!! In the quiet hours of the bootcamp grind, I found myself: Esteban's Bootcamp Experience

Here are some delightful pics of the past two days ...

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:

Esteban Ademovski wrote:...
Thank you, Inge! 😊❤️ It’s hard to believe a whole year has already gone by. Wheaton Labs has been quite the journey, with plenty of learning, growing, and blessings along the way. One year down, and I'm continuing to work toward my bigger dream of eventually returning to Europe and taking over my late father's apple orchards along Lake Prespa in Macedonia. 🍎🇲🇰 It would mean a lot to carry on that piece of my family's history. For now, I'm grateful for everything I'm learning here and looking forward to seeing where the journey takes me. 😊

Interesting, I didn't know about the apple orchard in Macedonia. All you learn at Wheaton Labs could be helpful in your dream coming true ...

Yeah, there’s actually quite a story behind that dream. 😊 I’m first-generation American and still hold dual citizenship. Both sides of my family are from Macedonia—my mother’s side immigrated to the U.S. back in the ’60s, and my father came over in the early ’80s after serving in the Yugoslav Navy. So Macedonia has always been an important part of my family’s history.

On my father’s side, my grandfather left roughly 40 hectares (100 acres) to each of his three sons—my dad and my two uncles—and apples have always been one of the main crops. They also grow tobacco, make raki, and have a long history of commercial fishing. The land is around Lake Prespa, which is shared by North Macedonia, Greece, and Albania. 🇲🇰🇬🇷🇦🇱

So eventually going back and taking care of that land means more to me than simply having an orchard. It would be a way of carrying forward a piece of my family’s history. 🍎

And honestly, my time here at Wheaton Labs has been such a delightful and rewarding experience. I’ve learned so much by actually getting my hands in the dirt—working with trees, land, water, equipment, and all the little things that go into making a place work. It’s given me a great foundation to continue growing from, and I feel like Wheaton Labs is one of many wonderful places along my journey.

A lot of what I’m learning here could eventually be useful when I make my way back home. For now, I’m just grateful to be here, keep learning, and see where the road takes me. I really do recommend that people come out here, get their hands in the dirt, and experience it for themselves. There’s something special about learning by doing. 🌱

I actually have a few pictures from an apple harvest a couple of years ago, including one with my uncle. 😊 I thought I’d share them with you so you can get a little glimpse of the orchards I’m talking about. 🍎🇲🇰

Thank you, Esteban, for the explanation and the photos.

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:Thank you, Esteban, for the explanation and the photos.

It's absolutely my pleasure! And I want to thank you and everyone else who's been following my thread. I truly appreciate the support and kind words from everyone along the way. 😊

B.E.L. Post # 277

I started my morning by re-handling a carpenter's hatchet because the head kept moving around on the handle. I clamped it in the vise and used my pull saw to cut the handle off right below the head. Then, using the pliers on my multitool, I tapped out the remaining piece of hickory.

The new handle was slightly too big where it fit into the head, so I rasped it down until it fit properly. I tapped it back into place, found a piece of metal to use as a wedge, and used the bench grinder to sharpen one end before tapping it in to secure the head.

After that, I split some firewood and did some chop-and-drop.

After lunch, I spent some time working on my boot bench rest area, my little personal project. I sowed some ground cover, including yellow clover, and walking onions, then added mulch from the chop-and-drop and irrigated the little garden area.

I also spent some time building trails before briefly joining Leo's team to help with bucking, splitting, and stacking firewood.