OCTOBER 2018, ISSUE #209

Bob goes to Germany. Camille goes to the zoo. We start harvesting our crop of ginger and turmeric. Meanwhile Mom and Dad settle into their new routine with brother Michael, and Nolan gets one month older.

 

BOB’S NEW JOB

 

Bob has taken on the heady world of auditing, requiring massive amounts of complicated paperwork and travel to large ethanol processing plants (left) and landfills (right). He is learning to audit biofuels and bioproducts facilities from farm to distribution to a German certification standard. In a freak accident at the landfill, a great egret flew up and into the rental car windshield, shattering the view for the rest of the trip.

 

SOME TRAINING REQUIRED

  

Training to audit businesses to the ISCC standard (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) takes Bob to Germany for a week.

 

A WEEK IN COLOGNE

  

How refreshing to go where people have got so many things figured out, from monumental architecture, to beautifully landscaped cemeteries. See more of this story here: Bob’s Week in Cologne

 

FLIGHT PHOTOS

  

On the way home: glimpses of the Rhine River winding its way through Germany’s interior and out to sea on the Belgian coast.

  

Just off shore – a giant wind farm. And then, icy views of Newfoundland.

  

A multi-colored view of Toronto, and a colorful welcome-home sunset in North Carolina.

 

NC ZOO

  

Judy loves to look at animals. Camille does too. So off they went for a day at one of the finest zoos in the country. More photos: Safari at the NC Zoo

 

GINGER HARVESTING

 

Plump and pretty, freshly-harvested baby ginger packs a heady immune-system-boosting wallop.

 

PROCESSING TURMERIC

  

This is the big work of fall, trimming away all but the sunny meat and processing it into freezable tablespoons of anti-inflammatory magic. We add turmeric and ginger to almond milk to make Golden Milk, a tonic that prepares us for flu season while easing muscles sore from the work of harvesting. This year we will dig about 100 pounds of ginger and turmeric from the Sunken Gardens of Moncure.

 

 

THE SHAPE OF THINGS AT HOME – MACRO TO MICRO

  

Big picture lawn shaping continues this month with total removal of the pampas grass and the addition of two persimmon trees. Meanwhile, the roses continue blooming, keeping our quality of life at a solid ten. From bottom left: Oklahoma, Pink Peace, Fragrant Cloud, and two more Pink Peace.

 

MOM AND DAD’S NEW HOME

Dad and Mom are settling into a new routine at their new home. Michael took this photo just a few days into their brave adventure.

 

THE NEW NORMAL

  

Mom has regained her appetite and is deep into kitchen table projects with tea while Dad reads. In the evening they watch old movies from Mom’s collection. Make no mistake, Michael has wrought a miracle here. A miracle to put the entire family’s hearts at ease. Bravo, Michael, and thank you for taking these wonderful pictures!

 

JOSEPH’S FALL VISIT

 

Father/brother Joseph flew out from his San Francisco parish to see how the folks are getting on. He took Mom to Corpus Christi Church where she lit eight candles and shared his photos.

 

DINNER AND A MOVIE

Laurel and Hardy, just like old times. Photo by Jim. Michael is behind the scenes, working

 

FAIR GAME

At his other job, Bob caught this picture of Rose and her fiance, James, bottling product.

 

KEEPING WITH THE SAVANNA THEME

We felt it high time to get grandson Nolan addicted to plastic animals.

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THIS MONTH’S QUOTES:

“Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism is when hate for people other than your own comes first. Nationalism is not to be confused with patriotism.” – Charles de Gaulle

“Before Donald Trump won the Republican nomination, his base was almost exclusively made up of white, rural conspiracy theorists and racists who loved that Trump was willing to question the very identity and humanity of President Obama. So, when he announced his candidacy, Trump, fully understanding his base, launched right into calling Mexicans rapists and robbers. Of course, his base absolutely loved it.” – Shaun King, U.S. Daily News

“A demagogue or rabble-rouser is a leader in a democracy who gains popularity by exploiting prejudice and ignorance among the common people, whipping up the passions of the crowd and shutting down reasoned deliberation. Demagogues overturn established customs of political conduct, or promise or threaten to do so.” – Wikipedia

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[Troutsfarm] * [October, 2018] * [Bob’s Week in Cologne] * [Safari at the NC Zoo]

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