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

Stephen B. Thomas wrote:
Meanwhile, I also engaged in one of my more meditative practices today: digging a trench! I further roughed-out the trench I'd started this past December, alongside the Classroom. The excess material I'd moved out will be cleared of big rocks, then used to shape the driveway so that there are fewer puddles. This is all a far cry from the ambitious earth-moving plans Paul has envisioned for the parking lot (as in, an overall lowering of the level of the parking lot by a foot and a half), but in the meantime this project may be useful.

Working toward something similar for myself and guess I don't understand earthworks/hydrology very well- wouldn't lowering the parking lot increase problems with flooding/puddles?

BEL #729

Grateful for a Friday, and a sunny one, at that.

I wanted to start some seeds for the Boot Team's entry into the GAMCOD 2025 project. It almost pained me to put the seeds in with that "substandard" material, but then again, that's the point. For the record, I added the following plants to discrete pots:

Eggplant
Lovage
Zucchini
Spinach
Leeks
Rutabaga
Basil
Salad Mix
Beans (Bush, Pole)
Onion (Walla Walla Sweets)
Kale
Tomato

We'll see what actually comes up after a few weeks.



Those weren't the only plants I dropped into starters today, however. Paul requested a few more plants be given a head start indoors, so I potted some additional onions, kale, lupines, lettuce, and something else I can't remember (thank goodness they're all labeled...!). All the plants made their way into the Fisher Price House today, and will sit on the mass of the heater so as to benefit from the extra warmth and some sunlight.



And I wrapped up the day with over an hour of driveway digging, clearing, and smoothing. Still a long way to go, but at least I do see some progress. I used a heavy rake today, but I think I ought to bring the shovel back out again for more aggressive material-moving.



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

Coydon Wallham wrote:Working toward something similar for myself and guess I don't understand earthworks/hydrology very well- wouldn't lowering the parking lot increase problems with flooding/puddles?

We'll be engineering a kind of gentle slope away from the parking spaces and towards the hill (in my photos, the hill to the right). It'll take some heavier equipment than me and a shovel to finish it all satisfactorily.

I wonder if there's a better video camera on site that you could use for your GAMCOD recording.  It's a bit shaky.  Also, your hat is lovely but the reflection can mess with the beauty of the video. Just a couple thoughts, please feel free to take em or leave em :)

Mike Haasl wrote:I wonder if there's a better video camera on site that you could use for your GAMCOD recording.  It's a bit shaky.  Also, your hat is lovely but the reflection can mess with the beauty of the video. Just a couple thoughts, please feel free to take em or leave em :)

Thanks for the suggestions, Mike...! :)

I've been contemplating a replacement hat. I require something that offsets my sideburns. Oh! And additionally it must protect me from the sun. Should you have any leads, I'm all ears (when the sideburns don't cover them, that is).

I actually did use a tripod for at least 50% of the recording for this year's first entry. The part where I talk directly into the camera and have a cat climbing on me, however, I do completely agree that it was shaky and I need to think of something. I still need to replace that lens as well, as it's become scratched-up over the past couple years and it's a more obvious problem on a sunny day.