My friends Natalia, Salva, Voro, and Nico have a ranch.
OK, I say “friends”, but honestly Natalia and Salva feel like much more than just friends. They feel like family, like close cousins.
OK, it is not exactly a ranch.
For a number of years they have had a small bit of land up on a hill outside Canals. It was dry, and a bit barren, but it did have a view to the distance of Montesa. This year, Salva proudly announced to me that they had bought a bit of land at the edge of Annauir, their hometown.
“Want to go take a look?”
“Of course!” I answered.

The plot of land was enclosed within a fence and included a couple of sheds/outbuildings. He pointed out what would soon be his chicken coop, and a variety of fruit trees. Variety? There was at least one of just about every fruit tree you can imagine. They had not had the property very long, and he was working to fix things up a bit before the heat of summer arrived. He was placing irrigation tubing within a fabric-protected greenhouse where he would plant a variety of vegetables.

Outside, by the border fence there were roses and even some grape vines, with tiny budding grapes.

About a month later, before I headed home to Colorado, Salva took me back again. The coop had chickens clucking along who decided that perhaps my shoes were food-like substances. Vegetables were slowly growing in the garden area, and crazy snails were working their way up any vertical surface or stick.

I think it is great that their two small children would have this bit of terreno as part of their world as they grow up.

As Salva drove me back to Xàtiva I said to him, “You have a really good life here.”
He said “Yes, we are happy. A person can always want more. But if we are not satisfied with what we have, a person will never be happy.”