Equus Asinus

Now here’s a fun game!  See if you can accurately assess my donkeys for their weight, using the Donkey Sanctuary advice information on donkey diet.  Download the PDF file donkey-diet and look at the chart: “Donkey Body Condition Score Chart” on page 3. Are my donkeys, 1. POOR, 2. MODERATE, 3. IDEAL, 4. FAT, or … More Does my donk look fat in this?

 Peter from Charquer 27, two kilometers up the valley, made a new sign to replace one that disappeared recently from the junction on the main road. He kindly made one for “El Parral” as well.  Looks good. As I said in the last blog post, it is going to be a bit slow for a … More Give us a sign…

It is the very last day of the summer holiday and I am back to work tomorrow.  Fine timing.  I opened the second slope for the donkeys to descend to Level 2, and see whether they would start doing circuits.  Within minutes they joyfully started galloping around the circuit.  This makes all the summer work … More Job completed: donks loop the loop.

Matilde has been developing a new cow noise over the past few months. This began as a gentle lowing sound which emerged from a stifled bray, in recognition of the arrival of food. This later developed into a fuller mooing noise when food did not arrive as quickly as Matilde expected. Aitana also began copying … More The amazing cowdonk

Rubí writes her Tuesday blog: In the account of the official opening of the stable on Sunday, my rôle in the event was entirely misrepresented. I need to correct a few details. First, as I recall the event – backed up by photographic evidence – I was first to go into the stable, after the … More Rubí reviews the new stable

Juan Aparicio of Burrolandia Madrid cuts the tape with the official kitchen scissors to open the stable. The finishing touches to Phase 1 were done earlier in the day: the stable needed to be ready for windy wet conditions in September/October. (Phase 2 will be closing up the front and weather-proofing with proper stable door … More Official opening of the new stable

This is the statue above the altar in my new parish, the church of St James the patron of Spain. The statue is a classic “Santiago Matamoros” (St James the Moorslayer), wonderfully politically incorrect. I love it! Today I made my debut as a reader in the parish and today’s reading from Isaiah had a … More Church of St James, Orxeta

After weeks of careful pruning and watering, life has returned to the exhausted dry pomegranate tree on level 2. Today I saw the first flowers appearing.  A few metres away, the orange tree is is blossom. Early days. Too soon to know what this means. It’s surely the wrong season for orange blossom? Meanwhile, most … More Life returns to old limbs

Once again, a quiet and uneventful safe walk to Orxeta, this time with Morris and Rubí. Now everyone has been to Orxeta. The people are very welcoming. Tourists also enjoy the donkeys. Some French tourists with obvious equine savvy pointed out Morris had a flaking edge to his front right hoof. “Don’t worry,” I assured … More Rubí and Morris go to Orxeta