It's been grey

We're back once more and it is Monday morning, just starting my second brew of the day, and wanting to get this done and published as I have a few things that I need to do today. Still no men back but it is still quite cold so no problems there; I'd not want to be working in an unheated room in this weather either! Indeed, I DON'T want to but today I have to; more on that in a bit. I've just got a few pictures today so this one really should be a short update. There's also some interest regarding a change in the law that effects us.

Heavy overcast above the parents' hotel

Thelma returns with her ball

Three puppies after one tiny stick

Louise races across the top bank

Louise checking out the camera

She was looking up at me

She was shivering and wanting to go back inside

Their preferred spot, as I cook Spicy Pork Pasta

As the title of this post suggests it has been pretty much overcast all week. Overcast and cold, with biting north winds and every now and then a small settling of snow. It certainly has not been the weather for getting outside very much but we have wrapped up a couple of times and taken the puppies onto the top bank to throw balls. I went on my own to do this earlier in the week and then yesterday we took half an hour together and did the same. Thelma, of course, loves this but Louise, unusually, has also been getting really into it, running like a loon and bouncing around manically both times. Rambo, who normally is a bit over bearing when a ball is being thrown, has been joining in really well and all in all both these sessions were wicked fun for us and them. We'll be doing that again today I think. It is also really nice for us to get up on the top bank again. Apart from that the puppies have been sat right in front of the fire (or wrapped up in their blankets) waiting for summer.

Superb peppered steak

The scenery I have built, part 1

The scenery I have built, part 2

Louise having a look at the scenery

A game in progress

For ourselves we've had a pretty good week, for the most part. I've done a fair bit of modelling and A has been back at work. We have also managed to get a couple of games of Hobbit SBG in, including test playing a scenario I've written myself, which has been great fun to get back into. I've had an interview for a permanent job which went OK but I'm waiting to hear if they're OK with me being in Bulgaria. I've also got a couple of contract jobs bubbling on the horizon. I met up with our solicitor for lunch to arrange about a Change of Use for the building as the law has, apparently, recently changed in two ways. First of all it is now finally actually possible to officially change the registration for our property to a residence. This is important as it is now apparently impossible to register for a residency card if your property is NOT registered as a residence. I've started the process for the Change of Use (once again) so we'll see if it works out.

Thelma covered in muck, shouting at her ball

A purple haze

Spot the woodpecker

A small quantity of snow to greet us

Checking out their frozen pond

Two beef Iskander kebabs

Snow on the peaks across the valley

A chopping firewood

Bought logs stacked up outside

Other than that we bought Thelma a new big ball for the balcony and she loves it. She also gets absolutely filthy while playing with it outside as she digs it into the undergrowth then tries to dig it back out again. On Wednesday evening, as the sun was going down, the sky was the most amazing colour; a purple-y red. Very strange. We've had some wildlife returning with a sighting of some swallows the other week and now the woodpeckers are back (being shy as always, though; this photograph was taken through the kitchen window and not using the longest lens). Thursday night it snowed and we woke to more snow falling on Friday however it didn't fall for long and has mostly melted already once more. The ducks had their pond back for a few days however once again it froze over and they were not impressed. Once we (if we ever do) get the big pond and the pump and a running stream in that pond shouldn't freeze other than for the very coldest times and they will be very happy then. We went out for our dinner on Friday to have Beef Iskander kebab and it was superb; such a tasty meal, that. I've done some stuff around the house and have the big scaffold in the guest room to fit the curtain rail finally. That is a job for today and will be me working in an unheated room. Yuck. A got the chainsaw out once again and did a load of cutting of the wood we gathered off our land the other year; she's on for doing more of that today. After she finished this we worked together to shift all the new bought wood out of the garage into the wood store where it will dry a bit better; that is what two cubic looks like.

Sassy sat in her hutch

I'll leave you with a picture of Sassy who has wintered outside very well once again; the problem we've had is getting in to clean her tray out regularly enough with all the snow but even with two water bowls cracking in the cold she's fine and happy every day to see us. It's going to be good to get back outside and interact with her more. Indeed as I type this the sun has just come out so let's hope the warmer weather is on its way.

Thanks for reading; until next time.