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

Esteban Ademovski wrote:...after finding one of the cats had passed away there last night.

I've never thought to wonder this before. What gets done with dead cats at WL? Bury? Compost? Toss into the woods for coyotes? Hugel-blotch?

B.E.L. Post # 103

Today was a good mix of projects and a satisfying sense of completion.

Harry and I spent a good part of the day working on the bamboo stake shelf project, and by the end of it we were able to wrap it up. It’s always nice when a project moves from the “in progress” pile to the “done” pile, and the shelf should make storing and organizing the bamboo stakes much easier going forward.

After that, we took care of a quick maintenance task and replaced the candy can at the Willy Wonka feeder so it’s ready to keep doing its thing.

Later we headed over to Cooper Cabin, where we got a fire going and spent some time processing cardboard. It felt good to work through that pile and turn it into something more manageable.

To round out the day, we stopped by the greenhouse and did a bit of work there before calling it a day.

A nice steady day of getting things done.

Christopher Weeks wrote:

Esteban Ademovski wrote:...after finding one of the cats had passed away there last night.

I've never thought to wonder this before. What gets done with dead cats at WL? Bury? Compost? Toss into the woods for coyotes? Hugel-blotch?

Thanks for the curiosity! At Wheaton Labs we bury them on Raspberry Island. It feels like a respectful way to return them to the land. The spot has become a quiet little resting place for the cats over the years, and it seems fitting that they end up nourishing the soil there. Not the happiest task, of course, but it’s part of the cycle of life out here.

B.E.L. Post # 104

After the morning meeting, Harry and I headed over to Cooper Cabin to get a fire going. The cabin was cool and quiet when we arrived, so we got to work right away. For about 45 minutes we worked the fire—coaxing it along, feeding it carefully, and making sure it was burning well. There’s something satisfying about taking the time to get a fire properly established.

Once that was squared away, we made our way over to the Abbey. While Harry handled feeding the cats, I swapped out the memory card from the Abbey’s trail cam so we could check what kind of wildlife activity had been happening around there.

Before heading to lunch, we grabbed a bucket and filled it with soil, then carried it over to the greenhouse and added it to one of the growing basins. Bit by bit those basins are coming together.

Back at base camp we checked the trail cam footage. Nothing unusual showed up this time—just the usual quiet watch of the woods. With that done, we spent the remainder of the morning tidying up along the Complexity Trail before wrapping up the first half of the day.

After lunch came the cleaning blitz. I replaced the bedding in the cat box and then spent some time looking through a seed catalog, picking out three vegetables for the upcoming growing season. It’s always fun thinking ahead to what will be growing later in the year.

Later on I assisted my high commander with bucking, splitting, and stacking a log. Always good work—solid, practical, and a nice way to round out the day.

Another full day at Wheaton Labs.

B.E.L. Post # 105

Today was a really enjoyable day here at Wheaton Labs.

This morning, Harry spent some time walking me through the basics of using the MIG welder. He showed me how to weld overlapping pieces, T-joints, and butt joints. It was my first time really getting hands-on practice with these different welds, and it was a lot of fun seeing how the pieces come together with a good bead. I really appreciate Harry taking the time to explain things and guide me through the process. Learning practical skills like this feels incredibly valuable.

Later in the day I performed some maintenance on one of the chainsaws, making sure it was cleaned up and in good working condition for future use.

After that, I took it easy for the rest of the day—spent some time relaxing with my dog and enjoying a bit of quiet downtime. It felt like a good balance after a productive morning of learning new skills. 🐕🔥