April 16th 2008
Written by Geoff Forster
Wednesday April 16th 2008
We're up well before dawn.
It's an overcast start and rain is forecast later and for the next few days.
I set off around 09:00 to feed the donkeys.
My shins are a little sore from yesterday's walk but not too bad.
The dogs will walk all day and enjoyed chasing each other around.
The donkeys look good. I tied up the dogs and walked the donkeys for just under an hour. They soon fill up on the fast growing green leafed plants and grasses.
Then I gave the donkeys their seed and hay. Finally I topped up their water.
The dogs are well behaved and obedient but I always keep Ferdy on his lead as he's deaf. We walked home in perfect walking conditions. The sun came out a few times through small gaps in the near 100% cloud cover.
We get back to Benarrabá and I cook black pudding, tomatoes and chick peas in olive oil with a splash of Moscatel. The morcilla (black pudding) was a gift from our neighbours who killed a couple of pigs on Saturday. A simple traditional Spanish meal. Beautiful.
I worked on websites all afternoon.
In the evening one of the female street cats gave birth to 3-4 kittens.
We have very thick walls (1m) and a deeply set barred window at ground level at the back of the house. Some days ago we'd put a plastic covered box with a blanket behind the bars so she could give birth there. She should be dry and safe.
Nobody seems to own this cat. It's a lovely natured and very friendly street cat. We'll try to look after her and her kittens but as soon as we can we'll take them to a Cat Rescue for neutering and re-homing.
I think there may be four, perhaps more are to come? The one in the middle is probably only minutes old as it is still wet. As you can see, one is ginger and the others dark and mottled like the mother, who looks very like our own cat 'Mota de Oro' (Speck of Gold). One of the 'mottled' kittens has a tan coloured back leg. Tan legs or feet are a common marking on this type of cat.
I gave the mother food and water and tried not to disturb them too much, although the mother rubbed her head onto my hand as I put the food in her box and didn't seem troubled by me looking in.
