1/5/2020
(Above: A sunset shining through Spanish moss.)
Active Summary: After the morning regimen of calisthenics, writing, and a frigid check around the beef pasture, I decided to return to the warmth of Jacobhouse and partake in a little bit more of the middlemost activity; that is to say, writing. After the sun rose fully from behind the trees, I ventured back outdoors where I visited Padre in his progressing studio and decided on a proper paint color for the Master Blend freezer room’s gate area.
The second portion of the morning consisted of my venturing down to the Harbison farm market, procuring the weekly produce, and then stopping by Sparr Farm Supply on the way home. There, I acquired the decided-upon paint and some electrical supplies – a box, switch, and face plate – for a light installation in the studio. On reaching Oldhouse, I put the vegetation away (Padre helped), made some vegetable-mashed potatoes*, and pan-seared a few Master Blend #3232 Shoulder Steaks for lunch.
(6:05 PM Update:) Afternoon activities included the usual farm tasks of cattle-tending which were then followed by a beef pasture check and a short visit to the garden where I harvested some arugula and spinach for a dinner salad. The vegetation is prime at the moment with the leaves actually squeaking against one another as I rifled through them. Apparently, the recent waterings from both sprinkler and cloud along with the returned cool weather has had a positive effect.
TIL: Today, on account of a question asked by the Harbisons, I learned a few interesting facts about yucca. Firstly, I discovered that the root should be peeled before eating. This was surprising to me, because many years ago when my family ate yucca, we would leave the ‘skin’ on. Apparently, though, this skin is coated with wax, and its woody nature enables it to absorb that wax. What this means is that when an individual is eating waxed yucca peel, they are primarily eating wax. To remedy this, simply cut the root into segments, score a line down each, and peel from that score-line.
Another interesting fact I learned about cassava root**, is that it is poisonous when eaten raw. This poison varies depending on the type: bitter cassava or sweet cassava. Both types of root contain cyanide; the former contains up to 400 mg per kilogram and the latter contains up to 50 mg per kilogram. Fortunately for us and for the bovines that I frequently see eating the roots*** only the sweet cassava is sold in the United States.
Commentary: As I drowsily wrote the majority of this entry after lunch, I found myself frequently glancing outside where the sun was shining fully on the ever-growing garden (the peas are over halfway up the fence now). Meanwhile, half-benuded limbs of an old live oak stretched overhead – a vaulted half-arch that, with the help of several other oaks, continued eastward as a corridor until it met with the gates that open onto the parched lime-stone lane leading up to Oldhouse. Infrequent vehicles made their surprisingly-quiet way along the country road far off to the left, and on the opposite side – the right – I could see a number of bovines grazing, congregating at the water trough, or simply relaxing in the cool grass beneath the lurid cerulean sky.
Final Note: Now that I have access to a quart of mystery-color paint, tomorrow I shall coat the freezer room’s gate area. If I have any time leftover, I will begin clearing unneeded paraphernalia out of the farm’s office.
* Mashed potatoes with the inclusion of caramelized onions and zucchini.
** Cassava is the same as yucca.
*** They get shipped in with other waste produce from nearby grocery stores.