BradfordtoBulgaria" The journey begins"

Our Teddy Bear Winston.27thMarch(2008)

2010-03-10T05:50:00.000-08:00

These are the first pictures of our Winston,we found him in a layby starving he was a very sorry sight.According to some friends he had been there for a week or so poor think a bony scarred pathetic thing.

Bye Bye Old Shed!!!March 2008.

2010-03-08T06:02:00.000-08:00

At last goodbye shed!!!its great to get stuck in on the removal of this ugly thing mind you it was well put together

David's the man!!(March2008)

2010-03-01T22:23:00.000-08:00

Yes i have to admit it David's the man a lovely job of the kitchen,with help from his side kick labourer me of course.We had to wait a month for the kitchen,and its OK but the quality of furniture over here is not brilliant,hum! we will have to see how it fare's.

New Spring Goats. (17 March 2008)

2010-02-26T23:32:00.000-08:00

Its a good feeling knowing winter is finally over,and today I met the new spring goats at Baba Dinka's,I have now decided I want goats.they are just like naughty children and always getting into mischief a real handful.

Very Odd Indeed.(March 2008)

2010-02-25T01:19:00.000-08:00

After a month of nice weather it was a real shock to get a sudden winter storm,with hail and wind.The weather here in Bulgaria can be very unpredictable.

Garden Project.(1 /5/ 2008)

2010-02-22T23:43:00.000-08:00

Well its May already and we are getting to grips with the garden.When we arrived here the garden was just a large area of soil,so we are having to create from scratch ,good in one way bad in another because there is an awful lot of work to do as you can see.

Planting salad May 2008.

2010-02-17T23:50:00.000-08:00

Well this May is the start of our first real big vegetable plant.We have got tomatoes, cucumber,peppers,radish in.Unfortunately a small beastie is threatening the crops,known there as a "blind dog" it burrows under the crop and eats all the roots.

Diado had a donky!April 2008.

2010-02-15T23:14:00.000-08:00

Diado Dinka,Grandad Dinka has a Magari(donkey)who even though he looks worse for wear has a habit of doing a runner,well should i say walker!We saw Diado limping up the road and decided to investigate.At the garden gate we saw the Magari on the edge of the forest broken chain round his neck so David set off to round him up,no easy feet like any animal here a stranger only makes them up sticks and move again so every time David got near he set off(quite a giggle if your the one watching)anyway Grandad managed to catch up and grab the chain all the while grandma was shouting at him not amused at all.It was quite entertaining for the on looker me!

April Walk 2008

2010-02-13T23:11:00.000-08:00

April,ah yes the beginning of spring,today we have a break from work and take an April walk through the forest opposite our home.Everything is springing to life what a welcome relief an a lovely sight.

Davids BMW April 2008.

2010-02-12T11:28:00.000-08:00

On mentioning that we needed a large tank to help with the watering of the garden.Sonia our Bulgarian friend just happened to know a man who new a man!hence Davids BMW arrived (my joke not appreciated)

The Water Pump.April 2008.

2010-02-09T23:04:00.000-08:00

Today David and Viloo went to Yambol to take the water pump for a service.If you come to live or buy a House here you really need a well. The summers are long and hot and water is scarce,if you want plants,veg or sometimes just a supply of water when the mains are out or very low.It really is a must!with over 1,000Mt's land that's a lot of water.

Winston's Tale!!!March 2008.

2010-02-08T00:02:00.000-08:00

We have gained a new member of the family name of Winston(woosi boy)the softest dog ever(next to Marley our daughters dog)Driving to Yambol we passed him,poor wretch but we were tough and didn't stop on our return there he still was, well you guessed it we turned round back to Yambol for some dog food.He demolished 3 tins and some biscuits,after taking an hour trying to Cokes him into the van( no luck)we put Jasper's lead on him and proceeded to drag him into it.Well a more terrified and broken animal I have never seem but not a growl or snap.

Now he's a different dog mind you we look a bit odd talking to him with our Bulgarian phrase book in hand.He is a very gentle if nervous boy especially with men,ah well he's my own Bulgarian teddy bear.

Upstairs.April 2008.

2010-02-06T00:36:00.000-08:00

The house is coming on fine we have put the ceilings in upstairs quite a feet for 2,especially lifting 6x4 plaster boards so we are quite proud of our selves.

Late March,2008.Planting Vegetables.

2010-02-04T00:34:00.000-08:00

Sorry but I have been a bit slack and missed some entries so today the 23rd March I will try to give you an update"happenings"Well to start,we have planted our veggie carrots, pea's potato's,cabbage,soon we will plant lettuce tomatoes and cucumber.it has taken a lot of hard work to get the veg patch going but I am sure it will be a success.

Fresh Milk.March12th 2008

2010-02-01T23:27:00.000-08:00

What a lovely surprise our friend Viloo(вилу)has brought us a litre of fresh cow(крава)milk,as he often says natural!!!It has to be boiled before drunk of course to sterilise it very nice.I intend to make a rice pud and try out some butter with some of it because 1 litre is a lot for 2 to drink.

Yambol.

2010-01-29T22:39:00.000-08:00

Today we have to go to Yambol for some wood,cement,etc so we called at the building form that our next door neighbour Damita has started working at after finishing in the army.15 minutes turns out to be 2 hours here when shopping and this day was no different just funnier.Damita greets us with the usual enthusiasm and proceeds to explain the different products.Two other men presumably the lakies follow,we found the wood and an enthusiastic assistant starts to pull planks and in Bulgarian tells us which were the best to take(Damita interprets)to be honest the wood here is very rough and even the best is poor.Damita then leads us all over the yard showing us what else we needed it was comical,what a sales man and what a fun 2 hours.Return with 2 pairs of gloves,2 bottles of wood stuff,and a bag of free wood cuttings for the fire,as well as the stuff we went for.

Cutting down the pear tree(7thMarch2008)

2010-01-26T23:13:00.000-08:00

Back at the Dinka's to trim the tree we were supposed to trip the other day when we sorted the chimney( seems we always get way layed)anyway the tree turns out to be a large pear and directing with his walking stick Grandpa Dinka proceeds to point to the branches he wants cutting.These were rather large branches,here we are grandma and me standing right back David cutting, Grandad moving the branches,when whoops the old lad was on his back rolling in the soil like may I say a weeble,the old lass started giggling and so did he, David and me.We pulled him up dusted him off finished the job had a drink of vino said our goodbye's and set off home with another jar of vino!

The Dinka's.(March 5th 2008.)

2010-01-24T23:51:00.000-08:00

Grandad and grandma Dinka need our help,Baba Dinka was shouting Maggie David over the fence and when the old lass calls, you have to go.so we went knowing there was a bit of tree trimming to do .David took the chainsaw,when we arrived she was waiting waving her hands which looked rather sooty,we set off into the house where we found Grandpa on top of the petchka,(oven)trying to replace the chimney,at 80+this I have to say was an unnerving sight so we began to try to fit the thing back which even for us was a struggle.

Finished had a bit of a giggle left with 6 eggs great!!!

BABA MARTA 1stMarch 2008.

2010-01-23T23:20:00.000-08:00

Today the first day of March is it seems a special day,Baba Marta on this day young and old in Bulgaria put on a Martenitsa (made of white and red threads)on their jackets or wrists to bring them health and to keep them from evil spirits.As tradition goes,you are to take the martenitsa off only after seeing a stork.then you have to put it under a stone or hang it on a tree branch.the person who gave name to this day is Baba Marta(Grandma March).People believe her to be a old grumpy woman,who comes every March to expel Winter.Her unpredictable swings of mood account for the frequent weather changes during this certain month,which may be the reason why men call it the women's month!"Charming"

(Sorry no pictures of this event so I have just picked random March pictures)

Cheren Bop(Black Bean)черен боб.(Feb 2008)

2010-01-21T00:39:00.000-08:00

End of February 2008,Damita our neighbour has given us some cheren bop, черен боб Bulgarian for black beans of course we are eager to plant then.These beans are planted before the frosts finish which stimulate growth,the same as chesan(Garlic)чесън.

The One Armed Man (Febuary 20th 2008)

2010-01-18T07:19:00.000-08:00

This Feb has been colder than January,the village has gone into hibernation and so have we pottering around the house painting this and that looking for any signs of life outside, and then one morning an elderly gent could be seen with a wheel barrow climbing up and down the embankment gathering twiggy things,sort of gauze with really spiky thorns well why?until we learn the lingo we may never no,for goats or the fire we thought.Anyway back to the tale,the man only had one arm,how dose a guy with one arm steer a wheelbarrow?all to much for David,it was bitterly cold so armed (excuse that)with the words pomosht помощ(help)off he went got the van out next i saw was a prickly wheelbarrow lift into the van and the man heading for the van door and away they went.On his return we laughed,the poor sole was bemused think he thought David was pinching the barrow,anyway man and load got home the easy way for a change (if i can help somebody as the song goes).

Work in the garden(Febuary 15th 2008)

2010-01-16T08:09:00.000-08:00

Its time to prepare the garden for our veggie patch,Viloo our trusty shepherd,security and master of all !rotovated the garden for us,we had it ploughed before Christmas now it needs chopping finner.A giggle for onlookers this slightly built man trying to control an elderly looking machine which many times wanted to give up and die, fighting his way across an acre of rough terrain.I being the help full sort made a drink an answer to all things, Tea.David watched on in ore, almost finished !Valoo stoped and with one single word Krava(cow's)downed tools and went herding his animals returning to finish the job 15minutes later.

More wood required!(Febuary 13th 2008)

2010-01-14T22:37:00.000-08:00

Today we have been for more fire wood,met Sonnie and Mike in town and set off to the wood yard what a giggle although it was absolutely freezing.Sonnie explained how we ordered and after some deliberation on the cubic metre required we order three pallets 1 cubic metre on each,they were weighed to check and then a pick up truck was called a lad proceeded to put 3 pallets on a flat back van smaller then ours and yes they did it !!!!!!just so comical wouldn't couldn't happen in England.

A Very busy Day(Febuary5th2008)

2010-01-12T23:54:00.000-08:00

What a busy week and its only Tuesday,up at 7am(haven't seen that time in a will)breki and away to Yambol by 8.30 to register the van.In Bulgaria it is the law and it lasts for 5 years.first we get insurance 180lv,then to the register office to fill the forms 7.60lv,then we line up to have the van mot'd(checked for road worthiness)vim and chassis number found,back lights,indicaters,and brakes checked,but no headlight,Tyre,seat belt,etc,etc.out to another office 57lv for the test and 4lv for the new number plates.Back to the first office pick up the new plates,we have to lake the old plates off and they put new on,back to the office hand in the old plates to be cut up Bingo! three hours finished.It's worth mentioning that last year it look 2 days and more so improving all the time,home Jame's(David)in time for cuppa lunch and dog in morning!!!!!!!!

A Trip to the Vet's. Febuary 2nd 2008

2010-01-10T23:17:00.000-08:00

Today with great reluctance we take Jazz for his rabbis booster,I say this because although it will be a relief to have him up to date with his jabs its going to hurt us deeply,he of course wont feel a thing(well he didn't last time)we will god were daft.We park the van in a place we know best which just happens to be across town from the vet's so the poor dog is more or less dragged along partly cos he's constantly trying to pee on every post but also cos were scarred he will do something much worse in front of the Bulgarian builder's who just happen to be working all down the road we have taken(such an uncouth lot!!!)hurray we arrive.After waiting our turn we enter the sugary,the vet a very nice man sets about explaining in sign, broken Bulgarian English and mobile phone with interpreter on the end(they don't get stuck these Bulgarians)to cut a story short we went in for rabbis and left with Rabbis,Parvo,Canine Flue,distemper,and 2 others plus worming and flea treatment 50 lv a bargain and Jazz never flinched.