!!!! SEPP to Boot: Stephen's Experience (BEL)

BRK #25

Another "Footage Fridays" update, this one a musical interlude featuring one of my favourite Utah Phillips songs. I play no instruments (beyond oboe and kazoo), so apologies in advance should you not appreciate a capella renditions.

Includes images from both Basecamp and the Lab. They say fortune favours the brave. This clocks in at less than three minutes, and I think you can stomach it.



Thanks for watching, and enjoy your day...!

BRK #26

Definitely enjoyed today, as both sessions of the SKIP event had me outdoors and at the Lab. Mike was the lead dog today, and the four attendees who joined us spent the day felling trees, peeling the logs, and bucking firewood.

We drove Toots out to the Meadow today to find some felling candidates. We couldn't have asked for better weather for the occasion in mid-July.



The Lab seems a much wilder place than Basecamp. For one, we found so many Elk bones that we could have put another one together.



Here's Mike showing us how to expertly peel a log, ensuring that most of it comes off in a tidy sheet of bark.



Jae's first attempt with a bow saw looks picture-perfect. She only became better at felling trees safely as the day went on.



While at the Lab I had time to explore and observe a bit more of nature than usual. Here's the interior of a standing deadwood, felled by one of the attendees. All sorts of life making use of that carbon and other trapped nutrients...



Speaking of making use of time, here are those ants again, definitely on the move! They were traveling from one side of the driveway to the other. Who knows what caused such a migration...?



Finally: here's a nice shot of home I caught earlier this morning. To quote an old, dear friend of mine: "Life's a pretty sweet fruit."



Thank you for reading, and enjoy your day...!

BRK #27

Busy day today with the SKIP event, particularly in the afternoon. Here are a bunch of photos of our attendees in action while constructing their Kindling Crackers for the Metalworking Badge. All in all, I was very impressed!

Here's David, fine-tuning the settings and melting some angle iron with the ox-acetelyne torch. He also took time out to teach a few other attendees how to use it on their projects. Well done, man!



Rich and Amir teamed-up to build a rebar-framed Kindling Cracker. Here they are, side by side, cleaning up the edges and corners for some of their cut metal bits.



In this photo, Amir focuses his attention on their unique housing for the splitting blade used to cut the wood into kindling.



Instructor Mike coaches Alexander through his first attempts at welding.



While we were busy melting and welding, other attendees had stepped up to help prepare dinner for the evening. It was all delicious, including this solar-cooked rice. After adding boiling water, the sun's energy finished off the dish with free, efficient energy.

THANK YOU for such an excellent meal, Robyne!



Finally, here's Sean cutting away at some angle iron to complete his Kindling Cracker as a solo project. I see a Metalworking Badge in his future...



Thank you for reading, and enjoy your day...!

BRK #28

A little woodwork today, a little metalworking today. Tried out some new tools, including the oxygen-acetylene torch. Earned a BB for the wood-burned sign I made with it, as well.

Meanwhile, here's how today started: Gandalf (AKA G-Dawg) stopped by for his morning tea.



Later that morning, I went with two SKIP event attendees to supervise them as they finished off their face cords of wood. Here's Sean stacking what he's cut at Allerton Abbey. He went on later to more than fill that section of the wood rack:



Fred was there, re-planting some inherited Jade plants and a Spoon Something-or-other that I forgot the proper name of. He helped me cheer on our BB-chasers.



Finally: here's what my arms looked like after a day full of hauling soot-covered wood around...



Speaking of which... Would you believe I already blew out a pair of my new gloves?!?! I need a new work-glove strategy. Should you have any suggestions for someone who carries a lot of stones and hunks of wood around, please share.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day...!

BRK #29

Final day of the SKIP event. It's a relief, and it's bittersweet. Here are a couple photos to bring it on home.

First is Alexander. Here he is cutting more rebar for his kindling cracker. This project was a big deal for several folks for the past several days, including right now as I type this - I can still hear the welder zapping down by the classroom. Alexander, fortunately, finished his well before lunch time today. Both he and his wife were in attendance for the event, and after seeing them work together on their homesteading projects and BBs, I wish them the best.



Here's Rich, who attended both the PTJ and the SKIP events. He's someone willing to jump into any new, novel project. Here he is grinding down posts to add as legs to wooden benches. Thanks for all your well-wishing and encouragement, Rich! Apologies if this photo seems a bit unflattering... It's all about the work.



Finally: here's Jae, an outstanding overachiever. I followed her around all afternoon as she raced through the completion of woodland care BBs across the wilderness locations of Basecamp. She's fearless with a chainsaw, blowtorch, and now the welder... Well done, Jae!!!



I didn't have a chance to catch photographs of everyone before the close of the day, however I was impressed across the board with the experiences everyone jumped into, and the end-results of their undertakings. And I appreciate Opalyn, Mike Haasl, and of course Paul for allowing me to serve as an instructor/assistant for these two weeks. I'm already excited for SKIP 2023.