It's time for PLAN B | Off Grid in Bulgaria #18

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Thanks everyone for your likes, comments and messages. We've been living over here for a while now and try to release a new video every other Sunday - so make sure you subscribe and hit that notification bell so you don't miss what we are up to! 😊

[@ourderelictdream]

You caved to a dog!! Bless the kids faces xxx

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

We all knew it was going to happen eventually ☺️🤣

[@elainemcguinness3962]

Socks is adorable!. Im guessing he's a rescue dog. Goodness knows there are a lot of dogs in Bulgaria needing homes. The wildfires were horrendous and it breaks my heart for the wildlife and for those who lost homes. Keep up the good work. ❤

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Yes we rehomed him from Outliers Bulgaria. He was born in their barn a few months back after a stray took shelter there over the winter months. ❤️ Thank you for watching and following along.

[@TaniaDouglas-n3l]

Hi Udens started watching when I was recovering from an operation. I love your honesty and dedication to make a wonderful life ahead no matter what the universe throws at you bravo,, I missed you glad you are back 😊🌺

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Sorry to hear about your operation but I'm pleased we were able to keep you distracted! We don't ever seem to choose the easy routes but we do have fun along the way 😄

[@susanlecuirot1573]

Great job with the wall and your plans with it x

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Thanks very much. We're really pleased with how it looks - we just need to prioritise our other plans.

[@S24S24-r9n]

TIP TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY FROM THE WILDFIRES (forever) - I learned this from watching tons of permaculture vids. You might consider 5 - 6 ft across and just 2 - 3 ft deep trench around the perimeter of the entire property, just using digger and shifting earth. It will capture rain, and prevent fire "jumping" your boundary. The heaped soil will hold more moisture too so it helps keep groundwater in hot summers and a perennial edible ankle hight cover crop will also help retain some moisture on the heaped soil. Another benefit, you can run smaller channels from it, to water areas of the garden and that stream could link it all to a small pond... Nothing major, if you look at permaculture vids about holding ground water and channel irrigation, its fairly straightforward to do and will nourish the land. They usually link 3 ponds in the system which helps avoid major drought. Just an idea to be helpful. You's have a lot of projects, but this idea will help your entire offgrid operation long term. Keep going guys, amazing seeing you all progress and grow.

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Thank you for such an informative comment - we have been researching alot about permaculture and how to keep the moisture within the land. Something that is an issue, is that the majority of our land is on a steep slope, which can make it trickier. We hope to be more prepared for 2025 - water management is one of our planned projects 😍

[@elaineholyoak3156]

Nice to have found you. We have been here in the sliven region 18 years now and it's great to remember all those trials you are going through. So worth it. Enjoy your lives in Bulgaria xxx

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Everyday brings a new challenge that's for sure! 18 years - wow! We could learn alot from you I am sure :)

[@36thulsterdiv72]

You could always hide the brick blocks at a later date with a faux stone veneer to blend in with the real stone wall.

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Yes we had wondered about that but haven't seen any finishes that we like yet. Great minds think alike!

[@michaelbbb2271]

Nice comeback. Looking great love your honesty . Small wall looking fine to my eye look ok . Nice addition to your family your dog good idea in the village to alert u . All the best keep up the great blogs and the kids have a new loyal friend

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Thanks very much. Yeah he's a great member of the family and already very protective. He's become the third musketeer!

[@michaelbbb2271]

@@OffGridWithTheUdens kind thanks a thumbs up is fine don't feel obligated to reply as you got enough going on

[@ladybird1237]

Totally devastating for everyone that was caught in the fires . Hope you are staying safe ❤ You are a perfectionist your own worst enemy you are doing a great job going to look great once it’s all finished. My husbands the same it makes the job so much longer . Keep up the great work stay safe big hugs from uk xxx

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Big believer that if a job is worth doing then it's worth doing properly 😁

[@petyobenov]

Long time - no see! Good to see you guys back! There is a guy near Veliko Turnovo region, who teaches how to do stone-walls. So sad to see all those forests burnt down! People must be more careful when starting up fire in this dry hot weather!

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Ooo we will have to take a look - although I'm not sure where we will find the time as winter is fast approaching and we have yet more deadlines to try and keep to. There are lots of whispers as to the reasons for the fires starting..sadly it seems some are intentional.

[@Sketchbook9999]

@@OffGridWithTheUdens Yes sir I believe this aswell

[@angelay1925]

Good to see you back. That wall is looking beautiful, me thinks you've done this before 😉 It's OK to take time out and spend with the family doing fun stuff ❤❤❤ and ok to make decisions for your best time, efforts and interests xx

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Absolutely - family will always come first. We really love the stone wall too! If only we had more time 🫣

[@kpurkis2191]

Nice to see you back. Off centre gives it character 😊

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Totally agree - we love a bit of character here!

[@Zoe-Rox]

Great to see you back, missed your videos but things happen. Alex is just adorable, he's great on the vlogs xx

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

He absolutely loves being in front of the camera - he would have his own channel if we let him 🤣

[@Gallivantinggriffiths]

Outtakes best so far, 2 best are ember saying o ooohhhh to you dropping the big stones and chucking the gravel and it bouncing back…… 😂

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Totally agree 🤣

[@outliersbulgaria]

Oh wow, this was emotional. From "wow this is starting to look great" to "nooooo, not the ugly bricks" to "I guess that makes sense" to "aaawwweee Socks is so happy" and "yay that's a proper permaculture looking veggie patch" to "oh no, the devastation" and proper belly laugh on the outtakes. With this level of content who needs one every week ;) Thank you for everything x

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Haha yes we are very much a rollercoaster of emotions and events! Thank you for bringing socks into our family - we love him to pieces and hope you are able to re-home the others soon ❤️

[@krissky4835]

Good to see you guys :)

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

It's great to be back 😀

[@Firebreath1988]

Nice to see you back hope you feeling better mate :) and with the bedframe nice! i didnt know that either nice trick for the sand filtering its gonna be a great wall retainer for the sand nxt to it ;) years of swimming without issues for sure. Smart putting in drainage pipes aswel ;) good for the waterflow for sure, lots of work aswel but you will enjoy the effort for years for sure it will look so much better with natural stone then with just a concrete wall

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Thanks for your support - next video will be out on the 1st Sept. The rocks look amazing in the wall but we have so much that we need to prioritise - especially as we are a young family. Socks is the perfect addition to the family 🐕🐾❤️

[@paulinestevens9351]

Great to see you back 🥰

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Thanks for waiting for us! ☺️

[@Cathy-ty3fp]

It will look amazing still x

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

It's hard to know what to do for looks and what to do for practicality sometimes..

[@baileyboo9788]

Yay you're back❤

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Indeed we are! ☺️ Thanks for waiting.

[@marianamanolova6461]

Great to see you back !

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Thanks very much - it's great to be back!

[@marianamanolova6461]

@@OffGridWithTheUdens

[@justinlyward3010]

Great to see you back guys and glad you are all safe, can’t wait for the next one 💕

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Yeah it's great to be back! The next episode is a VERY exciting one 😁

[@justinlyward3010]

@@OffGridWithTheUdens can’t wait

[@dirtyleeds1088]

good to see you guys back 😄

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Thanks! We appreciate you waiting for us 😊

[@vc6150]

Good to see you bk been watching from the start missed you looking forward to seeing the next one ❤

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Aww thanks so much! We really do appreciate you sticking you around ☺️ Our next episode is very exciting!

[@NewBulgarians]

I now know what I am watching tonight, so glad you're back!

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Hope you enjoyed it - thanks for tuning in guys!

[@Rob-100]

Nice to see you back out there again with the family and back to building your life in Bulgaria.

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Yes we couldn't get back home to Bulgaria quick enough!

[@donkihotes4816]

Hi guys! Bro keep going with the rocks man you are doing it so good! Yes, it will be a slow process but it looks amazing! If you go with bricks now later I bet you will not like the final result too😂! Cheers.

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

You are absolutely right - but we are already so behind with the various medical delays lately and we have to prioritise. 🫣

[@deehalpern8988]

Welcome back. Your new pup looks like the perfect addition to your family. ❤

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

He really is 🐾🐕❤️

[@katejolee]

So glad to see you back at it 🙌 I love your family. I'm excited to see the next ventures.❤

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

We are really going to be making some progress now - cannot wait to share the next video with you all!

[@NewBulgarians]

What an awesome idea to use the bed base for sieving the sand, lol at the outtake. So cool that Alex is learning how to build, and they're learning gardening also, so many lovely life lessons for them. Aww what a dream come true for the kids, Socks is lovely and placid, so good with them, and they're so gentle with him too. Luckily no one was hurt by the fallen tree. The wildfires are devastating, all that nature/crops and perhaps property lost. Hopefully no loss to human life. It's amazing though once the rain comes you will start to see little signs of life again amazing. You look knackered Phil!

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Yeah it works SO well to sift through the sand! As for the children, they are getting the most amazing life experiences here. Ember was made to be wild, feral and free and Alex is in his element and looking forward to starting school next month.

[@NewBulgarians]

@@OffGridWithTheUdens that's wonderful, really happy for you.

[@Leed216]

I was just thinking of you guys the other day. So nice to see you back. Wall is looking fabulous. We are our own worse critics. Looks like some of that stone is sandstone the way it crumbles. Our previous owners made a retaining wall with it and 20 yrs in it was crumbling. Good call to get other stone for the back wall. The brick will be nice and tidy and clean. A few plant pots in front of the brick wall will hide it. Welcome to the family Sox. Wow the veggies are amazing

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

It feels great to be back 🙂 Yes we were thinking of some nice hedging 👏

[@anthonytaylor1439]

So glad you back and all safe xx love socks .

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

He's such a character 😁

[@elizabethdunn2992]

Lovely to get a catch up from you. Socks is a nice friendly doggie isn’t he! The fires are absolutely horrendous. ❤

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Oh it was honestly like he was meant to be with us - his personality is wonderful 😊

[@iosilver9920]

Great to see another video. Can't wait for the next one.

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Thanks very much - you'll love the next one!

[@DavidJones-jm2ik]

For future ground work check across corners. Equal distance across corners ensures square.👍

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Hah yeah - as we said, not something we would usually overlook. Phil's got years of experience - but high temps and young children take it out of you 😄

[@janeturnbull]

Nice to see you back 😊

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Really appreciate it - thank you 😊

[@TheVadrigar]

Glad you're doing OK. Was a bit worried about you, especially with all the fires in the region. Take care!

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Yes we were getting nervous too but all safe here - feel gutted for those who have lost their homes, farms and livelihoods though.

[@EamonnSheehy]

Been following you guys along with Derelict Dream in Veliko Tarnovo. I hadn't Bulgaria down as a destination to visit but you guys inspired me to visit! I spent two weeks travelling around at end of July and I loved it 😅 But it was crazy hot. I was on a train to Dimitrovgrad from Plovidv in 40 degrees wondering was I off my rocker 😅. Highlights were Plovdiv and Blagoevgrad for me. I hope to return next year for two weeks again. Did you guys get hit bad with mozzies during the heatwave? Eventually I'd be interested in buying something if I like it again next year. But I feel the bargains are nearly gone ?

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Ah yes - Lee and Emily are the OGs for Bulgaria! We love them 😍 so wonderful that you visited. It's truly a magnificent country - with SO much to see and experience. As for bargains, I think it all depends on what your expectations and requirements are. Without a doubt, the cost of living and price of materials has increased here. Thanks so much for watching - we hope you'll tune in for our next video on the 1st!

[@carole-annpill87]

The stones look great, it doesn’t need to be perfect! You’re stressing unnecessarily.

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Yeah they really do look great - Phil's quite the perfectionist. We both have the mantra that if we are going to do anything we are going to do it properly. ☺️

[@dweamy1]

Gosh, I didn't realise that Bulgaria had wild fires! I watch a lot of ex pats in Portugal where they have similar issues, and all who have land must keep it clean, if anyone needs to make a fire to burn their garden waste it has to be reported and permission given (via an app), rules in place for when not to use certain equipment on the land that could spark fires etc. Having a fire break around house/land. Maybe one day Bulgaria may do similar.

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Yes, I think Europe is being affected by wildfires more and more as the climate changes. Portugal are definitely on to something with the use of an app, but many of the rural villagers here do not use mobile phones.

[@mehmedyumer4578]

Hello sweet cheerful beautiful family, seeing you so happy makes me proud, which city of Bulgaria are you close to?

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Hi ☺️ We are in the municipality of Haskovo at the South of the country.

[@mehmedyumer4578]

@@OffGridWithTheUdens Very nice, I am from Kardjali but I have lived in Colchester for a long time

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

@@mehmedyumer4578 Amazing! Any recommendations? 🙂

[@mehmedyumer4578]

You may like the Kardjali River and spend some nice time with your family

[@Albrecht_von_Preussen]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Thanks for watching 😄

[@СтефанЕнев-в1б]

Здравейте приятели в кое село на България живеете,и сега през зимата Как сте с тези малки деца в този студ., вашия приятел Стефан Сърнево област Стара Загора ❤😊

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

намираме се близо до Свиленград и Любимец. студено е, но децата се топлят. 😊❤️

[@СтефанЕнев-в1б]

@OffGridWithTheUdens благодаря за отговора, близо сте до границата с Турция, често от там минават бежанци от Сирия и Афганистан, трябва много да сте внимателни,ако може вземете си две едри кучета за да ви пазят имущество и самите вас как попаднахте на това място,аз съм разтревожен за вас защото вие не можете да се предпазите от лошите хора които не са доброжелатели към чужденците в Република България,не е лошо да се снабдите с токер палки за да се предпазите от лошите хора които е възможно да се срещнете в това диво място,снабдете се с печка на дърва,поне там край вас растат много дървета които може да използвате за отопление,нека Бог да ви пази цялото семейство, вашия приятел Стефан Сърнево България, обичам ви пазете се.

[@MrDariomag327]

Let's see when you'll get time to start fixing the house. :)

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

Haha never - we've never actually said we would be fixing the house..

[@vladivladi6004]

😊🙋❤

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

😄😊❤️

[@owenoneill5955]

It'll be fine, a blind man would be glad to see it.😊

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

🫣🤣 not sure if this is a compliment or not but we'll take it. 😁

[@owenoneill5955]

@@OffGridWithTheUdens It is an old construction site '' compliment'' 😀

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

@@owenoneill5955 thank you 🙂

[@bogdantotev7624]

Its a heartbreaking to see a beautiful Bulgarian nature burnt 😢It will take time fir the nature to recover but the nature always win

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

You're right, nature always fights back. We just hope some of the native trees get the chance to.

[@hristohristov2258]

You don't simply go farm some stones in flip flops. 😁

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

You wouldn't think so but apparently nothing will come between Phil and a good rock 🤣

[@vladimirtsvetkov2625]

It's heartbreaking to witness so many areas being devastated by fire. Bulgaria's natural beauty is one of its greatest treasures, and it's distressing to see the impact of these changes. Climate change is real, and we need action because it will affect so many countries.

[@OffGridWithTheUdens]

It really is upsetting. The landscape here is spectacular!

[@Moko55555]

Got nothing about climate change change, stop misleading people! All of this fires are caused by wood mafia trying to “clean” lands and put photovoltaics on instead! All fires are made purposely to clean the land put photovoltaics and take grants from EU! Please don’t be so naive and by spreading false info misleading people.

[@Moko55555]

What climate change are you falling from Mars, everyone knows that the fires are made purposefully to “clean” the lands and put photovoltaics instead!!! Don’t mislead people!

[@rvnomading]

Don't be so hung up about a few degrees off 90. Who cares!

[@rvnomading]

Oh the perfectionist part might be a problem. I'm quite OCD but noticed it's dropped significantly since being in Bulgaria. I wonder why lol!

[@NewBulgarians]

@@rvnomading 🤣😂