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

BRK #149

Happy Christmas Stocking Day to you...!

First, some typical boot business. The team should be proud of themselves this week. While I was out on supply runs and pushing snow out of the way with the tractor (important - but ephemeral - work, to be sure), they were busy building stuff to be used for years.

Here's Daniel's finished Bark Box. It's going in the Library, where it will help keep things a bit neater over by the Rocket Mass Heater... Instead of piles of bark and tree limbs just scattered all over the floor. It's fashioned from scrap wood, and I think he made some great choices with what he had on hand.



Meanwhile in the Classroom, Grey and Caleb continue to fill out the RMH Supply Trailer with working, purpose-built shelves. Looks like this project will be completed in plenty of time before the Garden Master course has need of the Classroom, which is a massive relief.



Regarding Christmas Stocking Day: again, I'm surprised with just how fulfilling making a sock can be. I took a bunch of photos as well, and I hope they convey some of the fun and the buzz of activity (and sewing machines... we had three of them in operation today).

First, here are some photos of the supplies we had on hand to choose from.







Once our fabric selections were made, we headed into the Fisher Price House and commandeered the kitchen table for some serious sewing.













We took a bit of a break for a Christmas Movie screening: Elf, from 2003, with Bob Newhart as Papa Elf and Ed Asner as Santa! There were a few other actors in there too, I guess.

And I simply must show off my Christmas Sock...! From humble beginnings, strips of complimentary-coloured fabric were transformed one-stitch-at-a-time into a Technicolor Marvel I know refer to as my Fantastical Footwear. Are you prepared?!?!?







I'll wager you didn't expect something quite like that. And now Paul has to endure it hanging in his living room for weeks! I lowkey have a crush on it rn, ijs.

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

BRK #150

What a day, what a day... Let's hop straight to the highlights.

Among other tasks, Daniel and I teamed-up in the first half of the day, adding twinkly lights to the Berm Shed. Definitely pleased with the outcome and I'm going to lobby to have them up all year round. Here's what they look like after sundown.



Grey and Caleb had further progress on the RMH Trailer project. I picked up more lumber today, and I think we'll be able to finish it, then move the trailer up to the Boneyard as early as tomorrow afternoon. It'll definitely give us some breathing room and we'll be able to go full steam ahead on event prep for the Garden Master course with all that new, open space in the Classroom.



While up at the Sawmill on the Lab today, it looked like Early was teaching one of her kids how to stalk for dinner...
(Early is the grey one on the left)



One of these days I'm almost certain I'll see the cats gang up and take down one of these turkeys for a feast of their own. Until then, I'll be heckling them and shouting, "Scram, you turkeynecks!!!"



To minimize down-time at the Sawmill, here's Caleb using super-strength Red Thread-Lock on a set screw for the equipment. I've used the blue variety on bicycles a fair amount, but it never smelled as nice as this...



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

BRK #151

Hope you're enjoying your Friday...! There were quite a few highlights for today.

First up: Daniel, Caleb, and I finished-up the first go of insulating the Solarium. I crawled around the attic of the Library "like a cave spider" and did my best to build a supporting wall, and then Daniel and Caleb added the wool batting to provide a barrier. Here's the before and after pictures...



Daniel and I are currently bunking in the Solarium, so we'll have a chance to measure the effectiveness of this insulation effort.

Next up: Grey finished up the shelving in the RMH Trailer, while I assisted. Things look pretty nice in there, and we put the stamp on it and began loading up the shelves. Here are a couple views of the finished effort:





Also: I did some "Man Shit" today. It was my first time driving Judy with tire chains, and with the 16-foot RMH Trailer attached. After the chains were added to the truck and the road up the mountain plowed, I hopped into the drivers' seat and rolled up to the Lab without incident. Thanks to the rest of the team - Caleb, Daniel, and Grey - for prepping Judy while I was out pushing the snow around.

Special thanks to Caleb for properly parking the trailer...!

(here's Daniel by the trailer and Judy up at the Lab)



Finally: I've likely said this at least a dozen times before, but I'll never grow tired of this view.



Thanks for reading, and enjoy your weekend...!

BRK #152

A cold, clammy Sunday today. Still some progress was made on Nest Labor projects.

This was also the first weekend I'd left a bandage off my injured finger. It seems to be healing well (after two weeks, I guess? A week and a half?). It has kind of a funny shape on the fingertip right now, but I suspect that will change over time. Nothing significant is missing, at least.



My Nest Labor project for today was also completed. here are the finished shelves in the Fisher Price House bathroom.



I emptied the crate that was in that spot beforehand, and it turned out to be mostly first-aid materials. I took a bit of time to reorganize them and then store them on the shelves. Things look quite a bit better in there right now, I'd say.



That's all for now. Provided snow isn't a significant obstacle, I think the next couple weeks will be primarily event prep, Sawmill work, and firewood harvesting. I feel like the problem of snow accumulation hasn't been licked, but we can deal with it well enough.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day...!

BRK #153

Monday, and we're back on the scene. Went the entire day without a bandage on the finger, and I think that's a good sign. Did a variety of tasks today as well, and I noticed it held up through all those, as well as in the cold. Even tonight's recreational activity wasn't hampered by a messed-up index finger:



With this particular project, it's - once again - about modulating the different sounds coming out of the integrated circuits. However, one interesting wrinkle was that it would be triggered by manually-operating the motor. When I used my finger to turn the motor, the voltage generated triggered the sounds to begin playing.

Much of this electricity stuff is still beyond me, but I'm at least dedicated to completing all the projects in this kit. 44 down, 250+ to go.

In more serious business, we began prepping the Classroom for the upcoming Garden Master Course, which happens in about two weeks (wut?!?!). Here's how things look this morning, basically the first activity since we moved the RMH trailer out of it.



Finally: we wrapped the day with a visit up to the Lab, and then firewood prep. I was the tractor plow guy, while Caleb, Daniel, and Grey harvested the dead-standing and brought it back to Basecamp.

Here's Daniel and Grey stacking the new firewood after Caleb bucked it to length.



That's all for now. Gonna see if I can finish another few electricity projects before I write a letter and then turn in. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day...!