(Above: This is the award our store won in the July 2025 “Central Florida Favorites.” Este es el premio que ganó nuestra tienda en el “Central Florida Favorites” del Julio de 2025.)
7/27/2025: Today began in the low 70s and warmed into the high 90s. Quite sunny and hot.
On the morning of July 27, 2025, I prepared two Wagyu ribeye steaks for dinner, seasoning them with salt and black pepper. En la mañana del 27 de julio de 2025 preparé dos chuletones de Wagyu para la cena condimentándolos con sal y pimienta negra. 
Lunch consisted of a fried egg mixture, seasoned beef, and sweet potato. All of this was accompanied by a colorful salad made by Padre and drizzled with a tangy vinaigrette. El almuerzo consistía en una mezcla frita de huevos, carne de res sazonada y batata. Todo esto estaba acompañado de una ensalada colorida hecha por mi padre y rociada con una vinagreta picante. 
Then central pasture on the sunny afternoon of July 27, 2025. El campo central en la tarde soleada del 27 de julio de 2025. 
I haven’t chosen a location in the store for this plaque, but I took a photo to include here. Our shop won first place for ‘Best Butcher.’ No he elegido una ubicación en la tienda para esta placa, pero tomé una foto para incluirla aquí. Nuestra tienda ganó el primer lugar como ‘Mejor Carnicero’. 
These are the two ribeyes I seasoned earlier in the day. Here I am searing them. Estos son los dos chuletones que condimenté más temprano en el día. Aquí los estoy sellando. 
Dinner consisted of two Wagyu ribeye steaks, one from our ranch and the other from RHN’s. They were very similar, and we thoroughly enjoyed them with a green salad and a horn of red wine. La cena consistía en dos chuletones de Wagyu, uno de nuestro rancho y el otro del rancho de RHN. Eran muy similares y los disfrutamos muchísimo con una ensalada verde y un cuerno de vino tinto. 
Dessert: a sliced red apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a dollop of Greek yogurt. El postre: una manzana roja en rodajas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego.
7/28/2025: . Today began in the low 70s and warmed into the high 90s. Quite hot.
On the morning of July 28, 2025, I tried a coffee with a little dark chili powder. I liked it. La mañana del 28 de Julio de 2025; probé un café con un poco de chili oscuro en polvo. Me gustó. 
For lunch I had a sushi platter accompanied by a bowl of miso soup garnished with avocado, spinach, red cabbage, and some leftover ribeye from the night before. Para el almuerzo comí una bandeja de sushi acompañado de un tazón de sopa de miso adornada con aguacate, espinaca, repollo rojo y un poco de los restos del chuletón de la noche anterior. 
After the sushi I ate a sliced red apple sprinkled with cinnamon. Después del sushi comí una manzana roja en rodajas espolvoreada con canela. 
In the afternoon I did a little work on the guesthouse, adding a board above the frame for the front door. En la tarde trabajé un poquito en la casa de huéspedes, agregando una tabla por encima del marco para la puerta de la entrada. 
Very late in the afternoon, I discovered that a cow needed help giving birth. Padre, Wag, and I helped her. Muy tarde en la tarde descubrí que una vaca necesitó ayuda a parir. Mi padre, mi tío y yo ayudamos a ella. 
Dinner came after helping the cow give birth and consisted of a fried mixture of ground beef and sweet potato, romaine lettuce, red cabbage, avocado, cottage cheese, and salsa verde. La cena ocurrió después de ayudar a la vaca a parir y consistía en una mezcla frita de carne molida de res y batata, lechuga romana, repollo rojo, aguacate, requesón y salsa verde.
7/29/2025: Today began in the low 70s and warmed into the high 90s. Quite sunny and hot.
On the morning of July 29, 2025, my father and I picked grapes from the vines on the east side of the eastern field. En la mañana del 29 de julio de 2025, mi padre y yo recogimos uvas de las enredaderas del lado este del campo oriental. 
This is the roast beef I prepared for dinner. Este es el asado de res que preparé para la cena. 
Lunch consisted of a fried mixture of meat and eggs, accompanied by a colorful salad made by Padre. El almuerzo consistía en una mezcla frita de carne y huevos. Esta estaba acompañada de una ensalada colorida hecha por mi padre. 
A sliced red apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a dollop of Greek yogurt. Una manzana roja en rodajas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego. 
I took this photo of the shelf in the kitchen to help Suli learn directions. Tomé esta foto del estante en la cocina para ayudar a Suli a aprender direcciones. 
I added one more board to the frame at the front of the guesthouse this afternoon. Agregué una tabla más al marco al frente de la casa de huespedes esta tarde. 
Dinner consisted of the aforementioned roast beef, accompanied by a green salad topped with avocado, Swiss cheese, and a slice of toasted sourdough bread. There was also a horn of red wine to drink and a bowl of sour cream. La cena consistía en el asado ya mencionado acompañado de una ensalada verde cubierta con aguacates, queso suizo y un trozo de pan de masa madre tostado. Además, había un cuerno de vino tinto para beber y un tazón de crema ácida. 
This is a sliced red apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a dollop of Greek yogurt. Esta es una manzana roja en rodajas espolvoreado con canela y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego.
7/30/2025: Today began in the low 70s and warmed into the low 90s. Quite hot first portion of the day. Cooled off toward evening.
These are some Akaushi cows at dawn on July 30, 2025. Estas son algunas vacas Akaushi al amanecer del 30 de julio de 2025. 
A photo of the desk in Jacobhouse on the morning of July 30, 2025. Una foto del escritorio en mi casita en la mañana del 30 de julio de 2025. 
On the morning of 7/30/2025, I aided Padre and Wag in helping a cow give birth. En la mañana del 30 de 7 de 2025, ayudé a mi padre y a mi tío ayudar a una vaca a parir. 
Lunch consisted of a sandwich on sourdough bread. This sandwich contained thinly sliced beef, melted Tomme cheese, avocado, and a dressing of homemade barbecue sauce. El almuerzo consistía en un sándwich sobre pan de masa madre. Este sándwich contenía carne de res finamente cortado, queso Tomme derretido, aguacate y un aliño de salsa barbacoa casera. 
In the afternoon, I could see it was raining in the distance. The wind that came from that rain was like air conditioning. Por la tarde, pude ver que llovía a lo lejos. El viento resultante de esa lluvia era como aire acondicionado. 
Dinner consisted of a green salad topped with thinly sliced sautéed beef, cottage cheese, red cabbage, tomato, and homemade barbecue sauce. La cena consistía en una ensalada verde cubierta con carne de res salteada finamente cortada, requesón, repollo rojo, tomate y salsa barbacoa casera. 
This is a thinly sliced red apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a dollop of Greek yogurt. Esta es una manzana roja en rodajas delgadas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego.
7/31/2025: Today began in the low 70s and warmed into the mid 90s.
On the morning of July 31, 2025, I prepared a Wagyu rump roast for dinner, cutting a pattern into the fatty layer and seasoning it all with black pepper and salt. En la mañana del 31 de julio de 2025 preparé un asado de nalga de Wagyu para la cena, cortando un patrón en la capa grasa y contimentándolo todo con pimienta negra y sal. 
This afternoon I fixed the freezer in the corner of the store by adding glue along the edges and closing the lid. I weighed the lid down with buckets of water. Esta tarde arreglé el congelador en la esquina de la tienda agregando pegamento a lo largo de los bordes y cerrando la tapa. Pesé la tapa con cubetas de agua. 
The central pasture on the afternoon of July 31, 2025. El campo central en la tarde del 31 de julio de 2025. 
Dinner consisted of a Wagyu rump roast. This roast was reverse-seared and accompanied by a green salad, a bowl of homemade barbecue sauce, and a horn of red wine. La cena consistía en un asado de nalga de Wagyu. Este asado estaba sellado al revés y acompañado de una ensalada verde, un tazón de salsa barbacoa casera y un cuerno de vino tinto. 
This is a sliced red apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a dollop of Greek yogurt. Esta es una manzana roja en rodajas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego.
8/1/2025: . Today began in the low 70s and warmed into the mid 90s. Mostly sunny.
The morning of 8/2/2025: This is the plug on the new freezer truck we bought for Master Blend. La mañana del 2 de 8 de 2025: Este es el enchufe en el nuevo camión congelador qué compramos para Master Blend. 
Lunch consisted of a fried mixture of egg, beef, and sourdough bread. There was also a colorful salad made by Padre. El almuerzo consistía en una mezcla frita de huevo, carne de res y pan de masa madre. Además, había una ensalada colorida hecha por mi padre. 
I fixed this freezer and now it’s working. Arreglé este congelador y ahora está funcionando. 
These are the breads I prepared for the morning at the store on August 2, 2025. Estos son los panes que preparé para la mañana en la tienda el 2 de agosto de 2025. 
This is the award our store won in the July 2025 “Central Florida Favorites.” Este es el premio que ganó nuestra tienda en el “Central Florida Favorites” del Julio de 2025. 
Before dinner, I made a sandwich for Victor. It was a fried mixture of ground beef and sweet potato with a little Tomme cheese on sourdough bread. Antes de la cena preparé un sándwich para Víctor. Fue una mezcla frita de carne molida y batata y un poco de queso Tomme sobre pan de masa madre. 
Dinner consisted of a salad of romaine lettuce and red cabbage topped with a fried mixture of beef and sweet potato, cottage cheese, salsa verde, and a piece of sourdough bread. La cena consistía en una ensalada de lechuga romana y repollo rojo cubierta con una mezcla frita de carne de res y batata, requesón, salsa verde y un trozo de pan de masa madre. 
Dessert: a sliced red apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a spoonful of Greek yogurt. El postre: una manzana roja en rodajas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego. 
After dinner, I prepared the bread for the store in the morning. In this photo, they are ready. Después de cenar preparé el pan para la tienda en la mañana. En esta foto, están listos,
8/2/2025: Today began in the high 70s and warmed into the low 90s. Brief bout of rain late morning. Sunny afternoon.
Mr. Bog was very dirty in the early morning of August 2, 2025 because he was playing in a hole. El Sr. Bog estaba muy sucio en la madrugada del 2 de Agosto de 2025 porque estaba jugando en un hoyo. 
Lunch on August 2, 2025, consisted of a fried mixture of eggs and beef. This mixture was accompanied by a colorful salad made by Padre. El almuerzo del 2 de Agosto de 2025 consistía en una mezcla frita de huevos y carne de res. Esta mezcla estaba acompañada de una ensalada colorida hecha por mi padre. 
A female Indian bison on the sunny afternoon of August 2, 2025. I interrupted the Indian bison while she was eating. That’s why she seems angry. Una hembra de bisonte indio en la tarde soleada del 2 de agosto de 2025. Interrumpí al bisonte indio mientras ella cenaba. Por eso ella parece enojada. 
For dinner, Padre and I enjoyed Belgian Blue burger steak topped with Tomme cheese and bacon. We also had a green salad and a bowl of homemade barbecue sauce. Para la cena, mi padre y yo disfrutamos bistec de hamburguesa de Azul Belga cubierto con queso Tomme y tocino. Además, había una ensalada verde y un tazón de salsa barbacoa casera. 
Dessert consisted of two sliced red apples sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a spoonful of Greek yogurt. El postre consistía en una dos manzanas rojas en rodajas espolvoreadas con canela y acompañadas de una cucharada de yogur griego.
Final Note: Epigraph from Grimorzak’s Chapter 15 in Book 2 – TLB:
When I was little, I used to play with dolls—Yes, dolls, believe it or not. I had a little gentleman named George Picnard and a little lady named Variana Tain. One day, I was playing with them, and as little girls sometimes do, I got it in my head to wed the two.
Thelena watched me at it. The whole blessed thing. I still remember very clearly the odd little smile on her face. When I was done, I had the bride kiss the groom, and I pronounced the words, ‘And they loved each other forever and ever after!’
It was at this point, Thelena saw opportunity to teach her Ward a lesson: ‘But truly, little one,’ she asked, ‘What is love?’
I, youngster I was, spouted the first idea that came to my turnip, ‘When a woman likes a man very very much!’
An idea she proceeded to shatter, ‘But what about when she doesn’t?’
‘Nonsense!’ I cried, ‘She’ll always like him!’
‘Do you love me, girl?’ she asked, knowing full well I did.
I replied as much.
‘Do you love me, even when I make you kneel through the whole mid-morning worship… or how about when I set you to mopping the temple floors?’
‘Ye-es?’ It was a kind of question-answer, for I’d begun to see the pier toward which the old woman was tugging my keel.
‘Love is far different than liking, little Ward,’ she explained, ‘Liking is temporary, because it’s attached to want, and want’s as fleeting as morning mist over our River Vrath. Love—true love, on the other hand; that is something alive. Cultivated. It’s a tree, or better, a berry bush. It’s a bush that begins to sprout after you accept imperfection and whose roots begin to delve deeper and whose thorny boughs begin to bear fruit as acceptance transforms into appreciation. Appreciation of what, you ask? Appreciation that comfort is accompanied by discomfort, that precision is accompanied by error, that good is accompanied by bad. That the Ideal never exists.’
I find myself thinking about that lesson more and more as the seasons pass. Or ‘appreciating it’, using my Thelena’s words. Now, more than ever, I understand that true love involves that faculty the good Lord Leyosen granted His Chosen and His Chosen alone: Mind. And this love of another human being? It has so much more to do with the lover than the loved. For love to truly be true, it must begin with true love of self. And for true love of self to truly be true, that must begin with the true love of life itself. That’s a lot conditions to meet for the common mind, Young Ward. How can folk like Gren and Nita begin to appreciate themselves let alone one another when they’re so distracted with living that they can barely appreciate the dawn of a new day?
- High Priestess Milana speaks to her Ward on a midsummer evening, regarding the recent separation of Gren and Nita, 1893
What a week, as great as the food was and as ridiculous the cow shinannagains, that epigraph was the most extraordinary and that’s really saying something. Much appreciated.