(Above: A Shaggy Inkcap Mushroom by the dawn’s light of 7/17/2024. Un hongo “Shaggy Inkcap” a la luz por el amanecer del 17/7/2024.)
7/14/2024: Today began in the mid 70s and warmed into the mid 90s. Cloudy afternoon and evening.
The morning of 7/14/2024: I took a photo of a drawing (for the final note of the blog) on top of the tools that I utilized to make it. La mañana del 14/7/2024: Tomé una foto de un dibujo (para la nota final del blog) sobre las herramientas que utilicé para hacerlo. 
Lunch: A salad topped with leftover beef from last night and some hard-baked eggs. The salad was delicious and healthy for the body. El almuerzo: Una ensalada cubierta con sobras de res de la noche anterior y unos huevos horneados. La ensalada estaba deliciosa y saludable para el cuerpo. 
Photo: Some nice mushrooms I cut for tonight’s pizza. Foto: Unos hongos bonitos que corté para la pizza esta noche. 
The easternmost pasture in the refreshing cloudy afternoon of 7/14/2024. El campo más oriental de rancho en la refrescante tarde nublada del 14/7/2024. 
Dinner: Some pieces of pizza (beef sausage, onion, and green pepper atop mozzarella, homemade tomato sauce, and a sourdough crust) accompanied by a colorful salad made by Padre. La cena: Unos trozos de pizza (salchicha de res, cebolla y pimiento verde encima de mozzarella, salsa de tomate casera y una corteza de masa madre) acompañados de una ensalada colorida hecha por mi padre. 
A sliced red apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a spoonful of Greek yogurt and a cherry plum. Una manzana roja en rodajas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego y una ciruela cereza. 
After dinner, Padre and I decided to check the pastures by the light of the sunset. We found two new calves, one of which is shown here with its mother, cow #566. Después de la cena, mi padre y yo decidimos a chequear los pastos a la luz de la puesta del sol. Encontramos dos nuevos terneritos, uno de ellos se muestra aquí con su madre, la vaca #566.
7/15/2024: Today began in the mid 70s and warmed into the low 90s. Afternoon storm.
Lunch of 7/15/2024 occurred after an appointment at the dentist. The meal consisted of a tray of sushi and a bowl of miso soup. The soup was garnished with green cabbage, spinach, and avocado. El almuerzo del 15/7/2024 ocurrió después de una cita con la dentista. La comida consistía en una bandeja de sushi y un tazón de sopa de miso. La sopa estaba adornada con repollo verde, espinaca y aguacate en rodajas. 
In this photo, Grimace is shaking Padre’s hand. En esta foto, Grimace está dando la pata a mi padre. 
Photo: Padre and Wag castrate a lamb. For some reason, Wag had a very large smile (probably because I was taking a picture of a strange process). Foto: Mi padre y mi tío castran un cordero. Por alguna razón, mi tío tuvo una sonrisa muy grande (probablemente porque yo estaba tomando una foto de un proceso raro). 
Dinner: A salt & black pepper encrusted Belgian Blue burger-steak. This steak was reverse-seared and then accompanied by a salad of spring mix, arugula, tomato, and pecorino cheese. La cena: Un bistec de res molida de azul belga incrustado con sal y pimienta negra. Este bistec estaba dorado al revés y entonces acompañado de una ensalada de mezcla primavera, rúcula, tomate y queso pecorino. 
Photo: A Cherry plum atop the core of a sliced red apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a spoonful of Greek yogurt.Foto: Una ciruela cereza encima del corazón de una manzana roja. Esta manzana estaba en rodajas, espolvoreada con canela, y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego.
7/16/2024: Today began in the mid 70s and warmed into the 90s.
The dawn of 7/16/2024 in the easternmost pasture of the farm. El amanecer del 16/7/2024 en el campo más oriental del rancho. 
A portrait of cow #227, a Belgian Blue archetype. Un retrato de la vaca #227, un arquetipo de la vaca azul belga. 
This morning, I worked as an electrician in Madre’s kitchen container. Esta mañana, trabajé como electricista en el contenedor cocina de mi madre. 
Lunch: A fried mixture of eggs, Wagyu ground beef, green pepper, red onion, chiltepin, fresh garlic, salt, and black pepper. This was accompanied by a green salad made by Padre and dressed by Madre. El almuerzo: Una mezcla frita de huevos, res molida de Wagyu, pimiento verde, cebolla roja, chiltepín, ajo fresco, sal y pimienta negra. Esta estaba acompañada de una ensalada verde hecha por mi padre y aliñada por mi madre. 
I prepared some Wagyu short ribs for dinner. To do it, I marinated the short ribs in a mixture of: salt, bourbon-infused balsamic, olive oil, and Sicilian spices. Preparé unas costillitas de Wagyu para la cena. Para hacerlo, mariné las costillitas en una mezcla de: sal, vinagre balsámico infusionado con bourbon, aceite de oliva y especias sicilianas. 
Dinner: Reverse-seared Wagyu short ribs accompanied by a cabbage salad and a bowl of homemade barbecue sauce. In the words of Victor: “Muy muy buena.” La cena: Costillitas de Wagyu doradas al revés, acompañadas de una ensalada de repollo y un tazón de salsa barbacoa casera. En las palabras de Victor: “Muy muy buena.” 
A sliced red apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a spoonful of Greek yogurt and a cherry plum. Una manzana roja en rodajas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego y una ciruela cereza. 
Some plans for the roof of Guesthouse. Unos planes para el techo de Guesthouse.
7/17/2024: Today began in the mid 70s and warmed into the high 80s. Quite stormy in the afternoon.
A Shaggy Inkcap Mushroom by the dawn’s light of 7/17/2024. Un hongo “Shaggy Inkcap” a la luz por el amanecer del 17/7/2024. 
The southeasternmost pasture of the farm at midday of 7/17/2024. El campo más sureste del rancho en el mediodía del 17/7/2024. 
Lunch consisted of a sautéed mixture of eggs and beef sausage. This mixture was accompanied by a green salad made by Padre and dressed by Madre. El almuerzo consistía en una mezcla salteada de huevos y salchicha de res. Esta mezcla estaba acompañada de una ensalada verde hecha por mi padre y aliñada por mi madre. 
Some more plans for the Guesthouse roof. Algunos planes más para el techo de Guesthouse. 
Dinner: A pan-seared Wagyu chuck steak. This was accompanied by a cabbage salad and a baked potato topped with sour cream. La cena: Un bistec de hombro de Wagyu dorado a fuego vivo en una sartén. Este estaba acompañado de una ensalada de repollo y una papa asada cubierta con crema ácida. 
A sliced red apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a spoonful of Greek yogurt and a cherry plum. Una manzana roja en rodajas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego y una ciruela cereza. 
After dinner, Padre and I went to the fields. There, we observed the moon and a rainbow at the same time; both of them were colored pink by the sunset. Después de la cena, mi padre y yo fuimos a los campos. Allí observamos la luna y un arcoíris al mismo tiempo; los dos estaban dados un color rosado por la puesta del sol. 
The sunset of 7/17/2024 from the southeasternmost pasture of the farm. La puesta del sol del 17/7/2024 desde el campo más sureste del rancho.
7/18/2024: Today began in the mid-70s and warmed into the mid 90s. Very little rain. Quite toasty.
Lunch of 7/18/2024: Wagyu sausage accompanied by a cabbage and carrot salad. El almuerzo del 18/7/2024: Salchicha de Wagyu acompañado de una ensalada de repollo rojo y zanahoria. 
The central pasture of the farm on 7/18/2024. El campo central del rancho en la tarde del 18/7/2024. 
Dinner consisted of a salad of: Romaine lettuce, pan-seared Wagyu shoulder steak, sliced avocado, and some leftover cabbage salad. All of this was topped with homemade barbecue sauce and some banana peppers. La cena consistía en una ensalada de: lechuga romana, bistec de hombro de wagyu al sartén, aguacate en rodajas y algunas sobras de ensalada de repollo. Toda esta estaba cubierta con salsa barbacoa casera y pimientos amarillos enfrascados. 
A sliced red apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a spoonful of Greek yogurt and a cherry plum. Una manzana roja en rodajas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego y una ciruela cereza.
7/19/2024: Today began in the mid 70s and warmed into the mid 90s.
Morning of 7/19/2024: Yesterday, I did some work on applying painter’s tape in the bathroom while Luna watched. It was a productive, and more so, fun time. La mañana del 19/7/2024: Ayer, trabajé un poco en aplicar cinta de pintor en el baño mientras Luna me miraba. Fue un tiempo productivo, y más, divertido. 
Another photo I took for our fertilizer ad. Otra foto que tomé para el anuncio sobre nuestro fertilizante. 
I took this photo to use on Master Blend’s social media. I’m going to post an ad about the fertilizer we sell. Tomé esta foto para utilizar en las redes sociales de Master Blend. Voy a publicar un anuncio sobre el abono que vendemos. 
This is a lot of bottles of colostrum that we milked from a cow this morning. Its value is almost two hundred dollars. Estas son muchas botellas de calostro que ordeñamos de una vaca esta mañana. Su valor es casi doscientos dolares. 
Lunch consisted of scrambled eggs with chiltepín, fresh rosemary, mozzarella, salt and black pepper. These were accompanied by a green salad made by my father and topped with leftovers from yesterday’s coleslaw. El almuerzo consistía en huevos revueltos con chiltepín, romero fresco, mozzarella, sal y pimienta negra. Estos estaban acompañados de una ensalada verde hecha por mi padre y cubierta con sobras de la ensalada de repollo de ayer. 
(Right) A two-and-a-half-year-old Indian bison. (Left) An eleven-year-old English breed cow. (Derecha) Un bisonte indio que tiene dos y media años. (Izquierda) Una vaca de raza inglesa que tiene once años. 
The progress of a storm on the afternoon of 7/19/2024 seen from the center field. El avance de una tormenta en la tarde del 19/7/2024 visto desde el campo central. 
Dinner: A few slices of pizza made by my father that had wagyu short ribs, mushrooms, green peppers and red onions. These were accompanied by a green salad and a bowl of homemade tomato sauce. La cena: Unos trozos de pizza hecah por mi padre que tenía costillita de wagyu, hongos, pimiento verde y cebolla roja. Estos estaban acompañados de una ensalada verde y un tazón de salsa de tomate casera hecha en casa. 
A sliced red apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a spoonful of Greek yogurt and a cherry plum. Una manzana roja en rodajas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego y una ciruela cereza.
7/20/2024: Today began in the mid 70s and warmed into the mid 90s. Afternoon rains.
The morning of 7/20/2024: I made puff pastries filled with dark chocolate to share with my family and with the Master Blend clients. They were quite delicious and bore the flavors of chocolate and butter. La mañana del 20/7/2024: Hice hojaldres rellenos de chocolate amargo para compartir con mi familia y con los clientes de Master Blend. Ellos estaban bien ricos y tenían sabor a chocolate y mantequilla. 
After a few hours in the Master Blend store, I helped Padre and Wag with giving hydrating fluids to the little bull calf out of cow #514. Después de unas horas en la carnicería de Master Blend, ayudé a mi padre y a mi tío dándole fluidos de hidratación al ternerito de la vaca #514. 
Some eggs scrambled with chiltepin, fresh rosemary, and mozzarella topped with Cholula hot sauce. These were accompanied by a green salad made by Padre and dressed by Madre. Unos huevos revueltos con chiltepín, romero freso y mozzarella cubiertos con salsa picante Cholula. Estos estaban acompañados de una ensalada verde hecha por mi padre y aliñada por mi madre. 
The rainy afternoon of 7/20/2024 in the easternmost pasture of the farm. La tarde lluviosa del 20/7/2024 en el campo más oriental del rancho. 
A reverse-seared Belgian Blue burger-steak accompanied by a green salad made by Padre. We used a little bit of homemade barbecue sauce for dipping. Un bistec de res molida de azul belga dorado al revés, acompañado de una ensalada verde hecha por mi padre. Utilizamos un poco de salsa barbacoa casera para mojar. 
A sliced red apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a spoonful of Greek yogurt and a cherry plum (placed atop the apple core). Una manzana roja en rodajas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego y una ciruela cereza (colocada encima del corazón de la manzana).
Final Note: I have two things to include in the final note for this week’s post. First, is a song I’ve recently found. I very much enjoy the message it relates, and I’d like to include it here so that, in the future, I may recall when I first found it (July 2024). The song is “Vienna” by Billy Joel.
Second, is a snippet taken from the outline for Grimorzak’s Chapter 5 in Book 2 – To Lands Beyond:
“And she was,” the girl interrupted, “Just as she is standing before you.”
The Youngest paused, then released a Biolog sigh that actually sounded as much.
He thought he saw a small smile tickling at the acolyte’s lips as she answered that sigh; “High Priestess says that we clodpates can’t know what’s under the snow until we stub our toe.”
Grimorzak snorted, “This the current high priestess or the next?”
“Both.”
“Right,” the Youngest noted, “But I don’t need to stub my toe to know that those mounds over there are the inn and the guardhouse and that that one there is a—a cart. And that those are trees.”
“You believe they are,” the girl corrected, “Because you expect them to be. But what about this lump right here?”
She was pointing to a lump just a pace to his right. Grimorzak frowned;
“A stone, I suppose? Though how a stone would make it up here I cannot say. Perhaps it’s some form of offering.”
The girl took a step over to the lump and kicked it, spraying it forth and down the steps from whence they had climbed, “A drift. Nothing. And that’s common, you know. Nothing breaks expectations just as much as anything else.”
That word, “expectations”, sparked curiosity in the Youngest, “And what happens when these expectations break?”
“What happened just a moment ago?” the girl rejoined.
“…I suppose I learned that there wasn’t a stone in the snow,” Grimorzak slowly replied.
“Correct. We learn and we move on to the next drift… lest we become one of those lumps ourselves.”
Much appreciated, going to listen to Vienna in a moment but still enjoying the effects ‘nothing’ may involve.