Since coming to Bulgaria in 2005 the weather here has been a series of extremes - why is this happening?
The winter of 2005/2006 saw temperatures dip to minus 24 C something not seen for 40 years in Bulgaria breaking records along the way. Snow fall was here as expected but Bulgaria didn't stop working, just a few more bits of clothing put on with the wood-burners still not having to work to their limit as they are so effective in radiating heat.
Although water was frozen for much of the time, not just outside but inside, there was never a danger of being without water as the clean Bulgaria snow could be melted and used in place of piped and high level well water. In fact in Skalitsa no well water froze up as it lays 23 metres below ground level, even at minus 24 C the system pumped out bullets of ice that have formed in the higher level standing water in the pipes.
The following summer was normal by Bulgarian standards and although there was extended periods without rain the growing season was fantastic and everything thrived in the sub-med conditions waving around 30-35 C for most of the year. In fact from April to November the only real change in temperatures were in the evening when the sun went down ranging from chilly to cold.
The there was last winter, the mildest anyone can remember in Bulgaria, perhaps a couple of days of snow but just a sprinkle this time. Below freezing temperatures throughout this season was quite rare and even then, at best it only dropped to around minus 8 degrees. Of course the winter resorts being high up will alway get the perfect conditions for snow but on the Thracian plain just above seas level something just didn't feel right about the whole weather system.
You just know that a mild winter leads to all sorts of problems in the following summer, not least an invasion of pests and bugs that should have been killed off by the cold. And so it was, but that's another blog subject but you might be interested to read: Indoor Cricket in Bulgaria
So this year and summer where again record breaking temperatures reaching 48 C were not only reached but sustained over a few days in June. Without any real rainfall before this has now caused a total crop failure but not purely from the lack of rain but from the crops not being able to survive the intense heat from what the Bulgarians called African weather.
We are now just over midway through summer right now and temperatures continue to raise concern and today at the end of August 38 C was recorded.
Bulgaria like many other countries worldwide is experiencing extremes of weather but life in Bulgaria will adapt to whatever is thrown at it, it is that kind of country. They will deal with the crop failures and inevitable rise in prices of food from it. They will deal in in other ways with the lack of preserved food for the winter being the most resourceful people I have ever known.
Weather in Bulgaria happens and when in extremes there is no other place I know that I would rather be with the people who know how to deal with crisis situations. The Bulgarians have a history of dealing with these situations after all.
One last point - A friend of mine who was on duty in Iraq with the Bulgarian Army had to endure 67 C during the day and below freezing conditions during the night - I may add that is normal for Iraq! Now thats something to put into perspective.
Skalitsa Healing Stones - More Evidence!
It was August, schools closed and a breather for many teachers and families in the UK - There we were in Skalitsa not having seen two sets of very good friends for a number of years and would you know it they both decided to call upon me during the same week!
We managed to stagger their visits to my Skalitsa farmhouse not to coincide as we went about showing off our Bulgarian village and how wonderful life was here.
The first couple were a old school friend a Rock 'n Roll entertainer and part time school caretaker with his future wife a Head Teacher. Both were full of the stresses from work added to which aches and pains that show with ages approaching the big 50.
The journey to Skalitsa was a long one having to travel from London to the Midlands to get the flight, then travel another 4 hours from Sofia to Yambol before being picked up and transported to Skalitsa, but this was August and the only travel avenue open having not booked early.
Both in a strange place where not much sleep was had with many hours of talk and catching up on news. However some home-grown salad and home-made sliva rakia of course did help a bit!
The next morning a lack of sleep had affect as we walked the short distance to the healing stones as not only a remedy for the aching bodies but maybe as an experiment on the curative properties for hangovers.
We lay there for some 25 minutes and let the stones to their stuff and do you know, the hangover feeling was lost in a very short space of time. There wasn't just a spring in the village but a spring in our step as we walked down the hill toward the bar just 5 minutes away for a coffee.
To be quite honest these good friends of mine were stunned into silence in the strong Skalitsa sun confessing that it was like having their batteries recharged and joined oiled. We then walked to a local reservoir and had use of a paddle boat on the mirror waters after seeing the Alex and Julia the two ostriches on the bank.
These friends were still stunned with the beauty of the whole area and swear to return here for therapeutic affects they now believe the rocks possess.
The first friends were now off to the Black Sea Coast full of energy as I bring back my other friends one a College lecturer and his new wife a professional viola player. She in particular has many problems with her shoulder, well that comes as part of her vocation and is common with many viola players, myself included, until recently of course.
We took our viola playing friend to the rocks after a good night sleep and as she lay there she didn't want to leave as the warmth of the rocks just felt so comfortable with the knowledge of what had gone on before that may solve some problems. We finally left as we visited the 150 year old St. George Church in Skalitsa that was full of treasures just below where the rocks are situated.
Back in my farmhouse it was commented that she felt like she had been asleep for days and was fully refreshed no reoccurring twinges on her bowing shoulder and fully fit for the rest of the vacation here. Again comments on how beautiful the countryside was here and how lucky we were to live here.
It never fails to amaze that all that have been to the stones have come out of it at the very least full of life and more often than not free of previous aches and pains including now hangovers!
My friends have told me that they will monitor their health and report back on whether the improvements continue when they get back to the UK.
As for me, well nearly 9 months on and my shoulder still feels as good as new and with two more bursts of magnetic powers given from these Skalitsa healing stones this last week should continue with the added evidence to hand recently.
To read about the first experience with the Skalitsa Healing Stones the link is given here:
We managed to stagger their visits to my Skalitsa farmhouse not to coincide as we went about showing off our Bulgarian village and how wonderful life was here.
The first couple were a old school friend a Rock 'n Roll entertainer and part time school caretaker with his future wife a Head Teacher. Both were full of the stresses from work added to which aches and pains that show with ages approaching the big 50.
The journey to Skalitsa was a long one having to travel from London to the Midlands to get the flight, then travel another 4 hours from Sofia to Yambol before being picked up and transported to Skalitsa, but this was August and the only travel avenue open having not booked early.
Both in a strange place where not much sleep was had with many hours of talk and catching up on news. However some home-grown salad and home-made sliva rakia of course did help a bit!
The next morning a lack of sleep had affect as we walked the short distance to the healing stones as not only a remedy for the aching bodies but maybe as an experiment on the curative properties for hangovers.We lay there for some 25 minutes and let the stones to their stuff and do you know, the hangover feeling was lost in a very short space of time. There wasn't just a spring in the village but a spring in our step as we walked down the hill toward the bar just 5 minutes away for a coffee.
To be quite honest these good friends of mine were stunned into silence in the strong Skalitsa sun confessing that it was like having their batteries recharged and joined oiled. We then walked to a local reservoir and had use of a paddle boat on the mirror waters after seeing the Alex and Julia the two ostriches on the bank.
These friends were still stunned with the beauty of the whole area and swear to return here for therapeutic affects they now believe the rocks possess.
The first friends were now off to the Black Sea Coast full of energy as I bring back my other friends one a College lecturer and his new wife a professional viola player. She in particular has many problems with her shoulder, well that comes as part of her vocation and is common with many viola players, myself included, until recently of course.
We took our viola playing friend to the rocks after a good night sleep and as she lay there she didn't want to leave as the warmth of the rocks just felt so comfortable with the knowledge of what had gone on before that may solve some problems. We finally left as we visited the 150 year old St. George Church in Skalitsa that was full of treasures just below where the rocks are situated.Back in my farmhouse it was commented that she felt like she had been asleep for days and was fully refreshed no reoccurring twinges on her bowing shoulder and fully fit for the rest of the vacation here. Again comments on how beautiful the countryside was here and how lucky we were to live here.
It never fails to amaze that all that have been to the stones have come out of it at the very least full of life and more often than not free of previous aches and pains including now hangovers!
My friends have told me that they will monitor their health and report back on whether the improvements continue when they get back to the UK.
As for me, well nearly 9 months on and my shoulder still feels as good as new and with two more bursts of magnetic powers given from these Skalitsa healing stones this last week should continue with the added evidence to hand recently.
To read about the first experience with the Skalitsa Healing Stones the link is given here:
Healing Stones - Skalitsa - Bulgaria
Indoor Cricket in Bulgaria
For those who think that cricket isn't popular in Bulgaria, this is not the case. Many have been stumped as to why this year in particular many Bulgarian homes have been bowled over with the invasion of this cricket. 
The cricket field is to blame as the hard and cracked surface without any signs of greenery have led to a very attacking formation all closed into the defense of the batmen on guard. It really has turned into cricket in the Bulgarian home.
Let me make this more clear.......
Many areas of Bulgaria and certainly, rural homes in the southeast of Bulgaria have been swarmed with black field crickets.
Many people including Bulgarians have been deep in talk about the problem and many are forced to spend out, (a rare occurance in villages) on poison to control the numbers that invade their homes. Literally bucket fulls of these creatures make their way int the home and buildings making it a nightmare for those who fear these relatively harmless insects.
This started around the beginning of July and has been caused by the very poor season of sunflowers, sweetcorn, and many other crops that should have been in their prime at this time. The poor field crickets, aptly named, now find themselves without their normal source of food such as seeds, plants, or other smaller insects. They are known to feed on grasshopper eggs, pupae of moths, butterflies and flies, even stealing webbed spiders' meals. This is conclusive evidence that crickets have a positive affect in the field of action.
So a lack of natural diets lead the Bulgarian field cricket community to find other sources of food and inevitably the homes and buildings are a rich alternative source for them where so many other foods supplies and insects hang out.
If you can imagine the areas of agricultural land surrounding tiny villages, especially in southeast an region of Bulgaria. The southeast of Bulgaria has the least density in population in comparison to other regions added to which being the most industrious in agricultural activities. These facts are a double whammer with the cricket problem creating an unprecedented situation where literally swarms of Bulgarian field crickets now have no option other than to look for other sources of food to survive.
Where does this leave the country dweller? Well the vast majority of these invaded household just sweep them away every few hours, cats, chickens, other wildfowl and mice love them for food so the outbuilding are pretty much taken care of themselves. The biggest problem is actually in the living area where of course in Bulgaria no livestock or pets or otherwise are allowed. This is a human problem and as far as the Bulgarian dweller is concerned just another chore to deal with as part of the daily routine. This has happened before in poor seasons and is accepted as part and parcel of country living.
The ways into a home include open doors, gaps in poorly fitted doors, windows and cracks windows and window frames, through the foundations or siding. Other entry points are from attics and light fittings, chimney vents and poorly fitted ceiling coving. The typical Bulgarian home have many access points in the nature of their Bulgarian build therefore gifting their homes to these invading field crickets now making their way to the crease.
It has to be said that well renovated homes built to western European standards have much less of a problem and the only real prevention to be made is keeping the doors windows shut. This is not really any hardship it fly screen are part of that renovation and most fitting and fixtures should be relatively water tight against the straight walls and ceiling built with plumb lines in place. What these crickets have done is become a barometer as to how well your house have been renovated!
Other preventions can be put in place of course. The only really affective one laying powdered insecticide around the perimeter of the home and just sweeping up the remains each morning scattered around. Inside the house I don't like using poison so on the odd occasion I see one I use a rechargeable hand hover and give the contents to the chickens in the morning.
Fortunately this is a game of limited overs and the cricket season ends basically with the first cold night, the numbers will decrease leading up to this and all will eventually die with the first frost. Next year is another season where hopefully the popularity of cricket int Bulgarian homes will stay firmly on Sky Sport TV. Mind you, some prefer the Bulgarian insect type to the actual game!
www.self-catering-breaks.com/Properties/Prop42149.htm
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