10th October 2013 

Banjo’s early morning walk was alive with wildlife, squirrels darting across the lane, deer springing into the fields. Despite his modest size, Banjo charges at his “prey” with heroic enthusiasm, only for each creature to vanish long before he’s within reach. One day, I hope, something might stand its ground. That will be a spectacle worth seeing.

Breakfast was coffee and a handful of walnuts, after which we set to work on the final touches of the pool barn. Ridge tiles were laid, fascia boards fitted, guttering adjusted, and, our flourish, a wind chime hung from one of the exposed beams. A small touch, but a pleasing one.

David then embarked on a rather different mission: a “medical run” into Dryanovo to secure some laxatives. Having not yet contributed to the Ritya sewage system in nearly a week, his belly was beginning to resemble a reservoir at critical capacity. After a quick dosage consultation with Milen, he downed a couple of pills. And so we wait, the “Dam Busters” theme faintly playing in the background.

Meanwhile, I bent the metal sheets into place for the wood store roof, and by the time the last tool was stowed, the afternoon sun still had plenty of life left in it. We rounded off the day with a walk, up past the village cemetery, where an overgrown track lured us into a small patch of woodland. It opened onto a meadow with an almost alpine feel, laced with animal tracks and blessed with sweeping views over the mountains beyond Dryanovo. We lingered there, bathed in golden autumn light, before wandering a tree-lined path for a while longer. Banjo, granted a lift to take in the scenery, swivelled his little head as if marvelling at the vastness before him.

Back home, we dined at the bar and attempted a film, but exhaustion claimed us well before the credits. Banjo and I fell into sleep together, safe in the knowledge that, for now at least, the Mohne, Eder, Sorpe, and Nixon dams would remain intact.