tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55576472888243741782024-03-13T23:03:50.956+02:00Blogging in BulgariaA lighthearted and true account of a British ex-pat family trying to live a new life in Bulgaria.Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.comBlogger282125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-52340704485123471102013-09-08T18:30:00.001+03:002013-09-08T18:30:11.520+03:00How Time Flies!Time flies so fast these days that I'm not sure my feet have even touched the ground. It's September already and winter preparations have started. There have been a lot of changes here since I blogged last and most of them have been good (apart from the odd exception of course).<br />
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Each day brings a new set of challenges and as the months pass by quickly life just seems to take it's own course. This year saw the arrival of many good (and not so good) volunteers, a few ducks, new chickens and a 4x4 so we should be able to get out and about this winter with more ease. We have managed to get some small jobs done around the house but nothing major has changed to be honest. My garden is a little bereft this year but still producing enough for us to eat and save for winter time. Working has become a full time occupation again but the bills are being paid so that's what counts!<br />
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I've been riding quite a lot this year and actually trained for an endurance competition of 30km's. Sadly I never got to compete but did get to spend a few weekends in great company helping out as endurance crew which has been a great experience. Plus it meant I got to see more of this beautiful country as we travelled quite far. There are still a couple of competitions left this season so maybe I'll post some photos after the next one. Maya, my pony has come a long way and it now totally bitless, barefoot and treeless too - both of the ponies have had big changes this year and now live outside 24/7 which has made a huge difference to their attitudes, especially grumpy Maya. Who is now happy, rarely grumps and enjoys my company.<br />
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Time to go feed animals now so I'lll bid you farewell and be back soon for a proper update :)Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-90727521861877554842012-12-12T14:42:00.000+02:002012-12-12T14:42:35.629+02:00It's December Already!This year has gone by so fast and I'm not sure if that is a good or bad thing!<br />
Almost mid December now and we have snow, looking out of the window the sunshine looks warm, but it's bitterly cold with a awful wind so the woodburner is on and my socks are dry Alan!<br />
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I still can't get over the fact that 1 week we can have 20 degrees C and then the next it's -7 degC. All gardening has finished for the year and the last of the volunteers will be heading on his way at the weekend probably. We've had such a fantastic bunch of people here this year, over 40 in all, and the work they have done is amazing. We've laughed, celebrated birthdays, ridden ponies, shoveled muck, pulled weeds and had some great times.<br />
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Today is 12.12.12 and the last of those kind of numbers we'll see. Oh and who can forget the mention that the world will end on 21.12.12 according to the Mayan calendar? Well to me they are just days, and no different from any other day here in rural Bulgaria. there are still animals to feed, water and clean out and I still have to make the evening meal. Plus keep the fire going and make an attempt at keeping the house clean.<br />
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Keeping the house clean in winter is pretty hard with all the dogs and cats going in and out, snow and mud on boots and the dust that just never seems to stop. But I can ignore all that for a while and do some writing work or watch a movie. And we do have our fast internet now so that makes blog posting easier (but doesn't mean I spend less time in front of the computer!).<br />
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Here's hoping that where ever you are, you are warm, happy and content with your life.<br />
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Ciao for now :)<br />
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<br />Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-72815175549358026522012-09-25T00:00:00.002+03:002012-09-25T00:00:56.147+03:00As September Draws to a CloseAnother very busy month has almost escaped us. More volunteers, more work done and I'm still riding the horses too. So pretty happy all round. Well, apart from waiting the last 3 weeks for a new internet service via Vivacom........Fingers crossed tomorrow is actually the day they WILL turn up, unlike the last 3 appointments they've broken. If all goes well, we will be joining the 21st century and have broadband in less than 24 hours time.<br />
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For most in the UK, broadband is the norm these days I'd expect. But we have waited over 5 years. So when I heard from a lovely friend that someone she knew in the village had broadband installed, we both went into town to enquire. "Yes" said the sales assistant, who speaks very good English, and the following week my friend did indeed have broadband installed. Alas they didn't realise how many people here would want the same so after the initial rush apparently the system couldn't cope with demand and has had to be modified by the engineers.<br />
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In other news, my garden has been wonderful this year. My plan for using less water, more mulch seems to have worked well and the straw bale plants have flourished. We've had a bumper crop of tomatoes and many other things and I'm still picking vegetables daily. Really makes a difference to our food bills, especially when, at times, we've had 8 or 9 people here to eat daily. There are more straw bales in place for next year and I'm hopeful we can continue to make improvements.<br />
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The ponies are looking well and continue to improve in their ridden work. I've been hacking out a lot with a friend and it makes such a difference to have someone to chat to while riding. I feel fitter too, which is a good thing as I do tend to be on the lazy side. But with the weather finally cooling off it's so much easier to go riding. It's already getting dark earlier and every day we notice more leaves falling from the trees and the temperatures drop slightly. I've already emptied the pool as it hadn't been used for 2 weeks, it just needs put away somewhere rodent-proof for the winter.<br />
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Regular readers might notice a new widget on my blog - I'm also writing articles and publishing to <a href="http://ruralbulgaria.hubpages.com/" target="_blank">Hubpages.com</a> so please feel free to click and have a look. The link should open in a new window.<br />
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<br />Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-70440182076506821102012-08-27T14:46:00.003+03:002012-08-27T14:46:44.314+03:00Time Flies!Whoa there, it's almost the end of August and our summer has been rather hectic to say the least. We've had horrendous heatwaves, family visiting and I made a quick trip to the UK to see family. Plus all the usual jobs in the garden, arranging winter animal feed and finding things to do with all the produce we've grown.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bFX9tAsZrpc/UDtZiMdnOcI/AAAAAAAAAgU/7BPFuuhwTz4/s1600/01_2012_Bulgaria2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bFX9tAsZrpc/UDtZiMdnOcI/AAAAAAAAAgU/7BPFuuhwTz4/s320/01_2012_Bulgaria2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding with Michele, a volunteer who came and helped with the ponies.</td></tr>
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Life goes on in Bulgaria and although it seems to move at a less frantic pace it can still be tiring. Luckily we've had some wonderful volunteers this year and have achieved more than expected. Still, there's plenty to be done and more volunteers on the way. We also have 2 kittens now, Treacle & Trixie. they're bundles of fun and growing fast!<br />
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Today we're having a break from the extreme heat of the past week where the thermometer was well over 40 Degrees C. It's presently raining, windy and overcast, a lovely change. Early this morning I've been out for a hack on the ponies with a friend and thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially after the ponies had a 2 week intensive training course this month and are now much more sensible, responsive and nicer to ride. <br />
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Here's a selection of the latest photo's taken here by some of our volunteers.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hstk5fA6zfY/UDtZ8C4l2KI/AAAAAAAAAgc/G70j3kpsEdA/s1600/07_2012_Bulgaria2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hstk5fA6zfY/UDtZ8C4l2KI/AAAAAAAAAgc/G70j3kpsEdA/s320/07_2012_Bulgaria2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trixie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UcyR6kjUTzE/UDtaLfE1zxI/AAAAAAAAAgk/cCvI_VP9vog/s1600/09_2012_Bulgaria2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UcyR6kjUTzE/UDtaLfE1zxI/AAAAAAAAAgk/cCvI_VP9vog/s320/09_2012_Bulgaria2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maggie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HyZwhC7CR3M/UDtbVVwXDaI/AAAAAAAAAg8/3ymHd9NJiWs/s1600/12_2012_Bulgaria2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HyZwhC7CR3M/UDtbVVwXDaI/AAAAAAAAAg8/3ymHd9NJiWs/s320/12_2012_Bulgaria2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Molly</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-moftb2_C3lo/UDtazGW47UI/AAAAAAAAAg0/RVx_3llFtjI/s1600/11_2012_Bulgaria2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-moftb2_C3lo/UDtazGW47UI/AAAAAAAAAg0/RVx_3llFtjI/s320/11_2012_Bulgaria2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baba</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pPs2AjvtYqA/UDtajZwDvqI/AAAAAAAAAgs/XME79rdyjRw/s1600/10_2012_Bulgaria2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pPs2AjvtYqA/UDtajZwDvqI/AAAAAAAAAgs/XME79rdyjRw/s320/10_2012_Bulgaria2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gorgeous Charlotte</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3rzkUef-UZI/UDtbykFvWiI/AAAAAAAAAhE/Grjb8n1aBDg/s1600/13_2012_Bulgaria2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3rzkUef-UZI/UDtbykFvWiI/AAAAAAAAAhE/Grjb8n1aBDg/s320/13_2012_Bulgaria2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yantra</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--fGsz1z-tM0/UDtcCF2D-KI/AAAAAAAAAhM/i_ZSAMRmIVU/s1600/15_2012_Bulgaria2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--fGsz1z-tM0/UDtcCF2D-KI/AAAAAAAAAhM/i_ZSAMRmIVU/s320/15_2012_Bulgaria2.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maya after a bath</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kbxOBHI5nvM/UDtcSLEk8VI/AAAAAAAAAhU/0SDvmYqDCBg/s1600/16_2012_Bulgaria2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kbxOBHI5nvM/UDtcSLEk8VI/AAAAAAAAAhU/0SDvmYqDCBg/s320/16_2012_Bulgaria2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milka waiting for a bath.</td></tr>
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<br />Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-78058062036645055012012-05-23T10:48:00.000+03:002012-05-23T11:11:23.099+03:00Latest Photo'sI wanted to share with you some photographs of our latest volunteers and the work they've done. Five out of six are leaving this weekend to continue their travels and we're so lucky to have had them stay with us.<br />
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So this Blog post is dedicated to all of the volunteers we've had over the last year, who have helped, created, laughed and enriched our lives. Thanks guys and girls!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h3l7shiWxrM/T7oB-RJQVRI/AAAAAAAAAfo/yb7nGrZLQus/s1600/The+Ladies+off+to+work.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h3l7shiWxrM/T7oB-RJQVRI/AAAAAAAAAfo/yb7nGrZLQus/s320/The+Ladies+off+to+work.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ladies off to work. From left to right : Joanna, Allison, Cheryl, Camille & Dee. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kzvYxuzt_10/T7oGv8qu-nI/AAAAAAAAAf8/mgM6laqIxeI/s1600/Nick.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kzvYxuzt_10/T7oGv8qu-nI/AAAAAAAAAf8/mgM6laqIxeI/s320/Nick.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nick having a go at Archery.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hQsR1g8l7LE/T7oBlpTEEVI/AAAAAAAAAfg/doTblz-s894/s1600/Dee+&+Antoine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hQsR1g8l7LE/T7oBlpTEEVI/AAAAAAAAAfg/doTblz-s894/s320/Dee+&+Antoine.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dee & Antoine at the archery range.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-30127985841576133052012-05-16T00:41:00.003+03:002012-05-16T00:43:22.144+03:00Changing TimesMay has been a strange month so far. We've had higher than average temperatures and lower rainfall, until this week when all of the rain seems to have fallen over 2 days with more forecast. So today was an indoors, quiet and pretty dull day.<br />
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Maybe it's because hubby filled the above ground pool? a freak weather pattern? or possibly just global warming/cooling? Who knows for sure? But please just let me have a little sunshine during the day and rain after 8pm :)<br />
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Our volunteers are getting along well and working very hard. They have a few projects on the go and some are staying longer than planned as they'd like to see things through and complete tasks they have a part in. I really must say that they're a lovely bunch of folk, from a variety of places and with many skills and ideas between them. Plus they will eat almost anything so I'm getting to try out a few new recipes, which seem to be appreciated.<br />
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The vegetable garden is starting to produce again and is almost fully planted. New raised beds have been built and there are a few experiments on the go using old straw, compost and whatever I could find around the place. I'm glad to say that the last 3 years trying to improve areas of soil seem to be paying off nicely.<br />
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We have some lovely new artwork done by some of the volunteers, more planned for another rainy day and hopefully they will remind us of the fun we had when they were here. The sewing machine has been getting regular use, new cushion covers made, garments altered or repaired with some fabric leftover for more projects.<br />
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Our orchard area is now clear of the many young, wild fruit trees that were dominating the area, new fencing has been erected and a stone wall rebuilt. Hopefully soon the weather will break and it can be finished. Then the horses can enjoy grazing without being tethered.<br />
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I'm off to bed soon and hope you are all enjoying life, but before I go I wanted to answer Michael's comment from my previous post.<br />
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There are a fair amount of British expats in the VT region, and differing reasons for moving to this area. Some may find solace in the fact that there are others close by that they have things in common with, others because property is cheap here. Personally we moved here because we loved the scenery (and did look at other areas of BG before VT). Plus we could find what we were looking for - which was a structurally sound house (in need of renovation) with more than the average amount of land. Truthfully the British residents in the area are pretty well spread apart and do not live in each other's pockets. We are 1 of 4 expat families living in this village (10 people in total including 3 children) and a very small proportion of the village inhabitants (at the last census 806). We all live in different parts of the village and have Bulgarian friends and neighbours.<br />
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Keep posting the comments folks :)Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-51316325518054484332012-04-25T15:00:00.000+03:002012-04-25T01:03:59.497+03:00Volunteer Season is HereWhat a lovely month this is turning out to be - in fact, the last 4 weeks have been fabulous. The garden is coming along nicely, animals all happy and shedding their winter coats and we have volunteers staying with us again.<br />
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All's good in my little world. We're enjoying life again and winter is definitely behind us. There have been some lovely nights in and out with friends, my birthday, beautiful sunshine, temperatures rising and everything is green and healthy looking.<br />
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Hubby surprised me and bought a new camera for my birthday, plus tiled the kitchen walls. Once I get a new memory card I'll be out and about taking snapshots of my daily life for you all to see.<br />
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Keep posting the comments folks, I really do enjoy reading them and wanted to say thank you to anyone who reads this blog for sticking with it. <br />
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Back soon with an update on what's growing well and any other news from my corner of rural Bulgaria.Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-33033106745871424642012-04-25T00:59:00.001+03:002012-04-25T01:03:01.220+03:00Todorov Den at ArbanassiI've just noticed that I wrote this blog post and didn't publish it.......oopps!<br />
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On Saturday March 3rd I headed off to Arbanassi, which is a village about 30 minutes drive from us that is very popular with tourists and holidaying Bulgarians, I met up with 2 expat friends and we had a great afternoon.. Arbanassi is a beautiful place, very traditional looking but also full of stalls selling souvenirs. There are some lovely looking restaurants and hotels, a large castle-like place that is very over the top for my tastes and also riding stables where there are a lot of sport and competition horses kept.<br />
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Todorov Den is a celebration of the horse, loosely translated it's St. Theodore day. Horses have their manes and tails plaited and wear red & wed bands to follow the tradition of Baba Marta and then there's a parade through Arbanassi village to the centre.Where the mayor, priest and a large crowd are gathered to celebrate and watch the proceedings. There are prizes for the best turned out horses and each rider and horse are blessed by the Popa (priest).<br />
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The weather was sunny, but cold and very windy. Despite that, the horses all behaved really well and a good day was had. Some years there is shojumping back at the stables but this time the ground was too wet to be safe. Some people did get to ride the horses around the yard and the children present all got to pet Gina the Shetland pony.<br />
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So a much needed afternoon out with friends, a few laughs and beautiful horses was just what I needed. Here's a photo of the carriage horse pair.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-anRhBoqW84w/T1SlY2ZEFYI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/iHfXlpin6JA/s1600/Todorov+Den+2012+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-anRhBoqW84w/T1SlY2ZEFYI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/iHfXlpin6JA/s320/Todorov+Den+2012+016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-41126781025360228722012-02-28T00:56:00.000+02:002012-02-28T00:56:39.977+02:00The Big ThawHubby has been home just over a week now and life is slowly returning to normal. It's lovely having him back but I do really miss my 2 kids. For them, life has improved by going back to the UK. They're both doing well at school, have lots of friends and seem happy. That's waht counts at the end of the day, I'm just a little sad that I don't see them every day.<br />
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In other news there was a huge thaw over the weekend, temperatures rose, the sun shone and the snow is almost gone thankfully. We can finally get the car out again so headed out on Saturday morning to collect bales of hay for the ponies and donkey as we'd run short. Luckily we bought some in the village so didn't have far to go, only to arrive home to find water rushing under the garden gate and a river flowing down the garden! The water level got so high that at one point we started moving electrical goods and furniture upstairs as the water got into the house and kept rising. A few hours of baling out, moving things around and trying not to panic were had, until the water slowed down and started dropping......phew :) So nothing ruined, some wet floors and socks but we're ok. Now there's just the mud to cope with.<br />
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So fingers crossed spring is now really on it's way. This week (1st March) we'll be giving and receiving martenitsa's again. They're the traditional red and white wrist bands or pins that we wear to appease Baba Marta in the hope of good weather. They're worn until you see the first storks of the year, then tied to a tree or placed under a stone for luck. The 3rd of March is Todoroff Den, a day to celebrate horses, this year I'll be heading out to meet friends at Arbanassi and to see the parade of riders there. Also coming up is International Ladies Day on 8th March, and that's a day out for the ladies of the village, should be fun as they're a comical bunch once you can understand the Bulgarian language. So a busy month for me and if the ground dries up enough I'll be starting my Spring planting outdoors also, onions and radish mainly. I have a few seedling in pots inside already, garlic and peas overwintered in the garden but I think the lettuces have been eaten by snails so I'd best plant more. <br />
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Hopefully I'll be back to riding shortly too, it seems like years since I last went for a hack out. I'm just waiting for the ground to dry a little more and I'll be off exploring again. The ponies and donkey haven't had the easiest of winters and were really bored when they couldn't get out. Maybe this year we'll have time to build a small turnout paddock with a shelter which is much needed. One of the ponies had colic the day before hubby came home so a visit from a local vet was needed and a very stressful night was had by me. Luckily she's fully recovered now but cannot have any straw bedding as she will eat it and that could be part of the problem.<br />
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I'm off to my bed now, but hope you're all having a good week. Leka nosht :)Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-25052182946900341532012-02-17T13:32:00.000+02:002012-02-17T13:32:54.259+02:00Bring on The Cabin FeverThis week hasn't been my best. We are still snowed in and although it's certainly not -20c something now it's still cold and there has been fresh snow overnight. Yesterday I felt really rough and could have quite happily gone to bed and given up on the day.<br />
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It's like living in Narnia without the fun adventures. Yes, the garden looks beautiful in the sunshine, all shimmery and clean. But I'm tired of the inactivity now. The poor animals are bored too. Bored animals usually means more repair jobs in the Spring and this year will be no different as the pigs have managed to demolish half of the barn wall. Having a bout of cold hasn't made thinsg easier for me and I'm still sniffling and coughing and short of breath at times but I'm getting better and since I decided to give up coffee I'm also sleeping much better than I have done for a while.<br />
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On a much more positive note, hubby is now a grandfather. His daughter gave birth to her first child, a son, on valentines day. The new arrival is named Ethan Jay and both mum and baby are doing well. Hubby flew off to the UK last weekend in the hope that he could be there when the baby was born and his wish came true. He's due home tomorrow though and it will be lovely to have him back and some company again :)<br />
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We had a slight mishap here last week. Eon turned up at the door and announced they were disconnecting our electricity. Apparently we should have had a letter to remind us that November's bill hadn't been paid, but to this day that letter has not arrived. There was nothing we could as they went direct to the electricity cables outside the house and cut them. Luckily we rang a friend, Dimitar, from Veliko Tarnovo and he went to Eon, paid the bill and the reconnection fee. We spent a strange night by candlelight and within 20 hours EON were back to switch us back on. Lesson learned, never miss a bill! Even though December and January had been paid they are well within their rights to disconnect the supply if there is a bill outstanding for 90 days.<br />
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Today there is brilliant sunshine, but a nippy wind. I've been to the village centre this morning for a cuppa with the ladies and a few essentials. If the weather forecasters are correct we're due to start thawing out over the weekend, so I'll have to try and finish the new ditch that hubby started, which should help drain the snow melt from the garden quickly. There's only a small bit to finish but I couldn't even see the ditch earlier today! It's time to check drainage areas in the hope that our garden doesn't get flooded. I'm looking forward to better weather, riding the ponies again and getting to work in the garden. I'm missing the long days, my shorts and flipflops and eating fresh vegetables that I've grown. What are you looking forward to this year?Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-82949397581513957052012-02-08T17:54:00.000+02:002012-02-08T17:54:54.214+02:00Snow, Ice and Yet More SnowWinter has totally hit us, and we've been snowed in for about 2 weeks now. Nothing really unusual in that to be honest but the temperatures here plummetted and were below -20 degrees c for quite a while, making any outside jobs truly miserable. The whole of Eastern Europe is in the midst of a polar winter and parts of Bulgaria are snowbound, roads closed and without power, while others are flooding terribly. This winter has been declared to worst in 100 years.<br />
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So far we've had snow, then a day of thawing, followed by more snow, freezing rain and snow again, falling heavily for the last 2 days. The animals are bored being cooped up and the cat has taken to sitting on the hall radiator to warm himself up - between shouting for food, sleeping on the sofa or screaming for attention! He's even learnt how to open the bedroom door and gave us both a fright a couple of nights ago when he appeared hanging on the door handle! He's been called a few names lately but I won't post them here to be polite.<br />
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Hubby's off to the Uk at the weekend, only for a week but I'll be alone with the animals. I've had a short dose of flu but am feeling better today and we finally managed to get out and do a small shop yesterday, stock up on dog food and pay a few bills. I was really quite worried that the internet would be cut off as it's one of the bills we can't pay in the village and I knew it was overdue.<br />
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According to the Bulgarian news this polar winter will last until 20th February and then the temperatures should rise and stay above zero. Let's hope it gently melts the snow, otherwise we'll be waterlogged - even living almost on the top of a hill we have flooded once. Luckily we've managed to add more drainage ditches at the top of the garden so they should help drain water away from the house.<br />
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Heere's hoping spring is soon here and work on the garden can start again :)Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-85833394748978333872012-01-05T01:21:00.000+02:002012-01-05T01:21:56.323+02:00300 Posts & Happy New Year to allDouble whammy - Best wishes for 2012 and my 300th post here. So what does the future hold for us all? I'm not even sure I'd like to know if it was possible. Much easier to take things as they come and work out any problems on the way.<br />
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Speaking of problems - we've had no phone line now for 16 days thanks to Vivacom, their inept customer service and even worse, their ability to actually listen to clients and get off their backsides and fix the problem. How many e-mails and phone calls will it take to finally get sorted? I hope they don't expect to be paid for this month either.<br />
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Did you make any New Year's resolutions? I will admit to not making any at all this time round, nor even really thinking about it. Christmas and New Year have been a very quiet one for us and my days have been much the same as normal. Animal feeding, mucking out, riding the ponies and not much else. But the weather has been good, bright and sunny even though we've had a fair amount of snow.<br />
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I've figured out that Maya really likes snow, and loves to go out hacking in it. Instead of being quite laid back and happy to plod she can get quite exciteable but does calm down after 10 minutes or so. The snow has almost melted now but we're due more at the weekend but hopefully if all is well on saturday Karen is going into town so I can hitch a lift and stock up on provisions again. Karen has been over today so we managed a nice leisurely hack out with both of the ponies. It went well apart from Milka getting a fright when my dog Baba ran up behind her twice. Baba doesn't usually come with me but must have decided she fancied a change of scenery!<br />
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The 2 dogs we have been caring for over the holidays will be going home this weekend. Their owners Alex and Jodie are due back from Texas and are looking forward to seeing their pets again. It'll be a little quieter with 2 less dogs and a cat and great to see our friends again.<br />
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I'm already thinking about what to plant this year in the garden, but will have to wait until the ground dries up before I can really do anything. I'm hoping we have more volunteers too as there are plenty of jobs and I really do need the help. Plus I enjoy having friendly, interesting people about the place. It's always lovely to hear their stories, swap ideas and generally have a laugh.<br />
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Our friend Neville is back in hospital unfortunately as he has an infection. He's been rather ill again but hopefully is on the road to recovery. Get well soon Neville xxxSuzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-60528332974755278502011-12-24T15:26:00.000+02:002011-12-24T15:26:17.085+02:00White ChristmasWe've had snow this week and it looks like it might actually stick around for tomorrow so it's a white christmas here. Everything looks crisp, white and clean, but the temperatures aren't that low - Yet!<br />
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As it's only the 2 of us here we aren't making a big thing of christmas but will be having a nice home reared pork joint with all the trimmings for lunch and a quiet day. There's a possibility of alcohol being involved too :) I'm also making up 2 spare lunches for our friends Patrecia and Neville and will walk down with them on boxing day. Poor Neville was meant to be coming here for christmas lunch as Patrecia should have been going to the UK to spend the holiday with her grandchildren, but Nev took poorly and ended up in hospital having major surgery and is lucky to be alive. He's home now and comfortable so I thought it would be nice to make them a lunch too.<br />
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Unfortunately we won't be able to telephone friends and family tomorrow as Vivacom have recently renewed our phone. We now have a fixed wireless connection instead of the old analogue line, but it's not working properly and we cannot dial out at all. Not even to customer services! I'm hoping it may miraculously be fixed tomorrow but that may not be the case :(<br />
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I've not been riding as much this last week due to the weather, but have the last 2 days managed to get out on one of the ponies. Maya and I had a lovely canter across the fields today in the snow. Certainly warmed me up and I felt completely free. I'm leaving off riding Milka again until the weather clears a bit, as she's a bit more of a handful and I don't fancy falling off in the snow - what a wuss eh?<br />
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This morning we had a visit from Karen and Peter, friends who live in the village. Karen has made us a lovely Christmas cake and also brought me a pair of Mountain Horse riding boots, designed for cold weather. Plus a rug to cover the horses back during cold weather. Maya and I certainly appreciated them both today, my toes and lower legs were toasty warm. Thanks Karen.<br />
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Well I'll sign off now and hope everyone has a fantastic Christmas time. May all your dreams come true and enjoy the festive season. Love to you all xxxxSuzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-43673121785193599162011-12-18T18:35:00.000+02:002011-12-18T18:35:48.486+02:00So Much to TellWhere to start? It's been a while since I last updated, and there have been a few changes around here yet again. I've been making the most of the lovely weather we've had recently and indulging myself......by getting out and about on the horses.<br />
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There's so much of the village we rarely see and it's lovely to be plodding around the lanes and seeing things from a different view. Driving in the village you tend to miss things, pass them by or just don't have the time to look properly. Riding the ponies gives me the chance to take things in more, speak to the locals as I pass and just enjoy the beautiful countryside around us. And the ponies have been fantastic too, much better than I could imagine. There's a story to how I ended up back in the saddle so here it is.<br />
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If you've followed my blog you'll know that we've had the ponies for over 3 years and I've never really successfully ridden either of them. Partly due to a total loss of confidence on my part and the fact that they were only really ever used for pulling a cart in their lives before we bought them. Now I'm an experienced horse owner and have ridden for 30 years, but got stuck as I'd tried what I thought was the right way to retrain them and to be honest it hadn't really had much effect.<br />
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I had taken them back to basics when in reality they didn't need that, what they needed was a confident rider to just get on and ride! So when my friend Laura popped over one day with her Bulgarian rider Anton, that's what happened. Laura competes at 3 day events around Europe and does very well. Anton is her stable lad, who helps out and also rides very well. So on orders from Laura, poor Anton was literally thrown on one of our ponies, straight from the field and told to ride. I watched and suddenly saw a riding pony, working well in walk, trot and canter and not the driving pony I've been looking at for 3 years! So the next morning I put the tack on and went for a ride, got back safe and exhilerated(sp???) and did the same with the second pony - well what's the worst that could happen? So I've been riding most days since and it's given me a new sense of freedom and some much needed exercise too. And my driving ponies are now enjoying hacking out and being riding ponies :)<br />
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There's more news to post but I'll wait for another time, off for tea now and to relax with my husband. Catch up with you all soon.Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-66471237970992133512011-11-20T22:27:00.000+02:002011-11-20T22:27:03.537+02:00Dentist TimeRecently a horsey friend living not too far away recommended a mobile vet who was newly trained and looking for new clients in Bulgaria. He'd been to visit her horses and floated (rasped) their teeth so this week I've had him here to see our 2 girls and of course Maggie the donkey.<br />
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We've been asking locally for a couple of years to find a vet who had the right equipment and knowledge to come and make sure our girls were comfortable to no avail. In fact the locals just laughed at the idea of a horse needing a dentist! As time went on and hopes faded of finding someone our lovely donkey started having a bit of trouble eating her hay and keeping weight on, which usually mean there is a problem with the teeth.<br />
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So when Thursday arrived I was quite looking forward to meeting the vet and watching him work. I wasn't disappointed either. He was very nice, professional and kind to the animals. They were sedated and had probably their first ever teeth rasp done without any major hiccups. Then it was onto the cat - who was castrated on our dining room table!<br />
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All went well, everyone came round from their sedation and even the poor cat was back to normal within 12 hours and shouting to be fed again. I'm not even sure he's realised that certain parts are missing, but he's already in winter, lounge lizard mode and spends most of his days curled up with the dogs sleeping. Lucky animals!Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-14246919906450863072011-11-14T13:39:00.000+02:002011-11-14T13:39:07.452+02:00And back to 2 againWe've had another busy week or so. First we had my sister in law and brother in law for a flying visit of 4 days, then another 2 volunteers arrived for a short stay too. Alex & Jodie popped over for a meal one night (with Yoshi the dog), and so for the last week there has been between 4 and 8 people here and never a dull moment.<br />
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Now life has returned to normal and I'm here most days on my own while hubby is off working. I'm back to cooking for 2 and we even have 1 less dog also. It was lovely seeing family again, meeting new people and getting together for a good laugh, a few drinks and the obligatory game of poker. But the silence here is now deafening!<br />
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Our latest volunteers were a lovely couple from Taranaki, New Zealand who have been exploring europe for some time and will have some fantastic memories. They helped with all kinds of things from fence building to dishwashing and collecting 1000 kilo's of loose maize from the village corporation. Great job guys :) And I'm glad you both managed to get a pair of Baba socks too.<br />
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Weather wise it's much colder now, but at least the flies and mosquitoes have gone. The fire has been lit most evening and some daytimes too, it's frosty on a morning and quite dull. We think there will be snow pretty soon although so far it's not forecasted on the local weather.<br />
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Yesterday was my daughters 16th birthday and I really missed being with her, even though we did speak on the phone. Where did all of those years go to? She seemed happy, is getting on well at school and has plenty of friends, the same as my son. I'm really proud of them both.Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-47369892147953806342011-11-04T22:04:00.000+02:002011-11-04T22:04:11.116+02:00Lots to do and makeI've had a busy week again but don't seem to be achieving much when I look around the place. Yet the house is pretty clean, the stables are mucked out daily and I've been cooking and baking too, plus managing to fit in shopping, bill paying etc.<br />
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Paying bills and shopping usually means a trip into Gorna Oryahovitsa for me, apart from the electric and water bills that can be paid at the post office in the village. Yes we have shops here (approximately 9 of them) but they all sell the same things and cater for basic tastes. Which is fine for essentials like bread and lentils, but for anything other we do need to travel about a half hour in the car and hit the supermarkets in town. It's something of a mini day trip and I actually enjoy getting out and about for a while.<br />
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So today I've been to Kaufland and Lidl supermarkets and stocked up on a few items, plus the weekly village market this morning so a busy day. Home to offload the shopping and store everything away, then outside in the sunshine to shovel muck and get the stables all ready for the horses to come in for the night, and once all the animals were settled and fed I made a lovely brocolli and sweetcorn soup for tea.<br />
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We've had the fire lit every night for over a week now as it's much cooler when the sun sets. Daytime temperatures are still quite nice and we've had a flush of grass on the field and paddocks. I have a few late planted peas showing themselves and the lettuces and garlic are all in and ready to overwinter. We won't be having any of the vegetable patch plowed this year but will be starting to spread manure in the next week or so to try and further improve the soil.<br />
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My sister in law and brother in law are on their way to Bulgaria in a van and should hopefully arrive by Monday, so we'll be having a nice reunion for a couple of days before they have to leave. Then we'll be one dog less as Fudge is going with them to start his new life in the UK. He'll be missed, especially by his constant companion Butch, but will at least be back with his owners. I've also got new Wwoof volunteers arriving on Monday, a couple from New Zealand who are eager to do a bit of work around the place and learn more about Bulgaria.<br />
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I'll blog again soon and let you know how we're all getting along :)Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-64054043959461501762011-10-20T23:26:00.000+03:002011-10-20T23:26:11.624+03:00A Funny Old WeekAfter the rain and dull skies last week I'd half hoped the weather would be nice, and so it has been today and yesterday. But we woke up to snow on Tuesday morning and boy was that a shock! Yes, it had been colder than average but that's when the realisation that winter is coming actually hit.<br />
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Every year it's a battle to try and stay ahead of the weather. And each year we seem to get a little better at it thankfully. The central heating system is up and working correctly, the barn is full of straw and hay for the animals and we have plenty of firewood chopped but not all split yet. That doesn't worry me though as it's good exercise and can be done even on cold days.<br />
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In other news, I've been a bit poorly, but think it was just a bug and I'm almost back to full strength now. Plus one of our dogs bit me during a fight so I've had a sore leg too. Nothing serious and she certainly didn't mean to bite me.<br />
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Hubby has some red wine fermenting from grapes he was given by a lady he recently did some work for. We're not huge wine drinkers but I think it will be nice to have something different for a change.<br />
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And we have another workaway volunteer arriving at the weekend too. So more help for me and someone to ride the horses for a while. When our last volunteer left I joked that she should write a blog post about all of the new foods she tried while travelling - but I bet yorkshire pudding and scotch eggs wasn't to be expected in Bulgaria.<br />
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Fudge, the dog above, will be leaving us in a few weeks to start a new life in the UK. He's my sister in law's dog and has been staying with us for about a year until she got settled and his passport and paperwork were in order. A strange but funny dog (in the nicest way), who was used to being pampered and living in the house until he came here. Since he's been here he's adapted very well and loves to live outside with one of our other dogs, Butch. It'll be all new to him in the UK but at least he'll be back with his owners and little miss will be delighted to have him back.<br />
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Fingers crossed the weather holds out a bit longer. I've been trying my hardest to get the horses and Maggie's (the donkey) feet into shape and this morning managed the donkey's 2 front feet on my own - I was amazed at how well she behaved! Tomorrow morning is village market day (and also the mayoral elections) so I'll see if Maya will be good for at least 2 feet trimmed then. Slowly does it, but I am making progress and they look better than when the village so called blacksmith comes :) I'll post some photo's when I'm finished.Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-61025189333703074512011-10-10T16:20:00.001+03:002011-10-10T16:35:27.893+03:00A Change of PaceI babble on about the weather in most of my blogs posts and this one is no different! We have had rain, and a fair old amount of the stuff - just what the garden needs after at least 8 weeks without it. Hopefully as temperatures aren't that cold we may even get some grass starting to come through as the field has been looking pretty bare and parched.<br />
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We have filled the central heating system back up and had the fire burning, luckily all of our winter wood supply is indoors and nicely seasoned so should burn really well. There is still a fair amount of logs to split but that can be done over time, a little a day and soon it will be all ready for the winter.<br />
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At the moment we have 2 workaway volunteers with us and they are really nice. We've enjoyed having both lots of volunteers stay and help and I think we'd be hosts again, but probably not this year as there is less to do now. Next spring we'll probably start accepting volunteers again to help in the garden and with a few projects that we haven't got round to doing this year.<br />
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I'm quite looking forward to winter, snuggled up with a book, fire roaring away and not worrying about whether or not my clothing matches as no-one will see it anyway. There will still be the animals to take care of and the usual cleaning and cooking but there should be more time to chill out and relax too.<br />
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My garden is looking a bit bare since the pumpkin harvest and now most of the other plants have been pulled out too. I do have garlic, peas, lettuce and radish planted so we may get a late crop of a few things. If not at least the garlic should grow well and be established before winter arrives, then have a head start in the spring. This year's garlic bulbs were wonderful and pretty big, the best to date. I have saved a couple of chilli plants and potted them up to come inside for the colder months, this week all of the small potted trees, flowering plants in pots and a few other bits and pieces will have to be brought in to the house until spring. Every year the number of pots in the house grows and I struggle to find places for everything!<br />
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Well I'm off to find something to do, woke up this morning with backache and have had a headache lingering on since around 10am - I doubt looking at this pc screen is helping!<br />
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Ciao for now :)Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-33075319018369130592011-10-01T16:01:00.000+03:002011-10-01T16:01:01.732+03:00Autumn has ArrivedThe leaves are falling from the trees, we've had cooler weather and even a few spots of rain! Autumn is definitely here. The horses and donkey are starting to get their winter coats and the nights are drawing in now.<br />
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But it is now October and the cooler weather means I can get outside more comfortably and work in the garden. I've sown a few seeds as an experiment and need to pull the tomato plants out next week to make space for garlic. All of the pumpkins have been harvested so we know what we'll be eating this winter! Lots of pumpkin recipes needed so please feel free to send me some :)<br />
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We have new volunteers arriving this next week, Workaways this time. So hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things and make progress again. It'll be fun to have new faces around and some help too. Plus I get 2 new guinea pigs for my cooking skills, or lack of depending on how you see things!<br />
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I'm off to hang some washing outside to dry while the sun is shining. Already I'm sorting the autumn/winter wardrobe out and starting to pack away the shorts, but not all of them yet.Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-81961477285806721152011-09-21T01:29:00.000+03:002011-09-21T01:29:28.821+03:00Feeling a Bit LostI'm struggling to get back into a routine now that the Wwoofers and our guests have gone. Seem to have lost the urge to really do much but I'm muddling along as usual in my own time and thinking that it's far too quiet here again.<br />
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Meanwhile my garden is struggling too, we've not had any rain for about a month and the constant sunshine and lack of water is weakening the plants. It's almost time to be pulling out the tomatoes and thinking about clearing the plot to make way for overwintered stuff like garlic. I'd like to plant lots more garlic this October and have the space for it, we use it almost every day so would save money by growing more.<br />
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I'm also going to overwinter lettuce and try growing a late crop of radishes this year. Work has started on a polytunnel(ish) structure but until it's finished I might make a couple of small cloches to extend the growing season slightly here. Not that it's cold enough for them yet - it's still mild and sunny most days with temperatures quite high during the day. Nights are cooler though and I'm actually wearing a cardigan tonight :)<br />
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Poor little Baba dog has learnt a lesson tonight, the hard way! She loves to come with me when the horses go out or come back in for the night. They usually tolerate her quite well and are used to seeing her following me around. Tonight she got a little bit too close to Milka's back feet and ended up getting a quick warning kick! Luckily for her she's fine and wasn't hurt, but it might make her a little more wary of getting too near a half tonne animal with big hooves.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZCI5r-cJhKE/TnkNkBmG2iI/AAAAAAAAAao/1_wNmmg5wPo/s1600/Baba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZCI5r-cJhKE/TnkNkBmG2iI/AAAAAAAAAao/1_wNmmg5wPo/s320/Baba.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-72480218533555961582011-09-13T02:45:00.000+03:002011-09-13T02:45:14.715+03:00WwoofA selection of photo's taken by our lovely Wwoofer's Michele & Agnes in their time here :)<br />
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You'll both be missed when you go!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ijm6vyBXx4w/Tm6H-vSX3oI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/0pk6_VdBU_c/s1600/wwoofing+2011+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ijm6vyBXx4w/Tm6H-vSX3oI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/0pk6_VdBU_c/s320/wwoofing+2011+002.jpg" width="320" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michele moving straw bales for the eco summer house</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DRfCOlT7umo/Tm6Mcr_KWAI/AAAAAAAAAaA/iuIcUfIOczg/s1600/wwoofing+2011+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DRfCOlT7umo/Tm6Mcr_KWAI/AAAAAAAAAaA/iuIcUfIOczg/s320/wwoofing+2011+006.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Archery time</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ubMBVO3ubHg/Tm6PJ0QZqfI/AAAAAAAAAaE/bS3e5Ujnpe0/s1600/wwoofing+2011+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ubMBVO3ubHg/Tm6PJ0QZqfI/AAAAAAAAAaE/bS3e5Ujnpe0/s320/wwoofing+2011+031.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maggie posing!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--RHtCd7_KIM/Tm6SOtUrXqI/AAAAAAAAAaM/jBYj9vzrKtg/s1600/wwoofing+2011+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--RHtCd7_KIM/Tm6SOtUrXqI/AAAAAAAAAaM/jBYj9vzrKtg/s320/wwoofing+2011+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the rakia to distill, in style</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xKC_iFAYEos/Tm6Tn9VP-bI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/xyCI6JW_VFE/s1600/wwoofing+2011+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xKC_iFAYEos/Tm6Tn9VP-bI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/xyCI6JW_VFE/s320/wwoofing+2011+010.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the end of rakia making </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ivan our local beekeeping guru & friend</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--74Qj7zjArI/Tm6WtLBa79I/AAAAAAAAAaY/n0vVWMs0Svo/s1600/aug.sept2011+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--74Qj7zjArI/Tm6WtLBa79I/AAAAAAAAAaY/n0vVWMs0Svo/s320/aug.sept2011+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Agnes finally caught on camera, with Michele building raised beds for spring use</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ku0_GQj9G58/Tm6YPb8VcGI/AAAAAAAAAac/SQxR8emBCA0/s1600/wwoofing+2011+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ku0_GQj9G58/Tm6YPb8VcGI/AAAAAAAAAac/SQxR8emBCA0/s320/wwoofing+2011+022.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michele riding Maya</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AsXgGjQGuqI/Tm6ZLXUkG7I/AAAAAAAAAag/2K7zav4BfoI/s1600/wwoofing+2011+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AsXgGjQGuqI/Tm6ZLXUkG7I/AAAAAAAAAag/2K7zav4BfoI/s320/wwoofing+2011+017.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artwork on the barn partition and one of our lovely girls lol</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-44721923993004892902011-09-05T12:44:00.000+03:002011-09-05T12:44:43.120+03:00Steady Progress & a HousefulWell we've gone from being just the 2 of us rattling around in the house, me on my own during the day, to having a houseful of people and it's really nice to be honest.<br />
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Not only have we had 2 guests staying - a lovely young couple who are buying a house in another village and needed a place to stay for a few weeks. We now have 2 lovely and hardworking WWoofer's here and over the last week they've helped out so much. I'd recommend anyone who has a small holding or large garden growing vegetable etc to take a look at the Wwoof site (you'll find a link here on my blog), read the information and if you feel you have something to offer volunteers, enrol as a host farm. <br />
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This is the first time we've had volunteers stay and I can't praise them enough. They are energetic, polite, helpful and eager to learn new things plus great company. The problem with hubby having to work when he can is that I get left to my own devices and quite often end up sidetracked and don't finish jobs I have to do. Then the garden starts looking a mess and I get down and do even less. With help here though I've found it easier to stay motivated and jobs have been done properly. So now the herb and raised early vegetable beds are all clear, the straw bales have been stored away in the barn and a very neglected corner of the garden has been given a new lease of life.<br />
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I'm not sure how long the volunteers are staying but with so much help here we may even get that bl**dy paddock fence done and hope to build a small polytunnel this week too. I'm off now to make lunch, have a rest and then get back to work once the weather has cooled down a little and will post photos another day :)<br />
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Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-22843988996766385602011-08-23T14:12:00.002+03:002011-08-23T14:21:05.529+03:00It's a Northern ThingPease pudding that is! A favourite of many people from the North of the UK and brilliant with ham. Easy to make and tastes just the way I remember it from my childhood when my grandma used to make it. So here's the recipe, of course all the ingredients can be found in Bulgaria<br />
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<ul><li>250g split yellow peas</li>
<li>750ml bacon stock, you can use shop bought stock cubes (or OXO) but homemade bacon or pork stock improves the taste so much.</li>
<li>salt and pepper to taste.</li>
</ul> You can soak the split yellow peas overnight but I find this isn't really necessary.<br />
<ul><li>preheat oven to 150C, 300F or gas mark 2.</li>
<li>Place split peas and enough stock to cover the peas (they will swell during cooking) in an ovenproof dish, season and cook for up to 1 hour, adding more stock if necessary and checking every 15 minutes. </li>
<li>Once the peas have started to disintegrate remove from oven.</li>
<li>Top up with any leftover stock and mash or blend with a liquidiser.</li>
<li>Leave to cool and chill in fridge or if you prefer eat it hot!</li>
</ul>Tip - homemade stock is easy to make, simply boil any bones or leftover meat for at least 1 hour with seasoning, then remove meat. For pease pudding you can leave small pieces of meat in the stock, or if using packaged stock simply cut up pieces of ham/bacon and add them to the pease pudding as it cools. Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5557647288824374178.post-7556750626761642062011-08-21T14:15:00.001+03:002011-08-21T14:15:52.439+03:00No Complaints Here :)I can honestly say I've really enjoyed the last week. The weather here has been fantastic, my garden is producing and we have some wonderful friends around us that make life in Bulgaria even better. What more can we ask for?<br />
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Some people want to win the lottery, others want the latest gadgets etc but we're happy with life. It may not be everyon'e cup of tea living in rural Bulgaria, but I still say it's the best move we ever made. Yes, it's not perfect but I seriously doubt that a perfect place exists.<br />
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I'm still missing the kids and guess I always will. This week is also the 11th anniversary of my youngest sisters death and what would have been her 30th birthday so a bit of sadness and memories going on, but onwards and upwards as they say. I was very lucky to have her a sister and will never forget her. Anniversaries and birthdays of loved ones can be hard when we're so far away. Even the postal system here isn't very reliable so now I tend to keep in touch more with facebook etc.<br />
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We have people staying with us at the moment, they're house hunting so are trekking around the area with various estate agents looking for something that says "Home" to them. I really hope they find what they're looking for, but if not I may know a few properties in their budget so we'll see what happens.<br />
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Temperatures are set to rise again by the end of the wek so the garden will need more watering, but I'm happy with the way things are growing. We will hopefully have our first WWoof volunteers arriving soon and i'm looking forward to having some help with things. We might even get the paddock fence done! or at least the straw bales stacked away for winter. Either way it should be fun :)<br />
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Suzy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15074486295780147748noreply@blogger.com1