A Day in the Life of the Lopez Family

In the early 1960's the Lopez family made their living as farmers just outside of the city of Guadalajara. The Lopez family, Roberto, his wife Maria and son Antonio, were known by their neighbors as some of the most likable and hardest working farmers in the region. Early one morning as Roberto was heading out to begin his day, Maria said "Don't forget to cut that huge log" He always enjoyed the fresh morning air, and walking by the rare statue of a white shark on his way to the garden. Roberto opened the door to the shed and went to clean his ax first.

Maria soon followed Roberto. It was extra cold that morning so she took Robert the hat she had knitted. As Maria approached Roberto she saw that he was carrying a pitchfork to care for the horses. Maria began to help Roberto by giving the horses some wheat. While Maria was helping, Roberto went back to the barn and took out the hose. As he was walking he dripped water in the garden. As he headed back to the horses, Roberto heard a strange noise. He glanced out the door and at first he did not see anything. Suddenly, Roberto noticed a tail sticking out behind one of the trees. He walked very slowly and quietly to the tree. Then, he heard a loud "SNAP!" something had stepped on a stick, which scared the animals and caused Maria to jump. There was a raccoon at the base of the tree.

As Maria turned for a better look, she heard a howl and suddenly came to a stop. Roberto asked "What's wrong?" Maria turned to him and whispered "Did you hear that?" Roberto said "Hear what?" From the distance they both heard the sound again. Roberto turned to Maria and said: "Don't be alarmed that's just an owl." They both laughed at being worried about the funny sounds. Maria told Roberto that lunch would be ready soon. Roberto picked up his broom." and said he had a few more things to finish before lunch. Maria said "I will go in and start to peel the potatoes and check on Antonio." Roberto said "okay, but don't forget to add some celery to the soup."

After lunch Roberto used his new wheelbarrow to remove the large rocks in his yard and Maria decided to take Antonio to the mall in town. During their drive, Maria saw a man sitting near a lake with his fishing pole. She rolled down her window and wished him a good day. When Maria arrived at the mall she opened the door and immediately slipped. When she looked around, Maria saw a grasshopper on the floor just inside the door. At the same time she watched Antonio as he swatted a butterfly near his head. After quickly buying a gift for Antonio, Maria decided that she wasn't going to do any more shopping that day. On the way home Maria and Antonio began to relax as they looked out of the car window at the meadow. Once they got home, Maria hugged Roberto and said, "My it's been a busy day." Maria and Roberto laughed as they watched the excitement on Antonio's face when he was dragging a box that had his new kite in it. The bell on the church rang telling them it was 5 o'clock and nearly time for dinner. They were thankful for the happy sounds and simple life on their farm.