The last two days have been very productive. Boris’s mom came out the village, we had to figure out the water and she paid the tax for the next couple of years on the house, I am holding on to the receipts. One thing in Bulgaria, concerning the car, the company, and whatever else, the tax needs to be paid first, and then everything gets done, however the tax is very cheap.
Yesterday, a local plumber fixed the water problem and now the water is flowing; the well also has water deep down into the ground, but not for drinking. The last two days we cleared out all the junk in the summer house, and a guy with a horse drawn wagon hauled it away. We also found the stash of wood and coal, bag loads of coal, and plenty of wood, I might just buy two cubic meters of wood to be on the safe side for this winter.
The big expenses, I thought, (wood stove, boiler, and wood/coal) will not be an expense. I will have the plumber change the piping in the shower room and buy a new shower head. What a giant help Boris’ mother has been getting the summer house cleaned out, the dry kitchen was the worst. Boris’ mother lives in Greece and is leaving to go back home on Friday. Aneta (Boris’ cousin) showed me around the town that is 5 kilometers away.
I will be staying in Hisar until Monday, taking a break. Zhivko (Boris’ bother) will head out on Monday, for the week with me to the house. We will prepare the summer room to sleep in, cut the grass and put up a shade awning, and start painting, tiling, and put in new piping in the shower room. Then we will paint and tile the winter room and entryway. Tomorrow in Hisar, Zhivko and I will get the car registered, switch the insurance into my name, and order the DSL for the house; I also need to get the oil changed in the car. We will also look for a weed whipper and an awning, and a few other supplies.
I am so happy to have the summer house cleaned out. When I saw the multiple bags of coal that is located in a locked room by the winter house, my eyes lighted up, also there is tons of paper and cardboard to start the fire this winter. There is a chicken coop in the back, it would be nice to have some chickens. I could get some eggs and at some point in time cutting off a chicken’s head, butchering his ass, and make some fresh organic chicken soup—it’s a long shot.
If you are a control freak, avoid moving to a foreign country. One thing I have learned is that the people here know their country, and village, and what works best—trust is essential. The plumber uses horse hair against the threads to prevent a leakage. I was kind of surprised when the horse wagon pulled into the yard. I must say, Boris’s mother found the right connections in the village. Uncle George (Aneta’s dad who is Boris’ grandfathers brother, who built the summer house) says he will stop by for some tea on a regular basis. He is a really nice guy, although it seems like he thinks I understand the language. Some of the locals just talk, and talk, I just nod my head the Bulgarian style.
I met the neighborly drunk, I think he excited that I might have a TV, sorry, not where I live, his mother is bent at the waste. The old people that are bent at the waste is from chronic farming.