Yesterday

Good morning. This is my "catch up" from yesterday as I didn't get time to do the blog on the day, what with taking the Special Guest back to the airport and then being very tired when I got back. So I don't know how this'll go, as I'm not normally typing in the morning any more, but let's see huh.

Welcoming committee

The men had booked yesterday off work as Bekir had forms to fill in again and, with my guest here this time, I didn't force the issue but took the pleasure of a chilled day for our last day this trip. This also meant that the alarm was not set and a natural awakening was a possibility. I woke up at the sunrise again but I was too tired to get out of bed to snap a picture and went back to sleep. It was finally about 7.30 when I got up and made a brew. The boys were waiting as always and they had been pretty good considering we were about an hour later than normal with their feeding. Here is Rambo barking at me as I stand on the balcony taking in the morning and trying to wake up before the routine starts.

Working in the cool of the shade

It was a slightly different routine this morning as I didn't have to leg it to get the men and we had decided the night before that I would get out and finish the digging, and lay the first course of bricks, early on right before breakfast while it was still cool and shaded in the corner we have selected for the Tortoise House. I went straight down there after the brew and set to with the pickaxe, shovel and my hands, clearing the 4" trench to set the bricks in.

Morning watering round not done by me

My Special Guest was in putting food in for the boys breakfast and when she came out I decided to keep at least that part of the routine the same so we walked together and sat together watching the boys eat and again Ralf ate steadily and stopped when he had eaten enough. He really does seem to be learning so many things. I then went back to my making and she went on with the watering round. This is one benefit of there being two of us here.

Ready for concreting in

I kept working away and pretty quickly finished the trench and set all the bricks in place, then went and got the wheelbarrow and filled it with the lime mortar that is in the pit. I may as well make use of it and if it is strong enough for the roof bricks, it will be fine for this purpose too. I hope.

Ralf and the Kong

After a bit it was time for breakfast and my Special Guest went up to make porridge (which was absolutely lovely; I ate loads of it and it put my energy back up after the exertion of brick laying). Rambo had been playing with his Kong a bit before and had left it in the middle of the patio. I looked up while I was working away and noticed that Ralf had got it and was playing with it. He was having a great time, picking it up, dropping it, running around and pouncing on it. I got loads of pictures of which these are but a few however I got bored editing them in (this took my twenty five minutes as it was!). Ralf can be such a cute dog when he wants to be.

And now I am setting them in concrete

I was working away and making good progress and the quality of the joints at the end of the run were much better than those at the start; at least I am learning I suppose. I managed to finish all the concreting, including filling the gaps near the back wall, and tidied and washed up before heading in for the aforementioned gorgeous breakfast.

Breakfast time for the boys

Both Jesus and Shiva have been looking very well recently, eating a fair amount and being active. I hope they appreciate all the effort I am going to with this enclosure outside, to keep them safe from predators and allow them a load of food and comfort. Here they are both eating lettuce that my Special Guest gave them for their breakfast.

Loads of burs get in Ralf's fur

Ralf has a real problem getting burs in his fur while he is out and about the garden and yesterday was no exception. This is the collection that he had just on his face (and another thirty or forty on his legs, tail and belly). Poor little fella. It must seem to him that everytime he is picked up we are pulling some burs from some place or other. I did this after eating my breakfast and got most of them off him before he wriggled too much to be put down.

I had forgotten about going to collect Lucy but fortunately my Special Guest hadn't and reminded me. This changed my plans slightly but it worked out OK. After a shower we headed to collect her and found that she was ready and the bill was not that much at all. She is still not right and I'm wondering whether I should sell and get another small car. Thomas is so expensive to run I do need a little car for the men and popping to town in. Anyway, she drove Thomas and I drove Lucy and I got her to park Thomas at the bottom of the hill up to mine so we could go the other way, across the bridge, and into my town. This was because she loves the kebabs from a place in there and we hadn't had a chance to go up til this point. It was a surprise and she was really pleased when I told her.

The main square on market day

When we got to town we found that it was market day which was good as we got to walk around the stalls and we picked up a rug for the bedroom, and I got five more vest tops for working in, and all for 45 lev (about £20). After this lovely excursion (we bumped into Usmivka as well, who gave me my electricity bill - you HAVE to love the postal service here) we went to the kebab shop and really enjoyed them again. They are so much better here than they were in the larger town I went to with S and S the other week.

Vultures circling, but not for us

On the way back up home (and boy was it ever hot; the wind coming in the car windows was nice as it was fresh, but it was like the air out of an open oven door) we spotted a few large birds of prey circling. It was another time where I wished I had the long zoom as this was taken on my standard short lens. We were both sure they were Egyptian Vultures, which would be great to have seen.

Scything in the enclosure

There was no rest for me when we got back as I had my other chore for the day to complete; the boys' enclosure needed to be scythed out. I had to do this now as I would need to be locked in so they didn't get in my way. I sharpened the blade and took a few swings then found that it was loose so had the Special Guest going to get a hammer for me. After I got everything working right I set to and found that it was really matted and quite hard work down the bottom. It didn't take that long though and soon I was done.

Throwing the cut grass to dry

It was so hot that she went inside while I worked and promised to come out and let me back out again. I did see a little smile when she said this so I wasn't totally sure it would happen. Haha. It really didn't take me long and I shouted her to come down when I was throwing the cut grass out of the enclosure over the gate. She snapped a long range picture on her phone (hence it not being the greatest quality photograph) from the balcony and then came down, all the time asking Rambo and Ralf whether they should leave me inside. She then did the usual routine "sit... wait..." at the door before unlocking it. Ever the comedienne hah.

We were both tired out because of the heat and I was feeling quite sad that she was going already, and we both laid on the bed for a bit until I was just too hot and had to sit up. I went out the room while she fell asleep and I tried to do this blog but just stared for a while at the blank screen before going back with my book, laying down, reading and just about dozing off when I was woken up by shouts from outside. It was the young one from the farm asking about Bekir and when I said they were back tomorrow he just left. Strange. While I was up filled in the holes around the base of the bricks with the soil and then tided and brought everything in. This is now ready for the next course of bricks (though I've not fully decided what to use yet so I may hold fire a bit; I'm even thinking of some tiled to provide a covered area, but we'll see) and then I was back up and trying to doze again.

The time had come, though, to start thinking about making a move and I woke her and made a brew and then we spent a few minutes changing our minds again about the kitchen and the stairs to the living room. Basically, I was jealous of the size and space of S and S kitchen, and also had been thinking that having no windows on the evening sun side wasn't that great. My Special Guest had suggested already knocking a door so we could use what is currently the "old stuff from around the school store" as a pantry but my mind had gone further than that. I was thinking we could knock the wall out completely between the kitchen and that room, removing it entirely, and swing a wall round into the corridor so we got the benefit of the window as well. This would leave the chimney as a pillar coming down from the roof and so now we are both excited that we may be able to get an open fire there, with a big hood over it, to sit around in the winter. So my chalk came out and I drew on the floor and on walls and I now have to explain this to Lubo. I may get the plans and draw on them and email it to him to be fair.

And so, with a heavy heart, my Special Guest took her basically empty carry on bag and we jumped into Thomas (I wasn't happy to risk Lucy on a long drive, and potentially have another flight missed) and headed out. On the way through the village the Little Lady was standing by the side of the road and said goodbye to and it was just lovely how friendly she really is.

Lovely sun and cloud combination

We had set off with time and I drove steadily all the way without feeling rushed but the heat was still on and  was feeling quite drowsy. I was OK, and the music we were listening to (Frank Sinatra, if you're interested) as well as having the windows down and chatting, meant I was alright and we got to the airport safely. We had a coffee each (and I got a toasted sandwich) and then after a bit it was time for her to go through security and me to drive home. I waved goodbye and went out to the carpark and the sky was so amazing I stopped on the access road and snapped a picture quickly out of the window. It remained gorgeous for ages however there was never a good opportunity to take a photo so you'll just have to believe me.

I had planned on driving up onto the mountain and having a kip however the coolness was now in the air a bit and I felt good and wasn't drowsy any more; the coffee and sandwich probably helped too, and I made it the whole way without stopping once. It was a really easy journey and only took 1.5 hours. I was even home before it was fully dark. The boys were very happy to see me so I let them out, went upstairs and made a brew, then put them down for the night while I went to bed with my brew and my kindle. I had a whatsapp from my Special Guest saying the flight had been delayed which is not good. I now know she was delayed about an hour and missed the last train so had to get the bus. Not good.

Right, that's yesterday; I'd better get on with living today, huh.