(Above: One cannot ask for a much better view from his office.)
3/13/2022: Today began in the low 30s, descended briefly into the high 20s, and then rapidly rose into the mid-60s. Sunny throughout.
Dawn of 3/13/2022: The temperature – already in the low 30’s – dropped even further as the sun began to rise. Fortunately, that same solar orb soon proceeded to warm the landscape and prevent a majority of spring-time’s greenery from experiencing the bite of frost.
Lunch today consisted of a Miga salad. Migas are a mixture of eggs, fried tortilla shells, and in this case: beef, onion, fresh garlic, and mozzarella cheese.
The next freezer that I’ll be working on in the de-icing & cleaning process.
The oldest freezer in the room has been successfully returned to operation.
Mid-afternoon beef pasture inspection of 3/13/2022. Gaur-Mother #318 laying in front of her brindled spawn.
15 bags of compost filled and bound for the Moo-Magic stand first thing tomorrow morning.
Dinner of 3/13/2022: A light fare of fried eggs and a Padre-made salad dressed in a Jacob-made Balsamic vinaigrette.
3/14/2022: Today began in the low 40s and proceeded to warm into the low 70s. Partly cloudy.
Morning of 3/14/2022: #268’s Gaur (#3668) pre-operation. Today was castration day, poor fellow.
This is the back fence that #3668 Gaur almost broke through when an ill-trained dog ran toward him. It is fortunate for us that the fence was not decimated, and it is fortunate for Heinz (the dog) that he was retrieved before the Gaur realized there was no escape. Had the interaction lasted much longer, Heinz may have indeed ended up as nothing more than a splotch of ketchup on the ground.
Same fence after minor repairs.
The sunny blue sky and prevailing breeze is continuing to dry the landscape recently beset by 4+ inches of rain.
Today I ate with Padre and Madre at Lorito’s Kitchen. This is the Italian-dressed salad accompanied by a glass of refreshing Diet Coke.
A slice of delectable pizza. The sauce was especially excellent today, and the cheese had just the right amount of crust.
Coral ardisia, otherwise known as coral berry found along the road to Eduardo’s hydroponic greenhouse. This pretty plant is an invasive species and considered a noxious weed by the Florida government.
Padre feeding the ‘Great White’ through a window in the side of the barn.
My last major task for the day was to bring 17 bags of Moo-Magic down to the compost stand. Again, it must be stated that it is ‘that time of the year’.
Dinner: An exquisite meal of skillet-seared short ribs, a sour-cream-filled baked potato, and a salad dressed in balsamic vinaigrette.
3/15/2022: Today began in the low 60s and warmed to the low 80s. Mostly cloudy with sprinklings of rain.
Dawn of 3/15/2022: One of the only times the sun was to be espied today.
Gaur-mother #903 standing alongside her long-legged offspring on an overcast morning.
For lunch, I made a savory ‘taco-filling’ from liver, purple onions, egg, mozzarella, and chiltepin.
I proceeded to make tacos from the filling and enjoyed them alongside a Padre-made & Madre-dressed salad.
My dinner consisted of a baked potato, a little bit of broccoli, 3 over-easy eggs, and cucumber salad. The fourth egg garnished with a piece of broccoli and garlic was for Madre.
For dessert, I sliced & arranged a banana and a strawberry, sprinkling the former with a smidgen of cinnamon. I should also mention that the berry had exceptional flavor. They must be in season.
I found these creatures attached the signs that I had been soaking in the water-trough. I’m still uncertain what they were.
3/16/2022: Today began in the low 60s and proceeded to warm into the high 70s. Partly cloudy throughout.
Dawn of 3/16/2022: Padre, Wag, and I IV an ailing heifer calf #7190. We spent about 30 minutes preparing and IV’ing this bovine only to have black-headed vultures pick a hole in its side later in the day. #7190 is no longer with us, but Nature most assuredly is – both for the bad and for the good.
A picture of the central beef pasture during my late-morning inspection. I would say that plenty of water fell. On looking it up, we discovered that 1 inch of rain on 1 acre is equal to about 27,154 gallons. That’s about 110 tons of water. We received 2 inches, and needless to say, the farm is larger than one acre.
For lunch, Padre, Madre, and I visited Off-Duty Tavern. This time, I didn’t get any pictures of the food, so I took one of the ‘remains’.
While waiting for my Uncle Wag to bring vaccine for a newborn Gaur, I took a moment to procure a couple pictures of the pretty afternoon.
A glance east at the treeline which divides the central pasture from the south-east pasture. The hackberry trees are in full leaf.
Turnipweed that Wag and I found growing directly west of Jacobhouse near my cousin Dana’s abode.
Dinner: A classic combination of burger-steak, baked potato, and cucumber salad… this time accompanied by a delightful glass of Robert Hall Merlot.
Like last night, this evening’s dessert consisted of a sliced cinnamon-coated banana along with a couple sliced strawberries.
3/17/2022: Today began in the low 60s and proceeded to warm into the low 80s.
Dawn of 3/17/2022: Bovines going about their early-day business beneath a shroud of fog.
Before heading out on my weekly trip to a spring, I helped Padre and Wag IV an ailing Wagyu calf, #3718. It could neither walk nor stand.
A pleasant morning at Salt Springs [3/17/2022]. There were a few more people than usual – the likely cause being Spring Break.
Lunch: An especially delicious and admittedly sizeable repast of 7 liver tacos accompanied by some Madre-made & Padre-dressed salad. It was quite satiating for a fellow enjoying a late lunch after a cold swim in the Salt Springs.
IV’ing the same calf, #3718, once again. Because I write these captions on the day following the picture-date, I can say that this calf has made a decent recovery. It is not ‘out of the woods’ yet, but it is able to get up and about on its own.
The newest Brahman Gaur cross out of #469. It has unique coloring and some especially large hooves.
One of my late-afternoon projects was to take some Confederate Jasmine cuttings, prepare them for planting by cutting twice along-and-up the stem, and then positioning them in some wet Moo-Magic. I made sure to make holes for the cutting rather than pressing them directly into the soil. For some reason, that is supposed to make a difference.
A light dinner of fried Parmesan & Black Pepper encrusted eggs, a small piece of Padre-made pizza, and some refreshing cucumber salad.
3/18/2022: Today began in the low 50s and warmed into the high 80s. Foggy at the beginning, but it turned out to be a very sunny day.
Dawn of 3/18/2022: One cannot ask for a much better view from his office.
One of the late-morning tasks included some fence work. Today I straightened a post and also added a new post beside a broken-off one.
Lunch: A delectable repast procured from Sushi Bistro of Ocala. The soup today was garnished with a type of endive grown by Eduardo at his hydroponic nursery.
Mid-afternoon in the central beef pasture (3/18/2022). The mud is really beginning to dry and harden while the grass and trees seem to have increased in verdure.
Late afternoon at Jacobhouse after mowing (3/18/2022).
Dinner consisted of pan-seared Wagyu short ribs accompanied by a salad and a glass of Robert Hall merlot. The ribs bore tremendous flavor and surprising tenderness which I believe could be attributed to genetics.
Dessert: A very-ripe & cinnamon-coated banana accompanied by comparatively tart strawberries.
3/19/2022: A day beginning in the high 50s and warming into the mid 80s. Partly cloudy.
Dawn of 3/19/2022.
Bovine #280 peering with mixed-sentiment toward the camera. [Late morning of 3/19/2022].
Lunch consisted of a baked potato, Padre-made & Madre-dressed salad, and 3 over-easy eggs. Delectable and satisfying.
Dinner: A 12 oz. pan-seared Wagyner Blue burger-steak accompanied by some fried tortilla chips and a Padre-made / Jacob-dressed salad.