A time of calm to let the earth sleep and the countryside catch its breath.
With winter knocking at the door, the olive grove takes a deep breath after the hustle and bustle. Just a few weeks ago, the long days of harvesting filled the countryside with life: the constant roar of the harvesters, the coming and going of the trucks loaded with olives, the voices of the day laborers setting the pace of the day. Now, all that seems a distant memory, vanished in the cold air.
The olive trees, already combed and lightened of fruit, remain silent. It gives the sensation that they too are resting, grateful for the pause. It seems that even the birdsong becomes softer, respecting the calmness that the winter season brings.
The earth, disturbed and wet, still keeps traces of wheels and footprints, mute witnesses of a job well done.
In the pasture, the cows seek the protection of the oaks. They snuggle up to each other while the wind cuts. The trucks, which just a short time ago used to travel the roads again and again, are now resting next to the sheds, with mud still stuck to the underside. And the machines, with their engines turned off, wait for their moment in the shed, smelling of diesel and effort.
Winter in La Encomendiña brings calm. It is a time of calm after the work, a time to let the earth sleep and the field recover its breath. And amidst the smell of firewood, silence settles in the olive grove again and one feels that peace that only comes when the work ends and winter reclaims its place.
