A Kit and a Kat

Welcome back! What a day it has been here at the Old School. Up at 5.30am (I know!)

I had an early start for a reason today; I had been invited to go to the local market day with Little Lady (Sanie) and their son's wife (Oygul). I really wanted to go and so I got up, had coffee and a shower and managed to get all the work finished by 8am. By 8.30am, as agreed, I was being shouted for at the gate! When I got to the car there was Sanie, Hasan (Uzmivka) and two other neighbours whose names I don't know. It was like a Bulgarian road trip! Great fun indeed. We all got into Lucy, who doesn't do well with weight in her and trundled down to town. I dropped the men and the other lady off at the bus stop by the market and Sanie and I went to see Oygul and later, Orhan when he popped in to communicate via Google translate with me.

I can only assume that he read the blog and realised that I wanted to buy chickens after I couldn't quite get my intentions over to Sanie last time I was there. They were rallying round to help me buy chickens from the market. What absolutely lovely people they are! They really make me feel so welcome and I really feel like part of the community. Fantastic!

We all went back into town and picked out two egg layers who are not quite ready to lay yet, but the hens which were ready did not look particularly healthy to be honest. They had been pecked a lot and almost all of them had lots of feathers missing from their backs. We are not in a big hurry and I would rather have healthy chickens who need nourished and looked after for a while than unhealthy ones.

Sanie went off with a friend to buy whatever she needed and Oygul and I did the same. We then hopped in the car and went back to her house. They are all so kind and they never have you in their homes without offering food, coffee or something to eat or drink. When Sanie and the other lady from the village returned suddenly there was a table full of food and ayran and water for me, not to mention a plate of fresh cherries, which I didn't think I liked until now!

I was supposed to be back and working for 11am, but I was a little late in getting back.  When I did get back there was a truck on the drive, right by the porch. I realised it was one of the men from the drainage firm who had been sat in the car as I had left Rambo roaming around and he is terrified of him. I'm not really sure why so many Bulgarians are afraid of dogs; perhaps due to wild dogs, who knows. Anyway, he had come to collect all the workmen's tools and the spare cement. He suggested that they were finished but I didn't think they were. They had dug up some of the patio area to lay the pipes and whilst the digger was here yesterday, it damaged some more around the edge. I managed to tell him that they need to lay down the ones they lifted in olace of the missing and damaged ones and he made a phone call, said they would come another time to do it and everyone was happy; off he went, leaving a bag of cement to secure the slabs.

Unfinished

I had to get straight in and set to work as I was by then, 45 minutes late! Of course, after such a quiet day yesterday, today was the opposite and the work had poured in whilst I had been out. Typical! I completed one file and then ran down to settle the chickens into their new house.  I will introduce you shortly.

On the way back in I remembered that I spotted a plant growing that looked like a creeper or climber of some kind. I have no idea what it is, but I stuck a cane in there and we shall have to wait and see. Probably a weed, knowing my eye for plants!

Climber

There is also another plant that survived winter and I forget the name of, but is going really well. The Mr will know, he planted it.

Survivor

I am going to bore you senseless with pictures of my  corn, but this is the biggest and bestest thing I have ever grown and I am so proud!

Growing tall!

Having settled the chickens in and fed them and left them clean water, it is now time to introduce you.  This one with the spotty chest is called Kit.

Kit

And this one here is called Kat. Say hello.

Kat

Kat and I had a little game of hide and seek earlier when she hid in the longer grass. I finally caught her and got her back inside with Kit for some food and a bit of company. It will take them a few days to settle I should think but I am hoping they explore a little bit more as time goes on as they have hid either inside or in the long grass most of the day.

Now, the issue of Rambo is going to be a delicate one. This will be an interesting few weeks until the other three get back. Talk about a zoo!!

Leka nosht!

A x