A transcription of the diary I kept while traveling in Spain in August of 1999.

10 August 1999

Iranzu - animals

We're surrounded by animals. A herd of goats is supposed to be penned in a field, but usually manage to escape during the night and have to be retrieved the next day. A herd of sheep sometimes connects with the goats, and the rams and the billies will start butting heads. A few donkeys wander around, seeking the shadiest spots. There are a handful of cows, mostly with calves, and a few horses, who are shuttled from field to field as the grass allows. There is one bull, who stays securely in his own field, across the road. There is a whole building full of chickens (and the chicken truck comes to visit just before bedtime every few nights), and a pen for the roosters, ducks, geese and pea fowl.

A couple of dogs guard the chicken coop, and a pair of cats patrol outside the complex, keeping it free of mice, and eating the non-compostable garbage.

The goats, sheep and cows all wear bells, so there is a constant clanging going on outside.

Blog Archive