A Story About A Boot (BEL)

Salutations.
This will be an accurate accounting of an erstwhile member of society who decided to bail on the system and check out a different way of existing...namely, Paul Wheaton's way. So, whether I succeed or fail in this endeavor, I plan on documenting my efforts and lessons learned.
I arrived October 27, 2024...pix are of my truck when I departed (I stored my pile of things with friends and arrived at Basecamp with two duffel bags and 3 mediumish storage tubs). I had a hard time balancing downsizing with bringing enough winter wear/etc. Not sure which side of the line I fell on but time with tell.
I got a bunk and a tour of the main house, met Stephen (in charge of Boots Program), Paul and Fred (community member). Watched Big Trouble in Little China and had a delish dinner of tomato and cucumber salad (courtesy of Fred) so all in all, a great first night.

Monday got the lay of the land, worked on a window quilt and mentally tried to settle into this new adventure.
More deets to follow in the days ahead...but for now,
signing off,
Lisa

Salutations, again!
I moved into a wee cabin at Base Camp called the Love Shack. Left main house and warm bunk for the experience of operating a rocket mass heater and using the Willow Bank for outhouse needs. Boot work yesterday was completing the window quilt for Allerton Abbey, adding buckets of soil to a hugelberm, and watching youtube videos about using coffee grinds/wood shavings as fire brickets,making bone sauce (a la Sepp Holzer), and Wolf Creek apple trees.
It's a big learning curve for me--feels weird being away from the restaurant prep cook gig I had.
Night time sky out here is amazing.
Stephen, Fred, Paul and I had Taco Tuesday meal--great food and great conversation. I'm keeping things brief for now in my Boot journal...cuz I honestly don't know how I will fare in the long term.
Time will tell.
Lisa

Thanks for posting for us Lisa - it is much appreciated! The boots threads give a real insight into what is going on at Wheaton labs - we can at least learn vicariously through you :)

Lisa Beier wrote:Salutations.
https://permies.com/t/268237/a/252249/IMG_2758.jpg

Is that a second generation Nissan Frontier? If you have any mechanical problems while there, I can point you to a shop near Wheaton Labs that has plenty of experience with one particular 2006 Frontier...

Salutations, etc!
At the moment it is lightly snowing here...which leads me nicely into my topic--changing locations. I am pulling the plug on the Love Shack and moving back into the main house becuuuuuuuuz it takes about an hour to get the rocket mass heater to heat the cabin up to around 60 degrees (which for me is baseline operating need) and after a day of working I am ready to flop down immediately and relax with a book for a bit, not stoke a fire. So me and my show will be bunking at the main house where heat is more consistent. Also, indoor restroom (just saying). I did master lighting the rocket mass heater in the Love Shack and at Allerton Abbey...so that's a plus.
True confessions: I am a light weight when it comes to cold temps. I struggle to maintain core temperature (and retain feeling in my digits). Hypothyroidism--causing slow metabolism. Anyhoo, just putting it out there...I don't have a high tolerance for cold. It's an issue for me.
Yesterday  at Allerton Abbey Stephen and I hung the window quilt we made. We also took some dirt from the site and transferred it back to Base Camp in order to shore up the soil loss on a hill due to a mud slide. We took our recycling in so I got to see the nearby town.
Tonight we are watching It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
Happy Halloween!
Over and out for now,
Lisa

Lisa, I hear ya about the cold weather, right there with you.  I would need all undergarments to be heated by battery if I stood any chance of survival till spring.

Oh, please let us know how long it takes for you to adjust to the weather out there.

Have fun, keep laughing, and enjoy your time as a Boot.

Peace

Lisa Beier wrote:I am pulling the plug on the Love Shack and moving back into the main house becuuuuuuuuz it takes about an hour to get the rocket mass heater to heat the cabin up to around 60 degrees (which for me is baseline operating need) and after a day of working I am ready to flop down immediately and relax with a book for a bit, not stoke a fire. So me and my show will be bunking at the main house where heat is more consistent.

Hmm, I had the privilege of spending the last half of winter a couple of years ago in the Red Cabin as a boot. There are always subjective variables, but I found it usually took 20-30 minutes to get the whole cabin to a comfy level on a 15-20* evening. I imagine if hopping in the top bunk it would have been more like 10-15 min.

Part of the trick is having dry, thumb to wrist-sized sticks and the right kindling to ignite them fast. However, the RMH in the cabin back then didn't have a cob hat. I could see there being a trade off of longer term heat retention by losing some of the immediate heat thrown off at the top of the barrel. I don't recall this aspect being covered last time Paul and Uncle Mud discussed the cob hats, perhaps it will come up in the next discussion...

Day 5
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Wednesday....leave the gun, take the cannoli. (Godfather credit)
Friday vibes: Already excited about the donut(s) I shall devour tomorrow when I drive into town. Feeling great about the two window quilts Stephen and I finished and hung up at Allerton Abbey. Grateful for overboots and mittens (Thank you Paul and Stephen). Amazed by the early morning constellations. Yesterday morning we had some light snow fall. Winter is Coming. The North remembers.

First week at Wheaton Labs and I have learned many things. Useful things. Most importantly, I am grateful for the hospitality Paul provides and B I am grateful for the knowledge passed on. I will be researching his vids on rocket mass heaters so I can get a better understanding of their construction and function. (Segue--"Conjunction junction, what's your function? Hooking up words and phrases and clauses." School House Rock credit)

Over and outtie
Lisa

Day 6
Saturdaaaaaaaaay! Coffee and bagel…donut later. Looking forward to townie errands and exploring.
Yesterday Stephen taught me how to fell a standing dead tree. Then we hauled off our loot and bunked and split it to useable sizes. It was groovy. I actually built up enough body heat to peel off a layer of winter wear. Joy!
We also worked on some indoor projects (wood signs and another window quilt). Pix are of me sewing (my mom is turning in her grave) and the Willow Bank (which is a nifty outhouse I’ve become friends with).
I hope to find a trail to run later today, after town errands. My head is a little off kilter—really missing my morning runs. Trail sneaks, outdoors, and sweat. That’s what I need…
Over and out ish
Lisa

Day 7 Sunday
Will be cleaning and doing nesting activities today. But to report on Saturday:
Went into town and got an amazing vegan donut (apple cider old fashioned) that I could literally write a poem about. Went to REI and got wool socks and some gloves. Checked out the town a bit. Drove to a trail head (the drive took longer than expected as I was on a gravel road for 40 minutes in order to get to the trail head) but did get a mini hike in. Weather conditions were not ideal—very soupy trail but it felt good to get out into the trees.
Got back to base camp and settled into my book (Home Before Dark).
Oh yeah—there was also a bitchin’ jalapeño and cheese bagel sandwich for dinner. Whoot Whoot.
Over and outs,
Lisa