Planted out red cauliflower, broccoli & a few brussel sprout plants from the garden centre during the last week. Also buried some seed potatoes. A bit later than usual, but then we've only just had some rain.

We have put some nice pictures of us in the rain on my face-book page. Helen got it all wrong and put the same pictures on twice. She did wonder why it took all day. Silly moo. I just spotted that Gretel has a mirror in her stable it is so high up that I can't see myself. Helen says she will get me my own mirror. But, with a big sigh, adds that she hates looking in the mirror, 'cos all she sees is her mother, not just her mother, but her old mother. I don't care, I am young and beautiful everyone says so and I want my own mirror so I can see what my lovely new winter coat looks like.
Peter lets me out of the stable when Gretel and Helen go out for a ride. Last time I galloped round and round and Limon the cat next door asked “was I in training for the Derby”? Don’t think so, cos I don't know what the Derby is.
I have a new philosophy; you humans should never take for granted what we equines bring to you and do for you and the wholehearted trust we put in you. Even the smallest of things like standing still when you mount us should be rewarded with a kind word. Walking down a very steep hill with you on our backs needs much praise. Jumping down into the river of a newly formed bank deserves enthusiastic pats. Cantering up a steep and twisty track, well that definitely would warrant a white rock when we reach the top to catch our breath. So remember all mammals thrive on encouragement and to give is more satisfying than to receive.
Gretel says that’s a coincidence 'cos she did all those things today and even enjoyed the steep and twisty track. Neigh 4 now.

Helen is back from England and brought me some nice things, 'cos all girlies like nice things. A bridle with a diamanté brow band and a rain coat, not a pink one, but it's very pretty with blue binding and a flashy design on the main coat. Yesterday it was needed. It rained at last. Hooray!!!!! everything smells lovely and the trees all look washed, poor things. Gretel was in the stable when Helen put my new coat on, when she came out the saw me, she thought I was a new pony and chased me away; then ran around looking for the real me, I am the real me of course but even though I called to her, she still didn’t get it. I can't believe she is so dim. Peter and Helen had to sit down from laughing so hard. Helen says she wishes Gretel would do that trotting up and down on the spot when she is being ridden. Dear old Gretel, it still took a while for the centavo to drop that it was the real me and not a cardboard cut-out in a pretty coat.
Last week when Helen and I where doing training, the motor bikes came down the track and I was very scared. They go so fast and make so much noise and as there are so many, it takes ages for them to go past. On my way to hide behind Gretel, I nearly ran into Helen on my blind side. Helen came and stood at our side and patted us; I was shaking so much we had to leave training for the day. Gretel is not scared 'cos she told me later she use to live near a road called the A14 and there were cars, motor bikes and lorries on it 24 hours a day. See what I mean about her being dim 'cos that can't be true. I have never seen a road THAT busy.
We had sad news from our lovely friend Gail. One of her mulas had a very bad accident and has died. Its a bad story and has wobbled the wets of our eyes, all five of them. Rest in peace Molly. Neigh 4 now.

Heat and Dust.
I have been very lazy about writing my blog. But, it's nice to give my hooves a rest. We have been very hot the last few weeks and it has not rained for 102 days. Everything is covered in dust including us. The trees look terrible and maybe some will die, I hope its not the fig trees 'cos we love figs. Last week Helen looked at my head which was covered in red juice and thought I had cut myself. She seemed very worried the silly moo. On closer inspection it turned out to be fig juice. I hope the rain comes soon then I will be able to go out with Gretel and Tring on a lead rain. The ground is much to hard for me to walk far with out any shoes and get my legs banged about and as the old expression goes ''never hammer hammer on the hard hard roads'' this is life shortening for horses and what ever discipline we are asked to train for, footing is everything.
When everyone goes out without me I go in the spring field. I like this better and on Saturday I helped Peter pick the almonds. We have lots this year.
Helen is off to the UK tomorrow and Gail is coming to look after us. We like Gail and this week Gail's friend Lilli May has been here. So now I have two small human friends. So I am kept very busy doing riding. Helen is going to bring me a coat for the wet weather, hope its a pink one. Neigh 4 now.

Oh, deary me!! It seems I am not as bright as I thought; I just found out that humans eat animal flesh. Ugh, I don't know why I didn't know this before, I am 5 years old and a grown up. What is the matter with me? We are specialist feeders and only eat grass and grass products, if we are given anything else it can make us very ill. We should always be fed very carefully and because we live in a modern world where we don't graze 24/7 and don't share our grazing with other herbivores, we have to be given chemical wormers and have our teeth filed. I hate both of those things and so does Gretel. Gretel has a good trick for the horrible wormer. When Helen eventually gets it in her mouth she opens her mouth wide and and shakes her head and it all falls out. But she does not mind the teeth filing so much because she gets a happy pill before the work is done. Nice!!
Getting back to the meat eating, numpty Gretel says I should turn a blind eye. So long as the animals are well looked after and good animal husbandry is practised, what is the problem? Humans are evolved to eat meat. Peter's mother Joan, who I have not yet meet, is a very wise woman, and asks why does Helen become very upset when she sees animals being mistreated? Could the answer be that it is a evolutionary way for Helen to preserve herself and her offspring? So by caring for the animals they will never die out and humans will always have food to eat. This would have a good kick-back for us because there will always be lots of grass for us to eat. Anyway, Gretel thinks when we die, we will be fed to the vultures up in the park. She is going to take me there and show me; not too soon, I hope.
I have made two new friends this week. Limon who lives next door and assures me she is the purrrrfect cat and Maisy who is going to be my best human friend 'cos she would like to learn how to be kind to all equines and understand our needs. So I look forward to seeing you both again and this time I hope Limon will be able to find her way home unaided. Neigh 4 now.

Hola Blossom,
My name is Limon though I'm also known as 'little baby, baby puss' or sometimes as 'that bloody cat!' The second alternative is so appallingly twee and the third so rude that I prefer, just simply, 'Limon'. I have thought that if a still younger cat came to join the menagerie here then, as we have an older cat who is sometimes known as baby puss, a newcomer would have to be called 'little, little, baby, baby puss'. Such is the brittle mind of the human i live with and of humankind in general that it's no wonder I treat them with cautious disdain.
But I have digressed already, though perhaps that's excusable in a cat my age: after all I'm still less than 9 months old; no older in fact than Shakespeare wrote about in a passsage I have pawed over and in which he describes the first age of cat as 'mewing and purring in its mother's arms.' Or I think that's what he said.
What i was really writing about, Blossom, was to tell you that although you live in Salares and I live in Sedella we are actually neigh-bours. I know what neighing is, of course, because I've heard you do it but I'm not sure about 'bours' though perhaps it's something to do with Paris or France. Perhaps you're really a french horse?
I haven't been there but, after I was rescued from a dustbin around here (a most unsavoury place to live I can tell you and from which I escaped by a whisker) I went to live for a while with a bunch of students in a city called Malaga. My owner loved me very much but conditions for a cat in a flat weren't altogether purrfect so I found myself here in the Sedella campo, next door to you.
I've seen you often fom my driveway being walked around and doing exercises and even riding past but apart from a bit of mouse, bird and anything-that-moves killing I've found it too hot recently to do much in the way of walking over to see you. I find that, with the heat, about six yards is sufficient for a walk and then i have to flop down somewhere cool. The other cat here does just the same and the nasty, smelly, dirty dog who lives here as well does is little better. He flops down awith his mouth open and his tongue hanging out and drools a bit and I keep away from him then. I mean, there are certain standards to be kept to, if that isn't too waspish a comment.
Talking of that makes me wonder whether yu have seen those beautiful bee-eaters that have been flying around these kast few days. They have lovely greens and blues in their feathers and their wings are transluscent against the bright sky and they do look so plump and juicy and well, exquisite.
I was going to tell you how I came to your party, Blossom, but I'm feeling a little hungry now so I might just go and see if.... But I could write to you again if you want me to go on with the tail, or is it tale?

I am late writing my blog this week 'cos we have been making merry. Saturday, Gretel and I went into the spring field and lots of people came to look at us and admired our shiny coats, neat manes and tails. We had music late into the night. We like music, Peter's music is the best; it's called opera and the sound's invoke all different emotions in us. Happy, sad, funny or calm. If we stand close to the wall in the spring field we can feel the vibration, its very soothing.
I have had lots of people tell me how upset they are with last weeks blog; Sengra and Serreta, Thank you all for speaking up. Aida came and we talked to her about what to do. She says there is no law in Spain about animal abuse but things are changing and it's the young people we need to talk to. I am going to do a demo of my own for the school as soon possible. I think Helen should write to the town hall and tell them what we think of horse abuse and riding displays.
Aida says Gretel is not having a potro. She is not too sad and will be having some tests later in September to see why not. In English human speak, a baby horse is a foal and it nearly means a very dim person, just as well that she's not having a fool. Another one like Gretel would need a lot of patience.
All this blog writing is very tiring and I think I will get a raspberry so I can communicate from anywhere, or I might get an Ipod instead because that sounds quite tasty. Neigh 4 now.

Over last weekend it got even hotter, 37ºC, so we did not do anything all day but stand as still as statues in the shade. Peter has picked the first new algarrobo pods; I am mad for them; even nicer then the white rocks. Thank you Peter.
When its not too hot, Helen sits in the manège and talks to us; she has been a bit upset because of a riding display she went to. She said some of it was good, particularly the doma vaquera. Doma Vaquera is training a horse to herd cattle. The rider has a long pole [the garrocha] which the horse dances around. The horse doing this, Helen said, was very relaxed and understood his job, which always makes for a happy horse. I know what doma vaquera is because I am Spanish. But then we have to spend half an hour explaining it to Gretel and Tring. Gretel, because she is daft and Tring 'cos she is young. Tring said she would love to do that, herding being in her blood, and would like her own herd of goats. But sadly, one of the horses was not being treated so well and by the end of the demo-display his sides where bleeding from repeated use of the spurs and the front of his nose was bleeding from a much too tight serreta. Worst of all, at the end the girl rider whipped and whipped him 'til he laid down. Helen wanted to rush into the ring and whip her, but realized that the rider may well be just as abused as the horse and only doing what some controlling person is telling her. Just like Monty Roberts' childhood with his dad. We stood about quiet and thought about this. I was thinking of some of the horses I meet during my time at ARCH, they talked of having their spirit broken, but what does that really mean??? Is it a total loss of will because you are subjected to repeated painful or unpleasant circumstances? A nice old boy in Canada calls this ''learned helplessness'' which is basically like giving up, throwing in the towel before even trying and even if the chance to escape is presented, it is not taken. Is this true both for people and animals??? This young rider in her heart of hearts maybe knows what she is doing to this horse is not right and, like Monty, when she gets older, she will walk away and take the lovely horse with her. I believe part of the human spirit identifies with that of the horse. And when the human understands and realizes that, he becomes a better person. Neigh 4 now.
"My goal is to leave the world a better place for horses and for people too" - Monty Roberts

Almonds are beginning to open, & I've gathered a couple of kilos from the southern plantation. The kernels are large & they are profuse. Carobs are also just ripe.
Seeds gathered from last year's butternut squash turned out to have crossed with the courgettes; the result is a green thing the size of a marrow, the shape of a butternut squash with a marrow-like texture and flavour but with a hint of sweetness. These have been producing for about six weeks, so we are fed up with them. They do have a use 'though - sliced and placed over tomatoes & peppers roasted in the oven; they prevent the peppers & tomatoes from drying out. The tomatoes rescued from the compost heap are healthy, laden with fruit just ripening. A self-seeded cantaloup melon has produced six large melons so far, and by keeping a close watch, we have managed to pick them this week as they just ripen and before the ants totally trash them. Helen is proud of a watermelon that decided to accompany a bird of paradise potted plant on the terrace; who knows how it got there, but there's one watermelon fruit so far, about half full size at the moment.
The three cucumber plants look frazzled by the heat, but they have kept us supplied with cucumbers since the end of June, with more to come.
A jalapeno plant has appeared amongst some other chilli plants which are now beginning to fruit. These were planted out as seedlings in May or June. All of these now have peppers which should be ready within a couple of weeks.
The butternut squash/courgette crop:

All hell broke loose in Salares on Saturday and I thought the Americans had invaded. But no; it was just the annual fiesta. Our stable looks down on the village, Gretel and I enjoyed the fireworks and as they say in America they were ''awesome'' or is it horsome? Gretel said no need to be scared of the bombers or make rude comments about Americans.
I have been learning to canter which means moving in a three time rhythm without rushing, falling over or leaning on the circle like a motorbike. It's difficult and takes all my strength. Once I found my balance and did a few strides it was time to stop and to get a ''goooood geeerl'' and of course a minty white rock. It's all good fun.
I am reading a blog which tells me about a book called Moorland Mouse and the Moorland Mouse trust and it makes me think I am well off here because I just looked at picture of some poor Exmoor ponies standing about in something called snow. Gretel says it is so cold it freezes your hoofs off and sometimes it will snow here in the mountains where we live. There are some nice pony pictures as well. I liked Kate because, just like me, she is not keen on being left behind when everyone goes out. So take a look. www.moorlandmousietrust.org.uk.
Here is a picture of Gretel in the snow.
I am off to find some shade as it is very hot today. Neigh 4 now.