Ok so it's now July and usually we have fantastic weather and are starting to wilt in the heat. Siesta's are taken during the heat of the day and it's a mad dash before nightfall to get the animals in, settled and fed, the vegetables watered and tea cooked for us humans......or maybe not at the moment, as we've had awful, and I mean awful weather. Thunder, heavy rain and barely any sunshine, certainly not enough to dry my washing (that is still no the line by the way). Just pretty darn miserable to be honest, but spirits are high here despite the weather.
The kids are having a bit of a party tomorrow and have invited friends round, I've no idea how many and will probably just spend most of my time trying to keep out of the way, not embarass them too much and making a fool of myself with my pigeon Bulgarian.
Hubby is off out tomorrow to give an archery demonstration at a charity event held at Camping Veliko Tarnovo they are having a whole hog roast and I hope the weather is better for everyone attending. Although I'm sure it will be a great event and hopefully raise money for a very worthy charity. So it's just me, the animals and a bunch of teens at home! Should be an interesting day to say the least.
I've had some kind of bug since last weekend and have been suffering migraines, something I rarely get any more but hate having. I expect anyone that has had migraines or prolonged headaches would say the same, but it hit me hard as I felt so sickly with it too, aching and hot and cold. All in all though we've been fairly healthy since living here and I think it's due to the climate and better diet. The lack of takeaway foods has helped a lot! But I have put on some of the weight I lost when we first moved and really should be making an effort to get a few pounds off again. I'm happy though so will worry about it another day :)
Saturday, 2 July 2011
Saturday, 25 June 2011
Making Hay While the Sun Shines
Once again we've had a busy week. Our tractor driver finally turned up so the large paddock was cut for hay, only 2 weeks later than originally planned but at least he did get here in the end. This morning we've been out and forked all the hay into piles to be loaded onto the truck later today when it's a little cooler.
We rarely work during the middle of the day now as it's too hot and there's a high chance of getting sunstroke. This week we've also managed to get 100 kilo's of pork into the freezer, of course this meant that one of my lovely ladies had to go but at least I know she had a very nice life. You really can't beat home reared pork, supermarket pork just doesn't have the same depth of flavour or even texture. Some of the pork will be made into bacon and gammon and possibly even ham. Plus hubby has decided to try making pepperoni and salami too.
I've spent 2 days trying to add this blog post as our internet has been playing up as usual. One day we may get broadband here but none of the companies will or can say when. In the last 2 days we've managed to get all of the hay stored in the barn, and it's lovely just knowing that it's done for another year! I even had time to go food shopping although the garden has suffered a little and needs a really good weeding. So at least I know what's on my job list for the next week or so!
In the garden my pea plants are ready and I've been harvesting them over the last week, also ready are the garlic and onions and I still have a few lettuces to pull up too. The tomato plants have gone crazy and are flowering well, but the pumpkins are trying to take over and have to be pushed back so they don't cover up the aubergines. I've spotted flowers on the chick peas and the galia melons so our diet should be a little more varied soon.
This week we've also made a a start on getting our bungalow ready for family and friends who are coming for a holiday. The water and electric is back on and the few small jobs that needed done have been sorted out. I've been tgrying to evict the spiders that have taken residence there over the winter but may need to do it again - only next time I'll be armed with the hoover lol, then it's a good old clean out, beds to make up and a few more pieces of furniture to add and we should be ready for people arriving :) Better still they are coming with gifts of marmite ......yummy!
Hubby and I are off to a car boot sale tomorrow morning, not to sell or indeed buy anything but just to have a look around and catch up with friends new and old. Let's hope the weather is nice as it has been very windy today, overcast and threatening to rain. On the plus side if it does rain at least I won't have to water the veg plot
We rarely work during the middle of the day now as it's too hot and there's a high chance of getting sunstroke. This week we've also managed to get 100 kilo's of pork into the freezer, of course this meant that one of my lovely ladies had to go but at least I know she had a very nice life. You really can't beat home reared pork, supermarket pork just doesn't have the same depth of flavour or even texture. Some of the pork will be made into bacon and gammon and possibly even ham. Plus hubby has decided to try making pepperoni and salami too.
I've spent 2 days trying to add this blog post as our internet has been playing up as usual. One day we may get broadband here but none of the companies will or can say when. In the last 2 days we've managed to get all of the hay stored in the barn, and it's lovely just knowing that it's done for another year! I even had time to go food shopping although the garden has suffered a little and needs a really good weeding. So at least I know what's on my job list for the next week or so!
In the garden my pea plants are ready and I've been harvesting them over the last week, also ready are the garlic and onions and I still have a few lettuces to pull up too. The tomato plants have gone crazy and are flowering well, but the pumpkins are trying to take over and have to be pushed back so they don't cover up the aubergines. I've spotted flowers on the chick peas and the galia melons so our diet should be a little more varied soon.
This week we've also made a a start on getting our bungalow ready for family and friends who are coming for a holiday. The water and electric is back on and the few small jobs that needed done have been sorted out. I've been tgrying to evict the spiders that have taken residence there over the winter but may need to do it again - only next time I'll be armed with the hoover lol, then it's a good old clean out, beds to make up and a few more pieces of furniture to add and we should be ready for people arriving :) Better still they are coming with gifts of marmite ......yummy!
Hubby and I are off to a car boot sale tomorrow morning, not to sell or indeed buy anything but just to have a look around and catch up with friends new and old. Let's hope the weather is nice as it has been very windy today, overcast and threatening to rain. On the plus side if it does rain at least I won't have to water the veg plot
Friday, 3 June 2011
Busy Bees
This week seems to have flown by and now the kids have broken up for school holidays too. Summer is truly here but we're still having thunder storms almost every day and there's been a lot of rain too.
Luckily it stayed relatively dry yesterday as we were busy helping lay an above ground pool concrete base. Boy was it hard work lol, the concrete wagon turned up at 10.15am and delivered almost 4 cubic metres of ready mixed concrete onto a large tarpaulin then a team of us had to load it into wheelbarrows and move it to where it was needed. In the UK we'd have probably got a concrete wagon with an extending arm that might have reached the 30 metres or so to the site, but not here, so it was all dumped as close as we could get it and the hard work then started.
Thankfully there were 9 of us, with 6 wheelbarrows and shovels, and we managed to get it all moved and in place before it set. On the downside the company it was ordered from delivered less than they were paid for so the last 8 wheelbarrow loads had to be mixed by hand with hastily borrowed sand and cement. But it's done now, smoothed off and level and just waiting for the pool to be set up once the cement has cured for a few days.
We were hoping to have one of the larger paddocks cut for hay this week too, but the tractor driver has yet to show up despite promising he would be here on tuesday. Maybe the weather this week has put him off as we've had lots of rain and storms so the grass has been quite wet. Hopefully he'll turn up at some point and we can get a good crop of hay ready for the winter.
There are lots of seedlings now in my flower bed, some of which are probably weeds, but they can wait for a drier day to be pulled out. We seem to have an abundance of pumkin plants this year and they are still popping up through the soil. So I'll be looking for recipes later in the year! I'm trying to grow swedes this time and so far they are doing ok. I do miss swedes but the Bulgarians don't seem to eat them and have a variety of different radishes instead. Mostg of the tomato plants are now in their final places, beans are doing well and the peas are starting to fruit now so I shall be picking them in a few weeks. Yet again we'll have a load of plums from the trees and might get round to making wine with some of them.
I've plenty of cucumber, squash, melon, peppers and aubergines growing now. Plus onions, lettuce, garlic, sweetcorn and fodder beet (for the animals). But haven't used all of the garden this season as much of it is in desperate need of being plowed and of course the plow our neighbour has developed a problem and needs repaired. Still there should be plenty of produce to eat and freeze down for winter. I may yet plant a few more things but we'll see how it goes. I'm in charge of the vegetables and don't get any help and there is only so much one person can do!
Since we're rained off today hubby has been in the kitchen and by the aromas that I can smell we are having a curry for tea - mmmmmm. So I'll leave you all now and wait for my plate of top nosh lol
Luckily it stayed relatively dry yesterday as we were busy helping lay an above ground pool concrete base. Boy was it hard work lol, the concrete wagon turned up at 10.15am and delivered almost 4 cubic metres of ready mixed concrete onto a large tarpaulin then a team of us had to load it into wheelbarrows and move it to where it was needed. In the UK we'd have probably got a concrete wagon with an extending arm that might have reached the 30 metres or so to the site, but not here, so it was all dumped as close as we could get it and the hard work then started.
Thankfully there were 9 of us, with 6 wheelbarrows and shovels, and we managed to get it all moved and in place before it set. On the downside the company it was ordered from delivered less than they were paid for so the last 8 wheelbarrow loads had to be mixed by hand with hastily borrowed sand and cement. But it's done now, smoothed off and level and just waiting for the pool to be set up once the cement has cured for a few days.
We were hoping to have one of the larger paddocks cut for hay this week too, but the tractor driver has yet to show up despite promising he would be here on tuesday. Maybe the weather this week has put him off as we've had lots of rain and storms so the grass has been quite wet. Hopefully he'll turn up at some point and we can get a good crop of hay ready for the winter.
There are lots of seedlings now in my flower bed, some of which are probably weeds, but they can wait for a drier day to be pulled out. We seem to have an abundance of pumkin plants this year and they are still popping up through the soil. So I'll be looking for recipes later in the year! I'm trying to grow swedes this time and so far they are doing ok. I do miss swedes but the Bulgarians don't seem to eat them and have a variety of different radishes instead. Mostg of the tomato plants are now in their final places, beans are doing well and the peas are starting to fruit now so I shall be picking them in a few weeks. Yet again we'll have a load of plums from the trees and might get round to making wine with some of them.
I've plenty of cucumber, squash, melon, peppers and aubergines growing now. Plus onions, lettuce, garlic, sweetcorn and fodder beet (for the animals). But haven't used all of the garden this season as much of it is in desperate need of being plowed and of course the plow our neighbour has developed a problem and needs repaired. Still there should be plenty of produce to eat and freeze down for winter. I may yet plant a few more things but we'll see how it goes. I'm in charge of the vegetables and don't get any help and there is only so much one person can do!
Since we're rained off today hubby has been in the kitchen and by the aromas that I can smell we are having a curry for tea - mmmmmm. So I'll leave you all now and wait for my plate of top nosh lol
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
I Hear Thunder
This weather just doesn't quite know what to do with itself it seems. We've had fabulous sunshine most days and some fantastic storms too. Thunder, lightening and even hailstones yesterday. It rained so much yesterday afternoon that our pool overflowed, but then the sun came back out and today is bright and warm again.
Hopefully by the end of the week we should have our first crop of hay cut from part of our land, which we've not done before. All the rain we've had and sunshine has meant that the grass (and weeds) has grown wonderfully long and thick and it seems a shame not to use it as animal feed for the winter. We aren't buying any lucerne (alfalfa) this year from the corporation as A) it's expensive to have baled up and B) seems to make one of our mares quite tense and at times aggresive when they're stuck in during the worst weather. So we'll have to try and get as much hay as we can stored and ready for when we need it.
Other news is that the kids are now definitely going back to the UK to finish their schooling. Education here is good but they aren't progressing enough to be able to finish their education at the right ages. Son hit the nail on the head when he said "At this rate we'll be 25 by the time we leave school" I'm really going to miss them and am so proud of what they have achieved here in Bulgarian school, but I have to give in and say that them returning to the UK is possibly for the best. Best for them, but upsetting for me!
Hubby's broken rib(s) are almost healed and there are a few jobs waiting for him when he feels up to it. Mostly for other people though as renovations here have drawn to a halt again due to a lack of funds. At least the good weather gives me plenty to do outside and the animals are much happier now that they get to spend all day eating. Some of my vegetables are growing really well but others are struggling with the increased temperatures. The radish and onions are now trying to bolt, whilst the lettuce seems to be wilting with the heat. But I have pumpkin plants popping up all over the place so the pigs will be happy when it's harvest time!
A local charity that helps Bulgarian children and orphans is having a whole pig roast on July 2nd and one of our piggy's is the main course. Bookings are going well and I'm sure the day will be a huge success and raise much needed cash to help more children.
Hopefully by the end of the week we should have our first crop of hay cut from part of our land, which we've not done before. All the rain we've had and sunshine has meant that the grass (and weeds) has grown wonderfully long and thick and it seems a shame not to use it as animal feed for the winter. We aren't buying any lucerne (alfalfa) this year from the corporation as A) it's expensive to have baled up and B) seems to make one of our mares quite tense and at times aggresive when they're stuck in during the worst weather. So we'll have to try and get as much hay as we can stored and ready for when we need it.
Other news is that the kids are now definitely going back to the UK to finish their schooling. Education here is good but they aren't progressing enough to be able to finish their education at the right ages. Son hit the nail on the head when he said "At this rate we'll be 25 by the time we leave school" I'm really going to miss them and am so proud of what they have achieved here in Bulgarian school, but I have to give in and say that them returning to the UK is possibly for the best. Best for them, but upsetting for me!
Hubby's broken rib(s) are almost healed and there are a few jobs waiting for him when he feels up to it. Mostly for other people though as renovations here have drawn to a halt again due to a lack of funds. At least the good weather gives me plenty to do outside and the animals are much happier now that they get to spend all day eating. Some of my vegetables are growing really well but others are struggling with the increased temperatures. The radish and onions are now trying to bolt, whilst the lettuce seems to be wilting with the heat. But I have pumpkin plants popping up all over the place so the pigs will be happy when it's harvest time!
A local charity that helps Bulgarian children and orphans is having a whole pig roast on July 2nd and one of our piggy's is the main course. Bookings are going well and I'm sure the day will be a huge success and raise much needed cash to help more children.
Thursday, 12 May 2011
Taking The Smooth With The Rough
Things weatherwise have been very up and down here lately. Rain one minute and sunshine the next and it's driving me mad - yesterday I managed to get outside and do some much needed weeding and caught the sun, today I'm indoors with a jumper and long pants on again. Grrrr hurry up summer!
But at least the time we're having to spend indoors is helping hubby recover from his broken rib/ribs. He's feeling much better but not totally healed yet. He's sleeping a bit easier and right now is in his workshop doing something - sometimes I worry that I married the mad inventor lol. At least he is much happier though and has a few jobs lined up soon. While he's been laid up he has been experimenting with making smoked bacon, ham joints and gammon which have all been a magnificent success. It's lovely to have some really good tasting pork products as that's one of the things we really can't buy here.
I've started tentatively planting things outside and all of the flowering plants have been evicted from the house too. I'd planned to get the tomato plants in the groundd today as they really need a larger space but the weather seems to be playing a few tricks today and we're having sunny spells interspersed with quite heavy rain. We've already had a few meals with some fresh produce from the garden - just radishes and a few baby lettuce so far, but it's a start and there should be plenty more over the coming months.
There have been some tough decisions to make this year so far and it looks like the kids will be heading back to the UK to finish their education. It makes me sad that they won't be here but it is probably the best option for them. The education here is good but the school really isn't pushing them enough and they seem to spend half of their class time asleep, drawing pictures or reading books. It's not fair to try and keep them here when they aren't really making any futher progress at school. The finer points haven't been decided yet and we're not sure when they will be going.
But at least the time we're having to spend indoors is helping hubby recover from his broken rib/ribs. He's feeling much better but not totally healed yet. He's sleeping a bit easier and right now is in his workshop doing something - sometimes I worry that I married the mad inventor lol. At least he is much happier though and has a few jobs lined up soon. While he's been laid up he has been experimenting with making smoked bacon, ham joints and gammon which have all been a magnificent success. It's lovely to have some really good tasting pork products as that's one of the things we really can't buy here.
I've started tentatively planting things outside and all of the flowering plants have been evicted from the house too. I'd planned to get the tomato plants in the groundd today as they really need a larger space but the weather seems to be playing a few tricks today and we're having sunny spells interspersed with quite heavy rain. We've already had a few meals with some fresh produce from the garden - just radishes and a few baby lettuce so far, but it's a start and there should be plenty more over the coming months.
There have been some tough decisions to make this year so far and it looks like the kids will be heading back to the UK to finish their education. It makes me sad that they won't be here but it is probably the best option for them. The education here is good but the school really isn't pushing them enough and they seem to spend half of their class time asleep, drawing pictures or reading books. It's not fair to try and keep them here when they aren't really making any futher progress at school. The finer points haven't been decided yet and we're not sure when they will be going.
Friday, 6 May 2011
Anyone For Waterskiing?
It's rained and rained and rained again this last week or so. The ground is waterloged outside and the sky is dull. Temperatures have fallen so we've had the woodburner lit most nights, it really doesn't feel like May.
Tomorrow is a national holiday here in Bulgaria so the villagers will be celebrating with friends and family for Georgiov day. It's a bit like St George's day in the UK. This is the time of year when usually you see more people out and aboutg but due to the weather most are staying indoors. I don't blame them either, even the chickens are looking pretty miserable and egg production has dropped too.
I finally gave in and bought a new keyboard for the computer, unfortunately it seems to have a minor problem and occasionally throws an extra 'G' in when I'm typing, it's not too bad but does mean I have to check anything I've typed for mistakes a little more carefully than usual. But it does have it's plus points as I now have the Bulgarian alphabet on the keyboard too - just in case I ever manage to learn enough to type a message or e-mail!
There have been a couple of trips into town this week, more than usual and tomorrow I'm off out for an hour or so to go meet someone who is interested in buying one of my saddles, fingers crossed all goes well. Hubby has some beautiful longbows and one flat bow for sale that he's made over the winter and I have to admit they are wonderful things. Almost makes me want to take up archery, although after my last attempt I think it's wise that I just be content watchingand let hubby get on with it lol
Hubby is feeling a little better but still won't take any notice and not try to do small jobs like splitting logs. It drives me crazy but there's nothing I can do and I do realise that the inactivity is getting to him too. It was probably worse today as the satellite tv had been disconnected because I hadn't paid the bill - easily fixed and after a short trip to town to pay a few bills it was back on within 3 hours. It's not the best system in the world but it does give us something to do when we can't get on with jobs.
Tomorrow is a national holiday here in Bulgaria so the villagers will be celebrating with friends and family for Georgiov day. It's a bit like St George's day in the UK. This is the time of year when usually you see more people out and aboutg but due to the weather most are staying indoors. I don't blame them either, even the chickens are looking pretty miserable and egg production has dropped too.
I finally gave in and bought a new keyboard for the computer, unfortunately it seems to have a minor problem and occasionally throws an extra 'G' in when I'm typing, it's not too bad but does mean I have to check anything I've typed for mistakes a little more carefully than usual. But it does have it's plus points as I now have the Bulgarian alphabet on the keyboard too - just in case I ever manage to learn enough to type a message or e-mail!
There have been a couple of trips into town this week, more than usual and tomorrow I'm off out for an hour or so to go meet someone who is interested in buying one of my saddles, fingers crossed all goes well. Hubby has some beautiful longbows and one flat bow for sale that he's made over the winter and I have to admit they are wonderful things. Almost makes me want to take up archery, although after my last attempt I think it's wise that I just be content watchingand let hubby get on with it lol
Hubby is feeling a little better but still won't take any notice and not try to do small jobs like splitting logs. It drives me crazy but there's nothing I can do and I do realise that the inactivity is getting to him too. It was probably worse today as the satellite tv had been disconnected because I hadn't paid the bill - easily fixed and after a short trip to town to pay a few bills it was back on within 3 hours. It's not the best system in the world but it does give us something to do when we can't get on with jobs.
Friday, 29 April 2011
Royal Wedding Day
We've spent a fair amount of today in front of the television, apart from my weekly trip to the market this morning and the normal rounds of animal feeding, watering etc. The kids went off to school this morning and are at a party in town right now to celebrate Gorna Oryahovitsa's holiday so it's been really peaceful here, although I have to go and pick them up soon. We've channel hopped between the royal wedding and the semi finals of the world championship snooker. So it's congratulations to the happy couple and I'm hoping that Judd Trump gets into the snooker final!
Hubby injured a rib or 2 over a week ago and is still in pain so should be taking things easy at the moment. He's not enjoying the enforced rest I must add and keeps trying to do small jobs even though he's in pain. Hopefully he'll start to feel a bit better soon and things can get back to normal here.The neighbours have offered their advise and told me I should be massaging his back every day to help the healing.
Yesterday I managed to get the shopping done, paid some bills and also the car insurance. The weather was wet so it wasn't a wasted gardening day. I also did a good deed for a neighbour and found one of his pigeons that has escaped, caught it in hubby's fishing net and took it home for them, job well done and an extra round of coffees this morning in the cafe by way of thanks :)
Temperatures are still quite low for the time of year so my vegetables, with the exception of the garlic, aren't doing wonderfully. But there is plenty of time for things to catch up luckily. At least the grass is growing well which means the horses and donkey are stuffing themselves every day and coming in at night happy and full.
We're hoping to leave one of the paddocks for a hay crop this year to help cut down on our winter feed costs. I must admit that feeding the animals here costs a lot less than the UK but only if we buy at the right time of year and in bulk, plus of course it's all dependant on the weather. If the hay crop gets ruined then everyone else is having the same problem too.
Most of the animals are settled at the moment and it's lovely to see them enjoying themselves. The cats and dogs are spending much more time outside, but we have to check them every day as there are a lot of ticks around at this time of year. The cats seem to be affected the worst and daily come home with at least one tick attached, despite having flea and tick drops put on less than a month ago. I'm not keen on putting collars on cats in case they get stuck somewhere so will just have to keep up the tick watch and remove any I find. we find hat Kiltix collars work very well for the dogs and also keeping the 2 Spaniels coats short makes it easier to spot anything that shouldn't be there.
What have you been up to today? Did you get to watch the wedding?
Hubby injured a rib or 2 over a week ago and is still in pain so should be taking things easy at the moment. He's not enjoying the enforced rest I must add and keeps trying to do small jobs even though he's in pain. Hopefully he'll start to feel a bit better soon and things can get back to normal here.The neighbours have offered their advise and told me I should be massaging his back every day to help the healing.
Yesterday I managed to get the shopping done, paid some bills and also the car insurance. The weather was wet so it wasn't a wasted gardening day. I also did a good deed for a neighbour and found one of his pigeons that has escaped, caught it in hubby's fishing net and took it home for them, job well done and an extra round of coffees this morning in the cafe by way of thanks :)
Temperatures are still quite low for the time of year so my vegetables, with the exception of the garlic, aren't doing wonderfully. But there is plenty of time for things to catch up luckily. At least the grass is growing well which means the horses and donkey are stuffing themselves every day and coming in at night happy and full.
We're hoping to leave one of the paddocks for a hay crop this year to help cut down on our winter feed costs. I must admit that feeding the animals here costs a lot less than the UK but only if we buy at the right time of year and in bulk, plus of course it's all dependant on the weather. If the hay crop gets ruined then everyone else is having the same problem too.
 |
| Ticks??? Yowl |
Most of the animals are settled at the moment and it's lovely to see them enjoying themselves. The cats and dogs are spending much more time outside, but we have to check them every day as there are a lot of ticks around at this time of year. The cats seem to be affected the worst and daily come home with at least one tick attached, despite having flea and tick drops put on less than a month ago. I'm not keen on putting collars on cats in case they get stuck somewhere so will just have to keep up the tick watch and remove any I find. we find hat Kiltix collars work very well for the dogs and also keeping the 2 Spaniels coats short makes it easier to spot anything that shouldn't be there.
What have you been up to today? Did you get to watch the wedding?
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