Day 29: Puppies and new friends

Mrs Dog feeding her adorable puppies

It's true - Mrs Dog has given birth to five adorable puppies! Said took us down the garden this morning to see them with their mummy. He tells us that he was in his house when he heard a tiny yelping sound. When he looked outside he saw Mrs Dog gently lift a puppy in her mouth and carry it to a makeshift den in the corner of the garden. As he watched, she gave birth to another, this was the last one...and again she carried it gently to her den. The den is actually part of an old wreck of a car which was left in the garden by the previous owner and has remained there ever since...it is here that Mrs Dog has cleverly constructed a little home for herself and her pups. She has obviously gathered materials together such as pieces of cardboard, an old rag, twigs, plastic bottles... anything in fact to make it comfortable for her new family. Said has reinforced it by adding the polystyrene and plastic packaging from our new washing machine to form protection from any prevailing winds. It is a far cry from the sort of dog's bed we would buy at home from Argos or a pet shop - but this is comfortable for her by Moroccan standards and she and her babies are safe, and that is the main thing. The two male dogs guard the den protectively...we are unsure which one is the father as the babies all have different colouring...hmmm, we are suspicious and believe that Mrs Dog may have been unfaithful to Mr Dog at some point! However, the clever female now has two active fathers for her pups, can't be bad.

She is wary of us

Her den in the old wreckage of a car

Shortly after returning to the house, we have visitors. Mike (the owner of the house) and two of his friends and co-workers are visiting to drop off a Scorpion Recumbent trike which Mike uses for fundraising activities, as they return to France tonight and don't want to take it with them. We've met Mike's mate, Gareth, before, and it is great to see him again, but we are pleased to also make friends today with Aniko, a Swiss lady who has such a passion for eco-tourism and is involved in setting up several projects in Morocco to keep the mountainside clean, to help with the education of girls and to generally make the lives of villagers better. She is an inspirational character. One of her latest projects involves using hang glider wings, which have been used for testing purposes and would otherwise be thrown on the scrap heap, to make eco-friendly bags. We look forward to meeting with her again to hear more of her interesting and inspiring ideas.
(See www.facebook.com/mountainpropre for further details)

Time for lunch, and today we've been invited to visit another Kasbah owned by another British friend who has made his home in Morocco. His Kasbah is called Kasbah Angour and is located about a ten-minute drive from us, on a hilltop with spectacular views of the mountains and surrounding countryside. We make our way up the steep winding road to reach the Kasbah and are rewarded with similar stunning views to those we have grown accustomed to and of which we will never tire!! We enjoy a lovely lunch with Paul and his friend, Emily, consisting of Moroccan salad followed by chicken and vegetable tajine and a lemon tart to die for, all washed down with an espresso. I could get used to Sunday lunches like this - and in such great company too!
www.kasbahangour.com

View from the roof terrace 

Some of the rooms with private patios