Hunting for Ralf

Once again we have woken up to no returning little man. Every time we walk past the entrance in the night now we are looking through the windows in the hope he will be sat there staring in and waiting for us to let him inside. This is one of the things which makes it so hard to understand why he ran away; he is so devoted and can't wait to be around us every day. Anyway, on with today.

Early early morning sky

The moon taken at the same time

The alarm went off in the dark after another night spent at first struggling to get to sleep as every bark sounded like Ralf's but wasn't and then ended with a really deep sleep. I did a snooze on the noisy phone and when it went off again A was up and then I was to get a brew on and look to see if Ralf had come back which he hadn't. I went onto the balcony to get pictures of the super early morning and was also able to get some lovely shots of the moon as the clouds blew past it.

A bit later, framed against the trees

I had remembered to put the washing machine on last night so it was ready for hanging out this morning however it was too dark first thing so I waited until the sun was a bit closer to coming up, though it was still by no means above the horizon when I went out. A had not left yet to collect the men and she headed out while I was in the middle of the task. The moon was still lovely and clear while I was there and I attempted to get it framed in the line stand but the contrast isn't there to really appreciate it.

The sun coming up

It was a huge load to hang out and I actually ran out of plastic pegs and had to resort to wooden ones today. The sun was just coming up as I got close to finishing so I stood on a rock and held the camera above my head to shoot blind to get a view. Wow, they all came out really well but these two from just before and then as the first rays burst over the valley walls were my favourite.

Waiting patiently

Rambo had come to join me while I was putting the washing out and, other than running over to see A when she came out onto the balcony just before leaving, he was very good and sat and waited as he has been trained to do. This was just before I allowed him to leave as I had done the job. It is so cute how his feet are crossed.

Rambo being a car valet

Today was the day the man from Sofia was supposed to be coming to view Lucy and so my task while A was getting the men was to get Lucy cleaned and with water and coolant and that checked and fixed up. I pulled the hoover down and sorted out her inside then pumped up the one tyre that was a bit flat and also added anti freeze and then water into the screen washers which then magically began to work again. Rambo was again hanging around while I was doing this, though he doesn't like hoovers and kept jumping whenever I turned it on as he was sniffing it. Silly dog.

Cheren put

A arrived back with a full Thomas as we have two additional helpers today, both new. We had a slice of toast and a cuppa each and then jumped back into Thomas to go for a drive around to look for Ralf. We headed down the hill and then up the track which we had walked the other day going through that village and out the other side. It is such a wild and rugged countryside here we tried to enjoy the views at the same time as stopping to shout and blow the dog whistle at regular intervals.

Stunning views across very rugged countryside

As we headed up and over the cheren put we were following we went past a shepherd who we told about Ralf and he said he'd look out then asked for a cigarette. We drove up and over the mountain and ended up where I expected to be not far from our favourite restaurant but there was no sight nor sound from the little fella. From there we drove back along the new road towards our turnoff (the first time we have driven this stretch of road so we were looking for sign of him being hit by a car, but thankfully there was none) and past to the next turning. We were going to drive up over the mountain the other way and drop down into our village via the pond that he knows. We took a few wrong turns coming through the village down there but pretty soon were up and over and driving onto our land and still with no Ralf.

As we parked Sally was up on the roof and he shouted down that the shepherd who is Bekir's friend had seen Ralf, the day before, down on the road up to our village! There was much excitement and eventually I tracked Bekir down and he jumped the fence by half climbing a tree while I passed the keys for Thomas to A and went out via the gate and ran to catch him up. There was quite a convocation on the path when we found the shepherd and our kmet was there also. After some conversation it was established that yes Ralf had been seen and it was yesterday near the road. A had gone to the village at the bottom in Thomas and the kmet headed in that direction also, while myself and Bekir went into the brush calling and shouting for him. We reached the track without any sign and made our way back, with Bekir asking a group of gypsies that were harvesting mushrooms but they hadn't seen anything.

There are loads of these around

These gorgeous blue flowers are everywhere

Tiny spiky mushroom

This had burst through the soil

Classic looking mushroom

These are really huge

A had already got back from her trip and had spread the news around that village and I put the kettle on and made us a brew; my plan was to go out and do a really thorough search around the land in the direction of the sighting but I was thirsty and needed refreshment. A headed out just before me and I caught her up then went in a slightly different direction. The valley rang to the sounds of both of us yelling his name and A blowing the dog whistle and I was having to really duck and dive to make my way through the thorn bushes that make up the scrub on this hillside. I saw A again when we had both reached the road and I indicated I would be carrying on and I did so making my way into even thicker brush than before. I had to stop pushing on and go along the valley as it got too thick to move through. While I was walking I saw so many mushrooms, toadstools and flowers which I stopped briefly to snap a picture of with my phone camera. What a bounteous country and again I was just trying to enjoy it as well as hunting for the little man.

Dry waterfall, with plunge pool

The way led down below where the road goes over the ravine and I was right at the bottom of it and though I tried to climb up towards the road it was so clogged from the massive floods we have had I wasn't able to make any progress. I turned round and went the other way and just round the corner came to what must have been an awesome waterfall just a few weeks ago.The drop was about 6 feet and the water had dug out a plunge pool at the bottom. I was not able to work my way round to take a photograph from the bottom so this is all I got.

Outside toilets in the village, and the large birds

From there I went through the village at the bottom where the little shop is and then down underneath the road through a storm drain to the track on the other side. I could see some large birds circling in the distance and so I walked towards them though I think they turned out to be storks and not birds of prey circling a dog. I walked along the edge of the river back towards the little bridge and across the road and then I went left down the track that runs below the bluff.

I tried to climb this

The track led down into another gully at the bottom of a ravine which I entered and walked as far along the bottom as I could then followed a goat track up the side. After a while it got too steep for me and I made the sensible choice to turn round and not get myself trapped up the side of a mountain. I made my way back towards the normal road up to the village, seeing some amazing butterflies on the way but I didn't even try to take any pictures. I then climbed up by the path that we have used with Ralf a couple of times which brings you back to near the vehicle gate, calling all the way, and by the time I reached home I was knackered, had a sore throat, and still hadn't even seen any sign of him.

Man at work and dog watching

I made myself a brew straight away and then went to see how the men were doing. One of the new ones was standing on the upturned bucket through the little access panel they have left themselves, passing cement up to the workers on the roof. While we had been gone a load of sand had been delivered which Bekir was able to pay for me with cash I left out for that very purpose.

New guys hard at work

After recovering from my exertions (I had been out for nearly two hours up and down and jogging at times) A came to a break in her work so we went to sit on the porch for a bit of fresh air and to enjoy the lovely weather as it was a gorgeous day today. The two new workers were cracking on mixing then lifting the cement onto the roof. They burst out laughing when they saw me taking a picture; I'm sure they had been warned by Bekir and Sally about my "slimky addiction".

Rambo looking really stupid as usual

Rambo was obviously out there when we went down and he managed, as usual, to spill my tea by not looking where he was going. We got him to sit down eventually and he was looking back over his body to see what the workers were doing, as we wouldn't let him stand up. He is just such a friendly lovely dog. It's a pity he is so stupid.

Charming Rambo

When we had forgiven him for trashing our drinks he came over to say hello and again I just love this picture. What a charmer he is.

More of the men working

I headed back inside and tried to do paid work but my head was all over the place, every bark sounded like Ralf and there are so many dogs here there are always a lot of barks in the distance. Eventually I decided to take a turn outside to see the progress the men were making and try and capture a photograph of A taking the washing in. I found that a slightly different task had been begun today than I expected as the chimney was going up well Bekir and Sally were cementing the ridge tiles in place. This is a good thing as I had noticed they were loose.

Half way through getting the washing in

And yes I did catch A at work. Photographic evidence supplied.

Chimney and ridge tile progress

We had decided to get pizza from the place I went to with S for dinner, so as to not have to cook, and A had also decided that should go sit down by where the last sighting of Ralf had occurred so when it was time for the men to go she was walking out the door at roughly the same time. I had grabbed a photograph of the chimney stack with its concrete surround which Bekir also made today, just before they came down. As A was heading to the side gate I suddenly heard a dog barking quite close on the field out the other side of the land. I stopped everyone talking and pointed it out and she was off chasing after the sound, shouting his name, and I then had to stop myself following her and get in Thomas to take the men home.

Bekir got out at the top of their cheren put to go to a BBQ on the ridge (the views tonight were absolutely incredible, particularly at my favourite spot on the road where the changing colours of the trees on the cliff were reflecting red and gold from the sunset) but I didn't have my camera and anyway I wasn't in any mood to drive slowly or stop. I got back just as A did but she hadn't had any luck. I sent her to drive to the bottom of the hill in Lucy while I jogged down via the path, just in case, but again no sight. The pizza place was empty and we ordered two random pizzas which we brought back and ate here. Rambo is in his enclosure tonight as we have propped the gates open in the hope he may come back tonight. I'm going to try and get an early night though I will probably sleep like last night - badly and sitting up to listen to a dog every little while.