Long retaining wall

We've finally reached the end of the day and what a busy day it has been. Let's get the update done as I've lots more to do after this as well.

The sun sets, from the roof terrace

It returns this morning, from the balcony

Burning brightly now

First of all some sky pictures, which I've not taken many of recently. Last night just after publishing the blog I caught a glimpse of the sun setting out the back window and ran at top speed to the roof terrace to get a picture and was only just in time. This morning when I woke the sun was just cresting the hills through the slight mist and haze but later on that had all burned off and it was glorious.

The men get started on the rest of the digging

Getting to the end of the trench finally

Starting to put the lengths in place

Bekir hammering a stake in

The storm cell looming

More stakes for security

A very straight back guide

Getting the wall to the right height

The men were in and back to the digging first thing, hoping to get all of that hard graft done before it got up to the forecast 30 degrees. It was very tough going and I'm quite frustrated that the digger didn't get this all done last year however it is what it is and we just have to roll with it now. With the trench dug to the stone all the way along they began the next task which is difficult as well; building the shuttering down the first side and getting it to be straight and upright and secure. While they were working away I could hear lots of rumbling and there was a huge storm coming our way. I got the washing in and there were a few spots of rain but it was actually only just now as Angela and Rosie were watering the garden that it did anything more at all. The rest of the day I was so busy and the men were working away building the back shuttering. Because of the extra digging task they will not be getting the mixer in tomorrow which is a shame but it'll only probably push it back to Monday or Tuesday next week.

Wild flower and Xena

I'll leave you with a picture of a flower on the back bank, these are returning now we're mowing again, and Xena stalking off to investigate a smell.

So there it is; one more day done. I will not be updating tomorrow however I will be back on Monday. Thanks for reading!

Toilet problem, storms and painting

Fair warning - there are some pictures of a failed toilet vacuum pump below. Trust me, the smell was worse than what it looked like.

Angela about to beat me at AirFlix

Bekir removes the wooden frame

What we found when we looked in the pump house

Bekir removes the broken pump

Cleaning the pump off

Angela working in the raised beds

Last night Angela and I had a really fun game of AirFlix as we try to get back into the habit of gaming at least once a week. She beat me, of course. This morning was a bright enough start to the day and Bekir and Halil went out to remove the last of the wooden frame around the new sink area before going to work on the chicken enclosure but then they noticed some leakage from around the pump house and that was when the day got bad. It turned out that one of the pumps had a problem and was ejecting into the pump house, not down its hose into the reservoir. Not good! There was a lot of excrement pooled up under the pumps and I stuck to help while Bekir removed both pumps, then spent an hour or so cleaning up. We shovelled as much as we could into a bucket so it wouldn't get washed down by the roots of the tree but it was a long job to clean it up. At one point I was checking the drains and suddenly a snake shot out of the pipe and disappeared at high speed down by the roots. It was a pretty big one, but probably only a rat snake. Anyway, after cleaning everything up Bekir took the broken pump apart and we found that when we flushed one or two baby wipes (and we really did it only once or twice before realising it was stupid) this eventually made its way into the inner workings and caused a plastic "bellows gasket" to split. So the pump is fine but we do need to find a new one of these gaskets which is proving a little challenging but I'm sure we'll find one eventually. Right now we have no working toilets as the working pump hasn't been fitted back in (it stormed very badly so was way too wet and wild to work outside) so it is back to sawdust in a bucket until tomorrow. Angela, meanwhile, was in the garden doing lots of weeding and she spent pretty much all morning out there, though I was able to get back to my desk eventually.

Starting to paint the steel

The last few to be painted

Halil sweeps in the garage

Rosie cuddling Xena on Angela's lap

During dinner time the forecast rain came in and it got heavier and heavier with some very close thunder and lightning - it was very dramatic. Bekir and Halil and lifted all the steel into the chicken house in the morning and now, as planned, through the rain they painted preserving paint onto it and got it all done. They were so quick that they had spare time and so Halil took it on himself to sweep out and tidy the garage! What a guy. Rosie was full of beans when she got home from school and helped Angela cooking dinner but also cuddled Xena a lot.

So there it is; the forecast is better for tomorrow so hopefully we'll be back on track again. Thanks for reading.

Spring Storms return

Another weekend and another Monday done and it is time to catch this blog up to date.

Rosie on the trampoline first thing Saturday

Rosie painting

Lovely panorama from the roof terrace

We also played with the model railway

Mummy and Rosie both enjoying the trampoline

A very bright moon on Sunday night

The weekend was an awesome and tiring one. Saturday being Daddy Saturday I had a lovely time with Rosie while Angela got back to her art room finally. With some trampolining and drawing and painting and playing in her house and riding on her trike and going onto the roof terrace and also playing with the model railway it was a super busy start to the day. We then headed out to get a new car seat for Rosie to go into Angela's car and then headed back home to rest and recover. Sunday is Mummy day and they had an awesome and busy day as well, though the only picture I got was of Angela joining Rosie on the trampoline. On Saturday night there was a huge storm which woke me at 2am and banged and crashed around for quite a while but Sunday night was clearer with an amazing bright moon.

Cooler start and getting stuck in

Clearing the trench up the side now

Shuttering done along the front

Making up more shuttering, in the shade

Loads of poppies

Angela gardening, with Xena "helping"

This morning Angela and Rosie were up early and out the door as it has suddenly reached time for Rosie to go up a school! Where is time going to!! It took two trips to town but Angela managed to get the registration done for Rosie at the new "big girl" pre-school! Very exciting! The men were on time and out in the cooler start to the day finishing off the front trench and shuttering. By the time I got down and out next Halil was on with clearing up the next trench going up the side and they had finished all the shuttering along the front, including the step. The sun burned through shortly after and it was very hot and they were happy to be assembling more wooden structures in the shade of the green building. Just before lunch time I popped out to get a picture of the huge number of poppies growing in the fenced garden and found Angela tending to her garden. It's looking so awesome now!

This storm missed us, but made lots of noise

Securing the wooden shutters in place

Struggling to remove this upright

Removing the last fence post on this side

Xena chewing up a chunk of wood

In the afternoon some storms started building around again and there was a lot of very threatening rumbles however the first few skirted us without even dropping any rain. The men were still working away on running the wooden shutters up the trench and then they focused on removing the old fence posts which turned out to be quite a task as they were so well fitted from last time. I can remember them putting these in before we had the big breaker using just the crowbar to dig. They did such a good job! Xena and Thelma were playing with a log chasing it and chewing it while I was spending a few minutes watching. Just after the workmen left, and when Rosie was home, a huge storm suddenly hit with hail and thunder and lots of rain. It has now cleared and there isn't a cloud in the sky. Such is Spring in Bulgaria.

So there you have it; it's been a lovely evening and now Rosie is in bed. Thanks for reading, back tomorrow.

Rain rain go away

 Well, what I can say. It's rained. A lot. And that's about it...

The puppies aren't impressed

Even I lit the fire

Rosie jumping in a puddle

Louise hiding in the duvet

... but you don't get off that lightly so here's the update. I worked all day Saturday pretty much (having been woken at 3.30am by Rosie who heard the rain and woke and wouldn't go back to sleep) so Angela and I swapped Daddy Day to Sunday. It was cold enough that I even lit the fire while I was in Room 13. On Sunday it was still raining most of the day but we did get to town and then a bit later I got to go with a walk with Rosie to jump in puddles; we found some on the land but the most fun was had on the lane. It really was cold and miserable and yesterday the men called in that they weren't coming to work. At the time I was disappointed but I really couldn't blame them at all.

Cloudy start and more rain

Bouncing before school

Roofing and insulating

Ready for a game

This morning there was an epic thunderstorm that woke me at 3am again and this time I couldn't get back to sleep (Rosie wasn't bothered) so I got my work day done early. The men were in and they spent all day up in the roofspace lining the ceiling with insulation and plasterboard. At the end of the day they were about to start doing the lowest down sections and they'll probably continue that tomorrow. The forecast is for more rain all week and then from next week to dry up. Here's hoping. We've set up a gaming table in the lounge this evening to play a game on for the first time for ages so that's going to be fun.

So there you are. There's the update. Thanks for reading.

Ramps and a storm

 Another day in this wet year, and the storms haven't left us alone yet. Indeed the forecast is not looking happy for a little while to come yet. The pool is not full either, not quite.

The pool, early morning

Clearing and digging

Digging through tangled roots

Building the wall

They're "strimming in the rain" (I couldn't resist that one)

It was another hot hot day all day until later afternoon. The pool had kept filling and was now deep enough to swim properly in finally; I did get out at lunch time for about 10 minutes tops but that is all the use I got of it. Angela also got a lovely swim and really enjoyed it but by the time Rosie got back it was raining and stormy and we had covered the pool again. However we are getting ahead of ourselves. Bekir and Halil worked today on the other side of the ramp and it was hard going with lots of very thick tangled roots from the tea trees to hack through. They got it to a good state, however, with the wall completed and drying just before the heavens opened. Not put off they went into the chicken enclosure and strimmed it all down for us while the rain fell.

The storm, incoming

The pool, being rained on

Rosie admiring the pink riders

As I've said there was a crazy storm, it dumped huge hailstones on our friends up in the high mountains near here, but mainly missed us however it did dump some quite heavy rain and it was rumbling continuously without a single break for ages. It did blow over and it has been clear since, however another very similar one is brewing right now. This has meant that Rosie got no pool time, sadly, but she did enjoy watching Mark Cavendish winning the stage of the Tour de France today. I got a sore throat from shouting so loud.

So there you are; let's see how the weather holds for tomorrow. Thanks for reading.