(Above: Packing for México.)
1/16/2022: Today began in the high 50s with wind and rain and proceeded to warm into the mid 60s before dropping down into the 40s at dusk. It is going to be a cold night.
The ‘sloppy’ grey dawn of 1/16/2022. Rain fell hard at the beginning, but eased up as the morning progressed. 
After early-morning farm activities, I harvested a few bags of greens for us and some ‘scraps’ for my cousin Dana’s chickens. We want to see if the introduction of more greens into the birds’ diets will change the yolk color of their eggs. 
Speaking of eggs, today’s lunch consisted of egg-and-beef tacos topped with Cholula hot-sauce and La Preferida Salsa Verde. 
This is a chicken procured from my cousin Dana, and I cooked it in the following way. 1. Preheat cast iron skillet at 500 F. 2. Coat Chicken with olive oil, lemon powder, salt, and pepper. Stuff the cavity with aromatics (garlic, onion, fresh rosemary). 3. Transfer chicken into preheated skillet and allow to roast at 500F for 15 minutes (starts to get smoky, but very worth it). 4. Reduce temperature of oven to 350 F, and cook chicken to internal temperature of 160F (I used probe thermometer inserted at thickest part of the thigh). 5. Remove chicken from skillet onto a tray to rest. Pour, 3/4 cup of white wine, 1 tbsp of butter, and sprinkle about 1 tbsp of potato or corn starch into the skillet. Whisk it as it simmers on the stovetop (medium heat) until there is no more alcohol smell. This is the gravy. 6. Carve chicken, use gravy liberally, and enjoy. 
The completed product after my prior instructions. 
Post-carving. 
…. and plated. The gravy went will both on the chicken itself and on the greens beneath.
1/17/2022: A day beginning in the low 40s and warming to the low 60s.
Morning of 1/17/2022: Padre, Wag, and I IV another unfortunate Wagyu calf with acidosis. 
After helping out with a few farm tasks and flooring in Madre’s office container (pictures of this on the morrow), Madre and I procured Sushi from Sushi Bistro of Ocala. The soup is a tad cloudier this time due to it being miso soup instead of onion soup. 
And for dinner? A Wagyu shank steak accompanied by a plenteous salad. Delicious.
1/18/2022: Today began in the low 30s and proceeded to warm into the high 60s. Sunny throughout.
Morning of 1/18/2022: A continuation in the life of a cognizant IV Pole. 
Mother Wagyu #430 standing by as Padre, Wag, and I treated her calf. 
Later in the morning, I helped complete flooring the sink portion of Madre’s office container. 
The midday meal came in form of a Lorito’s lunch where I supped on a classic combination of Italian-dressed salad and a large cheese pizza while imbibing a refreshing Diet Coke. 
The result of a stamp I procured for my cousins next door. The name isn’t quite right (it is supposed to be Kluckers), but they really enjoyed the gift, and VistaPrint is already sending a free additional stamp with the correct spelling (very quick and high-quality customer service). 
A delectable repast of a Mushroom / Spinach / Swiss crepe accompanied by a side salad composed of romaine, purple onion, and garden-fresh lettuces.
1/19/2022: A day beginning in the low 30s and warming into the mid 70s. Mostly sunny throughout.
Early morning of 1/19/2022: Watering the garden to stave of the frost. 
Later on, Madre and I finished flooring her office-container. This is the completed entry way (looking southward). 
Looking northward at the completed flooring of the Office Container’s entryway. 
For lunch, I made Angus taco filling consisting of caramelized beef seasoned with salt, chiltepin, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. 
It was delicious. By cooking the beef longer in its own fat and allowing that aforementioned caramelization to occur, there were little ‘crunchy flavor bits’ which lent additional texture to the tacos. 
Evening of 1/19/2022: A herbal basics class at Fat Tuscan. Here, I learned the application of fresh herbs vs dried (Fresh for more dynamic cooking, dried for longer-term cookery, and I also learned how to make an ‘herb butter’ which pretty much consisted of chopping up fresh herbs, mixing them into room-temp butter, and then re-chilling that butter. 
Enjoying a wee bit o’ sampling mid-class. 
On returning home, I shared a salad (dressed with a vinaigrette I made at the Tuscan) and a pizza (dunked in fresh sauce from the same class) with Padre.
1/20/2022: This day began in the mid-40s and proceeded to warm into the mid-70s. Sunny throughout.
Dawn of 1/20/2022 (looking west). The moon could be seen high above the central pasture. 
Meanwhile, to the east, the sun began to rise – lending its warm hues to the horizon and landscape. 
I arrived a tad earlier than usual at Salt Springs. There, I found that the difference between water & air temperature was creating prominent billows of vapor. A herd of almost 20 manatees reposed just outside of the swimming perimeter — sea cows which I proceeded to visit. 
After my time at Salt Springs, I ventured in to Off-Duty Tavern with Madre and Padre. The food was especially fresh today; all the salad greens were of superb quality, the fried fish filet was steaming-fresh, and the French Fries were of similar caliber. Madre, meanwhile, got a particularly impressive chicken-breast sandwich. 
Dinner was an enjoyable fare of Wagyner Blue chuck roast, greens, and a glass of Robert Mondavi Rum-Barrel-Aged Merlot. All of it was splendid. (I should also note that we used some of the herb-butter that I made during last night’s cooking class. It went exceptionally well with the beef.)
1/21/2022: Today began in the mid 50s and rose into the high 60s. Cloudy.
Morning of 1/21/2022: This is not a vulture. It is a Wagyu calf which, having experienced a high fever, has begun to lose its hair — especially in those places where its mother likes to clean. 
A delectable repast of Master Blend Angus tacos topped with a combination of Cholula hot sauce and salsa verde. 
While making a prosciutto, mushroom, and Swiss cheese omelet for Madre, I noted this recipe on the back of the prosciutto box. It appears simultaneously simple and delicious. 
Dinner for me consisted of fried eggs and greens. I had six total – three from the prior batch of Dana eggs (before feeding the chickens garden greens) and three from the new batch (where the chickens had been fed a diet rich in collards and arugula). They all tasted the same, but I did notice that before cooking, the ‘whites’ of the latter eggs had a more yellow tinge to them.
1/22/2022: A day beginning in the mid 40s and warming to the high 50s.
A morning activity of 1/22/2022: This was the butter I utilized to make pastry cookies for Madre and Wag. It has excellent flavor, and I just wanted to record its name for posterity. 
The morning-catching of the bovines for vaccinations and recipient work. 
For the midday meal, Madre and I procured sushi and soup. It was excellent, and I gave warning to the ?part-owner? of the restaurant that she wouldn’t be seeing us for a month because of our going to Mexico. Kroi simply stated, “Ok, see you in 1 month!” 
Packing. 
This afternoon, I noticed that the peas are beginning to put on flowers. 
For dinner, I made a meal of 8 oz. deer sausage, 3 fried eggs, Padre-made / Jacob-dressed salad, and a fresh piece of sourdough with herb-butter spread. It was excellent.
Final Note: Voy a México en la mañana. ¡Hasta luego!