evan's ant village log

To the untrained eye, it might look like I'm all over the place with my efforts.

Evan, your efforts are awesome and seem to be progressing fast. The mistake my local permie friends and I keep making is to start too many things to the point they need labor and aren't self-supporting as part of a permaculture system. So we overwhelm ourselves with labor demand. So far, it doesn't look like you are doing that.

Are you driving the excavator yourself? If yes, did you have previous experience and how hard is it to learn for a never-ever driver to do the kind of work you are doing here?

Day 38

Moving and unsuccessfully attempting to use the tractor to auger post holes wasted some valuable tractor time, which was slightly frustrating. Later Brian had a look at it and let me know it was the sheer pin on the auger, apparently a fairly easy fix. Of course, I didn't need the tractor anyway. The excavator was right there but it seemed to me like a more precise tool was called for. Eventually we just went medieval on it. Matt and I managed to pick and shovel out a post hole 4'+ deep and then sunk the first of the debris hut's two posts.

The first little seedlings are popping up in those garden beds I planted. An encouraging sign. I'm not sure what this particular growie is yet. Maybe a pea? Maybe a radish? If I can finish getting this paddock fenced/bermed off soon, hopefully the deer will let me find out. Either way, I plan on planting tons more seeds in the near future.

The warmer weather and occasional rainstorm is nice. And the pace is picking up, I think.

Rabbit for lunch??

Yep, that's a radish, or at least something sowed from the brassica family.

Hi Evan, I'm assuming that you are using a laptop for sketchup. Can you elaborate on your solar setup and if it is working well for you? I'm trying to figure out how to keep a laptop charged using a portable system like yours. The best option I can see I this thing here (http://chargetech.com/product/portable-power-outlet/), plus the solar. The problem is the battery needs AC power to charge.

Day 39

Did some thinning in Téjas today. Should get some more sun on the debris hut site. And peeling bark off of freshly felled trees is so luxurious. It just comes off in big beautiful sheets. Much better than waiting and letting the logs dry out.

Also attended a lovely potluck dinner down at basecamp. I made up some sweet potato guacamole as a kind of experiment and it went over surprisingly well.

Cous Biscuitroot maybe?

http://www.wildflowersearch.com/search?oldstate=gms%3A7%3Bgmc%3A46.865%2C-113.994%3Bcolor%3Aefef0f%3Blocation%3AUniversity+District%2C+Missoula%2C+MT%2C+USA%3Belev%3A3204%3B&PlantName=&S__Lomatium+cous.x=124&S__Lomatium+cous.y=91

Evan, all the bark you are peeling is valuable for tanning hides. Ponderosa pine is not the highest in tannins ever, but it is decent and highest in May-August. In other words, if you feel inspired to make real leather on the land that bark doesn't need to just become mulch.

Day 40

Reporting in from the wild and wonky western frontiers of post-industrial neo-feudalism.

Spent a little time today helping Brian build a quick log structure on skids for another of the laboratory's many experiments.

Also made some progress over in Daboree, Téjas. Both of the structure's two posts are now in place, the twenty foot beam is cut to length and the first of two notches made in it, and I've been picking rocks out of the excavator's wake and those will become a sort of rubble trench foundation for the log sidewalls. With any luck, we oughta be able to put the structure's first and only beam up tomorrow. At that point, the debris shelter should start coming together faster than shit on skids.

Day 41

Today was fairly productive. With Brian's help I got the main beam of the debris hut up. And while it still looks a bit messy, Téjas is coming right along.

I just laid out some of my thoughts on ant village in a new thread, and I'd like to encourage anyone who's following along to check it out and give me some feedback there: https://permies.com/t/47159/labs/Ava-ant-village-alliance-autonomous#375996