Rain and sun and rain

Once again a late blog, and once again I have a huge stack of pictures (and a couple of videos) and very little idea of what has gone on in the last two weeks, or is it three, since I last updated this blog. I've basically been working and working and therefore once again not really wanting to be sat at my computer for the half and hour or so a day when I'm free and could be doing something else. But I need to get this done else it'll just never get done so let's get on with it. Thanks for reading, as always.

As per usual, with these blogs covering a long period, I'll not do this day by day.... first off...

In the garden

It's coming to the end of the season now, obviously but we have had some nice weather and things are still growing. There's also work to be done as we approach winter to make the place a ready for snow and everything that brings with it.

Tomato trimming going on

A lovely flower on our lawn

Bekir trimming a tree

Bekir trimming another tree

A took herself out into the raised beds a couple of weeks back and trimmed all the dead bits off the tomato plants so the still growing bits could flourish as we approach the end of the growing season. Once again it's been such a fruitful year for tomatoes here. She's also finished digging out and clamping all the spuds which are now in our bottom corridor covered in sand; let's see how well that works for keeping them into the winter. We had Bekir over on Friday this week as well, more of which later, and one of his tasks was to trim down the walnut tree that was growing very close to the power lines; some of the branches actually brushed the cables as they fell so it was good timing to get that job done. He has also trimmed the plum tree over the green building again, which I did last year also, as it was starting to put pressure on the roof.

Bekir's visit

He did more than trim a tree...

View as the sun rose across the valley

Sun-hazed ridge in the mist

Scrub trees into the misty distance

Cleaning out the kitchen pipes

On the roof to clean the chimneys

The cockerel scratching in the soot

Window people back finally

The egg we found on the roof terrace

The reason for Bekir coming over was A lit the fire in the kitchen on Wednesday past and filled both the kitchen and the lounge with smoke. This prompted a call to Bekir who was free on Friday at the usual time. I collected him and took the camera and was so pleased I did - what a view from the top of their cheren put as always. His first task was to sort out the chimneys and he began by taking down the internal pipes and giving them all a good clean. He then went onto the roof and dropped his heavy weight down the chimney that had caused all the problems and unblocked it from whatever had caused the issue. We have found that we share a chimney between the kitchen and lounge so probably next year he'll change that around which will be good. Finally, as you've seen, he also got out and did some tree surgery, and also cleaned the chainsaw filter so now that is running well. He was also finally able to get the window people to come out so now our balcony door works again - this was good as Thursday the key froze in the lock and the door became actually unusable. We took him home at lunch time after a really beneficial visit and hopefully he'll be back in a week or two to redo the grouting on the balcony and then we are ready for winter. While we were looking at the roof terrace (there's a small amount of making good to be done up there as well for winter) we found a birds egg just sat on the wall. Quite late for that, I think? It was broken, sadly.

Winter is coming

That visit was prompted, as I've said, by the fire being lit and winter certainly is on its way, and has arrived and left a few times over the past couple of weeks.

Absolutely bouncing down

Big splash off the metal table

My "winter is here" face

She is more excited than she looks; honest!

Painting station set up in the lounge

Me painting, A relaxing by the fire; perfect evening

Thelma happy to be back in her cave

Snuggling the puppies and recovering from a cold

The day after A did the tomatoes it rained so hard it was literally bouncing off the table outside. We also had water in the back windows on the landing again, once more caused by blocked drainage holes. Once we have finished the walls inside I think this won't be as much of a problem as the dust will reduce. We've really enjoyed using the lounge a bit more with the fire in there lit and a couple of evenings we've gone in there to hobby; both playing a game and I also set myself up a painting area while A read; that was a really nice evening as I got away from my desk for a fair while. The change in the weather has effected us both, and A more, and she hasn't been all that well for a few days though thankfully now she seems to be recovering well. After a few lovely days yesterday was another horrendous day with really heavy rain and a huge thunderstorm that was causing all the lights to flicker. Today is supposed to be drier though so hopefully that forecast is correct; we have guests and want to get some sightseeing in.

Guests

We've had a few guests and visitors over the past few weeks as well, though photographic evidence only of one.

Ready to order

The first guest to mention isn't even human. We were sat having our lunch on the patio, which was a great pleasure to me in itself as I haven't been outside as often as I like, and a bird of prey came swooping in with its eye on our chickens. The roosters did their job, alerting the chickens (and us) and Thelma, Louise and Rambo went barking over towards it. I was gutted to not have my camera as it was stopped its dive about 20 foot in front of us, backed air desperately, and flew off again. What a sight! Sadly we have lost Baker, who we thought maybe had gone to sit on eggs. We can't find her and with that big bird around and hungry maybe she's been got. I hope she appears in a few weeks with a gaggle of chicks following her. We shall see. Our second guests were Venko and family who popped past for a few hours for a brew; that was a lovely visit though very short. Next summer we'll have to be more free and get them for a BBQ again. We've also had Nick and Emma past for breakfast which was lovely; gorgeous scrambled eggs. Emma has been over again since as well for a coffee. The Little Lady came past too and she is looking a lot better now which is a huge relief. Finally yesterday my friend from Belgium arrived for his visit. He is only staying a couple of nights and so last night we took him for Iskander in town, which was superb, and today (it's early Sunday morning as I type this) we're going to drive around and show him some of the sights.

Moon

This requires no introduction really; some lovely photographs of the moon is all:

The moon was red as it rose

So bright as well; this on full auto

The next night, through whispy clouds

The puppies

Last but by no means least we have a few more photographs, and a video, of the puppies.

Thelma holding her ball, waiting for us

Sisters cuddling

They are so happy that the temperature has dropped a bit (but whenever it rains they are furious of course). Having not really fought or played alone very much for months now there are once again daily scraps on the sofa, and they have been racing around on the top bank again chasing each other and having great fun.Once while we were watching from the top corridor we saw Louise literally turning somersaults as she played. How awesome. Thelma is still completely addicted to her ball and her toys and we do have to entertain her as well, though she also is beginning to play on her own a bit more. Finally a photograph taken while I sat with A at the end of my working day in the nook; Louise with her front leg over Thelma, cuddling her sister. Too much cute!