Every morning, Juan Carlos I, our proud rooster, leads his group of ladies out of the coop, and in the evening, he brings them back. Where the chicken gang spends their days? No idea! The neighbors have reported sightings—about 1.5 kilometers from our house!

Juan Carlos and his ladies came to us during the lockdown. Since our property isn’t fenced, he grew accustomed to wandering freely and exploring the surroundings. He has a strong personality and proves it through his pronounced self-confidence. When we go into the garden in the morning and forget to address him by name and ask how he’s doing, he attacks us! So, we start every day with a cautious look around before opening the door and call out loudly and warmly: “Good morning, Juan Carlos I! How did you sleep?”
Even the mail carrier has learned to adapt. After an initial unpleasant encounter, he now enters the garden crouched, looks around carefully, and as soon as he sees the excitedly approaching rooster, he immediately calls out: “¡Buenos días, Juan Carlos I! ¿Cómo estás?” Juan Carlos I graciously acknowledges the submission, turns around, and dedicates himself to his favorite activity: mounting the hens.
Eventually, the Spanish lockdown ended, and soon we could see the first pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago again. My neighbor Ashleigh asked me worriedly if we shouldn’t put up a warning sign on the Camino, just before reaching our houses: “Beware of the rooster! Be polite to him!” It seems as if she had a crystal ball, because the very next day, this happened:
I was standing in the garden when I heard a shrill scream. Seconds later, a pilgrim ran past our gate in complete panic—and right behind him, with wings spread wide: Juan Carlos I!
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