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

Stephen B. Thomas wrote:BRK #29
Here's Rich, who attended both the PTJ and the SKIP events. He's someone willing to jump into any new, novel project. Here he is grinding down posts to add as legs to wooden benches. Thanks for all your well-wishing and encouragement, Rich! Apologies if this photo seems a bit unflattering... It's all about the work.

Is that Rich using the tenon cutter Jim was all on about at the PTJ? Never ended up seeing it used there.

BTW, bonus points to Rich for what looks like blood on the leg, hard core dude! Hope he's ready for all the chicks those scars are gonna draw...

BRK #30

Saturday after the SKIP event has concluded, and it was a catch-up-on-errands day. Here are a few moments that may be interesting.

It was a misty morning at the Lab today. Here's the road leading to Cooper Cabin with some surprising atmospheric lighting.



Traveling on I-90 is always a treat. I enjoy the terrain, the indomitable mountains, the stripes of pine trees across the landscape.



Visited the post office, wrote a letter, read a letter from an old friend, ate donuts and pizza, and finally visited a thrift store. Here's a fair haul: two board games, along with three t-shirts I'll later shred up for my rag-rug project.



Wrapped-up the day with a load of laundry, followed by a fancy dinner. Not too shabby, in my book.

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

BRK #31

It's a pretty great Sunday, honestly. Dez's birthday is today, and I'm happy for him. Even when doing our Sunday morning "cleaning blitz" the kittens kept popping up and making the morning super cheerful.

Plus, I woke up to this splendid view, and that set the tone for the entire day:



After the blitz was done, I set down to rough out the first draft of the "companion planting" card game I'd been mulling over since late May. We may have a chance to try a first play-testing session later this evening.



Finally: the shirts I picked up yesterday are now shredded and ready to turn into cotton braids, destined for my rag rug.



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

BRK #32

Back as a boot, now that the SKIP event is done. Gardening took place at Basecamp today, and current status is mixed.

For instance, Basecamp 1... I wrote a screenplay today - hear me out! A man returns from three years at a permaculture market garden, and tries to persuade his younger brother to change his monocrop, chem-ag ways. I call it Asparagus History X.



Seriously though... Taters are good. The plants look a bit small in this photo, but it's only because today I began surrounding them with some of our extra organic hay so as to make harvest presumably easier. There's also the beginning of a dry-stack wall in front of them.



Now, Basecamp Too (sic). Things are weird over there. If you had a chance to see the video I'd posted with my report-back a couple weeks ago, you'll recall that things weren't turning out so well. Now, two weeks after being away from several days a week of tending, there are new arrivals, disappearances, and some things completely unexpected.



For instance... I am requesting some plant-ID assistance. These are long, green leaves on a tall, narrow stalk. The underside of each leaf has a vein covered in thorns. The stalks also have a line or two of thorns along most of their length. Any help with this one? I'm one of those weirdos who doesn't have a smartphone, so I have no app for that.



Another strange thing about this plant... Pretty much the entire upper-half of it looks sick. There are no leaves, only these little green buds where the leaves should be. Did a bunch of beetles or moths come along and eat everything?



And please allow me to introduce King Mullein. Easily over 7.5 feet tall. Dude is looking healthy right about now, towering over all the other plants and visible from the front porch and patio of the House.



This individual leaf is as long as my arm. That's a lotta cowboy toilet paper.



Meanwhile... One of the nasturtium is healthy, while the other three aren't (seems like they do better in at least partial shade). A squash plant appears to have moved in. And two of the cats, Pearl and Choco, are currently in a fight over a girl - using Basecamp Too as their battleground. I'd tell 'em to take it outside but... They're already there.

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

BRK #33

Boot day over at the Lab today. We spent a lot of time ensuring the hugels had plenty of water to tide them over - and resist some of this surprising heat. There were a few other surprises as well, most of them pretty great.

Here's a fine specimen of Western Tiger Swallowtail, who decided to visit us today.



While paying homage at Swamp Castle, I plucked this oddity out of the ground. Another boot remarked that it had been in the ground a bit too long, and they were probably right. I'll eat it as part of tomorrow's breakfast, regardless.



Finally: here's my pea-shuckin' station. I harvested what was likely the last of the current crop today (they wilt in the heat even quicker than I do), and will set them up to save as seed for next season. I think I perfected my "unzipping" method for shucking peas today, so that was a pleasant development.



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