I waved goodbye and headed into town, carrying out a super fast smash and grab raid on Kaufland which never-the-less resulted in three more bags of potting compost and four tins of tuna for my larder. There was another success too but that will also be revealed later.
Upon returning to my village I found that the men were still all sat around waiting and I was waved to by my neighbours and stared at by the rest; I did think that I should go back and sit with them and involve myself but I was both too shy, and also too focused on finishing my tasks, to think about it for too long. I set to putting the additional wardrobes together and was half way through the second new one when I heard voices and went outside to find the Special One standing stroking Rambo (who upon seeing me suddenly barked at him - he is good at defending me bless him) and over by the gate was the kmet and another chap.
I went over, putting Rambo in the fenced garden, and greeted them. It turns out that the other chap is from the village below mine and used to go to school in this building. Wow. I love meeting people who have real life links to the history I have bought into. It turns out this chap has been working Florida and he spoke pretty good english, better than the other visitor brought by the kmet last week. We chatted for a bit at the fence and I think I was invited to go and vote but I said "no". I still don't even have residency sorted so I'm not sure how that would work?
Anyway, I did manage to discover that the water problem is not just my village but at least the one below and has been caused by a failure of the pump to send water to the top storage tank, thus causing low pressure as after the pumping up, it is a gravity fed system. It is going to be fixed, apparently, but who knows when. I also made plans for the kmet to help with the residency. Now I think what has happened is a confusion; he didn't know I was expecting him to help - he just was saying "go to town and sort it out". Anyway, tomorrow he will come here (and this has been explicitly discussed and agreed) to help me. Brilliant.
I invited them in to come and look around the place and as I did so, Rambo managed to get the gates open and came to see us. I had to take him back to his compound as the kmet is, as you know, not good with him. At least Rambo was really good and didn't jump at him or anything when he got out - he just came straight to me.
I showed them round and told me some of my plans and he told me what the signs on the doors mean (they are classes five through seven), that the flat roof was a recent addition in about 1986 or something, that when he left the school it was shut and about the pigs they used to keep near the toilet block (which explains the concrete remains over there). He also described doing exercises on the yard that is now my patio, and that the really young classes were in the green building. It was great to hear so much about the place and I invited them for whisky some evening to share more stories; I hope that this actually happens this time.
After they left I had lunch (cheese and strawberry jam sandwiches - lovely) and then went to check on Sassy. She hasn't been out from behind her leant-over windows all day, not even to eat the food I put out this morning and so I was a little worried about her. I also had realised that I needed to get in there and tidy her a bit as I hadn't done that for ages so I filled a whole bucket with her droppings and then checked on her. She ran around a bit while I was there, and did so a little later in the day too, but she still hasn't gone up to eat. I am quite worried but not sure what else I can do. She didn't want picking up though if tomorrow she still hasn't eaten I shall have to, just to check on her. A concern, there.
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| Wardrobes done and in use |
After this I went and got on with putting up the remaining wardrobes. I am now an expert at assembling these and can do it in ten minutes tops. The surprise was what I thought in the shop was a purple one but is actually a bit on the pink side - I am slightly colourblind to the difference between purple and pink for some reason. Anyway, it's bright and appreciated so I'm happy I got it. It also ties in with some other rather wonderful stuff which will become apparent over time, though I'm not going into details now, that has put a great big exclamation mark over today being a brilliant day.
I spent a bit of time putting my spare clothes into one of the wardrobes, my camping kit into the other, and realised I was very short of hangers (I'm sure I brought a load more but maybe not but at the moment I can't hang all my hawaiian shirts up which is a shame) and then brought the books that had been in one of the suitcases upstairs to put in the bookshelves. All done now.
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| Sun heated hot water. Ahhhhhhhhh |
Now I know why the water is off the smell of my feet has started to really irritate me. I can cope with everything else but not that. Yesterday something occurred which I meant to blog about but completely forgot. When I went to do an afternoon sprinkle using the hose I found that the water inside it was red hot; almost too hot to put my hand in. Of course I had accidentally created myself a solar shower. So today I took some soap and went outside and used the water that had been heating (deliberately this time) to was my feet. How great. I didn't do an all over wash as I didn't want to scare my neighbours.
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| This ant is a poser |
This done, and another lovely telephone call also, I decided to start writing this blog so set to and got about three paragraphs down before being sat in front of my desk got to me too much; the storm clouds that had been hovering around all day were continuing to do so but the ones which had shaded me from the sun most of the day had cleared and it was lovely outside. Decision made; I would go on the balcony again. I went to Julian to get my kindle and saw something moving on the patio. On closer inspection I found it was one of the large red ants pulling a big black (dead) beetle. After I had snapped a few quick pictures it stopped and so I was able to get really close for this one. Amazing.
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| There were many rumbles from this too |
There followed a really enjoyable hour or so sat on my deck chair reading my kindle and enjoying the heat of the sun as well as the fact that the breeze being dragged into the storm behind me was a bit cooling. Talking of the storm, there were quite a few rumbles of thunder as I sat there and the clouds really did start to build a lot. I went back inside when the sun reached the haze on the horizon and the cooling breeze got a little nippier. It was good timing because I was starting to get a bit hungry so I put the stew (made by my special guest, and frozen) which had been defrosting very slowly all day onto a very low heat.
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| "What do you mean 'this isn't my bed'?" |
And so I have been sitting here chatting away and typing this blog, and eating the excellent stew, and just now I went out to do my evening watering round which I need to get into the habit of doing. When I got downstairs wouldn't you know but Rambo was laying in the trough again and this time I was prepared and managed to get a picture of him. I haven't the heart to tell him off for lying there, though he is making a right mess.
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| Think it's getting drunk |
I filled the watering can and threw his kong a few times while I was waiting, then headed round to the trees. As I got close it was clear that Rambo would have to be put in his enclosure as all the cows were congregated by my gate and about to be put away for the night. He very obediently ran ahead of me and straight inside which was brilliant. I turned to go back to water the plants and saw a butterfly on a thistle flower. I took loads of pictures but unfortunately my camera skills let me down so this was the best one I managed.
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| Busy like ants |
All the trees watered I paused to take some more photographs of ants and specifically them around the next which is near the last tree (on special request, no less) and again I seem to be failing today with the camera as the focus is a bit out on this however the ants just emerging from the hole are carrying something in their jaws; maybe even eggs? They are so industrious.
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| Now they CAN get through the gate |
As I turned to head back to get Rambo and finish the rounds I saw that the cows had been moved in but the two goats were still hanging around and one of them had stuck his head through the gate and was eating the grass on my side. I threw a stone near it and it ran away, then turned round and came back and even put its leg through this time. I threw another stone (never trying to hit it, just warn it) and it ran away again. I think I may need to put some mesh over those gates to stop them getting in.
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| The Special One and Usmivka Muzh gathering hay |
The rest of the round was done easily and I walked back round the other direction today for a change and just to see some different parts of my land. I think I need to spend at least an hour every day this week scything my grass as it is getting quite long and also Usmivka Muzh and the Special One were out today collecting the hay together from the scything they have already done and I am feeling quite guilty about it.
So I have a beer in hand and am going to sign this blog off. Tomorrow should be a good one with the replacement glass going in and also hopefully me getting my residency. If the kmet doesn't show tomorrow then I have also received assistance from Sylvia so this should be sorted this week either way.
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