Jeff Byers and his wife Carita live on the Yak Farm. That is the name they have given to their property – about 40 acres in Blue, Texas, which is about 40 miles east and a little north of Austin. They built their house almost entirely by themselves – but maybe I should call it their “compound” rather than their house, since it currently consists of three buildings and a pond that Jeff dug and will probably grow from there. They started by building the workshop, then lived there as they built the house. They just recently finished building #3, Carita’s bath house. As far as I know, Jeff and Carita have never owned any yaks, though they do raise chickens and stray dogs on their place. I never asked where the name “Yak Farm” came from – as soon as I heard it, the name just fit Jeff’s style so well that it I instantly accepted it as the only possible name for his place.

Jeff underwent surgery this morning – a tracheotomy so that the breathing tubes can be removed. Jeff’s healing continues to go well.