(Above: A picture o’ all four of us at the end of the pier.)
1/10/2021:
Dawn of 1/10/2021. 
An image of the sea during Padre’s and mine morningly card session. 
Lunch today at the Barcelo lunch buffet. 
Plate one: two large shrimp, a swordfish filet, and a couple lamb chops (all seared to a point near perfection). 
Plate two: a large salad dressed with Italian vinaigrette. 
Dessert: (Left) Coconut Tart & (Right) Nut Tart. The former was good, but the latter was reminiscent of an excellent pecan pie topped with buttercream frosting. 
Dinner at La Dolce Vita (Italian Restaurant). The starter consisted of an artfully presented octopus & potato salad. 
The second course consisted of Limoncello & Shrimp risotto. This was probably my favorite portion of dinner. 
Even better… I was able to torture poor Madre by facing it’s beady eyes toward her. 
Main Course: A Riviera Pizza topped with chicken, bacon, honey, and blue cheese. Splendid. 
I procured the tiramisu once again because it was so good last time. I was quite happy with the choice.
1/11/2021:
Dawn of 1/11/2021: I found a Padre swimming just off the Barceló pier. 
Piering into the ocean depths (it is actually only about 8 feet deep here). 
A closer glance (this is what I saw as I plunged into the sea). 
Lunch: A plenitude of sushi and seafood salad. All of utmost quality. 
The lunch dessert platter (left to right): Hazelnut cake, a chocolate roll, and a brownie. The first was my favorite, but they were all excellent. 
Dinner at Agave (Barceló’s Spanish Restaurant). This is the Madre and Padre. 
And this is me and my brother. 
The starter: Molotes Plantains with smoked shrimp stuffing, epazote sauce, and crispy chipotle-style cheese. 
The main course: Blackened Snapper with grilled jalapeno sauce. Quite delectable, but not as outstanding as Padre’s main course (next). 
Padre’s main course: Seared tuna with tremendous seasoning. I believe the restaurants here at Barceló are the first I have experienced that know tuna is best served medium rare. 
Dessert: Quesillo Mousse Fritters served with strawberries and cheese (uncertain what type) and drizzled with honey.
1/12/2021:
Morning of 1/12/2021: An image of the ocean after Padre and I took our morningly dip. 
Lunch: A large Caesar (and ceviche) salad accompanied by green chorizo tacos. 
Dessert: Some delicious carrot cake. 
Dinner was at La Vita Dolce (Italian restaurant) this evening, and the starter consisted of octopus served atop grilled potato slices. Quite tasty. 
The next course – a limoncello risotto – was the same as I consumed two nights ago and just as delectable. 
The main course was a big ole bowl o’ tortellini. 
And dessert entailed the consuming of some particularly crispy cannolis.
1/13/2021:
Morning of 1/13/2021: I found this Padre in the water again. 
And here is a Madre about to do the same. 
Getting ready for the morning soak (after the morning swim). 
Lunch today: Tacos (chorizo and beef), mixed ceviche, grilled tuna & octopus, and a large salad. Terrific variety. 
Dessert: A miniature coconut cake alongside a pecan nut tart. 
After another swim in the ocean and some additional leisure, we ate dinner at La Comedie (Barcelo’s French restaurant). This was the escargot starter. The tomato sauce that the snails were served in possessed excellent savory flavor. 
This is the quail starter that Madre ordered and shared with everyone. 
Bouillabaisse. A seafood soup bearing scallops, shrimp, mussels, and hearty chunks of octopus. 
Petit Chateaubriand. Filet Mignon topped with mustard and cooked to a perfect medium rare. 
Postre: Crème brûlée with black currant. Once again, it was my favorite dessert of the day.
1/14/2021:
Dawn of 1/14/2021. After rising early this morning to prepare for departure, I was able to witness the beginnings of a sunrise over the Caribbean. 
We arrived early to check-in, so this is where we waited for about 20 minutes at the airport. 
Moments after take-off from Cancun. Goodbye… for now! 
Home. On returning to the farm, we found all the animals and my uncle Wag faring quite well. This is a picture of our first sunset back. 
Dinner: A homemade pizza with sourdough crust, garlic butter sauce, mozzarella cheese, prosciutto, arugula, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. It already feels good to be cooking again.
1/15/2021:
Dawn of 1/15/2021: The colors I witnessed upon opening the curtains of Jacobhouse were outstanding. 
Morning in the garden. The arugula somehow grew to even greater proportions during my absence. 
A day back on the farm; this is the day’s treatment list. T’was a few and only a minute percentage of the whole. 
About 3:30 PM, grey clouds rolled in, and at 4:00 PM they began to drop a light albeit frigid precipitation. As for the two creatures in the center of this image, it is a mother Wagyner Blue and her 3/4 Wagyu offspring. It is a hefty calf for being less than 1 week old. 
The final pile of clean clothes for the day. Tomorrow I shall be fully caught up with the laundry.
1/16/2021:
Dawn of 1/16/2021: Those are some cold-weather clouds if I ever seen ’em. 
Left: An aardvark calf (actually Beef Master). Middle: A fine little Wagyu calf. Right: A full grown and admittedly plump Angus bovine. 
An ingredient list for a marinade given to me by one of my Master Blend customers, a fellow named Mr. Brown. 
The de-conditioning setup. At this piano, I am learning to comfortably play in front of other people. 
Dinner: A Master Blend Angus shoulder roast. 
Cooked to a delightful medium rare all the way through.
And here are the pictures that were mentioned last week: our undersea escapades in Mexico.
Stepping into the ocean for the first time in 5 years (Padre taking picture). 
After a long day of travel, we all found the water refreshing. 
Madre preparing to get into the sea. 
My brother at sea. 
My brother in sea. 
Hanging out with the buoys. 
Brother comparing head-size with the buoy. 
A self-portrait of the Madre at sea. 
Visiting the infinity pool. 
The cool-water jacuzzi. 
My brother and I enjoying the hot-tub after a long soak in the ocean & pool. 
Morning at Barcelo (image taken from the pier just before a swim). 
Manyfish. 
Observing the fish without goggles. 
A submersed Padre. 
Padre portrait with the fishes. 
Madre staying dry up on the pier. 
Wandering back to the room after a morning swim. 
Self-portrait of Padre. 
A sizeable creep-fish (I mean stingray) digging around for food in the sand. 
Submersed Brother. 
First turtle sighting. 
Me being somewhat leery of the turtle (they have been known to nip in the past). 
My brother attempting to hitch a ride on the turtle. 
The reef. 
Sinking into the depths. 
Standing in the depths. 
My brother doing the same. 
Turtle popping its head up to take a breath. 
Wandering to the turtle shore on a cloudy day. 
It was quite wavy on account of the slightly stormy weather. I should also note that whenever it rained, the ocean dropped a few degrees in temperature… not because of the rain itself but because of the great influxes of fresh water emerging from the near-shore springs / cenotes. 
Madre enjoying the waves (but not the murk). 
Due to the ocean’s murkiness, we decided to venture out to the pier where we engaged in a bit of fun hopping into the water. 
Me pushing brother off the pier. 
Me leaping off. 
Brother imitating Padre’s somewhat pitiful first leap in. 
A lone gull on the pier. 
Brother leaping off the pier one final time for the day. 
Wandering out for our final swim. 
Brother inspecting the rocks for tide-pool fauna. 
Brother holding a small hermit crab. 
Madre attempting to take it away from him. 
A multitude of hermit crabs (or rather, inhabited shells) can be seen in this close-up. 
A picture o’ all four of us at the end of the pier. 
Padre swimming back to the room from the pier (it took about 15 minutes). 
Padre, my brother, and I stand in the ocean for a final few minutes. I have a feeling it won’t take us 5 years to come back this time around.
Final Note: Time in Mexico, ritsabittles, and other recent events have granted me some insight into the Walden path. Here is a brief essay I have been working on. It is subject to change, but I think the core concept is there.
On Consciousness and Luck:
I perceive events, activities, and behaviours as constructive or destructive.
What makes an event / activity constructive?
- It results in growth of physical, spiritual, and mental potential.
- It increases and/or maintains one’s conscious appreciation/awareness of their reality.
- Examples: Learning, work (so long as it does not become distraction), socialization (so long as it does not become distraction), and food / drink / leisure that is consciously enjoyed.
What makes an event / activity destructive?
- It results in degradation of physical, spiritual, and mental potential. AND/OR
- It decreases one’s conscious appreciation/awareness of their reality.
- Examples: Substance abuse past a certain point (that point being anything that results in either of the above-mentioned attributes of destructive events) and engaging in distraction (distraction’s definition being anything that pulls one’s attention away from reality – whether intentionally or not).
What is the definition of being lucky?
Being lucky can be described as experiencing constructive events on a more frequent basis than destructive events. That is the point of this dissertation. It is my attempt to put into a logical and more memorable format the epiphany that occurred to me approximately 1.5 to 2 months ago. The epiphany was this: So long as I pursue growth in physical, spiritual, and mental potential, and so long as I endeavor to consciously appreciate my existential sphere, I will be lucky.
Granted, I have engaged in destructive events and activities since this epiphany, and I likely shall continue to engage in them from time to time because I am not without fault. For example: playing an online game out of habit rather than conscious enjoyment, watching a couple more Youtube videos than I should have late at night, and a few unfortunate bouts of ego-inflammation. I do not condone these actions or sentiments, but in reflecting upon them, they do provide a refreshment of contrast between constructive and destructive events & activities. Adding to this, the more conscious I have become of this contrast between destructive and constructive occurrences, the less that destructive events & activities tend to occur, meaning that by pursuing conscious decision-making, I inherently engage less in distraction.
Adding to this, many events that I previously considered negative (those that resulted in physical and mental discomfiture), have taken on a positive light. Now, most occurrences – whether comfortable or not – are actively reflected upon, thus resulting in a strengthening of resolve to continue the behavior OR a conscious decision to discontinue it. It is surprising how often this reflection results in a continuation of the uncomfortable behavior because that uncomfortable behavior is determined to result in growth – growth that sooner rather than later results in a diminishment of the original discomfiture until it becomes enjoyment. Examples? Visiting distant locations, swimming in the springs, swimming in the ocean, playing the piano in front of other individuals, engaging in new (more open) social behaviors, and more that I am probably not thinking of at this time. The fact of the matter is, when I realized that a positive event may be any occurrence – uncomfortable or comfortable – that results in growth of physical, spiritual, and mental potential AND/OR increases my conscious appreciation & awareness of reality (these two often go hand in hand), I became a far luckier individual than I already was.
On a side note, what is a true definition of luck?
Being born as who I am to the series of events which led to the realization that I am lucky, and so long as I exercise my consciousness, I shall remain lucky for the remainder of my days.
Here’s to luck and conscious choices, many thanks for sharing.