Long break, and then the men return

It has been a very long break indeed since the last update and, of course, there are hundreds of pictures that have been taken in the intervening time. I'm not going to do my usual full update, however, as there's just way too much to go over.

Rosie plants her lovely little daffodil bulb

The dryer collapsed on Angela

Bekir fixed it up though

Rosie flying her kite

Angela mowing the top bank

Rosie sat on the bus stop bench

Dug out ready for spuds

Building an epic sand castle

Exploring the top corner

To briefly sweep over a large chunk of time, however, here are nine pictures bringing some highlights out. Rosie helped plant a daffodil which has since bloomed with many lovely flowers and has now died back. Angela had the newest dryer land on her head as it fell out of the ceiling and Bekir came past for a very quick repair job to get it re-situated. Rosie and I went onto the back bank to fly the kite and got so annoyed with the thorn bushes tangling the string (though she did very well with it as you can see) that the next day Angela to Mo the Mower up and cut it all back. Mo is amazing, I used him again today to cut the entire front garden and was done in less than an hour. Anyway, Rosie and I have been for lovely walks, I've dug out an area in the fenced garden for spuds (which are now sprouting very nicely) and Rosie has made lots of sandcastles in the sand pile over the weeks. I also got to take her for an explore around our land to the corners we don't get to much and she had a lovely time doing that.

Very excited before the circus

An awesome performing racoon

Very large snake

Rosie helping with the spinning plates

Acrobatics time

A kangaroo or a wallaby

Angela and Rosie head off

Before Angela and Rosie headed off for their holiday to visit with Angela's parents we went to the circus that came to our town and what a wonderful decision that was. We had a truly superb time, Rosie loved it and she got so involved and excited at every animal and performance. She even got into the ring to help with the spinning plates trick! How proud were we! At the break she got to ride on the little Shetland pony as well and frankly it was just the best decision ever. A truly marvellous time. Too soon, however, they were packed up and in the car and heading to the airport to go for their trip, leaving me on my own with the puppies.

Meet Maisie the Mercedes

New shelves up, and tidying in progress

Christmas present finally hung

So many thistles

So much water!

While they were away I bought a really nice new car that is very lovely to drive, I spent a fair while tidying the workshop and putting new shelves up and also hung some pictures including this awesome Christmas present. I got out to the front lawn and dug two wheelbarrows full of thistles out which was very tiring but very satisfying and also we had a huge storm come through that caused more flooding which was stressful. I was also a bit unwell most of the time they were away and I was very happy when they came home again last week.

Angela and Rosie meet Maisie

Bubble lawn mower in action

Mowing the back bank

Out for a drive with Rosie

An awesome village sink

Rosie on the climbing frame

Finally they did return and were very excited to meet Maisie (the new car). Rosie helped me mowing the lawn, with her bubble mower, and I got the back bank done which I can't do with Mo the ride-on as it's too steep. This past weekend we had a lovely time as I took Rosie for a drive and we found a lovely park with and awesome water fountain and then yesterday we went to our favourite restaurant and had a lovely time in that park also.

And so we're caught up. And that was me being quick.

Bekir and Halil are back and working

Digging out foundations for our new sink

Pouring cement into the foundations

Planning the next day

Lots of sandcastles and evidence of much fun

Rosie with some daisies

Today the workmen were back and the first task they have this year is to replace the rickety standpipe (fitted so many years ago now when I first ever arrived here to stay) with a full sink and multiple tap arrangement, plus a proper inspection door to allow access to the water meter and other stop valves rather than the damp and horrible pit we currently have. They have done a fair bit today and tomorrow should start with the actual plumbing and building the walls with blocks. It is good to have them back and get these tasks outside begun. After school (and after I did another quick mow of the lawn on Mo) I played with Rosie in the sandpit for the final time before another load of sand is dumped tomorrow. Rosie was most excited by all the daisies that are growing up by there and it was a lovely after school time.

And there it is; I'll be back to regular daily updates tomorrow that will be much shorter. Thank you for reading!

It can't rain all the time...

 ... but apparently it can rain a LOT, and so it has been.

The day looks promising

Here comes the rain (inside)

End of the day glow

Rosie painting the railway

Filthy water that came through the window

It was torrential on Friday and Bekir and Halil didn't come which was a shame but not massively surprising. The weather changed from torrential to promising sun to then absolutely incredible high winds and driving rain that was so heavy it forced its way through our windows and I spent a chunk of the morning running around with towels mopping up floods. It was my final day of work for the year so was a bit busy. The storm blew over and we did get to see some sunset, which was surprising, and at the end of the day Rosie asked again to help with the Model Railway which was just awesome.

There are a couple of videos above the paragraph above and if you can't see them, go here to check them out.

The only picture from Saturday

Promising on Sunday

Rosie and Teddies watching the train

At the restaurant

The weekend was a mix of some sunny periods with lots of rain and wind. On Daddy Saturday we went to the shops and played on the trampoline and with the skittles but I did not take many pictures while on Sunday it was nice enough that Angela got to go into the garden with Rosie which was great. We went out in the evening to our favourite restuarant and Rosie had a great time with a birthday party that was going on there.

Starting to fit the new lights

Confusion at the garage

Guitars back on the wall

Boiler back installed

New angle for the timer

And so to today. It was raining all day and horrible so the men worked inside all day. First of all they fitted the two new lights into the balcony so now we have good illumination throughout. I had to head out a couple of times, including to the garage to get Thomas looked at, and while I was out the men fixed my guitar hooks which is great. Angela and I did a Bulgarian language lesson today as well and the final task for Bekir and Halil was to refit the bigger boiler. While doing this they changed the timer so now we can see it. At the end of the day we looked at the windows and found that our drains empty behind the insulation, and are blocked, which is far from ideal so that will need to be fixed.

Of course it cannot rain all the time and right now it is snowing...

So there you are; the long weekend and today. Thanks for reading.

Busy ill weekend, and Monday

 Back to it at the start of another week and only two more weeks until Christmas so we're now really hoping to get everything done so the men don't have to come back in the New Year until at least April maybe.

The river side path fully under water

Rosie playing in the trailer in the rain

Set up for my second livestream

Fire lit and burning well

Excited for my first hosted livestream

The weekend was a weekend of two very different days. On Saturday it was OK weather and we had a nice morning playing with Rosie until it was time to go to town to buy the heavy duty shop racking for the roof space. We drove down and I pulled over to film and photograph just how high the river is after all the rain we had. It was crazy. On Saturday evening we both started feeling unwell and I was particularly rough all day Sunday (Angela had the full brunt today) however Rosie didn't care about that and wanted to play so outside into the rain we went. I had two livestreams on Sunday, one in the morning for charity and another in the evening that was me and a guy I've become friends with from California. I got through both, though I was very very tired (grey, apparently) by the end of the second one and Angela had to do her nursing thing and pour whisky down my throat in the form of an amazing hot toddy that really helped. It was a busy weekend and a good fun one.

Sanding the walls

Filling the gaps at the corners

Little bit of skirting work

Painting the rest of the skirting

Bekir prepares the tiles

Plastic sheet is down

I woke unsure if I was feeling better or not however Angela was really poorly first thing; bless her she battled through and is now feeling a whole lot better, as am I. The men were in and set to their tasks with Halil sanding down all the plastering he's done on the landing in preparation for painting it white tomorrow. Bekir was on the balcony first of all filling the small gaps at the corners of the apex end, then fitting the steel in place to secure the newly fitted windows from last week. With the sanding done Halil made some very small formers and mixed a little cement and rebuilt the skirting outside Room 13 door. He then proceeded to paint the rest of the skirting in black, carefully masking off. Bekir was by this time in the glass room measuring and cutting tiles to be placed around the outside of the windows on the balcony. Halil took down the plastic sheet that we put up to prevent too much dust and debris going up the corridor and it looks really lovely indeed - I am surprised how much I like the pole we've attached and I think we'll be looking for some full length curtains for there soon.

Rosie watching The Hobbit

Louise smiling while sleeping

And there you are; this evening we begin our Christmas as we began watching The Hobbit with Rosie. We made it about 30 minutes in which was about what I expected and after I publish this I'll be going back down to watch as much more as we can stay awake for. Thelma and Louise were cuddled on me and very happy to have me there which was great.

Thanks for reading; see you tomorrow.