Of Goats and Moscas
It’s 10am and again I am on the roof terrace trying to get a suntan. At this time of the day it’s quite pleasant - only 80 degrees or so - and the sun’s rays have still to reach boiling point. So lounging here for a while seems desirable ….
But what’s that smell permeating the air? The wife of the cabrero in the ‘goathouse’ two streets away is cleaning out the pens; hosing and scrubbing …… and sending the smell of goat’s shit wafting through the atmosphere. I look over the terrace edge and spy the cabrero and his dog, leading the goats and sheep up the next street to the fields at the top of the village. Sheep and goat droppings are dispersed liberally as they meander on their way. Must remember to avoid walking up there for the rest of the day!
I settle back down on the lounger, adjusting my bandana to protect my hair (presently frizzled by the dry heat) and liberally spread suntan lotion across my back.
Then the flies arrive! Attracted by the pungent aroma of disturbed goats’ excrement in the goathouse yard, they are also spying out the neighbouring territory. It appears that they just love my suntan lotion! They try to settle on various parts of my anatomy, probably bringing particles of goat poo with them! I vainly try to swat them away. Flies (’moscas‘) out here are a persistent bunch. Swatting only appears to encourage them. ‘Raid’ works for a while if aimed at them directly (and seems to put off their friends for a while too), but ‘Raid’ is pretty toxic stuff, to be used with care, so I don’t fancy spraying it all around me right now. In any case, that would mean getting up and going downstairs to get the can ……
So I lay there for a while, doing my best to ignore the smells and the moscas ……
But it’s getting pretty hot up here now. I look at my watch. I have been up here all of 15 minutes ……
That’s enough for today I think!
Maybe I’ll try to come up here a little earlier tomorrow. Before the goats get up!
(via No me lo puedo creer!)
1 year ago