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

Christopher Weeks wrote:Being able to just excavate a chunk of floor to make room for the peg-install is pretty handy.

Yeah, it’s a nice perk of natural building. If you need a little more room, you can just break some floor out and keep going. Way simpler than cutting and patching conventional materials ...

B.E.L. Post # 109

After the morning meeting, Stephen, Harry, and I made our way to the Abbey. The morning air carried that quiet kind of stillness the land sometimes offers. While Stephen tended to Cooper Cabin, warming the space and preparing it to welcome tomorrow’s guests, Harry and I continued our work on the cob floor—pressing earth, sand, and straw together, slowly shaping the floor and forming the cob that leads to the door’s threshold. There’s something almost timeless about working with cob… like participating in an old conversation between hands and earth.

After lunch, Stephen revealed a new project for us: crafting end tables for Cooper Cabin. I found the idea strangely delightful. There’s a certain magic in building simple things that will quietly serve the people who pass through this place. Pieces of wood, shaped by hand, becoming small companions to the cabin and its guests.

I’m really looking forward to doing more builds like this. It feels like the kind of work where each piece carries a little story in it.

B.E.L. Post # 110

After the morning meeting, Harry and I wandered over to the shop where our little end table project waited patiently for more hands and attention. Wood has a way of revealing its character slowly, and piece by piece the tables began to show their form. There’s something quietly satisfying about watching a simple stack of lumber slowly become something useful and beautiful.

After lunch we made our way to the laboratory. Harry and I worked on waking the cabin from its chill, feeding warmth into it until the thermometer settled comfortably around 62–64 degrees. It felt a bit like bringing life back into a sleeping space.

While that was happening, Harry cleared the snow from the path between the parking area and the front door of Cooper Cabin, opening the way for future footsteps. Not long after, the sound of splitting wood filled the air. I joined in as well, each strike sending another piece into the growing stack that will someday become warmth for the cabins.

As the daylight softened, we made our way back to basecamp. The evening closed with a little more tinkering and project work before tools were set down for the day.

Another steady day of small tasks, shared effort, and quiet progress here at Wheaton Labs. 🌲🔥

Yesterday (03/14/2026) unfolded like one of those curious winter tales that only happen when the snow lays thick upon the land.

After sleeping into the morning, I ventured out with my little dog to wander the snow-covered paths. The world was quiet, bright, and crunchy underfoot—the sort of morning where even a simple dog walk feels like the opening chapter of an adventure.

My travels brought me to the Fischer Price house… and then again… and perhaps once more after that. Each visit seemed mysteriously timed, because Samantha and Melissa ensured I was well provisioned with cookies and other delightful goodies. Truly, their hospitality could sustain a traveler through even the harshest winter campaign.

Eventually, while roaming the kingdom, I encountered my high commander. With great seriousness he issued a quest: journey to Cooper Cabin, retrieve a snow shovel, and ensure the noble cats of the Abbey were properly fed.

The mission was carried out with honor. The shovel was recovered, the cats were satisfied, and balance was restored to the realm.

With my duties fulfilled, I returned to basecamp and resumed work on my end table project. Progress continues—four legs now stand proudly, joined by three of the horizontal supports. Only one final piece remains before the structure is complete. After that, I’ll drawbore the critical joints and sand the top to reveal the hidden beauty of the wood grain.

The remainder of the evening passed peacefully—journaling, relaxing with my faithful little dog, and having great, playful conversations with Harry. He may not hand out royal decrees, but he does make a fine co-adventurer.

B.E.L. Post # 111

This morning began in the most honest way a morning can — with the choir of hungry cats requesting breakfast as if they were tiny royalty. Their petitions were heard, bowls were filled, and peace was restored to the kingdom.

With the feline council satisfied, I joined the great cleaning blitz, where dust and disorder were shown the door and the day began to find its rhythm.

Afterwards, Harry and I ventured to the Abbey. We made the rounds, feeding the cats there as well, and moved one of Harry’s personal effects from the Abbey over to Cooper Cabin — a small migration of belongings across the landscape. Once that mission was complete, we fueled up the trusty RAV4 and rolled back toward Basecamp.

Back at the shop, the quiet magic of woodworking took over. Harry and I settled in with our end table projects, each piece slowly revealing its character under patient hands. In time I was able to fit all the horizontal support pieces into place, and before closing the top, I tucked a small bit of history beneath it — my name, Chapito’s name, and the year — a quiet signature for whoever might stumble across it decades from now.

From there came the satisfying work of sanding and softening the edges until everything felt just right to the touch, followed by a coat of linseed oil that brought the grain to life like sunlight waking up the wood.

With the table resting and drinking in its finish, the rest of the afternoon unfolded in the best way possible — good conversations with the crew, a bit of laughter drifting through the shop, and some peaceful time spent with my little dog simply enjoying the day.

Some days are grand adventures. Others are made of small, steady moments that quietly build something lasting. Today felt like one of those good, steady days.

B.E.L. Post # 112

This morning started out at the Abbey with Harry and me getting back into the rhythm of cob work. We focused on wrapping up the flooring around the wooden piece we installed earlier, as well as tightening things up by the front door. There’s something really satisfying about seeing those final touches come together—like the space is finally settling into itself.

After lunch, I switched gears and gave Roy a bit of attention by cleaning out the bed. It felt good to get that squared away and bring some order back to things. From there, I was able to officially wrap up my end table project, which was a solid milestone for the day.

To close things out, I spent the rest of the afternoon assisting my high commander and Harry with building one of the Abbey’s gates. Working alongside them always feels like leveling up—there’s always something new to pick up, even in the smallest details.

All in all, a full and rewarding day—hands in the earth, tools in motion, and another step forward.

B.E.L. Post # 113

After this morning’s meeting, I was sent off with a clear set of tasks and a good sense of direction for the day.

I made my way over to the Abbey where the first order of business was tending to the cats—making sure they were fed and well looked after. From there, I swapped out the batteries to keep the fan running strong, helping along the drying process for the recently repaired flooring. It’s satisfying seeing that space steadily come back to life.

Back at basecamp, I also took some time to prep a bit of mint and put together a jar of plum seeds—small steps, but meaningful ones for future growth.

Next up was processing a full crate of woody bits for the Fischer Price house. There’s something oddly enjoyable about working through a pile like that—turning rough material into something useful.

After lunch, Stephen and I headed out to the Tipi site to retrieve the mattress from over there. With that loaded up, we made our way back to basecamp and shifted gears toward working on the Ant Village gate.

We spent the rest of the afternoon framing it up, getting a solid structure in place. It’s always a good feeling to stand back at the end of the day and see something tangible take shape from the effort.

Another full and rewarding day in the books.

B.E.L. Post # 114

Today unfolded like a steady rhythm of small wins and meaningful progress across the land.

After the morning meeting, Stephen and I made our way to the Abbey, greeted as always by our feline supervisors, who were promptly fed and satisfied. While there, we swapped out the battery pack to keep the big fan running strong—continuing the important work of drying out the freshly repaired cob. It’s satisfying knowing that even something as simple as airflow plays a role in preserving the work we’ve put into the space.

From there, we journeyed to the tipi site and retrieved the mattress, hauling it back to the classroom for better use. While at the site, I took some time to shave down a few longer woody bits—helping them dry faster and setting them up for future projects. A little prep work now goes a long way later.

Before lunch, we made a recycling run, keeping things tidy and flowing.

The afternoon carried a strong momentum. We processed five crates of cardboard bits and distributed them across Cooper Cabin, the tipi site, and the Abbey—restocking each location and making sure materials are where they’re needed most. There’s something deeply satisfying about that kind of organization and readiness.

We also tackled a bundle of metal fencing, bringing it over to the Abbey to help protect the baby trees—a small act with big future impact. Every bit of protection we give them now helps ensure they’ll thrive down the line.

To round out the day, we put in more work on the Ant Village gate, continuing to shape and refine it step by step.