16th June
Sometimes I don’t feel like I live in Bulgaria – I feel like I live in this field! I’m not complaining – there is so much to do and it’s a very beautiful field. Everytime I look up from doing one thing I see half a dozen other things – but all in good time I have to keep telling myself. Someone kindly told me the other day that growing food organically takes a lot of time and is very labour intensive – that thought has made me laugh a few times when the sweat is stinging my eyes when I’m in the field slowly picking off the white fly from the cabbage! I have for the first time in my life found a use for sweat bands! I look silly of course but there’s no-one here – it’s a bit of old curtain actually –not the thing you’d wear at the gym!. Life here reminds me of India when I think about the work, the fields, using the traditional tools and the heat – but at least I don’t have walk up and down a mountain to go to the shop!
Its been interesting being here on my own all of this month – I’ve remembered that I am crap at getting up at 6 in the morning and being sensible to do work before the sun come out full blast. That’s easier when there’s a few people around – and I just cant sleep in the afternoon – mad dogs and Englishwomen….that’s me. Its light here till about 9 at night so I do lots of work then and of course now that there’s no-one here to talk to, I’m reading! My children will know that this is fatal – once I’m into a book that’s me stuck there. Watched a few videos too but I have resisted the temptation to watch a series of 24! That would be fatal and somehow Jack Bauer just doesn’t connect with Voditsa. I’ll keep that for the long winter nights.
Everything is growing now – the next bit is the Gardener’s World bit – I’ve got masses of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and courgettes all about to produce something– the potatoes are getting big although they are well behind everyone else and I’ve got lovely crops of basil, cumin and coriander. I do miss going to the Asian shops for the rich variety of vegetables but at least i have the spices and herbs. I’ve got a few million beans too – no onions – I was too late for them this year and the aubergines are very slow. And finally the parsnips have come up – there was a little cold spell a week or so ago and up they came – just when I was about to give up on them.
I also have about a hundred pumpkins and loads of sweet melons and as for the trees….. I cant believe the amount of fruit! Great find of the week was a mulberry tree – it was always there but I didn’t know what it was till it began to fruit – mulberry liqueur has just been added to the list. It also feels like I can sit and watch the vines grow – they move at a phenomenal rate and there are loads of bunches already – all very exciting. Sorry if that didn’t grab the non-gardeners amongst you but you will enjoy the fruits of the labour if you come to visit – or maybe buy some St James Park organic liqueur for Christmas presents?
There is also a big climbing thing growing up the side of the house that has just been an ant superhighway since I’ve been here but this year it has just produced the most stunning huge orange flowers – like big long trumpet things. I will put a photo on the web site and maybe someone can tell me the name.
I’m actually starting to get the hang of the biodynamic idea – I stopped myself tidying up the vines the other day because the Moon was in Leo and it wasn’t the right day. I love the idea that hoeing allows cosmic influences into the soil and you’ve just got to know which particular cosmic influence is around that day. It may sound mad but really its just reconnecting with the energy that’s all around us – in the earth and the connection with the moon. More as I learn more myself.
The saga of Alan goes on – she really needs a transfer but I don’t know how. Maybe I’ll stick a notice outside the gate. She’s so unhappy – we went up the hill the other evening and she just ran back and forward and looked like she was smiling! Made me feel so guilty. Anyone want to buy a sheep – only 3leva per kilo?
A note on wind – being English and coming from the North East, I am an expert on wind and there isn’t very much of it here! Its strange and a bit disquieting sometimes to have no movement at all in the air. But just before it rains, there is always an amazing big blast of wind that comes out of nowhere. And when it thunders, which is quite often, the air starts to move quite violently. I just looked in the dictionary and there is only one word for wind and no word for gale! Interesting.
My lovely friend Mary in Ireland has inspired me to offer short adventure holidays – not everyone wants to volunteer and work hard for 35 hours a week and some people just like to do something very different for a holiday especially if they’re alone. More on that as the idea develops.
I’m just about full now for volunteers till the end of September and someone has already booked in for next spring! There are three people coming in July plus I’m looking forward to a visit from the Geordie lass who’s been in the frozen Arctic. Ed and Jess’s house buying seems to be going ahead OK and maybe Jo has found a good place too. I’m excited about next year – we’ll be able to do things more easily together – might even get an EU project together…? It’ll be great to have more volunteering opportunities – now every time I open my email I have to say no to people – there aren’t enough hosts in Bulgaria at the moment. But having all these English speakers around is terrible for my Bulgarian which is coming along terribly! A woman called Anna from up the street comes in every day for a hour to help me – I can now read stuff OK but I cant remember what it all means!
Got some new residents – two swallows have been checking out the place for the last couple of weeks and now its looks like they’ve decided to build a nest in the ceiling of the veranda. There’s an old chain hanging here and they sit on it, chatting away. They brought a load of friends in before and that was a bit hectic ..and noisy. I suppose a nest full of chicks will be too but I do feel very privileged that I can be so close to them.
Just realised they weren’t inviting in their friends – they were defending their territory! I’ve just narrowly missed being dive bombed while I’m sitting here.
I did actually get up at 6 this morning to put some biodynamic preparation on the plants. this involved energising the water for an hour before spraying it but I did manage to do it while the dew was still on the grass. I was then going to have an early night but I was invited, at the usual 2 minutes notice, to eat with some neighbours – Stoika the post mistress. Her daughter was here from Spain and I ended up coming home quite drunk around midnight – went straight to sleep and got woken by Drago at 7.30 reminding me to pay my water bill.
I must go and pay some loving attention to my hands before I go to Popovo – they look terrible!
By the way – its lovely being so switched off from the horrible things on the news but sometimes I think I should keep in touch a bit – if anyone wants to send me their Sunday papers after they’ve read them or the occasional Guardian – that would be lovely. I remember in India when the Observer arrived, whatever day it was became a Sunday– Davy made breakfast and I sat around reading the paper.
June 24thI have moved outside now – I got Drago and Jorge to help me move the stove outside so now I really only come in the house to sleep.
Svetla came round the other night in major Bulgarian pessimist mode. I’m sure she is convinced that I will die through my choice to live here – that’s what she kept telling about being here in the winter! I don’t think she quite gets why people are coming here (not just for the property investment!). She can’t know how unhealthy the UK is as a place to live and working hard in this field everyday and just living on what I grow is a much better way of life. Its hard to explain that some people actively reject the lifestyle that most of the undeveloped world strives for – actually it’s the morals and ethics (or lack of them) behind that lifestyle that I reject.
I have been quite unhappy that the strimmer wasn’t working and thinking about the hassles involved in taking it back. Then I did a very radical thing – for me! I read the instructions and hey presto – it works. I bet Jane Miller is sitting there nodding sagely right now!!
I’m still developing my skills with the kosa, but the strimmer is a lot more efficient for me right now.
The swallows are getting on fine with their house building although they do make a mess and the invasion of the little yellow plums has started. There are a few million in the process of falling. First batch of plum liqueur is about to get started.
Lots of love to everyone and I look forward to hearing a bit about your lives.