Lisa Beier

I got a WWOOFing gig in WA! I am on my way to my next adventure. My gratitude to Paul and Stephen for teaching me many things and being all around awesome!
May your path be on a trail of pollen!
Signing off,
Lisa

We went on a mini tour of Wheaton Lab and saw the groovy cabins there.
Also, put in the last window quilt at Allerton Abbey—which turned out to be a bit short. Had to trouble shoot and re-measure the window. How’d that quilt shrink? Back at base camp I began work on two bolsters to add to the sides and bottom of the quilt. Will attach those next week and problem solved! Everything is a learning curve and I am enjoying the adaptation and creative solution efforts.
We tried my sunchokes at dinner. I used a slow cooker and let them cook for 24 hours. I really liked the flavor and texture. Didn’t experience any gastrointestinal blowback. I’ll have to check in with Garth and Stephen and see how they fared later today.
Got in some good wood chopping in the afternoon—and was kept company by this wee guy. He’s very vocal.

Productive day yesterday. Firstly, we harvested sunchokes—cleaned and prepped them. I made garlic infused EVOO and used that to season (along with salt/pepper and rosemary) the sunchokes and added sweet peppers. Threw all that into a slow cooker and set time for 24 hours. Will see how they taste at dinner tonight.
B, I finished the last window quilt for Allerton Abbey! Whoot Whoot!
And III, we bucked wood we rescued from the neighbor’s burn piles.
Es macht Spaß!

Yesterday (Wednesday Nov 6) was a half-assed holiday. (Apple Day…um, I think that’s the title). Anyhoo, it involves apples.
To start the day I harvested kale and then we prepared it for dehydration in the Arrakis dehydrator. Later we split up—I worked on the Allerton Abbey window quilt, Garth worked on poly dough for bread, and Stephen helped Fred salvage more wood from the neighbor’s burn piles.
We came back together and had lunch. Then we tramped over to the berm we’d cleared and we planted tree seeds. The sun was out and we whistled while we worked like Disney dwarves. We completed our task and headed back to the main house and started making appley baked goods. Dinner was delish—apples rule.

Today I got in an early morning run—and was nearly taken out by a gang of deer. Who was more startled is up for debate.
For morning Boot work, we cleared one side of a berm…readying it for planting tree seeds tomorrow. Then more work on the last window quilt for Allerton Abbey.
After lunch we collected wood from a neighbor’s burn piles. And more window quilt work for me.
Then Taco Tuesday dinner.
Fini.

Monday Day 8
Realizing I am posting about the previous days’ activities each time I write one o’ these entries. So thinking about switching to posting in the evening. Tomorrow I will start that new ideer: til then, here’s what happened yesterday.
Got in an 8 mile run in the early morning. My headlamp went out about mile 6 so I navigated by moonlight the last few miles.
We cleaned the house and then split up to get chores done—I split wood and prepped cardboard for the house rocket mass heater.
I went into town on a quest for organic coffee (mission accomplished).
A SEPPer arrived named Garth! We all watched Argyle and ate popcorn (tho I bailed early cuz I wanted to finish reading my book).
Pix are from a trail run I did a while back in WA. Shrooms and trillium.
Bis später!
Liesel

Day 7 Sunday
Will be cleaning and doing nesting activities today. But to report on Saturday:
Went into town and got an amazing vegan donut (apple cider old fashioned) that I could literally write a poem about. Went to REI and got wool socks and some gloves. Checked out the town a bit. Drove to a trail head (the drive took longer than expected as I was on a gravel road for 40 minutes in order to get to the trail head) but did get a mini hike in. Weather conditions were not ideal—very soupy trail but it felt good to get out into the trees.
Got back to base camp and settled into my book (Home Before Dark).
Oh yeah—there was also a bitchin’ jalapeño and cheese bagel sandwich for dinner. Whoot Whoot.
Over and outs,
Lisa

Day 6
Saturdaaaaaaaaay! Coffee and bagel…donut later. Looking forward to townie errands and exploring.
Yesterday Stephen taught me how to fell a standing dead tree. Then we hauled off our loot and bunked and split it to useable sizes. It was groovy. I actually built up enough body heat to peel off a layer of winter wear. Joy!
We also worked on some indoor projects (wood signs and another window quilt). Pix are of me sewing (my mom is turning in her grave) and the Willow Bank (which is a nifty outhouse I’ve become friends with).
I hope to find a trail to run later today, after town errands. My head is a little off kilter—really missing my morning runs. Trail sneaks, outdoors, and sweat. That’s what I need…
Over and out ish
Lisa

Day 5
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Wednesday....leave the gun, take the cannoli. (Godfather credit)
Friday vibes: Already excited about the donut(s) I shall devour tomorrow when I drive into town. Feeling great about the two window quilts Stephen and I finished and hung up at Allerton Abbey. Grateful for overboots and mittens (Thank you Paul and Stephen). Amazed by the early morning constellations. Yesterday morning we had some light snow fall. Winter is Coming. The North remembers.

First week at Wheaton Labs and I have learned many things. Useful things. Most importantly, I am grateful for the hospitality Paul provides and B I am grateful for the knowledge passed on. I will be researching his vids on rocket mass heaters so I can get a better understanding of their construction and function. (Segue--"Conjunction junction, what's your function? Hooking up words and phrases and clauses." School House Rock credit)

Over and outtie
Lisa

Salutations, etc!
At the moment it is lightly snowing here...which leads me nicely into my topic--changing locations. I am pulling the plug on the Love Shack and moving back into the main house becuuuuuuuuz it takes about an hour to get the rocket mass heater to heat the cabin up to around 60 degrees (which for me is baseline operating need) and after a day of working I am ready to flop down immediately and relax with a book for a bit, not stoke a fire. So me and my show will be bunking at the main house where heat is more consistent. Also, indoor restroom (just saying). I did master lighting the rocket mass heater in the Love Shack and at Allerton Abbey...so that's a plus.
True confessions: I am a light weight when it comes to cold temps. I struggle to maintain core temperature (and retain feeling in my digits). Hypothyroidism--causing slow metabolism. Anyhoo, just putting it out there...I don't have a high tolerance for cold. It's an issue for me.
Yesterday  at Allerton Abbey Stephen and I hung the window quilt we made. We also took some dirt from the site and transferred it back to Base Camp in order to shore up the soil loss on a hill due to a mud slide. We took our recycling in so I got to see the nearby town.
Tonight we are watching It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
Happy Halloween!
Over and out for now,
Lisa