Hard Days In The Mountains

If for some it is beautiful and good to play in the snow, for others life becomes quite complicated.
Especially those who live in the region.
And with that I will make my post today.
Life in the countryside can be a dream for many, for others it is a prison.
There are no holidays on Saturdays or Sundays for animal care.
Every day is a day of hard work.
Dreams are often expensive, they cost time.
Despite the incredible nature of nature, the hardness of these jobs is often not sufficiently rewarded, as supermarkets and hypermarkets crush the margins of those who actually “work in the production area”, hindering the evolution and development of places.

The mountains remain cold and snow predominates throughout the region, although with 140 inhabitants full of stories to tell, the days of these agricultural professionals start very early.
In my case “tourist effect” after waking up and contemplating the beautiful landscapes and a good breakfast I decided to take an early morning walk alone around the village which is also not very big, which is easily walkable

At around 8:30 am, this man appears in a green parka, coming out of a field with a pitchfork on his back.
Already with some age, and with wrinkles from the experiences of this hard work that is life in the countryside.
With a smile on his face, he said good morning to me
(Anyone who knows Portugal knows that this is a greeting common to everyone, almost as a form of respect)
(Personally, I love this type of photos because they show the harsh and raw reality of many places we've been to "without editing or just showing the beauty.
The beautiful thing is this, people's gratitude)

Continuing along the street, on a corner there is a small plot of land with this old "David Brown" tractor, with a production date between 1965 and 1971, that is, this little helper has been working for around 40 years and is still in operation.
This further highlights the fact that time does not pass through certain towns in Portugal

Still on the same terrain, we were able to observe the accessories used in daily work, and of course the snow is present, although it has already melted a little, it is still quite visible even though it is a lower part of the mountain.

We were able to observe some rustic and “poorer” houses that need a lot of care.
But life probably cannot provide other conditions for some inhabitants.
While on the one hand there are those who can do it, for others the living conditions are a bit rustic.

Narrow and steep streets with firewood at the door as the cold at night is difficult, despite these conditions everyone is kindly respectful and greets you as you wander aimlessly through the village.
The views are incredible, but the real magic of the place is the people.
Whenever I visit these types of places, I see that they smile substantially more and seem happier than people in cities.
I definitely don't know why, but it seems that little fills the heart, while those who live in cities and consume executively don't give as much value to small details.
(I place myself in the consumption part of cities)

Continuing down the street, I found a truck with a super friendly dog in the back, soaked in water, but not getting out, waiting for the farmer/shepherd who had stopped to eat something at the nearby bakery.
he was waiting for his owner so they could get on with "their lives"