!!! In the quiet hours of the bootcamp grind, I found myself: Esteban's Bootcamp Experience

B.E.L. Post # 83

After the morning’s cleaning blitz, I made my way to the Abbey and finished threading junkpoles into one of the fence panels—a satisfying little milestone. Once that was wrapped up, I headed back to basecamp and dove back into the hunt for Roy’s lost keys that had slipped from my carabiner. No luck yet, but I’ll keep retracing my steps and expanding the search.

Later in the day, I took a little downtime, watching the Andor miniseries with Paul—perfect way to recharge after a hands-on day.

Yesterday's log 02/02/2026

Yesterday was a solid mix of fence progress and basecamp organization.

First half of the day I spent my time up at the Abbey, where I finished putting up two full panels of junkpoles. It felt good seeing that section tighten up and start looking more complete. After getting those panels in place, I also walked the area and assessed nearby spots for future junkpole harvesting, so I’ve got a good idea of where I’ll be pulling from soon.

After wrapping up at the Abbey, I headed back down to basecamp and shifted gears into cleanup and prep work.

I spent time tidying up the blown paddock, organizing everything in a way that’ll make it much easier to tackle once I start the rebuilds/repairs. It’s one of those tasks that doesn’t look “exciting” at first, but it’s going to save me a ton of time and stress later.

To close out the day, I put some more effort into the rock face beautification and continued working on the turtle berm,  adding more shape and progress to both projects.

Yesterday's log 02/03/2026

Yesterday was a really satisfying day with a good split between Basecamp systems work and Abbey building projects.

First half of the day (Basecamp):

I stayed at Basecamp and focused on tidying and processing materials — basically cleaning up the paddocks junkpoles area and getting things back into a more functional flow. I also processed cardboard and woody bits. It’s simple work, but it feels very “permies” to me because it’s all about keeping resources cycling instead of becoming clutter or waste.

After that, I continued the turtle berm height addition project and extended it another 6 feet across. I really like this kind of work because it feels like I’m building long-term resilience into the landscape — shaping earthworks that can help with water management, stability, and creating better microclimates over time.

Second half of the day (Abbey):

Later on I fueled up the Lean Mean Green work rig and headed to the Abbey to work on the junkpoles panels.

At this point I’m harvesting new junkpoles per built panel, which adds steps, but it also feels like a win because it’s stacking functions: I’m getting building material and reducing potential forest fire fuel in the process 😄🔥

Overall it felt like a really solid permaculture-style day — cleaning and organizing resources, building earthworks, and using what the land provides while improving safety and resilience at the same time.

B.E.L. Post # 84

Started the day over at the Abbey, getting after some infrastructure work. I felled about 30 appropriately sized trees for junkpoles,  selecting pieces that will be well-suited for fencing material —straight, solid, and useful. Always satisfying turning on-site resources into long-term function.

After lunch, I shifted gears back at basecamp. I processed a crate of woody bits, did some additional tidying in the fallen paddock, and harvested more fresh greeny material to keep building up the turtle berm site —stacking biomass and momentum.

Wrapped up the day by heading back to the Abbey and finished one full panel of fencing. Good progress on closing loops: harvesting, processing, and installing—all in one day.

Hey Esteban, I'm one of the people following along -- thanks for the great documentation! Why do some of your long picture-rich work-summary posts get a BEL # assigned and some don't? They don't really seem different to me.

B.E.L. Post # 85

Started the day by lighting a fire at Cooper Cabin to get things warmed up and moving, then headed over to the Abbey. Harvested quite a few more junkpoles and was able to finish one full panel before heading back to basecamp for lunch.

After refueling, I returned to Cooper Cabin to do some cleaning and split firewood—making sure everything is dialed in and ready before the Seppers arrive tomorrow. There’s something satisfying about stacking wood and setting a space up to be welcoming and functional.

Wrapped up the day back at the Abbey, where I finished one more panel before calling it a day. Steady progress, good heat from the fire, and a solid rhythm of work.

Christopher Weeks wrote:Hey Esteban, I'm one of the people following along -- thanks for the great documentation! Why do some of your long picture-rich work-summary posts get a BEL # assigned and some don't? They don't really seem different to me.

Hey Christopher, thanks for following along and for the kind words — I really appreciate it.

The difference usually isn’t the content. It mostly comes down to whether a post cleanly meets the BEL criteria for a single day’s boot work and gets posted within that window. Some days, after boot hours and then studying for certifications on my own time into the late evenings, I’ll sit down to write, close my eyes “for just a minute,” and suddenly it’s past midnight. When that happens, the post may not line up neatly for a BEL number even though the work and documentation are very similar.

I’m still dialing in the timing and consistency, but I’m aiming to have everything documented clearly regardless. Thanks again for paying attention — it means a lot.

Yesterday's Log : 02/06/2026

The first half of the morning was spent heating up Cooper Cabin in preparation for some preppers who’ll be staying over the weekend. Once the cabin was warm and ready, I headed over to the Abbey.

For the second part of the day, I focused on harvesting junkpoles for the two remaining fence panels I have left to complete. I cut, delimbed, and staged 20 appropriately sized junkpoles, setting them aside and ready for use.

Solid progress made, and it feels good to see the materials for the last panels coming together.