Yesterday ended up being a big day, at least in the evening. We started fairly early getting sample roasts started around the mid morning. Then after lunch we piled back into the car and headed up to Fazenda Esperanca, the Souza family farm. It's a beautiful place and the light was hazy and warm setting the whole place aglow in perfect Hollywood sunset lighting. The guy that lives out there full time has a whole menagerie of farm animals, some exotic some not. Then there's all these big trees, though the two most magnificent have been killed by some parasite that Bruno could only descibe as "Tree Lobsters" which of course has now become a running joke. Another mysterious animal is the invisible ticks that will apparently be infested with by walking in particular grass on the farm. I'm not kidding, these things came out of Bruno's mouth. The house is stunning, if wanting for a little repair. Now that Bruno is back in Brasil, hopefully the place will be restored. The patio and even the mill are, how to describe? Rustic? I've tasted wonderful coffees from Fazenda Esperanca, you just wouldn't think it possible. But I guess that speaks more the work that is put in and not the actual equipment. Got to spend some more time with Zinho, who wandered around with us and talked to me at some length about boya, a different kind of natural. Or at least I think that's what he's talking about. Next time I come down I would love to stay here. Then we rushed back to Campos Altos, changed clothes, and headed out to Fazenda Boa Sorte, for Betania's birthday celebration. There was a band, and a trampoline and tons of good food. We had a really nice time. But that made getting up this morning a little hard and we didn't have all the cupping supplies so we're ad-hocing some stuff and hoping for the best. I needed coffee first though so Bruno cooked up a pot of the Las Delicias. Looking forward to seeing what's under these crusts. And the cupping should be better because we used the grinder on the Rod-Bel which is almost like a Versalab. Also, we weighed the samples. Who knew?

Just picked up coffee supplies for Christmas (actually there's some for us at home as well). We figure 1.5kg should keep the family in plunger and stovetop coffee for a week. We're on an island so we can't duck out for more. For those playing at home, blends represented here: Ethiopian Sidarmo (Fair Trade), Kenyan Peaberry, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Woolloomooloo, Java and sample of Peru.