What a 224 days that was

It has been very flattering to have been asked by quite a few people when I was going to do another blog post. Now obviously I will not be updating as often while I am over in the UK however I always had plans for a retrospective post looking back over the year. This is that post. Aren't you lucky.

Where to start, though?

Julian with his big brothers

The journey, I think. When I think back to the leaving party (or what I can remember of it) and then The Electrician getting in there and tidying up (honest, Dan) and then the leaving meal which was wonderful and then finally the final goodbye to those closest to me and starting off our drive with my best friend sat next to me in Julian and my parents driving Thomas (as close to 10am as we could manage) it feels like another lifetime ago. The whole trip was absolutely amazing and there are memories to spare (the first night on the road, near Gent, when I turned the vehicles round to be helpful and then found I'd pointed them towards a no entry sign; sitting on my deck chair in Germany stealing WiFi from the hotel and watching the sun come up; the super long day from Hungary to the other side of Sofia when we couldn't find a hotel to name but a few) and when we got there and the Little Lady and the Special One came over and helped us unload, and they would not take no for an answer and we were really grateful for the help, I knew then I had made absolutely the correct decision.

Celebrating my arrival

The first few days were really special to me as my parents stayed over and when they went it took me quite a while before I stopped looking across the valley to where their hotel sits (fully visible at all times from the balcony, and the new road after dropping the men off) and thought about popping over to see them. A couple of things stick in my memory from this early time. Firstly I managed to succeed in my aim of finishing my Lagavulin Feis Ile (2013) bottle while sat on the balcony. It took a ladder and a torch (the window from the bedroom still being sealed at this time) but I got up there with a chair and though slightly chilly it allowed me some time to reflect that I had arrived and let some of the awesome sink in. Another strong impression is from later on that night as I lay in Julian and listened to the sound of nothing and found that, despite being exhausted, I was unable to sleep as I was so unused to such peace and quiet. There was also a lot of digging carried out in those first few days as I prepared for getting the water inside the house and the help given me by my friend will never be forgotten.

Here comes internet

A large part of this year (far more than should have been the case) has been devoted to trying to sort out the Change of Use and planning permission. I learned so much, and made a good friend in the process in Lubo, so this journey was also worth it but at times I must admit I felt quite overwhelmed by the whole thing. The situation I am in now is that I have planning permission, a signed off project, but not Change of Use yet as that was not possible due to weirdness. All of this was sorted out pretty much in time for the work to start on the building and frankly I started this work before receiving sign off and it didn't cause any problems. Not everything is difficult to achieve in Bulgaria indeed I have found things to be really quite easy on the whole and one of the most amazing examples was the installation of my internet. I went into the office one day and the next they were out and it was fitted and running. That day I also met S (of S and S fame) for the first time and made another good friend in the process.

Good old Rambo

Bekir and Sally have been helping me out all year and one of the first things they achieved was putting the fence in around the flat roof building that would become Rambo's house. There was quite a rush on for this as I had arranged for him to be collected a month after leaving however, true to form, they finished all the work in time and to a much higher standard than I had originally envisaged. When I picked him up he was quite happy to see me, though seemed sad to say goodbye to Ken who had brought him, and through the year he has settled in so well he is almost a new dog. During the days he is allowed the run of all the land (though this was delayed somewhat by the fact that the main fence was not completed until some time after he arrived) and he has made it his habit to conduct circuits quite regularly, just to check everything is as it should be. He also has got regular walks and his kong and ball have had many work outs. The workmen put up with him pretty well though sometimes he does have to be locked away when he gets in the way too much, or if a delivery driver refuses to get out of his cab until his is removed. Poor little doggy.

T did super work securing the fence

I made a lot of plans prior to heading out to the school regarding what we would achieve this year and largely I was correct in those thoughts. As already described the fencing for Rambo's Enclosure was completed very quickly, internet installed on next day service and water brought into the house and plumbed for the washing machine, boiler and shower and all of this by the time I'd been there two weeks. I had been joined by T at this point who was making himself incredibly helpful around the place. With his help the fence was put in around the whole of the land (keeping the cows, sheep and goats from munching at the fir trees I had planted) and Rambo was able to be free and run around without being confined to his run. I did get to shout the equivalent of "GET ORF MY LAAARND!" at the old man from the farm who was letting himself in through the vehicle gate and stealing wood that he claimed was his however having won this argument over the summer he became friendlier and I don't think permanent damage was done to our relationship.

One item of improvement which I hadn't planned long term but which I quickly decided to complete was the drainage. To this end I got the bagga machine in for a few days around my birthday and it dug out the garage entrance, carpark area, and a trench all around the edge of the house at the back, where the bank had been up to five feet above floor level. All year these works were left quite messy and it was only the last week before we came back that I employed the digger to come back and tidy up. Next year putting the proper "French Drainage" in will be number one priority before anything else.

Windows starting to be fitted

The main job for the year had always been to get the roof replaced however it took some time for this to be started largely down to unavailability of the men, and the fun and games with the architect and planning permission. I had thought prior to arriving that the insulation on the outside of the building needed doing before the windows went in but discovered that it was actually the other way around so arranged for the window men to come out, measure up, and then start the process of putting windows in throughout. The first ones were done in Room 13 and the top landing (and both the front and back doors, for security) and the difference it made was amazing. Through the year they have come back quite regularly and the day before we left the final ones we need for this year were put in. This has left the whole house water tight and weather proof, though I think there is one way for the birds to still get in as the garage door was never achieved this year.

Birds, birds birds

Ahh yes, the birds. That was a whole lot of fun throughout almost the entire year. Swallows and sparrows have been nesting in the building for years and obviously were rather unhappy at being evicted. I left them alone as far as possible as I am an animal lover however there is only so much incessant tweeting, and pooping, that a man should have to put up with in his own home. They are just as stubborn however and any one of you would have been most amused to watch me chasing them around the building with a broom, or trying to knock the nests down as they tried to replace them just as quickly. It wasn't all terrible having them around and getting to see the newly hatched chicks grow up and then leave the nest was pretty awesome I must say.

A recurring theme for the year has been the weather and unfortunately quite often not in a good way. It has been a really wet year with so many thunderstorms that this also really badly effected how quickly the roof could be completed. There was one storm in particular, after the bedroom inside had been completed, that I will never forget as I sat up on the edge of the bed with the light off (in case the power went and this made me even more scared) and listened to an almost continuous bang crash and smash of a huge storm directly over head. It was so loud and incessant the building was shaking and I was quite worried about a direct hit from lightning. Fortunately that never occurred and this storm eventually blew over just like the rest of them but it was a salutary reminder of just how powerful mother nature actually is.

Flooded for the first, but not last, time

It wasn't just thunder storms which made the weather so exciting; we had massive amounts of rain, wind and even a hailstorm which resulted in my plants being damaged quite badly. The most exciting moment was as I lay in bed after one cloudburst and could hear dripping so I got the torch and went to check it out and found a river running from the roof down onto the landing and then on down the stairs to the ground floor. This ended up being the first of several times when I had to go on the roof and throw water down as it had pooled up there. It was a great moment when the roof was finally complete and when it rained over night a couple of days afterwards both myself and A lay there listening and smiling as we no longer had to worry about a flood developing. That first night, however, was not fun as the thunderstorm was still rumbling around and it was pitch dark so I couldn't see what progress I was actually making. It was a good feeling when I realised there was no more water around my feet.

Rambo and Ralf

There have been quite a few animals that have made their presences felt over this year including Rambo, Sassy, Ralf, Mo (RIP), Jesus, Shiva, Zeus and Linford not to mention the animals which populate the village and the surrounding countryside. Sadly we still have not managed to get Ralf back (though I have had a missed call from the Other Brother since we got back; I'm still not sure what this call was about as I haven't been able to contact him back) however Rambo is very happy at his kennels taking the owner for a walk every morning, and Sassy has settled in very well with S and S who are spoiling her like rotten and so she deserves.

The vehicle entrance and silver birch trees

The school came with about 2.3 acres of land and this has taken some of my attention through the year, though not as much as I will give it once the house is done. I have cleared the entrance path and dug over the flower beds next to it, scythed the overgrown grass down (only breaking one blade in the process) and made my own hay which is stored in the green building now, planted four olive trees in raised beds, a lovely flower bed up by the sunbathing spot, created the beginnings of the driveway with six silver birch saplings which have apparently established themselves very well and hopefully will be good when we get back. Towards the end of the year we cleared a bit of the fenced garden and planted some seed which grew very fast and provided us with edible produce before we left. The melons that I planted by the olives also grew well and the one we harvested the day before we left was sweet and gorgeous. All of this makes me very excited for how productive the land will be when I am giving it the attention it requires.

A

I am now saying "we" a lot and there is a good reason for that. I have been joined by A who has helped my dream become even better than originally thought. She visited me three or four times which was lovely and then arrived for good in August and now I don't know what I would have done without her being there. So thank you so much A it is so lovely having you with me over there. Here's to next year!

Lovely guests

A hasn't been the only visitor (when she was only a visitor, obviously) and I have been joined at various times by The Electrician (who was on holiday, but kindly replaced the early temporary wiring with a much safer set up including circuit breakers and, gasp, earthing!), my best mate and his mrs, and two very good friends who happened to be in the country for another purpose and made the time and effort to get down to see us. It has been lovely to show them around and, with the guest bedroom done and another planned for early next year, it will be even easier to welcome anyone to come and stay.

Sun rise

Sun set

Regular readers may want to skip the picture above as they are already bored of all the sunset pictures. Everyone else please enjoy. Watching sunsets and sunrises has been one of the most reliable pleasures through the whole year. The school sits on a ridge with the sunrise occurring in front of our bedroom window, and the sunset over the back of the land. If I miss any one thing more than anything else it is sitting watching the sky as either the sun rises or sets. There is nothing like it and every day was different.

The main task of the year was to get the roof done and this took most of the available time, as any task will do. Bekir and Sally (assisted at various times by Orham, Mahmet, Shengen, Ilhan and Okhtay) have done their usual awesome job. They did it in three sections, starting above Sassy's room (where the light and views up there encouraged us to decide to leave a flat roof terrace and BBQ area open) and finally finishing everything off late on the day before we left to come back to the UK. We are so pleased with what they have done and while it has taken more time than expected I think once again the men have completed everything to a much higher standard than I had expected. I have put together a timelapse video (above) which I hope you like.

And so there you have it; a small overview of the last year. I will update a bit over the winter as things happen if I feel the urge, but I doubt that will be very often.

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.

Terrible day

I am not going to beat around the bush... today is a terrible day.

Ralf has gone missing.

He was his usual self last night dozing while we watched a film and then chatted afterwards and then went down to bed fine. When I went onto the balcony to get my usual fresh air he came legging it around to below where I was standing then ran back towards the front door. I also heard him about 6 or 7am when I went down to the toilet as he was outside the window and did a gentle "wuff" at me. But when A went down to let him in he was no where to be seen. I went out and looked around the land and then outside up the mountain and down the lane but no sight nor sign of him. Nothing. I asked the Little Lady if she had seen him but nothing and Usmivka was just heading to the market and he said he would ask around too.

What a horrible start to the day.

We spent a good while hunting obviously but after a while you realise that you could spend weeks looking what with how rugged the land is around here. Reluctantly we came back inside and I drank my cold cup of tea which I hadn't had time to touch before the departure was discovered.

We have wracked our brains as to how or why he could have disappeared. One idea was he escaped and was chased by dogs or something and is now lost, the other is that a bird of prey has had him or maybe he got down to the new road and a car hit him. It really is not like his character to disappear and certainly not to miss meal times. Rather than sit around worrying all day we kept our appointments (which I will write about in a minute) but when we got back feeling very hopeful there was still no sign of him and the Little Lady came over to say she had been all around, asked everyone, and no sign. Bless her she looked really sad.

Woodpecker on a tree

Anyway, on to the rest of the blog though I don't really feel like typing much. First of all a mention to wildlife. While I was running down the lane looking for Ralf a Golden Oriole flew across in front of me and landed in a tree in the meadow. This is something I've wanted to see all this year however all I could think was that I wasn't in the mood for enjoying it. A bit later, when we came back in and had some toast, I saw a woodpecker sat on the tree between us and the Little Lady. I got some pictures through the glass before calling A but when I opened the window it had shifted round to the other side of the tree. She stood watching longer than me and I think got some better pictures when it flew to a different branch but you'll have to wait for her blog to see them.

Market day in the square

As I have said we decided not to cancel our plans for today as we had been looking forward to them so much; we were meeting S and S in town for the market and then going to my friend's house for lunch. We headed down, me managing not to crash while looking everywhere but the road for a sign of Ralf, and we saw S and S driving past as we were heading towards the market. This gave us time to head up to look for some vehicle stands on the hardware stall but there were none however I did get myself a flat cap after my mother expressed how much she liked me posing in Cjc's. Then we waited for our friends sat watching the world go by. When they caught us up we had a nice time actually strolling around and bought a few things. The market was super busy as it is Bayram and also most Turks are going to be heading back there for winter after this one.

Reversing the lorry and passing the pipe over the top

After spending a nice time strolling we headed back to the cars and they followed me to my friend's. They had never been before. On the way we were delayed by a large truck which was reversing out of a driveway; quite a simple task you would have thought until you realise that the builders had laid the pipes they are installing on the ground behind where the truck was parked. There followed an amusing period of time where the workmen lifted the pipe and the truck reversed underneath it. Classic. We stopped at the shop for a few things then made our way on and arrived an hour early but just sat outside while food was still cooking. Said meal was outstanding and as I sit typing this I am still full from it. Such good grub. Myself and A didn't stay long after eating as we wanted to get back in case Ralf had returned so we left just as the Grand Tour was about to commence.

Tiny little shrew or vole

When we got back and there was no sign of Ralf and the Little Lady had come over and told us that her searching had also proven fruitless to say we were feeling really down would be an understatement. We went to Room 13 and I for one just sat staring at nothing and not knowing what to do with myself. It is amazing how quiet the place is without that little fella as even when he was asleep we'd look at him and laugh at the positions he would get into. After a few minutes I decided that this was silly and moping wouldn't help so I suggested we go and tidy the patio and that area which had lots of piles of bricks everywhere, plastic sheets and the ties from the tiles which were starting to blow around. While we were moving the waterproofing from the hardboard A kept jumping when little critters ran away and then one went into a brick so we picked the brick up and managed to get some photographs of it. It was TINY and so fast! As soon as we'd taken the pics we put the brick back down and walked away and ten minutes later it had disappeared.

Loads of straps to burn

We carried on tidying and gathered together huge quantities of the plastic ties which we stashed in the burning drum, every time we walked up there somehow ending up spending a few minutes looking for the missing little chap.

Stunning later afternoon sky

The sky was looking gorgeous and doing my usual "trying to keep from getting down" I spent a bit of time admiring it while also feeling so dreadfully sad. The place is still beautiful and we can't do any more to find him than we have (maybe I'll print some posters but I don't think it would make a difference really :/) so we may as well not spoil the last few days here more than they will be spoiled purely by having no Ralf.

Watching the burn but not smiling

Having almost filled the drum with the plastic straps A brought the kitchen burning waste out and we sparked the fire going. As you can see from this the happiness was not great at this time. Rambo didn't seem to realise that anything was wrong and was acting perfectly normally.

Different stages of the burn

The fire burned up really hot, then suddenly started smoking loads but after another few seconds this cleared and flames were shooting out the top. The drum we are using is starting to get a bit old and thin in places and you could see the flames quite clearly through the holes in the sides. I think next year we may need a new one.

Sun glowing behind the mountan

After this burn was fully established we headed back and while A went upstairs I carried on shifting bricks from down by the new flower bed and got all of that clean and tidy. It felt good to just be doing the simple things of wheeling the barrow full of bricks and again my pattern of "don't wallow" worked. When I came back in A was on the balcony with a small wine so I brought the beer and the camera and joined her. It was a lovely evening and other than continually scanning for a waggy little tail it was lovely to sit up there and enjoy it quietly. Better than sitting in the quiet of Room 13 anyway.

I look happier than I feel

A snapped a picture of me when I wasn't aware and it really captures just how unhappy I am, and she is, about this. It is just amazing how quiet the place is, I know I've sad this before but he was always there snoring or wanting to go out or being naughty and now he isn't and the place is a bit emptier for it. Such a terrible sad day.

He doesn't seem aware

Rambo was doing his rounds as usual but he kept going and standing near the enclosure; this made me think of the other day when we were doing the wood and Rambo was in his enclosure so Ralf went and sat near him next to the gate. This is why I do not think he would run away and not come back unless something was stopping him; he loves it here. Anyway, here is Rambo looking at us on the balcony.

Day over

And so the sun went down and I came in to start writing this as I didn't want to put it off. The fire is on now and we're sat quietly both in our thoughts, though A did just get to go out and take some pictures of the moon which is particularly stunning tonight. In other news I think Lucy may get sold on Thursday which is a spot of good news but does mean tomorrow I am going to have to take Thomas to the garage so we are not without a vehicle for men collection after Thursday.

I have no idea what will happen now with the evening; I want to take a torch and go searching but that is silly.

EDIT - while going through the process of publishing this (adding the pictures etc) I thought I heard Ralf outside barking. A was in making the guest room back up and she came out into the corridor as I did. We grabbed the torch and ran to where Rambo was barking but could see nothing and there was no waggy little chappie outside the fence, despite spending a fair while shining the torch everywhere trying to see him. I doubt I'll sleep much tonight; every little noise will wake me up.