13th October 2013 While I was off taking Banjo on his usual walk (same route as yesterday, though unfortunately deer-free), David got stuck into cleaning the kitchen. I suspect he knew full well that dinner might not materialise unless there was a surface clear enough to prepare food on, utensils free of yesterday’s crusty evidence,… Continue Reading

12th October 2013 I awoke to the unwelcome sight of several more dead kerlinkas scattered across the duvet. Hoping the strange taste lingering in my mouth wasn’t some sort of insect protein, I washed it away with a comforting honey coffee before taking Banjo on his longest walk yet. We passed the cemetery (picturesque, if… Continue Reading

10th October 2013 During the night, newly qualified David Nixon of the RAF executed a bombing raid and returned to base with a dam burst and bomb bays emptier than a pub on a Tuesday night. The day that followed was less glamorous but equally destructive, this time directed at our nerves. With both barns… Continue Reading

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… Continue Reading

9th October 2013 Another hot and sunny one! With the pressure easing, our work pace was more leisurely, yet we still managed to finish cladding the other end of the barn. Despite the maddeningly complex angles, it fitted, almost as if we knew what we were doing. Flushed with success, we turned to the back… Continue Reading

8th October 2013  A glorious sunny day, fit for shorts and T-shirts. We didn’t surface until 9 am, and with only a few forlorn grains left in the coffee jar, our “morning brew” ended up being mostly life-giving honey with a whisper of caffeine. By around 11 am (scandalous by our usual standards), we finally… Continue Reading

7th October 2013 Another bright, frosty start to the day. Woke at 8 am, revived myself with a strong coffee, and took Banjo for his customary trot down the lane. On our way back, we bumped into Mark from across the way, striding out on his morning constitutional. We exchanged a few words about the… Continue Reading

6th October 2013 We woke late to a morning of frost and bright sunshine, a welcome change from the usual gloom. After a strong coffee to shake off the chill, we managed to coax our now thoroughly wheezy car into action and headed into Dryanovo. First stop: the garage, where David was due to pick… Continue Reading

5th October 2013 Another bitterly cold day, but with supplies running dangerously low, we had a mission to Sevlievo. Work clothes were reluctantly swapped for something clean, warm, and only slightly wrinkled, almost like going on holiday, if your idea of a holiday includes dodging potholes and negotiating for wood. The journey was grey and… Continue Reading

4th October 2013 A cold but mercifully dry day greeted us, merciful in that it hadn’t turned the garden into a quagmire overnight. We spent the morning securing the last two supporting pillars under the sagging beams of the pool barn. Miraculously, all went off without a hitch: the car jack behaved like a champion,… Continue Reading