Kyle's Permie Bootcamp (BRK)

BRK Post 17

Late post today, got started late and did some stuff I wasn't expecting to do, the day just got away from me.

Made a big breakfast of oatmeal and apples and eggs, totally stuffed. Drove down to do laundry and pop into hear Paul explain all about YouTube video planning. Hung up laundry and went off to Missoula.

The plan for today was to plant elderberry cuttings, work on bow stuff, and do laundry. But I had to go to the post office... the only post offices open on Saturdays are in Missoula, so after that stupid long trip I got back around 2:30 and had lunch and started planting around 3.

Onto the important stuff, I've brought bundles of elderberry cuttings with me. Enough for at least a hundred plants. Since I don't have a plot yet I chose to build some good will spreading them out to some other boot's plots. Jen and Chris got a whole bunch, the path from the Tipi to Ant village got a handful, I stuck a few at the edge of Allerton Abby, and a whole bunch in the sun facing berm around the Tipi. I still have about half left. I had about six current cuttings too and they went by the Tipi. Offered more to the other boots with plots, going to plant tomorrow.

While I was hanging out with Chris and Jen, we talked about Ant Village plots and Jen took us on a tour of them to see some of the possibilities for plot choosing. So much stuff has been built and planted. I'll have to look at the plots a few times to compare the options, maybe I'll start fresh on a raw plot.

After planting around the Tipi I got to some bow stuff. I felt like the next step was to process some of the sinew into threads. So I pounded and split and sorted. I took a picture of the progression from whole sinew to done threads. I think I'm only going to do one piece a day. Doing one took about an hour, I hope I get faster.

It was starting to get chilly and the sun was going behind the mountains, so I went to drop off food for the elusive Bella.

I was calling her and tapping her food bowl when I spotted her on a log in the woods about 30ft away. I called directly to her and she started meowing and coming over for dinner. Fed her until she seemed full then scooped her up and delivered her back home. She looks like she lost a little weight and is a little out of sorts. I closed her up in the Tipi with water and food and came down for dinner and firewood.

It felt like a short day, I've got to get up earlier and get a move on. I'm off to get a fire going and settle down a cat.

Kyle Noe wrote:BRK Post 17

Onto the important stuff, I've brought bundles of elderberry cuttings with me. Enough for at least a hundred plants. Since I don't have a plot yet I chose to build some good will spreading them out to some other boot's plots. Jen and Chris got a whole bunch, the path from the Tipi to Ant village got a handful, I stuck a few at the edge of Allerton Abby, and a whole bunch in the sun facing berm around the Tipi. I still have about half left. I had about six current cuttings too and they went by the Tipi. Offered more to the other boots with plots, going to plant tomorrow.

While I was hanging out with Chris and Jen, we talked about Ant Village plots and Jen took us on a tour of them to see some of the possibilities for plot choosing. So much stuff has been built and planted. I'll have to look at the plots a few times to compare the options, maybe I'll start fresh on a raw plot.

Thank you so much!! I didn't expect you to plant them for me as well. Incredibly generous. <3 I can't wait to see them all come up all over our plot! And I'm excited to see where you decide to settle in.

Also, YAYYY BELLAAAA!!

BRK Post 18

Variety of stuff done today. After our weekly cleaning, I secured a gutter on the library that was slumping. Only took 15 mins.

I tried to introduce Bella to basecamp but she is still too freaked out and wined and hissed at everything. She still needs more time to recover from being alone in the woods. I was able to finish a section of junk pole fence while she was relaxing in her open cat carrier for over an hour. Then she felt the sudden urge to roam up the hill while meowing sadly. I scooped her up and let her hide under the seat in my truck where she felt safe.

Then I prepped the next rock jack and fence section. The jack needed better "feet". In order to give the posts the best chance of not rotting or sliding down the hill, it is best to put large well shaped stones under the posts, placed to push against the weight it will bear. This post had some stones, but they were small and some didn't keep the post out of the dirt. I hollowed out under the legs and set large stones under them. The post itself had a good stone but I did rotate the whole jack a bit to give more room for the fence connections. I laid out some thick horizontal beams for the fence too.

By that time I figured I had enough time for planting more elderberry cuttings and Josiah said he thought it was best to plant out the future chicken paddocks. So I picked around for good spots for little elders. In cracks between rocks, facing the southern sun, in a hollow with more moisture, next to tree stumps with rotting wood. I figure these shrubs will need to survive a good bit of neglect. Each paddock got 15 to 20 cuttings, Three or four fistfuls. Not all are likely to live. And if they do all for the better, it's great bird fodder.

I still have more... Maybe 30 to 40. Gonna have to look for more spots.

After planting I had enough time to go up to the Tipi, drop off and feed the kitten, get changed, call my Grandma to wish her a happy birthday ( Yea! Happy Birthday!), and drive down for a Seder dinner Daniel lead (and Matt helped cook). I wasn't sure what to expect. I have no real religious exposure or education. But it was pretty enjoyable having a meal lead by tradition. And a big group of people to share it with was special. I didn't get any pictures but I think Dez snapped some if anyone is curious. There was lots of hearty eating, laughing, courageous amounts of horseradish.

Tomorrow is Monday and back to permie bootcamp.

BRK Post 19

When I went to sleep last night it was pouring rain. I remember Matt saying "I think it's only going to rain for like ten minutes". It rained so hard it was dripping into the Tipi.

I thought it was great for all the cuttings I've been putting in to ground, they need moisture to get roots and leaves put out.

Then I woke up to three to four inches of snow on the ground. It wasn't too cold but I like to warm up the Tipi when its damp. It's funny, now waking up to a 30 degree tent doesn't bother me. I had time to burn two good size loads of wood and get down to the morning meeting.

Most of the day was meetings. Just trying to stay out of the weather until later in the day. We talked about gardening and I planned some veggies to grow. I'm going to try growing creeping thyme in my walkways to compete with the grass and plant strips of flowers to bring in beneficial insects.

Today was the continuation of our priority meeting, another two hours of trying to fit years of work into some sense of a plan. Plus plan for expanding to boot camp from ten to twenty or more. I'm going to try to do some of the jobs I feel I can handle on my own even though they aren't top priority. And learn some round wood timber building from Josiah.

After four hours of sitting and planning I was glad to get to some hands on work. I went back to the Love Shack to help push that project over the line. I started the wood rack it needs and Paul asked us to incorporate a bench with the front of the shack. I sketched it out figured what lumber it would need and got into it. While I was working it snowed on me then it was sunny, then snowy again. I've gotten almost halfway but it isn't worth a picture yet. I'd like to finish that up tomorrow.

The big event for me was dinner, I chose to cook for everyone tonight! I made beef stew for the meat eaters and a veggie stew for the vegans. Both had onion, carrot, celery, acorn squash, three kinds of mushrooms, kale, red wine, and a tomato garlic paste which gives the beef stew more umami flavor, and makes the veggie stew taste like it has meat. I have to double it next time, there wasn't any left. I didn't think to get a picture of the finished meal but I got one of most everyone at the table.

I'm short on pictures today, but I have some great pics of the mountains my Mother took on our way to Missoula. I have a whole bunch from her of our road trip. I'm going to post a non BRK post of the trip here and show them off.

Looking at the weather for the week, most of the days are reaching 60. Hope to see some sun tomorrow.

BRK Post 20

Another frosty morning here. Bella complained when I disrupted the covers to start the fire, then she complained when I didn't feed her before starting the fire, then curled up under the covers to go back to sleep. Grumpy cat.

Bootcamp started with a meeting to divide up some daily tasks and some projects to do outside of regular hours. I chose to get firewood with Dez, Daniel, and Matt. It should take a few hours to cut logs to size and fill up the trailer. I also chose to take care of the trash and compost bin. I think as a household we produce three times the compost compared to trash. Might only have to empty the trash once a week.

Afterwards I got back to my firewood rack. Had to rip some 2x6's into 2x4's, scrounge up some reused decking, and level out the rack with big stones. I hand planed the decking to show some clean wood and smooth out the splintered spots then gave all the top edges a bevel so it's comfy to sit on and not get splinters when they are hard to remove.

My arm is a little sore from an hour of hand planing but it looks sweet.

I think the whole thing looks good.

Then I joined everyone for Taco Night. And we laughed at Hufflepuff jokes.

Tomorrow... new project!