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

Not sure if I missed the explanation, but what was the issue with the old abbey gate?

B.E.L. Post # 119

Yesterday & Today at Wheaton Labs

Yesterday (03/23/2026): I started the morning with a walk with Chapito — the cloud formations and early sun rays over the mountains were breathtaking. After the morning meeting, we gathered, bucked, split, and stacked logs from a tree that fell in last year’s windstorm near the water pump station. Seth, Stephen, and I loaded the logs onto Roy and hauled them to the Tipi site, then worked together to process and neatly stack them.

Later, we visited the Abbey to feed the cats, swap out the battery pack, and do some light cleaning. We also picked up a can of “candy” near the boneyard and spread it at a nearby site. Back at basecamp during lunch, I staged the sturdy stool I’d crafted in the library for future use by fellow boots.

After lunch, Stephen and I repaired a water hydrant station — a bolt had worn a groove into a brass pin, preventing it from lifting to release water. I drilled a hole to catch the bolt’s point, and the station was fully functional again. We also started fixing a flat tractor tire, though we ran out of time before finishing.

Today (03/24/2026) had a steady kind of rhythm to it. While Seth teamed up with Bounce on her project and Stephen stayed busy wrestling with the tractor tire, I made my way over to the Abbey to shore up the junkpoles. There’s something satisfying about tightening things up out there, knowing it all plays a part in the bigger picture.

Later on, back at basecamp, we shifted gears and put in some time on the paddock fencing along Complexity Trail. Bit by bit, it’s all coming together.

As the day wound down, we headed back to the Abbey—watering the berms and trees, then scattering more seeds for ground cover. It felt like one of those days where every small effort stacks up… quietly strengthening the land and everything we’re building with it.

Coydon Wallham wrote:Not sure if I missed the explanation, but what was the issue with the old abbey gate?

Hey! The old Abbey gate’s latches just couldn’t take the deer pressure—they kept giving out. The new design swings the gate 4–6” past the post, so any deer pressure hits the frame, not a latch. And with the pulley closer, there’s no latch at all to break, so it should hold up way better.

B.E.L. Post # 120

After our morning meeting, we headed out to Cooper Cabin. While Seth and I gathered bed sheets, Stephen stayed back working on the tractor, keeping things moving on that front.

From there, Seth and I spent some time laying down more ground cover, continuing to build up the soil and improve the area.

Back at basecamp, Seth and I got to work gathering materials for the Cooper Cabin gate. We harvested five trees, delimbed them, and hauled everything over to the classroom to prep them—making solid progress toward getting that gate built.

After lunch, Stephen, Melissa, and I made a trip to the lumber yard to pick up T-posts for building cages to protect the baby trees at the Abbey.

When we returned, Stephen walked me through the seed library and had me pull out all the kale seeds, getting things organized and ready for future planting.

Afterwards, we all headed up to the Abbey and started building the cages to protect the young trees—work that’ll make a real difference in their survival.

To wrap up the day, I harvested some sunchokes, ending things on a good, grounded note.

B.E.L. Post # 121

After the morning meeting, the forest seemed alive with whispers. We gave Ash a ride to the Abbey, where the sun pierced the canopy in golden ribbons, and somewhere, perhaps, a pair of gnomes peeked from behind mossy stones, curious about our journey.

Our next quest led us to a fallen tree, sprawled across the Ant Village road, leaning precariously upon its neighbor. It was a colossal beast, posing danger to all who traveled here—perhaps the work of a clumsy troll in the night. With careful steady resolve, we felled it completely, tamed its wildness, and carried logs to the sawmill site, where wood sprites danced invisibly around the stacked beams. The remaining logs found a resting place near the woodshed, where old forest spirits whispered their approval.

Back at basecamp, Seth and I turned our attention to the Cooper Cabin gate. Draw blades rang out like tiny bells of enchantment, each notch and joint weaving a spell of protection and welcome. By lunch, the gate felt alive, as if goblins and gnomes alike were nodding in approval.

The afternoon summoned us back to the Lab, where two more logs awaited transformation at the sawmill. As we cut and processed them, the air shimmered with quiet magic—perhaps a few tiny faeries lending their strength, unseen but felt.

Finally, we returned to basecamp and continued the gate build, finishing the day with hands tired but hearts light. Every swing, every cut, every careful placement was part of a larger story, where humans, trees, and hidden woodland creatures all played a role in shaping the living landscape around us. 🌲✨

The forest hums tonight with satisfaction, for the fallen have been lifted, gates are being crafted, and the whispers of gnomes and goblins linger in the twilight.