"Mucho calor en el campo"

"Very hot in the countryside".......as the title says but firstly I should explain.

Our neighbour Maricarmen, fast becoming a good friend, had told us on Quasimodo Day that she and her brothers had a collection of eighty plus animals on a smallholding just outside of Olvera, and invited us out to see. So this morning as we were sitting on the terrace having a drink when Maricarmen came round and asked if we were ready to go at four this afternoon. Of course, we said yes and we duly set off, not quite knowing what was going to happen.

About two kms out of of Olvera, we turned off onto a dirt track. We passed through a tunnel which must have been at least 750 metre's long, emerging into the daylight, through another smaller tunnel and out into the campo. The picture above is of me, Maricarmen's son Paco and one of the guard dogs.

Maricarmen and four of her brother's rent the land and on it breed goats, chicken's, cattle and pigs. The first area we came to was the pigs.

Each area seemed to be guarded by large Pyrenean Mountain dogs, all of whom were very friendly. This one's job was to guard the piglets. We entered the farm, which did not appear to be occupied full time, and came into this lovely courtyard.

This dog is the "ratter", responsible for vermin control.



This lovely dog was resting in a secluded area after having pups.

On our way to the campo, we stopped to take a refreshing sip of cool water. Maricarmen stopped the car, entered a field and climbed down into a well where water from the nearby penon (hill) flowed. She passed the water around in a dish made of cork. On a day like today, it was delicious.

Anne with an admirer. Maricarmen told us that she keeps the older goats for their milk from which she makes cheese. Some of the younger goats are kept but others, when they reach five kilo's, are killed for their meat.

The young goats are kept in a separate compound while the older one's graze in the campo.

This is one of Maricarmen's brothers, Jóse-Antonio, shortened to Léo bringing the goats back after spending the day grazing in the campo. He starts at seven in the morning and usually doesn't finish until seven at night.

This was an entrance to a courtyard....cow's skull at the top, ram's skulls below and goat skulls below them.

Léo with Paco on a horse with her three month old foal next to her.

Once again, we were really pleased to have been invited and finished our visit with cakes and fanta in a small kitchen on the farm before returning home at about 7.30.