If You Go Down To The Woods Today

I am guessing that many of us who are fortunate to live over here are enjoying this mild winter. It is taking a bit of getting used to, but I will continue to struggle on valiantly. The final patch of snow in the garden has finally succumbed to global warming, it disappeared yesterday. When I stop to think that we haven't had any fresh snowfall since November it hasn't lasted too badly. Some are predicting that more snow could be on the way, possibly arriving at the end of next week. If we do get any real winter it is liable to be short and sharp. The good news is that everyone will soon be on Stork watch, just so that they can get their grubby Martenitsas off of their wrists. The shorts will also be out, but the bad news is that my knees will also be getting an airing again.

The good thing with this milder weather is that we can get out and about for walks. Hopefully some will remember that we started last week with a walk along the river at Parvomaytsi, and that weather permitting we had planned another walk for this weekend. We are quite fortunate in that at the back of the village we have a large heathland and then woodland, which is an ideal place to go for a bit of a ramble. Yesterday morning reminded me of something that I should possibly have taken into consideration. The first thing I heard when I woke yesterday was gunfire, we were either being invaded or the hunters were out and about. From the sound of some of the rifle fire there were some larger calibres being used as well. I did start to devise an alternate route for the ramble up round one of the lakes, but after about 10 the shooting stopped. Which was quite fortunate.

So just after midday, well we had to have the compulsory coffee before starting, we set off. Initially the going was easy as we headed through the village to get to the heathland at the back. Some years it does seem very overgrown, but in the autumn the tractors had been up there, I'm guessing they had been getting a lot of winter feed for the animals. Even on the heathland there are some trees, and after inspecting them carefully, we decided that there was no one hiding inside them. The comment was made, that despite it being the middle of January you could hear an awful lot of birdsong. It was very true, and those who had dressed up as though they were going to be tackling the North face of the Eiger were soon regretting wearing quite so many clothes. The day wasn't hot, but there was no real breeze to move the warm air about. Considering the alternative, where we have had a metre of snow in the village, I know which option I prefer. Thankfully we didn't have to use these trees as cover from the hunters, but then again we weren't in stealth mode either. So we continued sauntering across the heathland, heading for the woodland at the far side. Previously we had barely entered into the woodland so it was going to be uncharted territory for all of us.

There is definitely some form of woodland management which goes on as we found this feeding station hidden amongst the trees. As to whether it is for Deer or Boar we are not certain, but there were plenty of corn cobs (or maize) and salt blocks placed there. It just seemed a bit strange coming across something like that in the woods, but in a nice way. We have also been told that not far from the village is the ruins of either a small castle, fortress or monastery, so everyone was keeping their eyes peeled for anything else out of the ordinary. For the most part the going was easy as we followed logging trails. The trucks had compacted the trails down quite nicely, and thanks to the lack of rain even the ground wasn't that muddy. Or at least that was the case in the early stages. We pushed on ever deeper into the woods, despite none of us knowing where we were heading, sticking to these logging trails seemed quite a good option, even someone had been round painting black and white marks on some of the trees. Heaven only knows what paint they use, but it can't be the same stuff we use. We got some washable paint, but if you look at it in the wrong way it seems to wear away, but this stuff they mark trees and rocks with seems to stay there for ages.

Getting away from civilisation you realise that you could be anywhere in the world. OK, maybe not a tropical rain forest, but it just seemed to be us lot and the common language was English. Even the breeze was not in evidence, so it was just us lot accompanied by the twittering of birds in the trees. Walking through these woodlands it is easy to see just how mild this winter has been, as there are still plenty of berries on the trees and bushes. It will be interesting to see just how many wild flowers grow in the woods in a few weeks time. Even as we were ambling along yesterday I could see wild hellebores, but I am hoping there will be a lot more poking their heads up through the carpet of leaves. In a way I am quite glad that this is all left natural. Had someone like the National Trust got hold of it there would be regimented pathways between points, bridle paths for horse riders and the mountain bikers trying to run people over. On the positive side though there would be somewhere to aim for to get a coffee at the halfway point. We did all agree that it would be an ideal setting for a picnic, and I am sure that will be on the cards for later this year.  

This is one of the joys, well for me anyway, about living here. I can fall out of bed with the idea about going for a wander in the countryside, and I can do just that as it is right on our doorstep. We managed to go through the woods and once we got to the thinner areas of trees the famous Bulgarian mud began to appear. For those who have never encountered this before, the easiest way to describe it is Super Glue. This stuff really does stick. If you are walking along and all of a sudden your feet become heavier and heavier, until it feels as though you are wearing a pair of diving boots, you know that Bulgarian mud has got a death grip on your boot. There are advantages as you do tend to grow a couple of inches. I did go past this lot to see if it was any clearer but if anything it looked as though the logging lorries had turned it into a cross country rally course. As we had been traipsing along for nearly two hours it seemed a sensible idea to start heading back. It might have been a wise decision as we did hear more rifle shots in the distance. Perhaps it was the two individuals with the metal detector in a field who were playing a tape of BBC sound effects, although I somehow doubt it.

Whether it is true or not, I have been told that once upon a time tanks were stationed up near the village. We did find several areas that looked as though they could have been revetments, or sangers, . There is certainly an airstrip the other side of the village, and what appears to be a bunker in Strelets, so there might be some truth in it. The return leg always seems that much quicker than the outward journey. The clinging mud had decided that it didn't really want to head for drier land, and we all had an urgent appointment with coffee. As we had expended all of that energy what better way to replenish our reserves than with pasty, beans and  chips. We have been eagerly looking at the forecast to see if we can get another walk in before the end of the month, and it is definitely looking possible. Hopefully by then the twinges will have eased out in knees, hips and ankles. It is great to be able to get out and about and enjoy all of these things.  

The End Is Nigh (The End Of 2013 That Is)

Well we have made it a third of the way through December now. There have been no further outbreaks of snow since we had that last lot dumped on us, however that is still lingering on here. Bulgarian snow seems funny stuff, it doesn't seem to melt but it does seem to shrink. There is plenty of water running out of the drainpipes, but the snow is still quite thick up on rooftops. One good thing about the snow up there is that it act as an insulator. The other day I was able to get up in the attic and remove the summer's wasps nests. I thought that we would have had a couple, and waited a few days until I was sure that all of the little buggers would be asleep and hibernating. I ended up removing about a dozen and a half nests. It must have been quite noisy up there during those hot days and nights. Still, I daresay that come next summer they will be back again, as they are a bit sneaky like that.



Anyway, even though we are this far into winter, to my mind it isn't the proper winter yet. That normally saves itself for January and February. So there is still plenty to do to get ready for the proper winter. One such task was accomplished today, and that involved the making of Pasties. So today we have made about a dozen individual ones and a big serving tray sized one. Once cool this will be cut up into individual portions. We have also got the Steak and Kidney in the slow cooker ready for tomorrow's pie making session, which only leaves Chicken and Mushroom to go. Maybe some people will question why so many pies, but there is nothing wrong with eating something with a bit of bodybehind it when it is daftly cold outside. Well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. I would have photographed today's offerings but apparently I was eating them almost as fast as they were coming out of the oven. They are now securely stored away from my grubby liitle mits. I am pleased to report that even though I managed to get flour and pastry all over the kitchen, I ended up quite unscathed.

With the end of 2013 comes the start of 2014, and in one way I am hoping that the UK does get deluged by hundreds of thousands of Bulgarians and Romanians. I am actually quite disgusted at the way that these people have been portrayed by not only the British press, but also by British politicians too. The self same people who also want to vote for a much higher than inflation pay rise of 11%. Surely they cannot be so far removed from reality to think that people will be happy to accept that. Sometimes I wonder whether all of tis jumping up and down about Bulgarians and Romanians is just a smoke screen to get things like this passed without too much notice. I do remembe the times when various newspapers had a political slant, either one way or the other. Now it seems almost as though it is the press who are trying to sway the policy makers. They seem to be doing a fine job of leading the public by the nose about January 1st.

Well here is a newsflash for you, Bulgarians and Romanians have been living and working amongst you for years. Where was the public outcry then? They have been paying their taxes and national insurance, just like everybody else. Does anyone shout about this? People claim that those from these countries are not educated. I am sorry to report that many of them are better educated than I am, and hopefully I'm not thick. Just consider that many Bulgarians and Romanians already in the UK, not only speak their own languages but alongside English they can also speak a third or a fourth language. How many Brits can say the same, as I know that I can't.

Some of you might have seen this kind of rubbish. It just panders to those who still cling to the idea that the UK still has an Empire, or that they are a major player on the political world's stage. Take a look around you and what do you see? Streets full of rubbish, buildings in decay and disrepair, people begging on the streets, a health service in decline, the elderly frightened to go out at night, but they struggle to keep themselves warm. To my mind this hardly seems like a good indication of a 'great' country. maybe people should be thankful that others still want to go there. January 1st 2014 is nothing new, it has been approaching for a long while now. What was done about it five years ago, or even last year? Now all of a sudden these two headed Bulgmanian and Rogarian pet eaters are the greatest threat to English society. If it wasn't so frightening it would be pathetic. The UK press and certain politicians have done a fine job about stirring up the masses. I am not just talking about the ill educated people, there are also intelligent people who are buying into this rubbish. I am quite happy to state that in the five years that I have lived here not once have I seen anyone with two heads. I have never seen anyone eying up any of our dogs and cats whilst licking their lips.

There is so much more to Bulgaria than Sunny Beach and the Ski resorts. Certainly Sunny Beach seems to appeal to the neanderthal element of British tourism. Anywhere for cheap drink and fags, and when drunk make a complete fool of themselves. Yet these same people feel that it is acceptable to malign the Bulgarians and Romanians. How many of these drunken louts can even say please or thank you in Bulgarian, never mind actually hold a conversation. Do they not know just how much beauty is such a short distance away? Maybe they don't care about the wealth of history that has helped to make these two countries what they are today. To all of the ignorant drunken louts who visit Sunny Beach and mouth off at the Bulgarians thinking that they don't understand you, the truth is they do but they have a lot more manners than you have. The Bulgarians who I have been fortunate enough to meet are the same as you or I. They don't want something for nothing, they are a proud people who only want what is best for their families. If that means working 2500 miles away at some menial job then they are prepared to do so, which is more than can be said for a lot of the British benefit scroungers. The Bulgarians and Romanians have rights too, and one of these rights, come January 1st, is to work where they choose throughout Europe. Some might go to the UK, oters might not. For those who elect to try the UK please treat them in the same way that their countrymen have treated us, with warmth, friendliness and respect. Is that too much to ask?

There are certain amongst the wealthy in the UK who feel that their wealth can influence politics. One such person is a one time Tory backer, Paul Sykes. He has now decided to put his wealth behind UKIP, no wonder Mr Farage is smiling. All of the while that people are jumping up and down about January 1st there is still a growing number of immigrants from outside of the EU who are still entering into the UK. Do these people have a legal entitlement, and what is being done to curb their numbers? All the while this is happening Bulgaria is taking in Syrian refugees. So which is the 'great' nation, or which nation is showing a level of common decency to put it another way. To my mind the UK is a broken country, and this has been brought about by Politicians, and the media with a common thread between the two, the wealthy.

So although I am English I have been made to feel more welcome in Bulgaria than I ever was in the UK. To any Bulgarians and Romanians who might read this I can only offer my humble apologies for the disgusting way in which the country of my birth has seen fit to treat you. So this is probably a good time for me to put my soap box away, and to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas wherever you may be .