(Above: By the end of my time outdoors, about half of the compost pile was spread across the garden. 10/8/2022.)
10/2/2022: Today began in the low 60s and proceeded to warm into the mid 80s.
Morning of 10/2/2022 shortly before I returned indoors to write. Lunch today consisted of Padre-made & Madre-dressed salad accompanied by 5 skillet-fried eggs. To finish the meal, I enjoyed a plate of apple slices, blueberries, and yogurt. This afternoon, I let Blue lick the back of my leg for as long as I could stand. This is the result of 6 licks from a rough bovine tongue. A picture of the aforementioned Blue standing alongside her offspring. 12 Moo-Magic bags filled with compost. A picture of the garden-area after this afternoon’s weeding (primarily grass removal). Dinner of 10/2/2022: Two halved burger-steaks. One half was seasoned with salt & pepper. The other was seasoned with salt, pepper, and 1 tsp of coffee grounds. Both Padre and I agreed that the coffee-ground-seasoned patty had more of a savory flavor and smell (while the coffee flavor was almost undetectable). This meal was accompanied by a large cucumber / tomato / onion / cabbage salad. Inside the burger-steaks. Both were cooked to medium-rare. A dessert of cinnamon-sprinkled Granny Smith apple accompanied by a dollop of Greek Yogurt.
10/3/2022: Today began in the high 50s and proceeded to warm into the high 70s. Sunny throughout.
The sunrise of 10/3/2022. A view in the exact opposite direction: Mother #272 standing with her little calf. Lunch today occurred at Lorito’s Italian Kitchen. I enjoyed salad, a couple slices of pizza, and some refreshing fountain Diet Coke. A somewhat unsavory afternoon activity: repairing the shade cloth above the central feed barn. It was coated with dried bird guano that filled the air with white flakes when it was handled. The reverse-seared Belgian Blue bottom round roast I prepared for dinner on 10/3/2022. It was roasted in the oven at 250 F for 3 hours and then seared on cast iron skillet. On cutting into the roast, we discovered it to be tender, juicy, and medium-rare. Due to there being a lack of apples, I enjoyed a dessert of blueberries and Greek Yogurt.
10/4/2022: Today began in the low 50s and proceeded to warm into the high 70s. Sunny throughout.
Dawn of 10/4/2022. For some reason, my camera took this picture upside down. Rather than correct it, I kept it as is. For some reason, there is something reflective about the way the trees meet the sky. Newgus (new Wagyus) arrived this morning shortly before 11 AM. These were the Wagyus that we visited back in September (20th or 21st) on the other farm. For lunch today, I enjoyed sushi and miso soup procured from Sushi Bistro of Ocala. Insides of a puffball mushroom I found in the eastern pasture. The texture was very reminiscent of fiberglass insulation. Dinner of 10/4/2022: A salad accompanied by a classic… burger-steak? Not a burger-steak. No, the protein for this evening’s meal was reverse-seared ahi tuna. In hindsight, I should have added Parmesan at the end instead of the beginning. This would have given the crust a more savory and less bitter flavor. A dessert of blueberries and Greek yogurt with the not-uncommon addition of cinnamon.
10/5/2022: Today began in the low 50s and proceeded to warm into the high 70s. Sunny throughout.
Dawn of 10/5/2022. A delicious lunch of slow-roasted chuck roast accompanied by a Padre-made & Madre-dressed salad. On the evening of 10/5/2022, I enjoyed a ritsabittle up to Fat Tuscan where I participated in a Ravioli class. There, I refreshed my knowledge and learned from a fellow named Aaron how to make tortellini (video below). A plate of Jacob-made ravioli topped with a combination of alfredo and marinara sauce. Quite delicious. On returning home, I shared my leftover ravioli noodles with Padre & Madre while I myself enjoyed an Granny Smith apple with some cinnamon-sprinkled yogurt.
10/6/2022: Today began in the high 50s and warmed into the low 80s. Sunny throughout.
Dawn of 10/6/2022. The same dawn of 10/6/2022, but peering in the opposite direction. This morning, I loaded the last of the Peruvian blend into the coffee grinder. I have enjoyed it more than the espresso blend because it has a more chocolatey / less burnt flavor. One of this morning’s tasks was to fasten the cable to this post I ‘installed’ yesterday. This electric fence separates the lagoon lot from the ‘burial’ lot. The new air conditioner arrived for Jacobhouse today. It’s vessel was a tad beat up. This is the mighty Belgian Blue burger-steak and heap of Padre-made & Madre-dressed salad I enjoyed for the lunch of 10/6/2022. I made this dinner pizza in 45 minutes, from making dough (1c flour, 1/2c water, 1/4c Doug starter, 1/3 tbsp yest) to out-of-the-oven (cooked on 525 F for 13 minutes). The only toppings were mozzarella, homemade sauce, oregano, and a drizzling of olive oil. Cross section of the thin-crust cheese pizza I cooked up for dinner. Accompanied by a halved (large) head of broccoli. An enjoyable and quite healthsome combination. Due to a lack of apples, I enjoyed a portion of blueberries for dessert.
10/7/2022: Today began in the mid 50s and proceeded to warm into the low 80s. Sunny.
Dawn of 10/7/2022: Bovines repose in the pasture as a plume of steam rises from the feed wagon in the central barn. White Belgian Blue #985 being assailed by the luminosity of a rising sun. This is the new coffee blend that I will be starting tomorrow. Lunch of 10/7/2022: A hearty Salmon & Broccoli soup in chicken broth thickened with a couple tablespoons of potato starch. To accompany that soup, was a Padre-made & Madre-dressed salad. It was a healthy repast. Brahman cow #3998 accompanied by Gaur #7128 under a tingle-tongue tree. The garden is now ready to receive a fresh load of compost (10/7/2022). This is the Belgian Blue shoulder roast I reverse-seared for dinner. It was a sizeable piece of beef. Reverse-seared Belgian Blue shoulder roast accompanied by a colorful cucumber & cabbage salad. The sauce in the background is a mixture of stone-ground mustard and homemade (no-sugar-added) BBQ sauce. Yellowtail Merlot – a mellow dry red – made for an excellent pairing. Blueberries and yogurt for dessert.
10/8/2022: Today began in the mid 50s and warmed into the low 80s. Very few clouds.
Morning of 10/8/2022. It was a longer affair during which we had trouble locating this calf. Fortunately (just before this picture was taken), I found it wandering about the center of the beef field and was able to give it nasal and oral vaccine. Lunch of 10/8/20022: A light fare of sautéed eggs and a fresh Padre-made & Madre-dressed salad. For dessert, I enjoyed a heap of blueberries and a dollop of Greek Yogurt. Rumor has it that apples arrive tomorrow morning. The Jacobhouse garden moments after the Moo Magic delivery. While emptying an old plant pot, I found this salamander or (more likely) juvenile anole. The only reason I thought it was a salamander was due to its glistening sheen. However, it could have also just hatched out of an egg. (I should note that I’ve found quite a few little lizard eggs throughout the garden.) I removed the border from Hugelkultur #2 and placed it around the Jewels of Opar and the second turmeric plant. My intention is to let this be the designated “Jewels of Opar Area”. Any growing outside of the containment region can be plucked. By the end of my time outdoors, about half of the compost pile was spread across the garden. A ‘tomato-pie’ made for the evening meal of 10/8/2022. The difference between this and a pizza is that more focus is given to the sauce instead of the cheese. Saying that, I did sprinkle the top with some freshly grated Parmesan. Inside the pie: A soft crumb with mid-sized holes. The olive-oil-fried crust on the bottom was truly delicious, as was the sauce wrought from Italy-harvested tomatoes.
Final Note: Though I did not enjoy pulling up the old pepper plants, I’m now very glad I did so. The Jacobhouse garden has been transformed from a jungle into a 16′ x 16′ plot of potential.
When one has more plants, there is greater potential for loss. When one has less plants, there is greater potential for growth. It’s a natural cycle that seems bent on balance.
There’s a lot positive to be said about potential, good choice. Thanks again for sharing.