(Above : A startlingly fine image taken during the late day pasture inspection. I did not work with lighting or saturation at all in this piece; this is the original capture.)
8/21/2022: Today began in the high 70s and proceeded to warm into the mid 90s. Extremely humid and hot.
Dawn of 8/21/2022. Shortly after the morning pasture inspection, I broke up feed in the calf lane with a shovel. Another morning task: Helping Belgian Blue #492’s calf learn how to nurse. It did not take long for the little creature to learn the ropes… or in this case, teats. The central barns at midday of 8/21/2022. I took this picture shortly after I walked a couple sick calves up for treatment. Lunch of 8/21/2022: Belgian Blue beef tacos accompanied by a Padre-made & Madre dressed salad. I should note that the salsa utilized in this meal was made in the molcajete. This picture was taken during the late-noon pasture inspection of 8/21/2022. The weather was a mite drizzly, and there was a slightly cool breeze. It was a proper clime for walking. A Billy-cheese BBQ pizza baked at the end of a very lengthy farm-day. It was a sight for… ravenous eyes. The full dinner spread of 8/21/2022: Bbq & Mozzarella pizza accompanied by a little salad comprised of arugula, spinach, tomato, pea pods, castelvetrano olives, and a balsamic vinaigrette. The pizza reminded me of a fried cheese stick dunked in BBQ sauce. Delicious. A healthy dessert of cinnamon coated: blueberries, longans, and Greek yogurt.
8/22/2022: Today began in the low 70s and proceeded to warm into the high 90s before being cooled down back into the 80s by midday showers.
Dawn of 8/22/2022. This is the location where Padre and I decided to put a water trough in the “dead-lot” (so-named because it is where we bury deceased animals). The trough will be utilized by two quarantined Johne’s cows that are going to be staying in the dead-lot until they either give birth to their ET calves or die. To prepare the pipe for gluing, I filed off the algae buildup and chipped away any glue leftover from the previous PVC job. Midday in the central beef pasture. (8/22/2022) The completed “dead-lot” water trough setup. Lunch of 8/22/2022 was procured from Sushi Bistro of Ocala. It consisted of miso soup garnished with pea-pods & purslane along with 1.5 trays of fresh (and well made) sushi. Dinner of 8/22/20022: The main entrĂ©e consisted of a salad topped with toasted meat-loaf “croutons”. It made for a delicious combination. For dessert, I enjoyed an ultra-crisp Granny Smith apple topped with cinnamon and accompanied by Greek yogurt.
8/23/2022: Today began in the low 70s and proceeded to warm into the low 90s. Midday clouds and late-day rains returned temperatures into the 80s.
Dawn of 8/23/2022. A sleepy bovine scene in the south-easternmost pasture. For lunch today, Padre, Madre, and I ventured to Lorito’s Italian kitchen. The meal began with a fresh salad topped with cucumber, tomato, black olives, and an Italian Vinaigrette. The main course consisted of two extra-bubbly slices of cheese pizza. Delicious and satiating. Jacobhouse at midday. A band of ibis were under the container just moments before this image was taken. When I went to capture the image, however, they deemed it time to evacuate and forage for food at the nearby troughs. A salt & black pepper encrusted Belgian Blue London Broil destined for dinner. The black pepper was ground up via mocajete while the salt came from a fresh box of the Kosher variety (extra big flakes). A startlingly fine image taken during the late day pasture inspection. I did not work with lighting or saturate at all in this piece; this is the original capture. The aforementioned London Broil after cooking. A somewhat askew picture yet one that displays what I consider to be perfect medium-rarity of beef. The London Broil was enjoyed along with fresh spinach, steamed broccoli, and a glass of Allegrini Palazzo della Torre 2017 (Dry red wine). Dessert consisted of cinnamon-sprinkled apple, blueberries, and a little bit of Fage Greek yogurt.
8/24/2022: Today began in the mid 70s and proceeded to warm into the mid 90s. Bouts of precipitation at 2 PM made it more-than-humid, and later bouts of precipitation cooled temperatures back into the 80s.
Dawn of 8/24/2022 from the Gaur Lot. Lunch today consisted of an egg-crust ‘pizza’ topped with molcajete salsa, Billy cheese (another name for mozzarella procured from Lorito’s), and leftover taco beef. Delicious. The Padre-made & Madre-dressed salad was an excellent complement. A picture of bovines enjoying a fallen water-oak branch with a massive cumulonimbus cloud skulking in the background. This is a picture of the same cumulonimbus a few minutes later from the central pasture. The late-afternoon rain of 8/24/2022. Dinner of 8/24/2022: Belgian Blue meatloaf basted rested atop a mound of fresh spinach and basted with mustard. Accompanied by a bowl o’ broccoli. Dessert consisted of a delectable Granny Smith apple & small pile of blueberries accompanied by a dollop of Greek Yogurt.
8/25/2022: Today began in the low 70s and proceeded to warm into the mid 90s. Late-day rains returned temperatures into the high 70s.
Dawn of 8/25/2022, looking across the south-easternmost pasture. A swallowtail butterfly imbibing some moisture from the mud. Central beef pasture at midday. The prevalence of mud was caused by yesterday’s 2 inches of rainfall. Picture of a Jacob apparently half-mesmerized by a platter bearing “lomo de cerdo a la plancha”. This fantastic lunch was enjoyed at Hacienda Colombiana #2 with Padre and Madre. This image was taken during the mid-afternoon beef pasture inspection just before I departed for Animal Science class. The main entrĂ©e for this evening’s meal was a salad topped with ‘meatons’ (meat loaf croutons). It made for a light and delicious repast. Another bout of cinnamon-coated apple slices, blueberries, and Greek yogurt was enjoyed for dessert.
8/26/2022: Today began in the mid 70s and proceeded to warm into the low 90s. Fairly humid throughout with late day rains cooling temperatures back into the 80s.
Dawn of 8/26/2022. Miniature salmon-colored globe-topped mushrooms growing on a dead branch west of Jacobhouse. Jacobhouse during the morning of 8/26/2022. The tropical air was rife with moisture. This morning, I decided to venture to Salt Springs. Though I was rather reluctant to drive 30 minutes to get in the cold water, I ended up being very happy that I did so. It’s a beautiful place, and swimming is excellent both for brain and body. A large millipede (4-5 inches) seen at Salt Springs on the way to the changing rooms. Lunch today consisted of a Blue-topped salad. The utilized beef was leftover from a Belgian Blue London Broil, and it bore exceptional flavor and tenderness. Front field in the late afternoon (8/26/2022). The growing “spontaneous Turmeric” belonging to Jacobhouse’s garden. These were the two pizzas created for dinner of 8/26/2022. Padre’s (front) was topped with beef, pepper, onion, & olives. Mine (back) was topped with purple onion. Both were delicious with crunchy bottoms, soft crusts, and caramelized tops. A classic apple & cinnamon dessert accompanied by blueberries and Greek yogurt.
8/27/2022: Today began in the mid 70s and warmed into the low 90s. Fairly foggy at the beginning and very cloudy by noon. Rains throughout late day.
Dawn of 8/27/2022: Lone oak in the east pasture. A picture of the Master Blend Cattle Co. farm store & Moo-Magic compost stand on a foggy morning. One this day’s morning tasks consisted of letting Padre and Wag clear out old sodden shavings and replace them with dry shavings. This helps cows and calves enter the barn without sinking into deep mud. Lunch of 8/27/2022: Scrambled eggs alongside a Padre-made & Madre-dressed salad. A front of approaching clouds at mid-afternoon. I took this picture while fixing a low-power electric fence. The dinner of 8/27/2022 consisted of reverse-seared Belgian Blue shoulder roast, cucumber & cabbage salad, and a glass of Robert Hall Merlot. A fine way to end the week. Close-up of the roast. It was cooked to an imperfect albeit pleasant medium-rare. A dessert of cinnamon-sprinkled apple and a smidgen of sour-cream.
Final Note: This morning, there was about one hour where I could not get out of bed due to the severe pain affecting my lower back and higher buttocks (I’ve been having some trouble since lifting a certain heavy calf about 3 months ago). Typically, I would leave such details in my journal, but as I sit here typing, I do so with the knowledge that – if I want to – I can hobble my way to the kitchen to get a drink or to the bathroom to use it. Convalescence is occurring.
I suppose if there is anything positive about physical duress, it allows one exalt ‘normal’ in a way that they otherwise could (or rather, would) not.
The culprit. (5/25/2022)
Definitely a week with some high and low points, more highs I think in retrospect… Some great pictures shared… that opening shot is incredible. Thanks again for sharing.