Alone again

The Mr has gone, hence the title and so you are stuck with me again for a little while.

We left you on Saturday evening and had a pretty early night, both of us being quite tired after an emotional and stressed couple of days. Sunday dawned and typically, the weather took a turn and it was cloudy. That hadn't happened for a couple of weeks and it was almost reflecting our moods. We did try to have a good morning and with a little effort to smile, we did. He made us dippy duck eggs for breakfast and we sat outside playing with the puppies and spending time with them before he had to head off to catch his bus in town. Thelma, every the playful little pup, found a stick for us to throw. I say stick, but size really must matter to her.

Shining light

Last sighting

Size matters, apparently

I dropped him off at the bus station at around 10am and waved him a tearful goodbye. I had forgotten the camera, so you will have to take my word that he left. When I got back home, having stopped off for a few provisions, I ... well, I can't actually remember what I did to be honest. I wasn't in the partying mood that's for sure. I remember tidying around the place and pottering around trying to keep busy. As is the daily evening routine, the watering was completed and I collapsed into bed once I had spoken to him and found out he had arrived safely in Brussels.

Monday
It was the last working day for the men on Monday and after collecting all three of them, it did not take them long to get to work. Sally spent pretty much all day cutting stronger wood than the last pieces we used for the stairs and securing them in place. He has done a super job and they are much better than the first makeshift ones we had. These will last us until we get the proper wood ordered later in the year.

Sally's steps

Sally Two was busying away all morning in the green building and admittedly, I have forgotten to go and look to see how he finished up in there. I hate that building. After he had exhausted his efforts in there however, he made a start on the bits of kindling we had dragged into the wood store at the start of the year. He didn't hang about and I am very grateful to the Mr for suggesting we get someone in to do it. It would have taken me weeks to sort through this.

Sally Two's bundles

Bekir was finishing off the wood store outside first thing and creating a walled section for the water tank, which will slot in the end section and collect some of the water from the roof which can be used on the garden. You will know our water supply here is less than acceptable at times.

Bekir's store

It didn't stop there for Bekir. There were a few bits in and around that needed to be finished off before he left and this was one of them. The plugs that we have installed under the overhang of the island in the kitchen are now connected and fully functioning. A simple solution, in my opinion.

Bekir's plug

At afternoon coffee break I took a wander round and noticed that Sally Two had finished the wood store. Bless him, I don't think it has ever been this tidy! What a great job.

Sally Two's great job

Sally, as I mentioned, was cutting the exact shapes of each step for the stairs. Obviously they were all slightly different shapes and sizes, but he got there in the end and did a fantastic job.

Last steps

Bekir (and all of them) are really particular about tidying up after themselves and whilst working in the kitchen and back corridor they had used the garage to store materials and tiles etc. It was a bit of a mess and he has really tidied things up in there. Sadly, I have no photo to show you of it cleaned up - I was sure I had taken one. Never mind.

Final clean up

Not content with sorting the garage, they all continued into the drive afterwards, burning whatever rubbish there was in a little fire pit they had made at the side of the drive. No more nails or pallets in sight. They all worked together and cleared any mess they could see.

Tidy driveway

Even the leftover wood they had ordered for the shed was tidied away to keep it dry. I really have less to do than I thought I would. As I took this, I caught sight of Sally Two, obviously at a loose end at the end of the day, sitting watering the orchard trees. They are really great guys.

Saving wood

And here is the (almost) finished look. I think we will have to waterproof the far end wall and paint it all to match the house colour and then it will really look the part, but what a great job they did.

Finished wood store

Of course, there was a reason this was a priority. This will be my job in the mornings whilst it is cool. Stacking before the rains arrive!

This will get be fitter!

Anyway, enough of that kind of talk. We have a few bits showing signs of life in the garden. Here are the first peppers making an appearance. Each day there are more and more of these showing and I am now wondering what on earth I am going t do with them all when they are ripe!

Peppers

Some of the colourful chilli plants we love. These are showing great potential again and we should have another box of dried ones again this year to last us over winter.

Chillies

It hasn't only been on this side of the fence that there has been work going on.  The new neighbour has been busying away and this is the result so far.

Neighbour's work

I have been working in my paid work all week and I have been extremely busy, so with the exception of Monday, there really has not been much happening at all and I apologise for the lack of update in that respect.  There just isn't anything to write about.

Just to make sure Himself does not think I have been sat around doing nothing though, I did put some effort into getting started on the wood stacking. It was hard work, but I think I have done very well. By Christmas it will all be in there (2017).

Hard work, this!

I will leave you now and head to bed. Already 9.30pm. Where on earth does the time go?

Leka nosht
A xx

Superb Crumble

This time tomorrow I'll be just arriving in Sofia on my way to my new job in Belgium and it sucks. Ever since I took the job I've been second guessing myself. I suppose I will just have to get out there and hope it's awesome. I've done a more irregular update schedule this week because I've been trying to make the most of being here and so now I come to cover off the last three and a half days. They've been pretty damned good though.

Wednesday evening

We learned the Russian word for "beer"

Getting stuck in to our Iskander Kebabs

The second loom is lifted off the crane lorry

Shoving a heavy trolley load over a ramp

As part of this last week we agreed that we'd go out a few times to our different favourite places for food and Wednesday night we headed down to the place in town that does the amazing Iskander Kebabs. The place was packed and the outside area was reserved for an 18th birthday party but we got a table easily anyway and both ordered the Iskander and it was absolutely lovely. While we were eating we received a message from SandS saying that their looms had finally arrived and could we head over. We finished up and, with the crumble waiting for us at home we hadn't planned on dessert, headed home to change and pick up our trolleys and metal ramp and drove to theirs. We arrived to find a big crane truck unloading onto their patio and got stuck in helping out. It was so awesome to watch these massive machines being delivered and pretty awesome to be there to share this moment with our friends. The truck that brought the looms from Germany was way too big to get over to their place so the crane truck was driving to the HGV and collecting items to bring over and unload. It was dark by the time we finished and headed off and we got home for a brew before heading to bed.

Thursday

I was up again at 3am in the morning feeling very angry and emailing the Obshtina again as the music from the nightclub was ridiculous. Actually it wasn't just the music but the sound of the idiot DJ yelling down the microphone. I went back to bed in the guest room with the windows shut and sweltered until finally dropping off. Not ideal.

Any ID on this spider?

Using the ramp to load manure

Nearly full raised bed

Dveta Sally breaking up our kindling into bundles

Bekir smoothing beams for the wood store

I woke up feeling tired from the disturbed sleep but we had an early start as Bekir and Sally were back today. I headed out to Thomas to take the trolleys and ramp out of the back and found a very large yellow and black striped spider that had made a super-strong web by the back gate. I'm no fan of killing things but it couldn't stay there so after photographing it I got rid. It looks nasty as well which may have influenced me somewhat. I needed the ramp as I planned to finish loading the soil and manure into the raised beds so while A was out this is what I did. I finished the manure and then started the watering (we'd missed doing it last night) and then A arrived with the men. We had three arrive which was excellent as Dveta Sally went into the green building and started breaking up the kindling that we stored in there last year. I explained to Bekir our change of plan and he immediately got stuck in with Sally to put up the wood storage.

Bekir fixing a hole in one of the new bags

Lots of wood being delivered

Filthy sump pump

The pump suddenly starts working, while not connected

A took this picture; I don't know why

First thing we headed down to the shop to put an order in for the wood we'd need to complete the task and then we headed back to wait for the delivery. It was a brutally hot day and I felt quite bad to have them outside working in it, having told them the day before that they'd be working inside, but there was no hesitation on their part at all. I distracted Bekir a couple of times during the morning, the first time when I went to move the filter gravel that had burst out of the bags where I'd left them stupidly in the sun. Bekir had brought some bags with him, having noticed the problem when he dropped past on Wednesday, and so we worked together to load it into these new bags. Just as we finished the wood delivery arrived so this was unloaded then I wheeled the big bags, 50kg in each, into the green building out of the sun. My next little task took longer and was much less pleasant. I've been wanting to reduce the level of the water in the sump for a while so I got Bekir to help me disconnect the pump and then I tried several methods of limiting the movement of the float so the pump would start sooner. The water was filthy and so was everything that had been in it and after I'd fiddled around so was I. After a lot of messing around I achieved a slight improvement and put it all back. I may have to buy a different pump, or even change the plan completely. We'll see.

Drilling a hole in the bottom of an upright

Extra metal supports going in

Bekir using the chainsaw again

Still working away in the heat of the day

Bekir and Sally were both working so hard despite the heat. The concrete that was poured a couple of weeks ago had some metal embedded in it in preparation for this storage shed and so my dad's ancient drill came out once again to put holes in the bottom of the nicely squared and prepared timber for the uprights. After some thinking it became apparent that we should have put corresponding metal in for the uprights next to the wall so Sally drilled holes  into which rebar was inserted for this purpose. It was also nice to hear the noise of the chainsaw working away again after months of silence. By the time it got to lunch time the back supports were in place and they were trimming the angles into the front uprights.

Thelma with a big grin

Louise with a big grin

Our flock in the shade

Rambo with a big grin

While A had the camera, as I was working on the pump, she went around taking pictures of the animals and got some corkers so here you are.

Our local town really is rather lovely

Pepper steak; very tasty

We'd arranged to meet our Dincher for lunch to check out the pepper steak he'd told us about in the cafe next to his office. We got down there at the agreed time and settled in a chair to wait for him and after a bit of distraction from his work (he works very hard) he joined us for a lovely two hour long relaxing lunch. We chatted about the night club and he said I should also call the police so now I wish I had done so already. The food was very slow to arrive but when it came it was tasty and it's nice to know where to go for a good steak in town. He explained how the owner of the bar had gone to a restaurant in Sofia and liked the steak so much he encouraged the head chef there to come down and train his staff; enterprising and, in my opinion, well worth it. We headed home after this feeling very satisfied and having enjoyed the time with Dincher.

The framework for the wood store takes shape

Taking advantage of the shade of the plum tree

Throwing hay in through the window of the green building

Quite a lot of hay inside

Dirty from throwing and squashing the hay

Last touches before we head off

While we were out the men had taken their lunch and then got back on with their task. By this time there was some shade for them which was a relief as it was such a hot day. They'd set up the saw horses underneath the plum tree to take advantage of the shade there as well. Towards the end of the day, after some relaxing, I headed down onto the front lawn to have a look at the remaining pile of hay that needed stacking inside before I leave. I wasn't going to get this done however when I started I found the breeze was fresh and the shade was welcome and I kept at it until it was nearly time to take the men home. I was covered in hay and dust so had a quick shower before taking them home.

Ridges prepared for tomato planting

A putting some seedlings into the soil

It was a quiet evening and I managed to persuade A that we should have pizza as a nice lazy dinner. A did get outside and do some planting of tomatoes in the garden as we continue to prepare for A's holiday when the neighbours will be watering for us as I'm not going to be here. My eyes could barely stay open though and I headed to bed really early and fell almost straight asleep, even though it was oppressively warm. A had a troubled night sleep unfortunately and after only an hour in bed was up until about 3am. This was not caused by the nightclub however as it was not operating, apparently. No call to the police required.

Friday

As I say it was a good nights sleep for me but not for A and when I got up I snuck around trying my best to not wake her up in the guest room.

Before the sun showed itself

The many colours of dawn

Sunbeams burst above the ridge

First glimpse of the sun for the day

Reflected in the balcony door

Plum crumble

I was up very early, able to sit on the balcony with my brew and watch the sun rise over the ridge across the valley. It's been a while since I have done this mainly because we've been enjoying our new kitchen so much, and sitting out on the patio. I snapped away to show you the beauty that we get to enjoy all the time. After my brew I went to do some morning chores before going to collect the men and while I was out doing the humanure A woke up and came down to see me. She agreed that I should get the men so off I went. We went past the wood yard for the petchka wood and ordered eight cubic of pre-chopped dry oak and then went and got the cladding for the side of the wood store. When we got back A was dozing which was great; she needed that extra snooze. She was going shopping so I sat down to my breakfast and here we come to the title of this post. The plum crumble that had been made for Wednesday night had just stayed in the oven since then and was just superb. I walked around after eating it muttering to myself about how superb it was. So tart of fruit but with amazing sweet thick crumble topping. Superb!

Wonderful superb crumble for breakfast

Yes. Crumble for breakfast.

Putting duska on the roof

Attacking the spud tower with the Little Lady

A group for coffee

It was another very hot day and once again Dveta Sally was in the green building all day splitting and tying bundles. Outside Bekir and Sally finished off the framework and then started putting timber on the roof of the storage. A and I had a lazier day, she was obviously exhausted and when she got back from the shopping she took a deserved rest. I did encourage her to come out with me to harvest the spuds and the Little Lady came over which spoiled my plan of only working for a few minutes; by the time we'd completed the admittedly very disappointing harvest we were pretty hot and tired. I had to pop out a couple of times, first of all with Bekir as he found that the tiles we had weren't sufficient and we needed a load more wood as well. It reached about 45 degrees while loading Thomas in the builders yard. The second trip out, almost immediately on returning, was to go to the bank to pick up my new bank card and when I got back I found that it was coffee break time and Usmivka and the Little Lady had come over as well. We sat and chatted and then Sally got back to work and everyone else followed.

Manually unloading the chopped wood

Shoving the wood off with a brush

Two piles of wood ready to stack

A really good looking wood store taking shape

Clouds gathering and threatening storms

Eventually our promised petchka wood arrived on a truck and they'd managed to get all eight cubic on one truck which was a relief. While they were throwing all that wood off the back of their truck by hand (I thought it was a tipper truck but no) I went and finished off the hay into the green building. Bekir and Sally cracked on with the tiling on the wood store and stayed a little late, even, to try and get it finished but they didn't manage so they will be back on Monday for one last day before their summer holiday. The clouds, precursors to a promised weekend of heavy rain fall, were gathering and did encourage me to complete the hay shifting which I did before A left to take the men home.

Bananas on a tree by our favourite restaurant

Trying a new type of salad

Lamb Kavarma

There were rumbles and grumbles of thunder while I was waiting for A to get back from dropping the men and when she got back we were not in any way in a rush to go out for dinner as we were not feeling hungry. Eventually it was time to go and we went to our favourite restaurant. A was very jealous of the banana trees they have, much better established than ours, and they all had clumps of bananas growing on them. Our food was really nice, as usual, and as we left I said goodbye to the really nice waiter who told me he was finishing soon and actually going to Belgium as well for work. A small world. The evening was another quiet one and we headed to bed not too late again, both of us being tired.

Saturday

There was a very large wedding going on at our restaurant when we were there, and A had seen some of our villagers going down to another one, so I was expecting to be quite badly disturbed by the nightclub last night but once again there was nothing. Well, nothing loud - I could hear it a little bit nothing at all like the usual volume. Maybe someone at the obshtina has had a word.

A in her new apron

Today has been a super lazy, and for me slightly depressed, day. This time tomorrow I'll probably be in the air on my way to Belgium. I've packed my bags, done some washing, A has cooked me lasagne which we'll be going to eat soon.We went onto the balcony and I fell asleep on the sun lounger which was lovely. Breakfast was bacon and eggs that I made and was very nice, lunch we finished the superb crumble between us. I'm having a bath, the first bath that we'll have in the new bathroom, after dinner, which I'm looking forward to and then we'll enjoy the last evening before I have to go. Not cool. Your next update will be completed by the very capable, and slightly less gobby, A.

Sorry this is so long. See you on the other side.

A bit more, actually

After finishing this update, or so I thought, A persuaded me that I should wait to publish until the end of the day and so here I am with a little bit more to add.

A heart made of cherry tomatoes from our garden

Love

Running water for my bath

Relaxing with a brew and a book

So. Dinner. A had asked me what I wanted to eat this week and after bangers, mash and gravy on Monday finishing the week in style with a lasagne was the obvious thing. It was ready not long after I typed those last words above and wow was it ever good! She even did a heart on the top with our cherry tomatoes; how lovely is that! The sun was shining in brightly through the picture window in the nook and casting a really clear shadow of A's carving that she has set on the fireplace; a very suitable shadow indeed. And so, with dinner inside me, I started running my bath. People had expressed concern that the boiler may not have been big enough however I can say without a doubt that it is fine; I had to turn the hot water off before it got scalding and it filled very quickly and to a great temperature. I even had some Radox that I added for foam and relaxation and I've just got out feeling super chilled and ready to sleep and maybe face tomorrow. I should have arrived and be in my new accommodation by this time tomorrow. It sucks.