THE LONG HOT SUMMER

At Blackjack Ranch, a Book

November 2026

By Bob Djurdjevic | Scottsdale, Arizona

A summer of building, writing, and unexpected visitors on a hill above the Danube.

What began as a simple plan to finish a house and move in for the summer turned into one of the most eventful seasons of my life. At Blackjack Ranch in Višnjička Banja, above the Danube, a long list of unfinished tasks quickly gave way to a far richer story—of building, of writing, of family and friends, of persistent bureaucracy, of unanticipated challenges, and of of royal and presidential visitors. And, of course, Charlie, the female guard dog.

There was also a jungle to tame. As we carved paths through the wilderness, planted trees, and transformed bare walls into an outdoor art gallery, we discovered that making a home meant more than reshaping the landscape. It meant learning to belong to it.

And nature had its own ideas about who belonged. Swallows, cats, a horse, moles, and assorted other visitors became part of the daily drama, sometimes welcome, sometimes troublesome, but seldom dull.

The Long Hot Summer at Blackjack Ranch is a memoir of a place coming alive. It is a story of work and creativity, of Serbian resilience and hospitality, of politics and history, of technology traps, and of the people—ordinary and extraordinary—who found their way to our hill.

Sometimes demanding, often humorous, and always real, it is a portrait of a summer in Serbia that proved, once again, that life still has a remarkable capacity to surprise.

THE LONG HOT SUMMER AT BLACKJACK RANCH

Bob Djurdjevic | Scottsdale, Arizona

PDF eBook: 329 pages, richly illustrated in full color

Price: $9.99 — available directly from Truth in Media via PayPal (see ordering instructions below).

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