New fields found

---

Unfortunately meta's son was sent to prison for minor offences for 5 months.So the first visiting day (last Sunday) I went down.I was informed we needed to be outside at 8am,which meant an early start at 6 to get all pets done (both houses) grab a coffee and leave by 7,since we had to take the longer route owing to heavy-icy melt water on the back road.

This i accomplished by 8.02 after a diversion,in Varna, when M misremembered the instructions. We parked up within sight of the prison and carried the bags to meet his wife and other friends. Some delay ensued as people tried to sort/organise how to get everything in, and I was dispatched to find bread.Basically the only place available was far away so I returned without but was glad to find the loaf had been discovered after all!!This completed the start of a very long day indeed.Donai(wife) took the identity cards of the other 2 and as we weren't sure if my driving licence would be Ok I said I'd wait outside.About 9am D went in to register all persons names.It transpired that there were already 4 groups in front of us.Each group has a maximum of 12 persons and the visit lasts 45 mins.Since we obviously had a long wait ahead,I walked back to the car and drove into the attached parking area so M and Janna could stay in the car out of the chilly strong northerly blowing. At 2.15(after a break for lunch they re opened the gates to the prison and the 4th group went in .3.00 they went in.By 4 pm we were going home via getting potatoes and bread to supplement the feast prepared yesterday as this was a special day here. More of this and other things anon.Lesson learnt - Go to register as soon as all assemble with cards.(Time to organise later);where possible choose a sunday that is not also a holiday(only Sundays can be used for visits); In my case bring a book/music for if the d.Licence is not accepted.Possibly also plan to shop whilst others visit and return in time to pick them up. Having not gone inside this time I am unaware of exactly what it is like.I have been told by Meta that 12 men are basically in dormitory occomadation and there are 3 floors.That the guards have cameras on their shoes(!?) and that it's all locks and doors.no knives allowed so only cans with ring pulls can go in.Which meant M's luncheon meat had to be retained.Having been searched the bags are taken through to the inside and visitors then can go in.The outside looked quite attractive(like a large private house except for the bars on the windows.).The hoarding into the yard was not barb wired or spiked but I later observed high inner walls with razor wire rolls. You can maybe appreciate this description better when you see the photos(taken from inside the car in case they would cause any problem.)

Quite a learning experience.That evening we had a large spread with rakia and a bonfire later. The snow is now away from the fields and roads but roadside piles thawing mean there is pleanty of surface water to freeze each night.Still -6 to -1 overnight. Later starts are therefore preferable. Smudge has just finished her first season so she is getting speyed on Thursday and tomorow I am hoping to swop over cars to enable the white one to get used.It has been in the garage since November so i hope it will start OK. Another busy week but at least I can get out to buy calor refils,animal foodstuffs and the washing machine pipes have at last unfrozen!! Well that's all for now. just have to add the photos.

---

Photos

Feb 2012.
Drifts are us!

Photo 3
Outside sink frozen

Xmas card
Rime has been a problem latterly

Fancy a trip
Car window resembling a bathroom one!

Photo 7
Solid iced snow remains on my road

Inside
Bestest pals keep warm

Photo 8
Bedroom radiator in use for all manner of drying.