2 beds, 1 bath

Written to You Were Here by Sarah Harmer

Everyone has a photographic memory… some just don’t have film.
- Steven Wright

A number of readers wrote last week and inquired about the end use for the new house at Fazenda Alfheim. The short answer is that it is being built to house a new family of workers who we hope to hire in the next several weeks. In brief, we need more help; there is so much work still to do.

When complete, the house will comprise a large outdoor patio and service area, a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom and two bedrooms -and spectacular views of Hogwood and beyond.

In animal news, Chiquina is bigger, better and hungrier than ever. She is without question the most rambunctious of all of the piglets. A real marvel.

The ill heifer continues to struggle, but on Sunday she showed some signs of life and was eating well. We continue to treat her with a variety of homeopathic remedies, principally a cream consisting of calendula or pot marigold (for clsoing open sores), zinc oxide (a disinfectant) and citronella (an insect repellent). We clean her sores with water and coconut soap, apply iodine and then the aforementioned cream. 7-9-13.

Even though the fencers have yet to start work, the remaining cattle inaugurated pasture 7 on a misty, cold Sunday.

Negão is currently serving time after attacking a piglet, which, thanks to Pelle's quick reaction, we were able to save. He is allowed out of solitary during the day, as long as he is accompanied by the guards. Fortunately, the piglet, seen here after being treated by Esben, does not look worse for the wear.

In between moving fence posts (Brian and Pelle) and cooking for the workers and washing up (Esben), the boys have managed to relax, even traveling to the beach in Ubatuba a second time.

This week's fauna is a three-way tie among members of the order Lepidoptera (1, 2, 3).

Finally, we will all be heading to São Paulo on Thursday for an extended weekend of visiting friends, dining at a couple of our favorite restaurants, Fogo de Chão (fo-go dèe shoun), Galeria dos Pães and Ofner, and watching Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which set a worldwide box-office record for its opening week, grossing nearly $400 million U.S. dollars in the five days since its release. Lone and I also have plans to enjoy a massage at Amanary, the spa at the Grand Hyatt São Paulo. Life is pretty good!