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

It's so nice to get a peek into the life of a boot at Wheaton Labs. I had dreams of being there, but alas! Maybe in the near future....Good luck with getting Falcon to work!

Stephen B. Thomas wrote:BRK #239
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Finally: two new plants at Basecamp. The first is the unknown "patio cat shit fern," still going strong. The second is very likely the rhubarb coming back. They're both lovely.



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

Aren't those tulips?
Anyway  to me they look like plants growing from bulbs. Maybe some of the Dutch bulbs I once sent in a 'care package' for the boots ... Ask Dez if he planted them.

BRK #240

Took a couple days off from BRK posts. Now I'm back in the saddle. Also, Moto Jeff has sailed off back East now that his work trade is done. We'll see him here again - though, as a guest for the PTJ instead of a Boot - later this summer. Thanks for everything, man!!!

The winter doesn't want to go away quietly. Seems like we'll have flurries overnight, then it melts by 2pm. Today was no different I suppose, though there did seem to be a bit more that came down overnight. This also serves as the "before" picture for today's work on the paddock gate next to the Fisher Price House.



I want to finish this before next weekend (I'll be leaving for a trip away from WL for an extended period), so I need to put some serious hours into this. Still, it's looking pretty good, and matching up with my vision of what I want the finished project to resemble.



Meanwhile... A couple more quick updates. More seeds came in! These are from Montana Survival Seed Company, and they seem like an excellent outfit. Kale, some additional tomatoes, nettle, carrots, and mustard greens.



Also, I added the Workshop sign to the building. BONUS: it has just the right amount of "whimsical tilt" to it, I'd say.



Finally: obligatory cat photo. But, dawwwwww.... Even I have to admit this one is a cute snapshot.

From left to right: Puff AKA Batman, [Trash] Panda, and Frances.



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

BRK #241

This one's late in the evening. I ended up attending Paul's presentation at the Missoula Public Library (the topic was on SKIP), visited my usual pizza joint, and then made it back to Basecamp just before sundown. And that's exciting...! Sundown didn't happen until like, 8:15pm tonight! Spring is hurtling in with a vengeance. (Though we still had snow last night.)

Meanwhile, I was up at the Lab today for the last day of tune-ups with the Millenium Falcon: the dump truck. While the truck was being sorted out, I took care of a number of tasks around Allerton Abbey as well as adding a new rear-view mirror to Doug (the blue pickup truck).



Here I am in the seat of the Falcon, wondering how to engage the hyper-drive.



I looked low, and found the steering linkage. It's right there in the cab, unlike a typical car where everything is hidden "for convenience and comfort."



Here's the gearshift for the gigantic manual transmission. All sorts of switches on the dash too, including one for the "Jacobs Brake" (I call it the Jake Brake, but I guess this is its proper name).



Just to be clear: No, this is not named after the band.



Here's the throttle lock. It's like the first version of cruise control and it's linked to the accelerator. When I pressed or released the pedal I could feel the pressure on the throttle lock knob changing, which was wild. I used it to sort out an idling RPM while the new fuel was working its way through the system.



Here are more dials, including air pressure, which is important if you expect an air brake-equipped vehicle to go anywhere.



Look how many light years the Millenium Falcon has traveled... Looks like the engine was replaced not too long ago.





Lots more dials, mostly temperature monitors for the various precious bodily fluids of the Falcon.



Check this out: I can put my DEVO tapes in here!!!



Finally:



Yo, Red Ryder... This is the Rocky Mountain Hirsute Dipshit, come on...

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

BRK # [Front] 242

T-t-t-t-t-t-t-taco Tuesday...! A day full of plant prep and related tasks as well, as it happens. It was a good day.

This morning, we held a significant discussion about where and how we plan on addressing gardening on the hugel berms here at Basecamp and up at the Lab. Following that, the team set up a seedling station in the Solarium.



By the time we were done, there were plenty of seeds in the trays and cups and all that: kale, salad mix (arugula, spinach, lettuce, mustard), cabbage, and even some eggplant.



The first few I prepared: salad mix on the right, leeks to the left.



Up at the Lab, Wesley and I were treated to some healthy plants already sprouting on their own in the Greenhouse. I tasted stinging nettle, some kind of mint, and a fantastic cilantro.



Wesley also came up with an idea to maximize usage of the Greenhouse, specifically to give some seedlings a chance to sprout before we transplant them outdoors. Here he is putting the finishing touches on a planter box we built entirely from scrap materials.



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