Animals

Dogs and cats and all other four legged creatures feature here

River bathing in Montseny

~ Kate Wilson ~ 5 Comments

It was hot today – around 28 C which doesn’t seem much but in the sun you felt the heat.
So what with the temperature and the fact that it was Sunday we headed for the hills rather than the beach. There are mountain pools for bathing on the wooded slopes of Montseny

The best ones are near the Piscines de Montseny but they get very busy at the weekend and you need to walk a long way along a rocky path to arrive at the biggest and best pool. And even that can get crowded.
So we went to a place on the Riu Tordera – more hidden – less well known

It is lovely to walk along the cool wooded paths, searching for wild strawberries, smelling the herbs that grow along the way.
As I dipped my toe into the icy water I saw a snake – it had zigzags on its back. Pep was sure the water snakes are harmless. But it made me pause before advancing further.
Later we saw another swimming across the water – in its element.
Here is another water spirit – soaking away the cares of the week in this beautiful place.

Things to Worry about Walking your Dog

~ Kate Wilson ~ 1 Comment
  • Is it too hot to go out for a walk?
  • How much shade can we find on the way to the park?
  • Is the water in the pond/stream/puddle dirty?
  • Now that it’s cool enough to go out, won’t there be increased danger of sandflies?
  • Will there be petardos on the street as we pass?

Today was very hot and as I didn’t get up till 11am the sun was too strong for the first walk to be comfortable.
There was shade but even just crossing the open spaces in the park made Bonnie pant.
Many of the water fountains aren’t working – a money saving decision perhaps? So it is tempting to use the ponds but who knows what that water is like. The Congost is definitely polluted from the factories so I try to keep Bonnie out of there.
It got cooler around 8pm. Sunrise and sunset are supposed to be the worse time for sandflies. These are little biting insects which can carry the dreaded leichmaniosis.
Duna wears a Scalibor collar, Bonnie is part protected by Advantix and neither of them have had the vaccine because every time I read about it I see so many concerns about side-effects. The decision is still in the balance.
It is Saturday night and as the celebration of Sant Joan approaches  there are more and more petardos going off in the streets. These are sort of bangers – some large and some small. It is best to avoid small groups of young boys at this time of year. At times this evening it felt like a war zone with gunshots all around – but they are only fireworks and Bonnie actually ignored them most of the time.
We survived the walk.
There were swallows and swifts and bats all flying around together as we turned for home.
The frogs were croaking loudly by the river and the banger boys had gone home to prepare for a night out.

Sant Pol De Mar

~ Kate Wilson ~ 4 Comments

Bonnie came alone with us to the beach at Sant Pol on Friday.  Duna was in disgrace after an early morning brawl and stayed at home.  Decisions like this are hard but it was so much more relaxing without having to deal with stressed up dogs

The water is still cool – even for me!  The cormorants were both there on the rocks.
Funny to think that when I first went there I was embarrassed to take off all my clothes – it feels totally natural now and the people there are almost always really nice. On this particular day it seemed that each small group had taken along a fair skinned person  so I didn’t feel peculiar.
National ‘Take a White Person to the Beach’ Day!
Dogs welcome too!  You were looking at the dog weren’t you?

A Pick Up in Granollers

~ Kate Wilson ~ 7 Comments

Conversation in the street.
Translated into English but it was all in Spanish.

(and I mean Spanish – not Catalan)

Man:   Boy or girl?   (indicating Bonnie not me)
Me:     Girl
Man:   I have one like that – they’d be a good pair. What about getting them together sometime?
Me:     She is beautiful isn’t she?  But she’s had the operation you know.
Man:  You mean she can’t fuck?
Me:     No, she can’t
Man:  Oh well, that’s a shame. Bye then.

If you ever have this type of conversation on the street it is useful to know these words:-

Macho, Hembra, Ligar, Follar, Guapa y lo mas importante – NO!

Time to Leave

~ Kate Wilson ~ 2 Comments

Well I am packing my things now and getting ready to leave St Nicolau.
I am sure I will be back.

I went and sang in the little chapel this evening. Just me with Bonnie lying outside, her head resting on the doorstep. And somewhere the chameleon who lives inside the porch.
Tomorrow it will be one week since Blue died. I can’t believe it.  I think in Buddhist traditions the spirit stays around for 7 days after leaving the body and I am so glad to have been here during this time. It will be hard to leave anyway but I am telling myself that Blue’s spirit will be back home in Cornwall by now. Waiting for us when we get there in July.
I am going to bring one of my sculptures to sit in the garden here – the Blue Dog. Will be good to have something solid here as a reminder.

The last few days have been quiet, staying close to home, writing and reading and singing and gardening. It is incredibly soothing to get my hands into the soil and pull up weeds.
And it is one way to say thank you to Helen and Francis for all they have done for us.