Goats and gloomy skies.

After our walk the day before yesterday,  both Monty and Pip now stand looking hopeful after lunch,  as soon as I'd folded the washing yesterday afternoon they rushed around and around the front garden,  in and out of the house,  getting more and more excited.  And that was before I'd got a woollie on or shoes!   But the sun was shining and I had no plans for the next hour so off we went up to the cemetery at Yegen.  John was busy tiling shelves in the kitchen and I didn't want to stop him.....

A lonely almond tree

Surprisingly warm out walking in the sunshine,  I tied my woollie round my waist as I didn't need it.  I bumped into one of the Paco's,  he asked how we were,  said he'd been watering his olive trees,  and how are they I asked?   Lot's of olives this year?  A shake of the head and a nod,  yes there are olives, but all bad,  full of bichos (insects),  dry and already dropping onto the ground with every gust of wind that blows.  He always comes and harvests his olives,  leaves the sacks at the corner by the big fig and Eduardo  from the olive mill comes up to collect them. 

We had a nice quiet walk up in the sun.    We went just past the cemetery  as there is usually an acequia running,  water for the dogs if they need it,  and on the corner is a tree with extremely large leaves.  The tree itself is not big,  maybe 2.5 metres tall and wide,  but the leaves.....well,  here is one with my hand for comparison.  Any ideas what tree it could be?

A change in the weather today though,  no blue skies in fact the sky is extremely dark towards the north and getting darker.

However we have been for a walk although not as far as yesterday.  Up to the fuente and back.  First though we had to get past the 4 billy goats gruff!  Big billy goat reared up on his back legs but then ran into the bushes as far as he could get as he was tied to a plant.  One of the others ran up the opposite bank as far as she could with her rope tied to a clump of grass,  but baby billy goat didn't stray far from it's mum and she was tied to the lamp post. 

The 3 billy goats,  and Christmas dinner  :(

However on the way back they all tried to run away,  the 2 tied to grassy clumps managed to pull themselves free and the baby ran all over the place till we were past. I went to tell Paco his goats were free but he'd heard the bells jingling frantically and said not to worry, they wouldn't go far.   You've another one,  I said,  quite young.  Oh yes,  that's for Christmas he replied.  Oh no!  So cute!    No, that's life,  he said.

I think we'll stick with an oven-ready  turkey for Christmas dinner.   I couldn't do that,  fatten  it and then eat it.  I like my meat to be anonymous;   dead,  boned and skinned,  not quite shrink-wrapped and bar-coded,  but not far off.