(Above:) One of my favorite parts of the Lake George trail consisted of a slight descent through a grove of ancient oak trees that bore what appeared to be carpets of Spanish moss upon their boughs.
2/14/2021: A day of rampant moisture and temperatures averaging in the low 70’s.
Morning of 2/14/2021. Bovines repose after a night of thunder storms. 
Lunch: Cucumber, onion, radish, & tomato salad topped with Madre-spiced pulled pork and Jacob-fabricated BBQ sauce. The variety of sweet, sour, and savory was complimented by the softness of the pork and the crunchiness of the radish. 
Grass to one side and mud to the other. All of it separated by a thin strand of wire. 
For some reason, these Wagyus wanted to stand in the mud. 
These bovines, on the other hand, possessed a tad more sense. 
Precipitation-laden storm clouds approach once again. 
Water-front property. The already-saturated soil was (and still is as of inputting today’s update) experiencing difficulty absorbing today’s precipitation. 
These four Misato Rose Radishes were collected from the bags outside of the garden. Now, there are Suyo long cucumbers planted in their places.
2/15/2021: Another day of prevailing precipitation and pleasant temperatures.
Dawn of 2/15/202. Padre observes clean cows on a muddy pasture. 
A prime lunch for a cool, rainy day: Ground Beef Hash. This mixture was comprised of 1.5 lbs mustard-seasoned ground Angus beef, 2 boiled & chopped potatoes, ~ 15 large chopped kale leaves, 1 sliced onion, 4 diced medium-sized pickles, 1 clove of garlic, salt, pepper, caraway seeds, and coriander. The cooking was complete after the entire mixture had taken on a caramelized hue. It did not look ‘fancy’, but it was most assuredly satiating. 
Afternoon of 2/15/2021: Two Wagyu calves stand amidst sodden sod… and mud.
2/16/2021: A cool day ranging between 53F – 67F and full of sunshine.
Dawn of 2/16/2021: After enduring an evening rife with rain, this mighty Belgian Blue greets the rising sun with… a weary scowl. 
The radish-harvest occurred at about 10:15 AM this morning. 
I spared this one and three other prime Misato specimens, because I wish to collect their seeds. 
I don’t know what form of bird this is, but it did not seem too frightened by my presence. 
Lunch today: Ultra-lean Master Blend ground Blue beef wrapped in garden-fresh Kale topped with spicy mustard. 
Madre-office progress #1: I cut all of the excess tin from the front (base) in preparation for pouring concrete. 
Progress #2: We fastened down the first couple 1×4 floorboards for the front portion of her office. 
Progress #3: I also helped Madre fasten up the plywood wall for the west-exterior of her bathroom. 
Sun shining on a pond that has formed over the past few days’ precipitation. 
Dinner: An onion-topped pizza with garlic-butter sauce… 
… accompanied by a garden-fresh arugula salad, of course.
2/17/2021: Today was mostly cloudy with a hint of drizzling rain here and there. Temperatures remained in the high 50s and low 60s F.
Lunch today: This is the onion soup from Sushi Bistro garnished with Padre-plucked arugula leaves and flowers. 
Wagyu calves on a hill as three sizeable helicopters pass overhead. 
Progress #1 on the Madre Office: Madre cleaned up the front step of her office, and I fastened in the concrete form & taped all cracks and holes that could cause potential leaks. 
Progress #2: Madre and I mixed and poured 4 bags of Rapid Set Mortar mix into the region just beyond the form. It turned out quite smooth. 
Sowing more seeds. In addition to the Suyo Long Cucumbers I planted the other day, I have now sown zucchini and summer squash into the Jacobhouse garden.
2/18/2021: Ritsabittle #9 took place on a pleasantly warm and sunny day with temperatures ranging between 69 and 85 F.
Dawn of 2/18/2021: I checked on the front step of Madre’s office container and found that the concrete had hardened and taken on a fine matte finish. 
Ritsabittle #9: Silver Glen Springs and Lake George Trail. 
A mushroom-covered log I found along the trail. They appear… (next) 
Much larger in person. 
One of my favorite parts of the trail consisted of a slight descent through a grove of ancient oak trees that bore what appeared to be carpets of Spanish moss upon their boughs. 
Lake George. When witnessing this body of water, I experience the same sensation of ‘vastness’ as I do when observing the ocean. 
Oaks and palms grew at all manner of angles from the short (~10 foot) cliff that the trail followed. 
A simple bench in the Spring’s dressing shed which gave me an idea for a ‘subject’ that I could create out of cow-wood. 
A picture of myself after emerging from Silver Glen springs. Alas, there are no underwater pictures this time due to a malfunctioning camera battery. I will see about fixing that. 
On the way back home, I stopped by Lorito’s Italian Restaurant. There, I procured a small salad drenched with a generous splash of the delectable in-house vinaigrette. 
The manager also granted me access to the lunch special despite my being 20 minutes late. 2 pieces of pizza (my choice of toppings), the salad, and a soda (both for in the restaurant and on the road) cost $13.00 in total and that was with a $5.00 tip. 
A purple-house I espied on the way back home. 
I have an office-spider. This is Madre’s office-snake.
2/19/2021: A quite cloudy and rainy day with temperatures beginning in the low 70s and ending in the low 50s.
Dawn of 2/19/2021: A front of colossal clouds was to be seen on the west horizon. 
Despite our venturing outdoors early to perform a beef pasture inspection, we did not beat the rain. 
This is the front step of Madre’s office after the concrete-form was pulled off. It looks quite neat and clean. 
Lunch today: A baked potato accompanied by a hefty salad rife with garden-fresh greens. 
Preparations for dinner: These are the two slabs of short-ribs that I coated with olive oil then rubbed with a blend of 3 tbsp coconut sugar, 3 tbsp kosher salt, 2 tsp ground mustard, and 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper. The intention is to cook them at 250F for 6 – 7 hours, wrapping/covering them with foil at the 3 hour mark. 
Curly Horn #335’s young Blue peering intently at me from atop a hill. 
Dinner: Master Blend Wagyu short ribs topped with radish-slaw and accompanied by a splendidly green salad.
2/20/2021: A sunny day beginning in the low 40s and ending in the mid 60s.
Dawn of 2/20/2021. 
The hackberry trees appear to believe that spring has arrived. 
… And the same could be said for the arugula within the Hugelkultur. 
Lunch today: Spicy scrambled egg tacos topped with Cholula hot sauce and a refreshing relish comprised of onion, salad burnet, and lime. 
One of my post-lunch activities was to place some sourdoughs into couple paper-lined Dutch ovens for the final rise. 
Later in the day, this is what emerged from the oven after baking covered for 1 hour and uncovered for 20 minutes (at 450 F). 
Dinner: A piece of Padre-made pizza, two full slices of buttered sourdough bread, and a salad comprised of hydroponic butter-leaf lettuce and garden-fresh arugula. This was a delectable meal.
Final Note: Ritsabittle #9 was quite an enjoyable adventure, and I attribute this to multiple reasons. Firstly, Silver Glen Springs, and even moreso, the Lake George Trail were well-maintained and tremendously tranquil. Secondly, I brought a small breakfast of homemade pastry — something that allowed me to stave off hunger long enough to fully enjoy the park. Thirdly, the accordion was a truly novel addition. There is nothing quite like playing that instrument in the middle of the forest with nothing but the trees and the occasional perplexed hiker or two to hear.
Pan played the pipes, you the accordion, both unexpected if stumbled upon l would think.