Grannys Trials, Tribulations and the Godd Stuff.

It´s been a while now which is why I haven't been blogging, but Mona is dead!  Unfortunately what I mistook for friendship was an assassin´s patience.  Simba the alsatian killed her and then walked away - apparently, he's done this with the chickens before and poor Manolo was heartbroken. The rest of the dogs (the pony is away visiting on the other side of the valley) including  Phaedra have been feasting on her carcass until yesterday when her remains no longer remained.  Not a hair of her fur, not EVEN a TOOTH!  I cannot believe that my pretty little dog is a Cannibal.  She must have gained a stone over the last week (well, O.K., that´s a bit over the top but I'm sure you understand what I mean.).

The landlord and his  family were over yesterday and they cooked a paella which was absolutely delicious - I'm not actually a great rice lover but the rice yesterday has definitely made me want to try my hand at cooking.  On my own for so many years I make the most amazing concoctions which I repeat for a week before going on to something else and promptly forget what they were - I suppose it´s about time I grew up really but unless I watch Arguiñano (the spanish chef on T.V.) I just don't get inspired.  I went out with a chap that I could never please and after cooking our first meal together I was told that I wasn't a very good cook.  "Great" said I, "I will never cook for you again", and I didn't for the twenty years we were together. Think he left me in the end because he couldn´t afford to feed me anymore!

The menagerie continues to grow and I have acquired a hairy brown and white dog but I think he´s just greedy because he looks too healthy and clean to be a stray.  I am beginning to feel that word has travelled around the animals in the valley that there is a free meal available whenever they turn up. The permanent residents greet the strangers warmly and share willingly so I´m begnning to feel like a fool.

The night is drawing in and I´m going to try and get Phaedra in although it´s getting harder each day as she seems determined to become feral.  If things continue this way I'm going to have to tie her up just so i can catch her in order to put her into her nice clean doggie bed.  My God, I can't believe what I´m doing letting a foot long creature run rings around me. I AM SAD!

Going to pour myself a nice stiff drink and eat the remains of the paella then continue with my autobiography.  I know I´ve got two followers so I guess there´s no great hurry to get it published even if IT IS a GREAT story.  

 Hi There,

Can't get this system together at all but the fact that there is some ONE out there that reads the blogs I thank you.  Yes I do The Writer and will post a story for you.

Regards,

The Granny.

Press the Post Blog once and get two for one.... sorry I REALLY only pressed once.

Meanwhile, would like to say a BIG 'Thank You'  to Patricia Campana for your encouraging words.  I did reply to your e-mail but then I don't know if  it got through to you.  Is there a list of who actually blogs on the site other than reading the uploaded blogs?   Hate to be such a pain, but I really am a bit thick when it comes to machines.

Love and light,

Granny. 

 Morning!

Five minutes left and then it's afternoon.  Had a bad night in that I slept for an hour, woke for two, slept for two, woke for one and so on and so forth.  Sleep pattern is completely flummoxed due to this doggie training lark. 

Anyway, had a lazy morning, animals fed, sun shining, doors open and was seriously thinking about putting on a swimsuit and plunging into the pool.  Trouble is, water is absolutely freezing and THAT I really don't think I'd like so decided to watch a bit of T.V.  Flicking through the channels I came across a "Whats New In The Film World" programme and the first film reviewed was J. Edgar.  Leonardo de Caprio as J. Edgar (an under rated actor in my mind) and Clint Eastwood, Director. As an actor he's always Clint Eastwood like Michael Caine who's always Michael Caine from Alfie to Zulu, but as a Director I just love his films.  (Personal opinion of course).  Anyway, it's getting good reviews and from the clips they showed the makeup deserves an Oscar - de Caprio ages fabulously.  Will keep an eye on my local cinema complex to see if they're doing the english version otherwise will wait until it goes to dvd which these days is only a matter of a couple of months.  Nice evening out when son is here if they do the english version in Torre del Mar.

Manolo has a contraption made of scaffold poles, plastic and tin (they are his animal sheds for protection during the night and when it rains).  One is empty and if I put a layer of plastic on the ground then lay wooden palettes down followed by more plastic I have a ready made shed for all my boxes and bags.  Sitting on wood and covered in plenty of plastic the boxes should be protected so when son arrives we'll get busy and hopefully clear the house.  Chrikey, I am so tired of all this packing and unpacking, living like a traveller and only ever having half my belongings around me.  Going to do my cards today but they always say the same thing 'When I'm older'.  WHEN I'M OLDER..... I will be SIXTY THREE in three weeks time how MUCH older do I have to be? 

Glad I got that off my chest, haven't had a rant for a while s o r r y.

Enough waffling for now.

 The landord’s father Antonio sent over the dog he had promised me (I thought he was joking when he originally offered her to me).  Anyway she’s all of about ten  inches from the tip of her nose to the end of her tail and really rather beautiful – well I think so anyway.  I’ve named her Phaedra.

On Saturday the landlord’s brother Manolo who is the one who comes every other day to feed the animals and check the crops arrived with a pregnant goat.  He worried in case I got lonely so thought the goat would keep me company.  I have just moved from an unfurnished house to a fully furnished one half the size so am struggling to find places to put boxes and suitcases not to mention the furniture that I have accumulated along the way. Aren’ t they just wonderful?  These people from large families can’t understand that an only child who actually likes her own company can be happy, but I must say that the thought that comlete strangers are looking out for me is somehow very pleasing and apart from the fact that even the wild boar and foxes can’t get past the menagerie of animals that walk freely around and into the house, I feel so safe. 

Phaedra is a real strumpet, after a couple of days in the house I tied her to a long string and allowed her to socialise with the other dogs outside.  She immediately rolled over and let them have a good smell then stood up and offered them her bottom.  Cheeky monkey, she moped all night when I brought her in to sleep and the following  morning she left her breakfast and flew out of the door as soon as I opened it.  I would imagine that the first litter will come soon and then I can have her spayed and she won't suffer with phantom pregnancies.

The sun has been shining for two days and the T.V., is on again - thankfully because I was beginning to get withdrawal symptoms not being able to follow the quiz programmes.  One in particular called Pasapalabra is my favourite.  At the end contestants answer 26 questions on general knowledge and if I get five in a programme I am thrilled - considering the questions are all quite hard and I have to know the answer in Spanish, it's a real buzz.

Didn't see the Mona (pretty in spanish because she has a lovely face) the goat yesterday because Phaedra and I were out all day (her first outing and she was sick whilst bumping up and down along the track).  Poor baby, she's becoming very cuddly and I think she's figured out that I'm not going to hit her and will now come when called.  We went to the Chinese Bazaar for Tupperware, mine's packed and I'm damned if I'm opening another box.  Anyway, went to the big 'supa doopa' one in Torre del Mar so I put her in the wheelie basket whilst I browsed - just love those Chinese supermarkets - when I started filling the basket and put her on the floor the little mare wouldn't walk. She lay on her tummy with her legs splayed out like a star.  Everyone thought she was adorable people were bending down and stroking her.  Little monkey!  We lunched (most places let you in with little dogs) where she behaved impeccable and just sat beside the chair, paid a couple of debts, went visiting and then came home by which time I was so tired that I only checked the animals' food and water.  The dogs came home after I did, they are amazing, no problem at all, they have a tunnel system under all the fences and go from field to field until they reach the track and then go visiting too.  Mona moaned when she heard the dogs arrive so they went up to her field to check her out and I came in and made myself a cup of tea.  Phaedra wouldn't eat her dog food (I think she's getting spoiled because I give her my leftovers and save a bit of fish or meat for her).  Manolo says I don't have to worry about Mona until she has her litter,  to just make sure she's got fresh water.  The alfalfa is taller than she is so she's obviously eating for at least three.

As a child my grandmother (maternal) had animals and I visited every two years but being city born and bred I didn't have anything else to do with animals until I married and my husband always had an alsation dog  then my youngest son had a Rhodesian Ridgeback so it wasn't until my eldest son got Scratchy the cat and she had her litter that I realised how animals communicate with each other and actually have a social life.  Now surrounded by these animals that just roam around and do their thing I find it fascinating how they accept other animals (in this case Phaedra and Mona) and how protective they are of each other.  Yes, the dogs went to check on the goat and then came back down - it's fascinating.

Going to get Phaedra in and shut the front door because it’s about time for the wild boar and foxes to come visiting and the cacophony created by the barking, baying and bleeting is bad enough when the door is closed and I certainly don’t want a hairy pig with big teeth in the kitchen when I go to put the kettle on.

After making such a hash of trying to get this blog, post thing together I think I have finally cracked it.. Correct me if I'm wrong:  I create a blog and then add posts about the subject of the blog.  One blog, relevant posts, another subject: new blog, relevant posts.  Have I got it right?  Hope so otherwise I'm going to be spending more time sorting mistakes than writing.  

Testing, testing, lets try it out.......