(Above: A photo of the duck resort, ready to welcome its guests. Una foto del resort para patos, listo para recibir a sus huéspedes.)
9/14/2025: Today began in the high 60s and warmed into the high 80s. Mostly sunny.
The bright dawn of September 14, 2025. El brillante amanecer del 14 de septiembre de 2025. 
Today my father and Victor started building a resort for the ducks. Hoy mi padre y Víctor comenzaron a construir un resort para los patos. 
Lunch consisted of a fried egg and beef sausage mixture, accompanied by a green salad topped with leftover cabbage slaw. El almuerzo consistía en una mezcla frita de huevos y salchicha de res. Esta estaba acompañada de una ensalada verde cubierta con sobras de ensalada de repollo. 
A photo of the interior of the guesthouse on the sunny afternoon of September 14, 2025. Una foto del interior de la casa de huéspedes en la tarde soleada del 14 de septiembre de 2025. 
Dinner consisted of a romaine lettuce and green cabbage salad topped with pan-seared beef, cottage cheese, avocado, and homemade BBQ sauce. La cena consistía en una ensalada de lechuga romana y repollo verde cubierta con carne de res a la sartén, requesón, aguacate y salsa barbacoa casera. 
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.
9/15/2025: Today began in the high 60s and warmed into the mid 80s. Sunny.
Morning of September 15, 2025: A photo of Padre returning to the center of the farm after feeding the animals east of Jacobhouse. Mañana del 15 de septiembre de 2025: Una foto de mi padre regresando al centro del rancho después de alimentar los animales al este de mi casita. 
For lunch, we had a sushi platter accompanied by a bowl of miso soup garnished with green cabbage, spinach, and avocado. Para el almuerzo, comimos una bandeja de sushi acompañada de un tazón de sopa de miso adornada con repollo verde, espinaca, y aguacate. 
This is a flower that Victor planted in the garden in front of the central barn. Esta es una flor que Víctor plantó en el jardín frente al granero central. 
The sunny afternoon of September 15, 2025, in the easternmost field of the ranch. La tarde soleada del 15 de septiembre de 2025 en el campo más oriental del rancho. 
This afternoon I removed the 2 by 6 boards from the car so I could access the boards underneath. Esta tarde retiré las tablas 2 por 6 del vagón para poder acceder las tablas que estaban debajo. 
Dinner consisted of a stew of beef, lamb, and goat. This stew was topped with chopped onions, shredded cabbage, and sliced avocado. La cena consistía en un guiso de carne de res, cordero y chivo. Este guiso estaba cubierto con cebolla picada, repollo picado, y rodajas de aguacate. 
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.
9/16/2025: Today began in the high 60s and warmed into the high 80s. Mostly sunny.
Dawn on September 16, 2025, in the southeasternmost field of the ranch. El amanecer del 16 de septiembre de 2025 en el campo más al sureste del rancho. 
Lunch consisted of a fried egg and beef sausage mixture, accompanied by a green salad drizzled with a tangy vinaigrette. El almuerzo consistía en una mezcla frita de huevos y salchicha de res. Esta estaba acompañada de una ensalada verde rociada con una vinagreta picante. 
We are going to use this putty to seal the duck pool. Vamos a utilizar esta masilla para sellar la piscina de los patos. 
On the afternoon of September 16, 2025, I discovered that the water trough west of the central barn had broken boards. En la tarde del 16 de septiembre de 2025, descubrí que el bebedero al oeste del granero central tenía tablas rotas. 
This is the plan for the front of Guesthouse that I worked on the afternoon of September 16, 2025. Este es el plano para el frente de la casa de huéspedes en lo que trabajé la tarde del 16 de septiembre de 2025. 
Dinner consisted of a hamburger steak topped with Havarti cheese, bacon, and Mrs. Brimage’s chili. There was also a green salad drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. La cena consistía en un bistec de hamburguesa cubierto con queso havarti, tocino y chile de la Sra. Brimage. Además, había una ensalada verde rociada con una vinagreta balsámica. 
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 yogurt griego.
9/17/2025: Today began in the low 70s and warmed into the high 80s. Mostly sunny.
The dawn of September 17, 2025 in the central field. El amanecer del 17 de septiembre de 2025 en el campo central. 
Lunch consisted of a fried mixture of eggs and leftover chili from Mrs. Brimage. All of this was accompanied by a salad drizzled with a spicy vinaigrette. El almuerzo consistía en una mezcla frita de huevos y sobras de chile de la Sra. Brimage. Todo esto estaba acompañado de una ensalada rociada con una vinagreta picante. 
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. 
After lunch, I made salsa verde with fresh tomatillos, onion, garlic, and chiles de árbol. I took this photo after baking all the vegetables and just before blending them. Después del almuerzo, preparé salsa verde con tomatillos frescos, cebolla, ajo y chiles de árbol. Tomé esta foto después de hornear todos los vegetales y un poco antes de licuarlos. 
The mostly sunny afternoon of September 17, 2025. La tarde mayormente soleada del 17 de septiembre de 2025. 
For my birthday, my mom bought me a miter saw. I’m definitely going to use it a lot while building the Guesthouse. Para mi cumpleaños mi mamá me encontró una sierra ingletadora. Definativamente voy a usarla mucho en el proceso de construcción de la casa de huéspedes. 
Dinner consisted of leftover beef, goat, and lamb stew. This stew was topped with chopped onion, cilantro, and two pieces of Tomme cheese. La cena consistía en sobras de guiso de carne de res, chivo y cordero. Este guiso estaba cubierto de cebolla picada, cilantro y dos trozos de queso Tomme.
(Gaur Harvest Day) 9/18/2025: Today began in the low 70s and warmed into the high 80s. Foggy morning followed by a sunny day.
Dawn of September 18, 2025: Padre was feeding the calves east of my little house. El amanecer del 18 de septiembre de 2025: mi papá estaba alimentando a los terneros al este de mi casita. 
A portrait of my father on top of the tractor. (POAT) Un retrato de mi padre encima del tractor. (POAT) 
In the early morning of September 18, 2025, we slaughtered an Indian bison for meat testing. The process was fairly quick and painless. I saved this photo because there’s a strange juxtaposition between the farm and the high school in the background. En la madrugada del 18 de septiembre de 2025, sacrificamos un bisonte indio para probar su carne. El proceso fue bastante rápido y sin dolor. Guardé esta foto, porque hay rara juxtaposición entre la granja y la escuela secundaria al fondo. 
The dead Indian bison was hanging from the loader’s bucket. The butcher was washing the legs. El bisonte indio muerto, colgada de la cubeta del cargador. El carnicero estaba lavando las patas. 
Lunch consisted of leftover stew garnished with chopped onion, cilantro, and a chunk of Swiss cheese. There was also a green salad drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. El almuerzo consistía en sobras de guiso adornadas con cebolla picada, cilantro y un trozo de queso suizo. Además había una ensalada verde rociada con vinagreta balsámica. 
These are the ribs I prepared for dinner. They’re from cow 575 and seasoned with salt, black pepper, mustard powder, coriander powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Estas son las costillas que preparé para la cena. Son de vaca número 575 y condimentadas con sal, pimienta negra, mostaza en polvo, semillas de cilantro en polvo y salsa inglesa. 
I checked the refrigerator trailer containing the Indian bison after lunch to make sure it was cooling. Chequé el vagón nevera que contenía el bisonte Indio después del almuerzo para asegurarme de que estuviera enfriando. 
The afternoon of September 18, 2025: The cows gathered at the top of the central hill to honor cow number 7128. La tarde del 18 de septiembre de 2025: Las vacas se reunieron en la cima de cerro central para honrar a la vaca número 7128. 
After work, I visited the guesthouse to plan how to fill the holes in the front. I used cardboard to get specific measurements. Después del trabajo yo visité la casa de huéspedes para planificar como rellenar los agujeros del frente. Utilicé cartón para obtener medidas específicas. 
Dinner: Reverse-seared short ribs, accompanied by a green salad topped with a chunk of Swiss cheese. There was also a horn of red wine to drink and a bowl of homemade barbecue sauce for dipping. La cena: Costillitas de res doradas al revés, acompañadas de una ensalada verde cubierta con un trozo de queso suizo. Además, había un cuerno de vino tinto para beber y un tazón de salsa barbacoa casera para mojar.
This is Master Blend’s social media post text for the Gaur harvest (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/169CcLCe3N/):
An experiment 5 years in the making: Gaurs, otherwise known as Indian Bison are beautiful and massive creatures. They are peaceful in the field, but they are next to impossible to work with or get into a cattle trailer. So, this week, rather than send such an animal to a processing facility, we enlisted the mobile services of Top Notch Butchery, LLC.
Gaur #7128 was dispatched instantly and painlessly in the green pastures that have been her lifelong home. Rafe and his crew did their work quickly and cleanly, with all initial details of the harvest being completed before the arrival of midday’s heat. Now, the beef is dry-hanging for seven days in a refrigerated trailer specifically designed for the task.
We at Master Blend Cattle Co., having seen our idea advance from a mental conception to one that lived and breathed and thrived, were very happy with the care, professionalism, and timeliness of Top Notch’s work. Next week, we look forward to tasting the fruit of this experiment for the first time.
Feel free to hop over to Top Notch Butchery LLC's Facebook page for a... rawer look into the harvesting process. Pun intended.
9/19/2025: Today began in the low 70s and warmed into the high 80s. Foggy morning followed by a sunny day.
The orange dawn of September 19, 2025. El amanecer anaranjado del 19 de septiembre de 2025. 
This morning, the refrigerated trailer’s thermometer showed that everything was fine inside. Esta mañana, el termómetro del vagón refrigerado mostró que todo estaba bien dentro. 
This morning I helped my dad, my uncle, and Victor work with some steers. We needed to measure their weight. Esta mañana ayudé a mi papá, a mi tío y a Víctor a trabajar con unos bueyes. Necesitábamos medir su peso. 
Lunch consisted of a rich mixture of eggs and leftover stew, accompanied by a salad drizzled with a tangy vinaigrette. El almuerzo consistía en una mezcla rica de huevos y sobras de guiso. Esta estaba acompañada de una ensalada rociada con una vinagreta picante. 
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. 
After lunch, I made this mixture of ground beef and sourdough bread crumbs for dinner. Tonight, this mixture will be accompanied by homemade salsa verde and drizzled with lime juice. Después del almuerzo, preparé esta mezcla de carne molida y pan de masa madre rallado para la cena. Esta noche esta mezcla estará acompañada de salsa verde casera y rociada con jugo de limón verde. 
The sunny afternoon of September 19, 2025 in the central field. La tarde soleada del 19 de septiembre de 2025 en el campo central. 
Today I cut pieces of plywood to fill the holes in the front of the guesthouse. Hoy corté trozos de triplay para rellenar los agujeros del frente de la casa del huéspedes. 
This week, I have special bags to display the braids of my sourdough loaves. Esta semana, tengo bolsas especiales para mostra las trenzas de mi barras de pan de masa madre. 
Dinner consisted of a taco salad topped with a fried mixture of ground beef and sourdough. It also included cottage cheese, chopped onions, cilantro, and a piece of sourdough bread. La cena consistía en una ensalada de taco cubierta con una mezcla frita de carne molida y masa madre. Además, había requesón, cebolla picada, cilantro y un trozo de pan de masa madre.
9/20/2025: Today began in the low 70s and warmed into the low 90s. Sunny and dry.
The foggy early morning of September 20, 2025. The tree house can be seen on the left. La madrugada neblinosa del 20 de septiembre de 2025. Se puede ver la casa de árbol a la izquierda. 
The rising sun of September 20, 2025. El sol naciente del 20 de septiembre de 2025. 
The exterior of the Master Blend store on the sunny morning of September 20, 2025. El exterior de la tienda de Master Blend en la mañana soleada del 20 de septiembre de 2025. 
These are the peanut butter cookies I made to share on the morning of September 20, 2025. Estas son las galletas de mantequilla de maní que hice para compartir en la mañana del 20 de septiembre de 2025. 
A photo of the Master Blend butcher shop on the morning of September 20, 2025. Una foto de la carnicería de Master Blend en la mañana del 20 de septiembre de 2025. 
A Polish lunch: beef sausage, bacon, cabbage salad and pickled cucumbers. Un almuerzo polaco: salchicha de res, tocino, ensalada de repollo y pepinos encurtidos. 
A photo of the sunset on September 20, 2025, from the front of the ranch. Una foto de la puesta del sol del 20 de septiembre de 2025, desde el frente del rancho. 
The refrigerator in the trailer containing the Indian bison is still cooling very well. El refrigerador del remolque que contiene el bisonte indio todavía está enfriando muy bien. 
Today, Victor and Padre painted clouds on the farm’s entrance sign. Hoy, Víctor y mi papá pintaron las nubes en el cartel de entrada del rancho. 
A photo of the duck resort, ready to welcome its guests. Una foto del resort para patos, listo para recibir a sus huéspedes. 
I installed an electrical box for the front light of the guest house. Instalé una caja eléctrica para la luz delantera de la casa de huéspedes. 
For dinner, we enjoyed a round roast that resembled a “meat pineapple.” Para la cena, disfrutamos de un asado de ronda que parecía una “piña de carne”. 
Dinner consisted of the roast beef already shown, accompanied by a green salad and two pieces of sourdough bread soaked in meat juice. There was also a horn of red wine to drink. La cena consistía en el asado de ronda ya mostrado, acompañado de una ensalada verde y dos trozos de pan de masa madre empapados con jugo de carne. Además, había un cuerno de vino tinto para beber.
Final Note: Satisfaction may be found both in pursuit and attainment; it is not found in avoidance or flight. The education system – at least in the United States – sets up children for the latter. It’s a system that says “You better do this or else!” and one that creates a deeply rooted fear of mistakes (e.g. testing). More, it is a system that, from an early age, makes many individuals believe learning is something they have to do versus get to do. Even with my own homeschooling so many times better than the education found in public schools, I did not escape all of the conditioning. Especially the fear of mistakes.
I’m getting better. Why? Because as I do more and more and live longer and longer, I’ve found that failure is not only an opportunity to learn but also an opportunity to create something greater than my prior envisioned success. I’m just learning to embrace that concept, and I am just shy of 33. Fortunately, I have another 104 years to go.
It makes me wonder: What would result of a child if he or she were raised outside of the system? Raised from day one in a way where failure is seen as an opportunity rather than a dead end? Taught to pursue rather than avoid? Taught to desire life instead of fear it? That sounds like it would be a proper-good experiment if I do say so myself.
It was a week of diverse experiences, glad you shared them with me and also very happy with the results. Now regarding your closing comment, I agree with the ‘get to’ versus ‘have to’ perspectives being instrumental and as for fear,, I think the author Frank Hebert’s mantra of fear being the “mind killer” is absolutely on the mark.