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

B.E.L. Post # 111

This morning began in the most honest way a morning can — with the choir of hungry cats requesting breakfast as if they were tiny royalty. Their petitions were heard, bowls were filled, and peace was restored to the kingdom.

With the feline council satisfied, I joined the great cleaning blitz, where dust and disorder were shown the door and the day began to find its rhythm.

Afterwards, Harry and I ventured to the Abbey. We made the rounds, feeding the cats there as well, and moved one of Harry’s personal effects from the Abbey over to Cooper Cabin — a small migration of belongings across the landscape. Once that mission was complete, we fueled up the trusty RAV4 and rolled back toward Basecamp.

Back at the shop, the quiet magic of woodworking took over. Harry and I settled in with our end table projects, each piece slowly revealing its character under patient hands. In time I was able to fit all the horizontal support pieces into place, and before closing the top, I tucked a small bit of history beneath it — my name, Chapito’s name, and the year — a quiet signature for whoever might stumble across it decades from now.

From there came the satisfying work of sanding and softening the edges until everything felt just right to the touch, followed by a coat of linseed oil that brought the grain to life like sunlight waking up the wood.

With the table resting and drinking in its finish, the rest of the afternoon unfolded in the best way possible — good conversations with the crew, a bit of laughter drifting through the shop, and some peaceful time spent with my little dog simply enjoying the day.

Some days are grand adventures. Others are made of small, steady moments that quietly build something lasting. Today felt like one of those good, steady days.

B.E.L. Post # 112

This morning started out at the Abbey with Harry and me getting back into the rhythm of cob work. We focused on wrapping up the flooring around the wooden piece we installed earlier, as well as tightening things up by the front door. There’s something really satisfying about seeing those final touches come together—like the space is finally settling into itself.

After lunch, I switched gears and gave Roy a bit of attention by cleaning out the bed. It felt good to get that squared away and bring some order back to things. From there, I was able to officially wrap up my end table project, which was a solid milestone for the day.

To close things out, I spent the rest of the afternoon assisting my high commander and Harry with building one of the Abbey’s gates. Working alongside them always feels like leveling up—there’s always something new to pick up, even in the smallest details.

All in all, a full and rewarding day—hands in the earth, tools in motion, and another step forward.

B.E.L. Post # 113

After this morning’s meeting, I was sent off with a clear set of tasks and a good sense of direction for the day.

I made my way over to the Abbey where the first order of business was tending to the cats—making sure they were fed and well looked after. From there, I swapped out the batteries to keep the fan running strong, helping along the drying process for the recently repaired flooring. It’s satisfying seeing that space steadily come back to life.

Back at basecamp, I also took some time to prep a bit of mint and put together a jar of plum seeds—small steps, but meaningful ones for future growth.

Next up was processing a full crate of woody bits for the Fischer Price house. There’s something oddly enjoyable about working through a pile like that—turning rough material into something useful.

After lunch, Stephen and I headed out to the Tipi site to retrieve the mattress from over there. With that loaded up, we made our way back to basecamp and shifted gears toward working on the Ant Village gate.

We spent the rest of the afternoon framing it up, getting a solid structure in place. It’s always a good feeling to stand back at the end of the day and see something tangible take shape from the effort.

Another full and rewarding day in the books.

B.E.L. Post # 114

Today unfolded like a steady rhythm of small wins and meaningful progress across the land.

After the morning meeting, Stephen and I made our way to the Abbey, greeted as always by our feline supervisors, who were promptly fed and satisfied. While there, we swapped out the battery pack to keep the big fan running strong—continuing the important work of drying out the freshly repaired cob. It’s satisfying knowing that even something as simple as airflow plays a role in preserving the work we’ve put into the space.

From there, we journeyed to the tipi site and retrieved the mattress, hauling it back to the classroom for better use. While at the site, I took some time to shave down a few longer woody bits—helping them dry faster and setting them up for future projects. A little prep work now goes a long way later.

Before lunch, we made a recycling run, keeping things tidy and flowing.

The afternoon carried a strong momentum. We processed five crates of cardboard bits and distributed them across Cooper Cabin, the tipi site, and the Abbey—restocking each location and making sure materials are where they’re needed most. There’s something deeply satisfying about that kind of organization and readiness.

We also tackled a bundle of metal fencing, bringing it over to the Abbey to help protect the baby trees—a small act with big future impact. Every bit of protection we give them now helps ensure they’ll thrive down the line.

To round out the day, we put in more work on the Ant Village gate, continuing to shape and refine it step by step.

B.E.L. Post # 115

Today had that satisfying “build it and see it stand” kind of energy.

After the morning meeting, Stephen and I gathered up the necessary tools from the shop for the Ant Village gate install. We strapped the gate frame to the top of the Rav4 and made our way out to the Abbey, rolling in ready to get after it. Once we arrived, Stephen handled feeding the cats while I took a quick lap with my little pup before settling him back into the vehicle.

With everything unloaded and the gate frame staged, we got right to work. Stephen cut the log for the threshold, and I set it in place with a gravel sock to help with drainage and longevity. I drilled out the hole for the wooden hinge while Stephen shaped the tenon—both of us moving in that nice, unspoken rhythm of shared effort. Before we knew it, we had the gate upright and in place just before lunch—a great milestone to hit.

After lunch, we kept the momentum going by installing a deadweight pulley system for the gate closure. Simple, effective, and satisfying to see it function as intended.

We wrapped up the Abbey work and headed back to basecamp, where I finished out the day by planting some potatoes in the berms—tucking a bit of future harvest into the soil.

A solid day of building, teamwork, and planting seeds—both literal and otherwise.