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

Yesterday ( 02/11/2026) I kept pushing forward on the tail end of the Abbey fence project.

First order of business was harvesting the final 10 junkpoles — bringing the grand total to 100 junkpoles on hand. Hitting that number felt good. There’s something satisfying about setting a target and stacking the woodpile until you reach it.

With all the poles ready, I set the last vertical post into the ground for the final stretch of fence. After that, I framed up the remaining two panels. By the end of the day, I had one panel completely filled in and only one left standing between me and wrapping up the entire fence.

It’s wild to think this whole section is almost done.

While working near the TeePee gate, I noticed a deer had smashed through it. Looks like it’s time for a sturdier design. I’ll be drawing up plans for a replacement gate shortly — something that can handle curious (or determined) wildlife traffic a little better.

One more panel to fill, a new gate design to tackle, and the Abbey fence will officially be complete. Onward.

B.E.L. Post # 89

Today was a solid “close the loop” kind of day.

This morning I headed up to the Abbey and worked on the very last fence panel. Got it filled and finished — which means all the downed fence panels are now rebuilt. Feels good to stand back and see the whole stretch upright and solid again after all the junkpole harvesting and framing.

After wrapping that up, I headed back to basecamp for lunch.

In the afternoon, I processed 3 crates of woody bits and hauled them over to the Fisher Price house. Always satisfying turning scattered material into something organized and useful.

Then I went back to the lab area and did some cleanup on the tree brush piles — consolidating and tidying things up so they’re easier to manage later.

I wrapped up the day back at basecamp cutting down the tree stumps along the road. Those will be repurposed for the turtle berm, so nothing goes to waste.

B.E.L. Post # 90

Today started with putting a temporary fix on the TeePee gate to keep things functional until a new and better version gets built. It should hold things together just fine for now while I plan the upgrade.

After that, I spent some time loading up the bed of Roy with scrap junkpoles and other materials for an upcoming project at basecamp. Always nice to get materials staged and ready to go.

Following lunch, I filled up two crates with woody bits for the Fischer Price house — steadily keeping that supply flowing.

I then put in another 6 feet at the turtle berm. I cleared out the tree stumps up front to make the area look more visually boring from the road, and those cut stumps will be put to good use as part of the turtle berm project.

Later on, I did some quick chainsaw maintenance to keep it running smooth and ready for the next round of work.

To wrap up the day, I collected four buckets of pinecones along the drive. These will be used to help fill in some of the ruts at the Abbey.

Yesterday ( 02/14/2026 ) was a gentle, steady kind of day with some good progress sprinkled throughout.

I started my morning with a peaceful walk with my little fur baby, which is always a great way to ease into the day. Afterward, I spent some quiet time reading, journaling, and writing letters — a nice slow start before getting into the physical work.

Once I got rolling, I filled up the green work rig with gas and headed over to the Abbey. While there, I worked on improving the ruts by filling them in with more pinecones, which should help with traction and stability over time. I also harvested another 15 junkpoles so we can keep building up a good spare supply to have ready when needed.

After wrapping things up at the Abbey, I headed back to basecamp and spent the rest of the afternoon working on the turtle berm. I was able to add another four feet to the project, and it’s really satisfying to see it slowly but surely taking shape.

B.E.L. Post # 91

This morning started with a cruise out to the Abbey, coffee in spirit if not in hand, and a mission to keep the junkpole reserves looking healthy. Harvested another 10 and added them to the pile — future projects will thank present me.

After that, I loaded up Roy like a pack mule with a hearty stack of dead fallen logs and hauled the whole wooden buffet back to basecamp. There’s something deeply satisfying about a truck bed full of potential.

I’ve got plans brewing to raise and extend the berm by the loveshack, so today was mostly a materials scavenger hunt. I also felled 6 live trees that will all have a second life in the project — nothing goes to waste around here, just changes job titles.

Wrapped up the boot day over at the turtle berm and managed to push it out another 11 feet. Slow and steady, just like the critter it’s named after. Tomorrow’s plan is to tuck those logs in with a nice blanket of soil and finish it off with some greeny bits so it can start settling into its new life.