Spain update september 2024
The Spanish Summer of 2024. Hot... Hotter... Hottest
It seems like an eternity ago that we arrived in Belgium in June, I stayed, Dirk returned and left on the 6th of June with Buffalo and the lucky adopted ones back to the promised land where it was adoption day on the 8thof June and Isabella and Isadora were allowed to go with Yolanda and Buffalo and Martine took care of Innocent whose rehabilitation they would rigorously monitor.
With the Nalinnes walk in sight we stayed in Belgium to help set up the hall on Saturday the 23rd of June and to welcome the participants on Sunday. After a delicious meal and the participants walked off the gained kilos in the beautiful nature, we left for Chartres where we spent the night, drove the next day between a crowd of trucks to Castets and the next day after an animated restless night because of Dirk's sonorous snoring we started the last 600 km to Casa Belgica on an overcrowded highway. Only when we had done the necessary shopping and picked up the dogs from the boarding house, we were complete to start the longest hottest summer ever but luckily, we did not know that yet...
Anyway, fortunately we did not know it yet but that would change quickly because after a few impressive showers in the first week the temperature rose constantly, and it would stay that way. For weeks, well 2 months, it did not rain, and we begged for a drop of water that did not come. Temperatures of 35 degrees at 11:00h in the morning and 46 degrees in the shade in the evening were normal. Dirk had to start his daily big cleaning of the garden before 8:00h in the morning, as well as the arousing of the plants whose green had been burnt. The only thing I could think about in that hellish heat were the dogs in the shelter who fortunately have cool indoor places and the dogs that were wandering around somewhere in the field in the vast rough plains where the hunters had already started selecting them for the coming hunting season… That is to say that they let the galgos walk behind 4X4 jeeps, on a leash with a galguero sitting in the trunk, increasing the speed and leaving behind those who cannot keep up, knowing very well that they cannot survive in the current heat because everything is dry and barren and prickly, fires break out regularly and there is nothing to eat or drink. So far…
While we were baking and roasting in Spain and the sweat was running down our faces in streams and we did not know where to hide from the heat and our dogs were fighting for the best spots under the air conditioning that was on day and night, we saw on TV Flanders how they were drowning in Belgium and the surrounding areas under the constant downpour and the houses were flooded because the sewers could not handle the water. If we had to choose, the choice would be easy. We would rather look for the elusive cooling than a flooded house and street where you could see neither the beginning nor the end of the cleaning up. I felt so sorry for the people who were desperately trying to keep their house water-free against their better judgment. We would rather bake and roast. While everyone had their problems, we wiped our sweat and they put on a sweater in Belgium, we were kept informed of the festivities by the staff. Such as the wedding of regional manager Tasch, the “Kronkel” walk of Ann and Nancy in Brabant, the “Eetkommen” (food bowls) for Las Nieves, the 4-day walk of the IJzer that under the watchful eye of Dirk Buffalo and Tasch was an great success, Ellen van de Veire and regio Tasch who defended our colors in the Maxi Zoo and last but not least Yolanda and Luc who adopted Italians Isabelle and Isadora. Of course, there was also less pleasant news and as always dogs were given up due to illness of a non-resident family member…
On the 3rd of August we heard gunshots for the first time, and the next day again. After it was quiet for a few days until a week later there was shooting for 3 days. In the pet food shop in our street, where we have been buying for years pigeon and bird food for the “wild” birds as the owner calls them and since a few months now also cat food for the street cats, a fact about which he was just as astonished as when we first bought food for the “wild” birds, we asked the man for information. Anyway, he told us that they (the galgueros) wanted to thin out the “turtle dove population”, if not exterminate them because there were too many of them and they are a threat to the food of the rabbits and consequently they would then be able to shoot less in the coming hunting season, imagine that… It was not the last time that we heard their shooting and by the way it will not only be the pigeons that will have to suffer. Fortunately, they have now, just like the sparrows, jackdaws, starlings, occasional lost pigeons and all others who need it, a “safe house” called Casa Belgica and there the food bowls are always filled. Unfortunately, we are the only ones in the village who care about our fellow inhabitants of this abused planet for which they have no respect. Now they think they are all-powerful and have no respect for anything, but there will come a day when it is “pay back” time, I am sure of that.
A week and a half before our departure Marie-Carmen calls to say that the Peugeot van that GINB gave her a few years ago has broken down again. This time seriously, not surprising when you know that she flies over the road full of potholes and bumps into the shelter, she just does not take off yet... 'It took a long time' mumbles Dirk. Anyway, she needs another car asap because the adopted male galgos are expected at the vet to have their teeth cleaned, which are normally done in our clinic, but because the shelter was overcrowded and all the females and males had been made "babyproof" by Marianne and Anne, no extra dogs could be taken in. So, our clinic has remained unused this summer and the adopted males are treated by the local vet. Dirk suggests the old jeep, but because it is an "automatic" she does not dare to drive it. So, Dirk must drive. After two days and just as many loads, the local mechanic has made an extra effort and her Peugeot is fixed, for how long is another question... The last week of our stay, after months of bright blue skies, gray clouds suddenly appeared. No matter how much we hope and wish, they do not release a drop until we see from Pistorius in the evening that something is coming, and it starts to rumble lightly in the distance. Something will certainly happen because we know that Pistorius has a holy fear of thunder and an infallible premonition. Half an hour later we get a wonderfully old-fashioned and abundant storm accompanied by thunder and lightning and tons of rain over us. Everybody happy, people, animals and plants... WONDERFUL!!!!
In the meantime, all that is a thing of the past. On Sunday th 1st of September, I flew to Belgium with Dirk, on Monday we did some shopping and on Tuesday he flew back to Spain together with co-driver Dirk B, I stayed in De Pinte with a broken PC that refused all service, but with a very active and busy telephone... On Thursday, the drivers in Casa Belgica left with the 25 lucky ones and dropped off the first lucky one at exactly 13:00h in Burgos where they had an appointment with American adopters who live and work in Spain, so for Hada Dos who is now well integrated it was only a journey of 300 km. For the other travelers who arrived in Rosa Canina after 2:00h where they met Yannick, our incomparable social media manager and husband Bart, regional managers Nensie, Kevin and of course Martine who was waiting for her co-driver, the journey had taken 16 hours, but they were, just like the welcoming committee, no less happy and exuberant… I could see that in the video that Dirk sent, how beautiful and emotional it was when they all stretched their legs and galloped to the accommodation. That is what we do it for.
At 3:30h Dirk was home and after a few hours of rest he returned to Rosa Canina at 8:30h to clean the van and receive the vet etc... Then regional manager Kevin brought him to Sixt to rent a car for the coming weeks because after the adoption day tomorrow I have an appointment with the neurologist on Monday, the following week it is Tasch, Nensie and Sabine's walk in Nukerke and a week later there will be a meeting in Vilvoorde for the GINB co-workers.
Anyway, yesterday's adoption day is also history in the meantime, a pleasant history with good weather, many adopters who came to get a second, third or even fourth dog. Among them was one lady who adopted her first galgo (of several that would follow) in 1996!! Now she has adopted a dog in the spotlight, fantastic isn't it!! Wonderful to have such loyal adopters!! As always, I posed with all the adoptive parents and their new companion for Peter's lens and when everyone had left, we sang as usual for the birthday boys and girls among the staff who had brought cookies, cakes and pralines.
Thanks again to all the adopters who brought a gift for me.
