(Above: The early morning of 12/12/2023. Cow #227 was standing a little above her bull calf who was resting in a hole.
La madrugada del 12/12/2023. La vaca #227 estaba de pie un poco arriba de su ternerito que estaba descansando en un hoyo.)
12/10/2023: Today began in the low 60s and warmed into the low 80s. Sunny morning and rainy afternoon.
The magnificent dawn of 12/10/2023. The cows were relaxing in the fog while the sun was beginning to rise. El amanecer magnífico del 10/12/2023. Las vacas estaban relajando en la neblina mientras el sol estaba empezando a subir. 
I found this caterpillar while I was returning to my house. I think it is the caterpillar of an Io Moth. Encontré esta oruga mientras estuve volviendo a mi casita. Creo que es una oruga de la polilla Io. 
A closer photo of the spiny caterpillar. Una foto más cercano de la oruga espinosa. 
The lunch of 12/10/2023: A fried mixture of eggs and beef bacon. This was accompanied by a green salad made by Padre and dressed by Madre. El almuerzo del 10/12/2023: Una mezcla frita de huevos y tocino de res. Esta estaba acompañada de una ensalada verde hecha por mi padre y aliñada por mi madre. 
This is what we enjoyed for the dinner of 12/10/2023: An oven-roasted Wagyu bottom round and a green salad garnished with fresh radish from the garden. Esto es que disfrutamos para la cena del 10/12/2023: Un asado de cuadril de Wagyu al horno y una ensalada verde adornada con rábano fresco del jardín. 
The plated dinner: a piece of Wagyu bottom round roast accompanied by a salad of romaine lettuce, arugula, and fresh radish. There was also a bowl of homemade barbecue sauce for dipping and a glass of red wine to drink. La cena emplatada: un trozo de asado de cuadril de Wagyu acompañado de una ensalada de lechuga romana, rúcula y rábano fresco. Además, había un tazón de salsa barbacoa casera para mojar y una copa de vino tinto para beber. 
A green apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a spoonful of Greek yogurt and some walnuts. Una manzana verde en rodajas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego y unas nueces.
12/11/2023: Today began in the mid 40s and warmed into the low 60s. Sunny.
Lunch of 12/11/2023: A tray and a half of sushi, a small bowl of coco aminos for dunking it, and a bowl of onion soup garnished with cabbage, spinach, and finely sliced mushroom. El almuerzo del 11/12/2023: Una bandeja y media de sushi, un tazón pequeño de aminos de coco para mojarlo, y un tazón de sopa de cebolla adornada con repollo, espinaca, y hongo en rodajas finas. 
These Wagyu shanks are prepared for roasting in a 350 degree oven for four hours. Estas piernas de Wagyu se preparan para asarse por cuatro horas en un horno de 350 grados F. 
A jar of homemade barbecue sauce destined for dinner. Un frasco de salsa barbacoa casera destinado para la cena. 
The partly sunny afternoon of 12/11/2023 on the eastern portion of the farm. La tarde parcialmente soleada del 11/12/2023 en la porción oriental del rancho. 
Some wild dahlias growing from seeds that came from the flowers of this past summer. Unas dalias salvajes creciendo de semillas que vinieron de las flores de este verano pasado. 
A small carrot that I harvested in order to see the approximate size of the others. Una zanahoria pequeña que coseché para ver el tamaño aproximado de las otras. 
The plated dinner: The aforementioned roasted Wagyu shank accompanied by a green salad drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette. Also, there was a bowl of homemade barbecue. All of the food was very rich and delicious. La cena emplatada: La pierna asada de Wagyu ya mencionada acompañada de una ensalada verde rociada con una vinagreta balsámica. Además, había un tazón de salsa barbacoa casera. Toda la comida estaba muy rica y deliciosa. 
A sliced green apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a spoonful of Greek yogurt and many walnuts. Una manzana verde en rodajas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego y muchas nueces.
12/12/2023: Today began in the low 40s and warmed into the high 60s.
The early morning of 12/12/2023. Cow #227 was standing a little above her bull calf who was resting in a hole. La madrugada del 12/12/2023. La vaca #227 estaba de pie un poco arriba de su ternerito que estaba descansando en un hoyo. 
For lunch, Padre and I enjoyed a taco salad. This consisted of romaine lettuce, green cabbage, red cabbage, sliced avocado, seasoned Belgian Blue ground beef, a little bit of sour cream, and homemade barbecue sauce. Para el almuerzo, mi padre y yo disfrutamos de una ensalada de taco. Esta consistía en lechuga romana, repollo verde, repollo rojo, aguacate en rodajas, res molida sazonada de azul belga, un poco de crema ácida y salsa barbacoa casera. 
The afternoon of 12/12/2023 in the central pasture. La tarde del 12/12/2023 en el campo central. 
This wire disguised as a vine was touching the electric fence and grounding it. Este alambre disfrazado como una enredadera estaba tocando la valla eléctrica y haciendo una conexión a la tierra. 
Dinner consisted of a fried mixture of eggs, leftover beef, and spinach sprinkled with a little bit of Cholula hot sauce. This was accompanied by a simple salad of greens and balsamic vinaigrette. La cena consistía en una mezcla frita de huevos, res sobrante y espinaca rociada con un poco de salsa Cholula. Esta estaba acompañada de una ensalada simple de verduras en una vinagreta balsámica. 
Dessert: A sliced green apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a spoonful of Greek yogurt and some walnuts. El postre: Una manzana verde en rodajas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego y unas nueces.
12/13/2023: Today began in the low 50s and warmed into the low 70s. Cloudy throughout.
The cloudy morning of 12/13/2023. Padre and wag were moving buckets of feed for the cows. La mañana nublada del 13/12/2023. Mi padre y mi tío estaban mudando cubetas de comida para las vacas. 
The morning project of 12/13/2023. I reorganized the pipes below the bathroom floor and drilled two holes in order to bring the water from in the bathroom to the outdoor shower. El proyecto matutino del 13/12/2023. Yo reorganicé los tubos debajo del piso del baño y taladré dos agujeros para llevar el agua dentro del baño a la ducha afuera. 
Another photo from the same position after the work. Otra foto desde la misma posición después del trabajo. 
A simple lunch of pan-seared Belgian Blue shoulder steak accompanied by a green salad drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette Un almuerzo simple de bistec de hombro de azul belga a la sartén acompañado de una ensalada verde rociada con una vinagreta balsámica. 
A sliced green apple (and an extra core) sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by some walnuts and a spoonful of Greek yogurt. Una manzana verde (y un corazón extra) en rodajas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de unas nueces y una cucharada de yogur griego. 
After lunch, I turned the water on to my house. Despite having a little bit of difficulty with water while I was gluing the pipes, all of the joints remained intact. Después de almorzar, yo prendí el agua a mi casita. A pesar de un poco de dificultad con agua mientras estuve encolando las tuberías, todas las junturas quedaron intactas. 
A beautiful dinner of a potato, onion, garlic, fresh rosemary, and cheese frittata accompanied by a green salad made by Padre. Una cena bonita de una frittata que consistía en papa, cebolla, ajo, romero fresco y queso. Esta estaba acompañada de una ensalada verde hecha por mi padre. 
Dessert consisted of a sliced green apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by some walnuts and spoonful of Greek yogurt. El postre consistía en una manzana verde en rodajas espolvoreadas con canela y acompañada de unas nueces y una cucharada de yogur griego.
12/14/2023: Today began in the mid-50s and warmed into the low 70s. Mostly cloudy.
The early morning of 12/14/2023: I encountered two enormous steers while I was walking to Padre’s studio. La madrugada del 14/12/2023: Encontré dos bueyes enormes mientras estuve caminando a la casita de mi padre. 
A fried mixture eggs and leftover frittata from last night. This was accompanied by a green salad made by Padre and dressed by Madre. Una mezcla frita de huevos y sobras de frittata de anoche. Esta estaba acompañada de una ensalada verde hecha por mi padre y aliñada por mi madre. 
Also, I ate a dessert that consisted of a sliced green apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by some walnuts and spoonful of Greek yogurt También comí un postre que consistía en una manzana verde en rodajas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de unas nueces y una cucharada de yogur griego. 
The cloudy and slightly rainy afternoon of 12/14/2023 in the central pasture. La tarde nublada y un poco lluviosa del 14/12/2023 en el campo central. 
For dinner, Padre and I enjoyed a Belgian Blue burger-steak topped with fresh melted mozzarella cheese and accompanied by a simple salad of some greens drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette. Para la cena, mi padre y yo disfrutamos de un bistec de res molida de azul belga cubierta con mozzarella fresca fundida y acompañado de una ensalada simple de unas verdes rociadas con una vinagreta balsámica. 
A dessert very similar to lunch’s dessert, but this plate did not have walnuts. Un postre muy similar al postre del almuerzo, pero este plato no tuvo nueces.
12/15/2023: Today began in the mid-50s and warmed into the low 70s. Partly sunny.
The garden in the early morning of 12/15/2023. A steer was smelling the rosemary plant. El jardín en la madrugada del 15/12/2023. Un buey estaba oliendo la planta romera. 
The meats of the day: two Belgian Blue shoulder steaks, two salmon filets, and two tuna filets. I put all of the meat on the counter in order to thaw it. Las carnes del día: dos bisteces de hombro de azul belga, dos filetes de salmón y dos filetes de atún. Ya la puse toda la carne en la cubierta para descongelarla. 
The Master Blend freezer room after cleaning it in the morning of 12/15/2023. El cuarto de los congeladores de Master Blend después de limpiarlo en la mañana del 15/12/2023. 
For lunch, we enjoyed the aforementioned steak accompanied by a salad of cabbage, cucumber, and sliced banana peppers. Para el almuerzo, disfrutamos del bistec ya mencionado acompañado de una ensalada de repollo, pepino, y pimientos amarillos en rodajas. 
The dessert consisted of a sliced green apple sprinkled with cinnamon. El postre consistía en una manzana verde en rodajas espolvoreada con canela. 
While I was returning to my abode, I encountered a steer destroying this fence. So, I installed a short section of electric wire. Now the steer is not going to be scratching himself against the fence. Mientras estaba volviendo a casa, yo encontré un buey destruyendo esta valla. Así que, yo instalé una sección corta de alambre eléctrico. Ahora, el buey no va a rascarse sí mismo contra la valla. 
Dinner of 12/15/2023: A tuna filet and a salmon filet (with the skin intact), both of which were roasted by oven. These were accompanied by a green salad made by Padre and dressed by me. La cena del 15/12/2023: Un filete de atún y un filete de salmón (con la piel intacta), ambos de cuales estaban asados por horno. Estos estaban acompañados de una ensalada verde hecha por mi padre y aliñada por mí. 
A dessert of a sliced green apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a spoonful of Greek yogurt. Un postre de una manzana verde en rodajas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego.
12/16/2023: Today began in the low 60s and warmed to the low 70s. Rainy afternoon.
Lunch of 12/16/2023 consisted of eggs scrambled with chitepin and fresh grated mozzarella. These were accompanied by a green salad made by Padre and dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette made by me. El almuerzo del 16/12/2023 consistía en unos huevos revueltos con chiltepín y mozzarella fresca rallada. Estos estaban acompañados de una ensalada verde hecha por mi padre y aliñada con una vinagreta balsámica hecha por mí. 
It was the afternoon when I discovered that I had not taken many photos (probably because of the rain). So, I took this photo of the light post in front of my house illuminating the rainy clime. Era la tarde cuando descubrí que yo no hube tomado muchas fotos (probablemente por la lluvia). Así que tomé esta foto del poste de luz enfrente de mi casa iluminando el clima lluvioso. 
An evening activity: I did a pizza-making demonstration on Zoom. It went well, but it would have been better with a better microphone. Una actividad por la tarde: Yo hice una demostración de cómo hacer pizza en Zoom. Salió bien, pero habría sido mejor con un micrófono mejor. 
Dinner of 12/16/2023: The pizza that I made in the class accompanied by a green salad topped with fresh radish. La cena del 16/12/2023: La pizza que hice en la clase acompañada de una ensalada verde cubierta con rábano fresco. 
Dessert: A sliced green apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a spoonful of Greek yogurt. El postre: Una manzana verde en rodajas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego.
Final Note: (Much of the information in this quote is true of Florida’s and Amazonian blackwater rivers)
“…a feature here that I thought unique solely to the Tilling Lands: blackwater rivers.
These waterways flow so sluggishly that sediments and other debris are allowed to settle upon the leaf-laden bed. In the Tilling Lands these leaves come from oak trees, but here, they originate from a combination of buriti and manaca palms. These leaves decompose, releasing tannins and reducing hydrogen potential to points that have been measured as low as 3.73 and averaged at 4.5. This striking acidity lends our present river a number of unique attributes: it harbors few insect larvae; it bears specialized fish fauna [many are brightly colored, presumably for keeping track of one another in the tea-hued water, and most feed primarily on detritus; though, we did observe one specimen of startling proportion leap the full six feet of its length from the water to snatch a bird midflight]; and most importantly, the acidity seems to have eliminated all harmful microbiota, allowing us to imbibe the water and store it in our casks without any need to boil it beforehand.
This is fortunate, for during rainy season in the Hakuunai, there’s not one dry scrap of kindling to be found…“
– Excerpt from Twice Lost & Thrice Found, Twenty-One Seasons in the Hakuunai written by Count Gregory Berd
Quite the week, lots of great food, that pizza was phenomenal… blackwater good for you, wouldn’t have guessed it but good to know. Thanks again for sharing.