To the cuck-shed.

“Well you have to collect the eggs from the cuck-shed every morning.” Here a small pause followed, but Oz did not see any change on Juan’s face, other than his intent concentration and ‘all ears’ attitude. “Then you put out some feed for the animals in there, then in the cow stable, and give some feed to the half dozen pigs as well – there isn’t much but they eat pretty much every leftover and get fat easily. After that you can also give them water. There isn’t much farm work to do at the moment as we are not quite in season yet – for now you just have to turn on the sprinkler while you do your rounds in the animal sheds. Also if you find something that looks broken, you can go ahead and fix it.”

“Ah… That is much to memory! Can you please show too?”

Oz looked at him a little in disbelief, but he then realised that his routine work might be a bit much for anyone new.

“Sure thing. Maria please do the dishes until then, when I come back I show you where and how to clean up.”

While Maria began to collect the dishes, Oz and Juan made their way out to the farm. There were many buildings right behind the house. First up on the right was the chicken shed where Oz led Juan and showed him where he would have to collect eggs and where to find baskets for them. They picked a few eggs until Juan nodded and said he would be fine on his own from now on.

The next stop were the cows, pigs and the well. Oz showed him how to feed the animals with some things he would always prepare for at least three days in advance. He simply moved a lever and let the grains, or other feed fall down into containers or places where animals could eat easily from. With the water it was a little harder, but he let Juan do the heavy lifting with the buckets and they filled all the sheds with fresh water from the well which was in the center of the encircling animal sheds.

Then he showed him a silo-like building with lots of hay and other animal feed piled up and explained to him that he needs to use this for animals. Juan asked where the food, such as flour, is kept and Oz showed him a large barn for storage. They then went outside again and Oz showed him a medium sized shed with tools near the farmlands where mostly wheat grew. In the second row of the soil there were sunflowers and in the last few rows tomatoes, beans and some other vegetables. Oz simply showed Juan all of the things he grew. Near his fence at a very green area with a few fruit trees and bushes, Oz also had a few rows of grape growing. Juan was amazed by how finely it was growing and how skilfully they were organised – he admitted to have worked at a plant for a few years and only his senior could keep the grapevine so neatly organised. Juan had only managed to come close to it. Oz was certain he had struck gold now. The husband will be a good asset he thought and he praised Juan after letting him do a small area where the vines had grown a bit wildly.

Oz let Juan do the remaining work for the day alone and he returned to the house. About forty minutes had passed, if not fifty he thought and he was somewhat impatient to go back and have his fill again, or rather continue where he had left off. He found Maria who had completed the dishes already dusting a few shelves here and there, but the children were still lurking around and would often pop up from an unexpected corner even as he entered the kitchen.