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

Jimmy Potter wrote:How old are they

Current boot wise .. a few in their 20's but the majority in their 40's ...

B.E.L. Post # 207

This morning started off with a long walk with the little one (Chapito), taking some time to enjoy the quiet and get the day started right.

After that, I continued working on some chop and drop along the drive, cleaning things up and working with the materials already provided by the land. It’s always rewarding seeing how small actions add up over time.

Once that was wrapped up, I headed over to the Fischer Price House for the cleaning blitz. There is something satisfying about taking a space that has been used and lived in and bringing it back into order.

After the cleaning was finished, I made my way over to the Abbey and spent some time continuing work on the junkpole panels. Slowly but surely, the pieces are coming together, and it’s been a great learning experience working with natural materials and traditional methods.

By the afternoon I headed back to basecamp to unwind and recharge. The rest of the day was spent writing letters, journaling, and reading.

Another day of physical work, skill building, and taking time to reflect on the journey. One day at a time, one project at a time.

B.E.L. Post # 208

Today was another productive day here at Wheaton Labs.

We started the morning off at basecamp, where I had Leo and Melissa working on a few cleanup and maintenance tasks. They started by removing the growies coming up between the cracks in the patio flooring, then moved on to straightening up the drip jugs and burlap sack underneath the decking by the Fischer Price door.

Meanwhile, Jesse and I were focused on mulching. Jesse worked primarily up at Lightning Hill, while I focused on mulching around the baby trees at Apricot Alley. It is always rewarding seeing these young trees get a little more support and protection as they continue to establish themselves.

Around 10 o’clock, I redirected Melissa and Leo to come assist Jesse and I with the mulching efforts. They continued working between the two powerline signs at Lightning Hill, then added mulch rings around the trees by the Red Cabin and around the caged tree at the Turtle Lot. After that, they spent the remaining hour continuing work on their firewood rack project.

I also spent some time before lunch doing chop and drop around the Red Cabin, continuing the process of building organic matter and working with what the land provides.

After lunch, we headed over to the Abbey. Melissa and Jesse kept steadily working away at the mulch pile, while Leo and I continued on the junkpole fencing. Leo made great progress and completely framed the section we were working on. I still have 12 more vertical posts to notch and fasten, followed by the final 6 horizontal pieces, and then we will be able to start filling it in with junkpoles.

I also had Melissa and Leo work on setting up tree cages, and they were able to build and install two cages.

Another solid day of building, planting, improving, and learning. Slowly but surely, these projects keep moving forward — one post, one tree, and one wheelbarrow of mulch at a time.

B.E.L. Post # 209

Today at Wheaton Labs started with a little change of pace as Stephen and Leo headed out on their own adventure to the lab, while the rest of us stayed behind at basecamp to keep the momentum going.

I started the morning by tasking Melissa with continuing the work of clearing out the growies between the patio cracks, while Jesse and I continued making progress with mulching. After some time, I redirected Melissa over to mulching, and I switched gears to another project — raking up the chopped grasses I had worked on over the weekend and spreading that grass mulch around the caged baby trees near the Red Cabin.

Once that was completed, I added a protective cage around a young hazelnut tree that Paul had spotted with his laser-focused, eagle-like eyes. It’s always a good reminder that even the smallest trees and plants here have a purpose and deserve a little extra attention and protection.

After lunch, we all headed over to the Abbey. Melissa continued with mulching and chop-and-drop, while Leo and Jesse worked on installing junkpoles into the completely framed section he had been working on. Meanwhile, I continued building out my section of the junkpole fence and was able to get 2 out of the 6 panels completely framed.

As the day started winding down, we wrapped up with a trip to the pond where we gathered four 9-foot sections of metal fencing and brought them back to basecamp. These will be put to good use creating more protective cages and helping safeguard the young trees as they continue establishing themselves.

Another solid day of building, tending, and working alongside the land. Slowly but surely, each project continues to take shape.

Great shot of Melissa with the raptor(?) soaring above...

B.E.L. Post # 210

After the morning meeting, Leo headed out with Stephen to the Abbey to continue working on the wing walls along with some other tasks. Meanwhile, Melissa, Jesse, and I stayed behind at basecamp to keep things moving.

I had Melissa focus on soil probing and irrigating areas as needed, making sure the plants were getting the attention they needed. Jesse continued with chop and drop work up at Lightning Hill along with mulching, while I worked on putting together some tree cages from the fencing material we had brought over from the pond.

I assembled four cages, and after getting them put together, I installed the first one around a young hazelnut tree to give it some protection as it continues to grow. The remaining three cages will be set up tomorrow.

After that, I spent some time doing chop and drop and watering some of the trees around the site. It was a steady morning of tending, building, and supporting the systems we’ve been putting in place.

After lunch, we headed over to the lab and continued where we left off yesterday. Jesse and Leo kept knocking out filling in their framed junkpole panels, while I continued making progress on my own section by framing up the six panels I’ve been working on.

Another productive day of moving projects forward, caring for the land, and stacking small accomplishments that add up over time.

Coydon Wallham wrote:Great shot of Melissa with the raptor(?) soaring above...

😂 Haha yeah, it really does look like Melissa has a little wildlife escort watching over the garden operation. I’m pretty sure the raptor was just making sure the mulch work was being done correctly… supervisor from above. 🦅🌱

B.E.L. Post # 211

We started the morning over at the Abbey, where Stephen brought over the large water container on a trailer. He took some time to demonstrate how to properly operate the water pump and showed us how to attach the manifold so multiple irrigation hoses could be run at the same time. It was great hands-on training and will definitely come in handy moving forward.

Once that was finished, I got back to work filling in the junkpole fencing. By the end of the morning, I had completed one full panel, making sure every pole fit nice and snug. Meanwhile, Leo and Jesse were working on filling in the other recently rebuilt fence panels, while Melissa made her usual rounds doing chop and drop, irrigating, and mulching around the lab.

After lunch back at basecamp, I assigned Leo and Melissa to continue working on their firewood rack project. Jesse kept busy with mulching and doing chop and drop around the baby trees up at Lightning Hill. I spent some time setting up a sprinkler system at Apricot Alley to keep the young trees well watered, then headed over by the Red Cabin to do some chop and drop before installing a protective cage up at Raspberry Island to help safeguard one of the young trees.

Later in the afternoon, Jesse and I made our way back to the Abbey and continued working on the junkpole fencing. It was satisfying seeing the fence gradually come together as each panel was filled in. Overall, it was another productive day with everyone making steady progress on a variety of projects, from irrigation and tree care to fencing and firewood storage.