Friday, July 15, 2011

1, 2, 3…3 * 2:1

Be careful to leave your sons well instructed rather than rich, for the hopes of the instructed are better than the wealth of the ignorant.
- Epictetus
Before diving into the latest goings on at Fazenda Alfheim, I wanted to take a minute to congratulate our youngest son, Pelle Martin Hesketh, for graduating yesterday with a 2:1 classification in Geography from the University of Leceister. A 2:1 is also known formally as an upper second-class honors and is sought by many employers and academic institutions. Both his grandmother, Mette (see previous photo), and Johannes attended the graduation ceremony. We could not be more proud or pleased for Pelle...and for Johannes and Esben; all three graduated with upper second-class honors from first-rate UK universities.

And while neither Lone nor I could attend Pelle's graduation, we will have every opportunity to celebrate his grand accomplishment when he arrives in Brazil on Tuesday, July 19th, for a six-week visit, long enough to participate in the Hesketh family reunion in the second half of August, and to join us on August 6th to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 with our dear friends Vivian and Luciano…can't wait!

When he arrives, he will be welcomed into our newly painted house (after much searching Lone managed to find an ochre color that passes the Skagen, Denmark test). Lone's joy at successfully transposing a tiny bit of her moderland‏ to Fazenda Alfheim clearly shone through in her work. And while she certainly earned a gold star for creativity, I am not sure that we can entirely overlook the productivity implications of her artwork.

In addition to newly-painted houses, Pelle will enjoy the privilege of traveling along our newly repaired entry road. Esben and the workers installed four drains to help keep our 1.8 km entry road high and dry during the rainy season. Esben also oversaw the repair of our crumbling bridge, which has never looked better.

And while on the subject of bridges, the bridge in front of our property (the one about which we have been fighting with the mayor of Natividade da Serra) continues to progress.

In addition to house painting and road repair, Esben and Paulino, our newest worker, who also happens to be João's brother, dug out one of our biggest ant colonies (supervised, naturally, by a peep of hungry chickens).

Paulino also helped Clair and Dener cut wood to fuel our newly installed wood-burning stove.

The wood-burning stove is intended to ensure that we survive what to date has been an unusually cold winter. We also hope that our survival extends to our ten guests during the Hesketh family reunion. Despite the fact that five are traveling from Canada, I am pretty certain that they are not used to housing sans insulation.

In anticipation of the arrival of our many guests, Lone has been busy stocking up on food. Thankfully Jamie dropped by for a week, time enough to lead the slaughter of a 70+ kg sow and the making of bucketloads of sausages!

Not wanting to be limit our diets to pork, we are also fattening (on oat pastures) approx. 100 chickens for the two-week event. Double yummy!

As busy as this made the ladies, they did not limit themselves to preparing meat, picking and juicing a small ton of lemons. Add this to our existing stock of winter honey, guava and roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) as well as the daily production of milk and eggs and we should be well-prepared to feed a small army.

Finally, a startling example of how far the US has declined and Brazil has prospered over the past several years:

4 comments:

h said...

Congratulations to you Pelle, and to your family, as well!
Hold your dreams close to your heart, and never forget who you are, or where you want to go.
Lots of good wishes for you, and your future.
Much love,
Hopee(Farmor)

Anonymous said...

Não importa que tipo de jantar que você estabelecer, adicionando uma série de comerciais de grau aquecedores de pátio ao ar livre é uma despesa que vale a pena que irá estender o seu pátio de jantar usabilidade áreas nos meses mais frias e tardes. + hotel fazenda sp

Buzzing Bee said...

When you are taking care of bees, being able to protect yourself from their stings is crucial to working in comfort and with great efficiency. A beekeeper suit, often just called a bee suit, is the best way to protect your body from the bees from head to toe when you are working in the hives or collecting the honey. Bee suits are made from premium material that is breathable but strong enough to put a barrier between the bees and you, and premium beekeeper suits are what you’ll find here in this category. We offer premium bee suits designed to protect not just the body but also the face with the inclusion of collapsible and removable fencing or round veils for you to work with. Our bee suits come with durable double-stitched pockets that allow you to carry tools and keep them within easy reach. What makes our suits the most unique perhaps is that they come in soft colors like white and yellow among others. The soft colors of each different bee suit are calming to the bees and will help stop them from getting riled up when you go into their hive to do your necessary beekeeping work.

The Healing Honey Blog said...

When tending to bees, ensuring your protection against their stings becomes paramount for a comfortable and efficient work experience. Enter the beekeeper suit, often referred to simply as a bee suit, serving as the ultimate safeguard for your entire body as you engage with the hives or gather honey. Our bee suits are meticulously crafted from top-notch materials, offering a harmonious blend of breathability and durability, thus forming a protective barrier between you and the industrious bees.

Within this category, you'll discover premium beekeeper suits designed to shield not only your body but also your face. These suits feature collapsible and removable fencing or round veils, granting you the flexibility you need during your beekeeping tasks. Additionally, our bee suits boast durable, double-stitched pockets, providing a convenient means of carrying your essential tools within easy reach.

Perhaps the most distinguishing aspect of our suits lies in their soothing color options, including serene shades like white and yellow, among others. These soft hues have a calming effect on the bees, reducing the likelihood of agitation when you delve into their hive to conduct your necessary beekeeping duties.