What can I say …..I asked for a fireplace and that’s what I’ve got. What I failed to ask for was a working fireplace……and I’ve got one that doesn’t !!!!
Jesus wept….F****** Ivan didn’t bother to check that the chimneys worked…it would appear that I have fifty feet of blocked chimneys and these useless bastards didn’t bother to test them before they built the fireplace…….so what I’ve got just now, is a rather impressive ornament holder…..God give me strength !!!!
So instead of having a nice warm house, I’m still bringing the entire Miladinovtsi grid to a grinding halt while I try to warm the house with electric heaters. AND I now have to try and find a chimney sweep. And yes, the crashing sound is the continuing downward spiral of the temperature….completely clear night tonight with a big fat moon looking down on me, but it just doesn’t seem as beautiful tonight because the air is soooooo cold.
The agent is trying to contact the Mayor to find out if there is someone local who can do the job, but he appears to have gone AWOL, so once again I wait….and wait……and wait.
At least today I did manage to get the stairwell painting completed so tomorrow I’ll be able to hang the family, so to speak. I’m putting my family pics down the stairwell, so the first thing anyone will see when they enter the house is a range of Mercers peering down at them……. a scary thought for some perhaps :o)
Tomorrow I’m expecting the airconditioning guys to install a couple of units in the downstairs bedrooms…it’s very cold down there and I’m sure my guests must be suffering….even though they insist that they are OK. I don’t believe them as I was down there today and it was as cold as a grave. Hopefully tomorrow night they will at least have warm bedrooms.
And the local garden clearing ladies are due at 8am…..the yard needs another clear up and has to be ploughed before the winter really sets in. It’s also time for me to get bulbs in…I’ve bought a mass of tulips and daffodils, so that will be something to look forward to in spring. And garlic…..everyone is planting their garlic just now, so once the ground is turned over, I’ll fling a few million garlic cloves in as well……gotta have garlic…
Oh, and fruit trees….the markets are full of fruit trees at the moment so I reckon another cherry tree, pear, apples & peach tree might be a damned fine idea…and they’re all there just waiting for me to buy them….and I’ve been told I need to get them in before the first frost, which I suspect isn’t too far away.
Things are going well with my current guests. Bill & Leslie are a very pleasant couple and I’m enjoying them being here…and, of course, they have the lovely Bess with them and she’s a constant source of fun. Bill has been regaling me me with stories of his days down the coal mines, which I’ve found very interesting…and he’s a very funny man. He’s a pretty typical Scot and is a witty bastard, which is nice to have around the house. Leslie is fairly quiet, but a lovely women nonetheless….I suspect Bill may be the dominant person in the marriage. :o)
Time to shower and hit the sack….I’m being woken early tomorrow by Katia and friend for the start on my yard….
Leka Nosht
