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

BRK #221

A Saturday has "snuck up on me," and I found myself walking through town again today.

Walking along the banks of the Clark Fork, it was surprising to see that sections of the river were still completely frozen-over. We've had snow recently, but considering how many days have reached above freezing these past couple weeks, I didn't expect to see this. What I find interesting is that the crenelations and chunks of snow are likely from the blocks of ice underneath the snow smashing into one another, sort of like a lake effect.



On one of the bridges, I noticed maybe a couple hundred padlocks and combination locks attached to the bridge's rails and fencing. People's initials and short phrases were written on them in marker or even engraved into the metal. I remember seeing the same thing on the fencing of one of the docks on the Eastern Shore, back in Maryland (my old stomping grounds). This is clearly some kind of tradition of which I'm ignorant.



The view down at the water, from the same bridge. Ice floes were coursing their way into some of the thawing waterways.



On the River Walk, there's a free bicycle repair station. I remember seeing this last time I walked along there, and had meant to catch a photo of it. I think these should be along all bike trails, in the city and beyond.





Here's some fancy brick work at the front of Hellgate High School - which has to be the absolute coolest name for a high school, ever.



Finally: I went to the local Senior Center's thrift store, and picked these up for $1 each. The Fishing manual is from 1966...! I chuckled when I saw the cover price was $1.25...



That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day...!

BRK #222

Sunday is here, and it's not been an easy one for me, for whatever reason. We had our cleaning blitz as per usual, then I started work on my Nest project. After lunch, I felt like I'd been hit with a tranquilizer... It ended up being a 2.5-hour nap...! Where did that come from?!?!? Maybe I'm fighting off a cold...?

Construction was slow-going today. I hiked up to Plum Plateau, past the tent pads, searching for more branches. Here's the status of the gate trellis, both before and after today's work.





I have a pile of branches remaining, however since I'm unable to wear gloves while tying the branches together the chill was definitely affecting my work. While outside today however, I had a chance to see Empress Mullein, from growing season '22, still tall and likely strong.



After retiring indoors, I started up a fire in the Solarium RMH to warm things up a bit.



Finally: Black Spark has made it into the new Cat House: also in the Solarium. She's expecting, and likely going to birth some kittens in April. She may be scouting out some shelters for the new litter.



That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day...!

BRK #223

A Monday has arrived, and with it a mixed mood. Grey is flying to Pennsylvania and heading out for an extended period, as of tomorrow. He was the guy who introduced me to Wheaton Labs almost a year ago. I've learned a lot from him, and I'm wishing him the best.

Meanwhile, in the afternoon, Wesley and I decided we'd collaborate on a video project to submit to Paul, so he could add it to his super-uber-famous YouTube channel. Here are a couple stills from today's footage. We had a good time over there.



We plan to show how the Sawmill operates. Here's Wesley with a vertical back-cut.



What better way to show just how small my brain is than by aiming the camera directly up my nose? Also, here I'm demonstrating how to file the teeth on the Sawmill blade.



Finally: Wesley explains some additional maintenance tips related to clearing sawdust, and how he wishes there was just a little more Japanese engineering included in our Sawmill design.



We hope to have this completed and then approved within a week or so. We'll see how it goes.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day...!

BRK #224

Taco Tuesday...! Belly is full, and we're all anticipating Pulley Day tomorrow: the inauguration of a brand-new Half-Assed Holiday. Today however was full of typical Taco Tuesday tastiness and tasks.

Starting off the day at Basecamp, Reid and I packaged our Seed Bombs from last week's Fukuoka Day activities. For my part, I made a bunch of Seed Bombs with diakon radishes and something else. Based on the outcome of my fermented daikons from last year's harvest, I'd say they're a favourite around here. The more of them we have, the more pickles we have, and the happier we'll be. So here are three trays full of "daikon + ____ " seed bombs. They'll be flying likely in April and May.



In the afternoon, the team was back up at the Lab. Wesley and I processed the last 8-foot segment of a green log into wall panels and 1x1 "stickers." Here's part of the haul from the original tree. The rest of it had already been transported to Basecamp. We hope to completely panel the Library with these, as well as have some left over for the BB 20 event coming up in April.



Dinner came and went, and we welcomed two new SEPPers who will be here for a brief stay: Hello Charlene & David!!!

In preparation for tomorrow's Half-Assed Holiday Meal, Reid and I combined our culinary powers for some classic oatmeal cookies. These are extra large because they'll be part of ice cream sandwiches.





Brown sugar... Oats... Black Sabbath playing in the background... I should bake cookies more often.

That's all I have for now. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day...!

BRK #225

Happy Pulley Day to you...!!!

I think it's fair to say we all had an excellent time (and an even-better dinner) celebrating the inaugural edition of this Half-Assed Holiday. I have a smattering of pictures to share.

In the first part of the day, we made some preparations for the main event that would take place in the afternoon. Wesley and I used two of my favourite hand tools and Mike Haasl's super-cool shaving horse.



We were making rungs for a new laundry drying rack to be installed in the Solarium. These dowels were first cut at the Sawmill, and then ripped with the table saw. I trimmed the corners off with a drawknife at the shaving horse, and Wesley spun them through the tenon maker.



The tenon maker is a nifty tool. I think it can be best-described as, "an extra-large pencil sharpener." You stick your un-sharpened wood in one side, twist clockwise, and the shaving blade trims down the wood to a smooth dowel shape. For this particular project, we were twisting them to 1" diameter dowels, about 46" long.



In the second half of the day, the assembly and suspension began. I had other responsibilities (dinner, that is), so I had only a short time to assist before heading back to the house to prep dinner.

Here's a (dreadfully-framed) photo of SEPPer David, Paul, Wesley, and Moto Jeff in a discussion of the first prototype of the laundry drying rack in the Solarium. Sorry, it's kind of a construction site in there right about now.



The good news is that Wesley's frame design works! It looks nice, holds together, and will suspend plenty of wet laundry when it's ready for prime time.



Meanwhile, I'm proud of how this evening's meal turned out. It was truly a team effort, and I'm exceptionally grateful to SEPPer David, SEPPer Charlene, and Moto Jeff for their fearlessness and willingness to make it all work. We attempted to create a meal themed on pulleys and block and tackle equipment.

Here's pasta salad featuring pulley wheel pasta:



Here are the cookies used to make pulley wheel-shaped ice cream sammiches. Reid and I made a vegan batch last night, and today SEPPer David and I made a batch of not-so-vegan ones, with raisins:



Here are Moto Jeff's fancy-shmancy brie cracker sammiches garnished with a bit of string-cheese mozzarella. These, of course, represent pulley wheels and ropes.



SEPPers David and Charlene prepared the whole chicken, carved it, and made a giblet gravy.



This photo represents the first time I'd eaten ice cream in over 10 years. It was a pulley-wheel shaped ice cream sammie, with homemade vegan cookies and vegan ice cream.



I only regret not taking a photo of the faux pulley-ed pork sammich (BBQ jackfruit, roasted in the oven) I had, which was truly scrumptious collaboration between SEPPer David and Moto Jeff. Thanks, guys!

What a wild day. The dinner makes every Half-Assed Holiday better... Particularly when the dinner itself had so many integrated - and successful - experiments...!

That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day...!