Relaxing day

Today was a really restful day with a small amount achieved, but mostly just relaxing and not really pushing myself about much.

Blazing orange sunset with dark clouds

It starts, however, with a picture taken last night. I meant for this to be included in the update yesterday but I totally forgot to add it in. I spotted as I was heading to the toilet one time last night that the sunset was absolutely amazing and then, when I came back and got the camera, it had got even nicer so I took the picture. It shows that even on the worst of days (though yesterday was far from the worst, but it was a long way from the best also) the sky still can throw up some stunning sights.

So anyway I slept like a log, dropping off mid-conversation last night and not waking until my Bulgarian phone started ringing. I normally leave this in Room 13 however last night something prompted me to pick it up and I'm glad I did; it was the Kmet ringing to see if I was around so I said yes, got out of Julian (fully dressed, fortunately) and saw that he and the Special One were by the side gate waiting. At first I beckoned them to come in but then I remembered that I had put a combination padlock on to stop Rambo from being able to push out; I showed them the combination and let them in and then very quickly he came upstairs, signed and stamped the papers that I needed, and then left after refusing a coffee. I wasn't too sad about that as I was still mainly asleep (I'd been planning on an even longer lazy lay in this morning) and my first brew went down exceptionally quickly.

The tiny spider in my kitchen

As I was preparing to make my second brew (it was one of those mornings where the first is followed very quickly by the second) I noticed a little spider hanging by a thread under the sink and above the recycling. I snapped some pictures and then it scooted across and I got this brilliant picture of it on the side of the table. Such stunning colours! I was careful to avoid disturbing it and destroying its web as I was doing the washing up and sorting things out. I love the wildlife here.

Ceiling plaster falling down

I didn't go to see to Rambo until I had the second cup of tea in my hand and when I did, I saw that I had had another fall from the ceiling, this time out in the hall and landing. I'm not surprised that is coming down a bit as there is a hole in the roof above and if you remember it was actually dripping through there and in Sassy's room. It will be drying out now and therefore things shifting and that is why the plaster is dropping. Thank goodness the roof will be done this year! The place is definitely ready for renovation and I reckon another couple of years and it would have really started to degenerate fast.

Amazing breakfast

I fed Rambo then took the watering can around my various, and widely distributed, plantations even though it had rained in the night. I was throwing the kong and playing with Rambo at the same time, and also getting to enjoy the views from each different part of the property. My plans for what to do with all this space are slowly taking shape in a very preliminary way and I was careful to walk in such a way as to review them. I think they'll work well. After doing this I returned to Room 13 where I was hungry, but wasn't sure what to have. Then it came to me; posh scrambled eggs. I swapped out the olives for mushrooms and put a nob of local butter in as well and, when put on toast, they were totally gorgeous.

I'm a lumberjack and I'm ok...

Another cuppa to wash them down was next and then I decided it was time to carry out the task I had decided to achieve today. My Silver Birch holes were all dug bar one; there was a djanki tree that needed removing to make way for the final tree to the right as you come in and I was going to remove that. I took the axe and my new wood saw down and, with Rambo watching and expecting me to throw his kong for him, cut through the tree in next to no time with the saw. A few blows of the axe at the end to sever the last fibres and I pulled it to one side and done.

Digging an hole

I then returned the saw and got my digging tools and tripod so I could take a selfie, and set to. I started with the pickaxe but the soil was really soft so I put that to one side and worked with the shovel. I dug all around the stump down to a depth of one spit and found that there were two big roots heading off up the hill away from the gate. The soil continued to be easy to dig, with only a few small stones, however it got very hot and I had to take a break half way through to get a cup of water, a cup of tea, and load some energy in via little chocolate biscuits.

The hole was dug

When I returned I expected to have a huge job on my hands cutting through roots but all it took was a few blows from the axe and each was cut through. I then lifted the stump and it just came away; there was no root extending down, just the two at ninety degrees from the trunk. Bizarre. All I had to do then was continue digging until I hit the bedrock, which was another six inches or so and then I called it a day. My job was jobbed.

Lunch was cheese and tomato butties with mayo instead of marg (lovely) and then I headed over to my friend to give her the root hormone stuff for helping cuttings grow better which had been brought over by S and S. On the way I put 20 lev of gas in the empty fuel bottle for the cooker so I have it as a backup which took a couple of minutes max. The drive over was uneventful. I spent the afternoon there, drinking tea and sat on her terrace enjoying the view and chatting about many things. It is always peaceful there and I like sitting in that spot, even when I'm on my own. She gave me some seeds for the flowers which I loved so much which really attract the bees and butterflies. I think I know where they will be planted!

I headed off after the second brew and stopped on the way at my favourite supermarket to get some fresh bread and a thing of surface cleaner. It was then home along the very bumpy road and, as I was opening my gates, I saw the biggest bee/wasp/hornet/thing I have EVER seen, flying around the wood and gravel that used to be on my land. I grabbed my phone and tried to get a video but it flew off almost immediately. This is all I got. It was huge and so very noisy indeed! I will keep my eyes peeled for it again.

So after a bit of time playing with Rambo I came upstairs for dinner which consisted of a soup from a packet and half the fresh loaf of bread dipped in, and watched the last of some cycle race on eurosport player which I decided to get so I could enjoy some downtime with those kinds of sports that are on eurosport (it was aussie rules footie earlier).

So now I am going to publish this nice and early, and then spend a bit of time going through the plans Lubo left me which I need to correct before Monday when he is coming to get the signed documents from the Kmet. A nice short blog for you today, after the super long one yesterday.

EDIT...

What a stunning sunset!

I just went to the toilet, after hitting "post" and had to come back and get my camera, then come back and get the 300mm zoom, as the sunset tonight was just astonishing. It was just too low for me to capture from the back window so I stood on a chair and got high enough to capture this view, with the clouds backlit by the sun and the lovely colours spreading out from the sun. What a beautiful thing to see.

EDIT 2.............

Sunset behind my favourite tree

So as I was sitting here chilling out I look up out the window and saw that the sky was stained pink in front of me. I thought that if it was that bright this side then what would it be out the back. I grabbed the camera and took some picture from the back window again and then went outside to play Kong with Rambo. As I went round the side I saw that the colour was visible behind the trunk of my favourite tree. The picture kinda came out.

Rambo returning with his Kong

I then kicked the Kong for Rambo for a fair old while until it got too dark and we nearly lost it on the last kick. One of the times he came legging it back I was ready with the camera and I tracked him in. It took ages for the camera to focus as it was so dark. He's a crazy boy.