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

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:Thank you, Esteban, for the explanation and the photos.

It's absolutely my pleasure! And I want to thank you and everyone else who's been following my thread. I truly appreciate the support and kind words from everyone along the way. 😊

B.E.L. Post # 277

I started my morning by re-handling a carpenter's hatchet because the head kept moving around on the handle. I clamped it in the vise and used my pull saw to cut the handle off right below the head. Then, using the pliers on my multitool, I tapped out the remaining piece of hickory.

The new handle was slightly too big where it fit into the head, so I rasped it down until it fit properly. I tapped it back into place, found a piece of metal to use as a wedge, and used the bench grinder to sharpen one end before tapping it in to secure the head.

After that, I split some firewood and did some chop-and-drop.

After lunch, I spent some time working on my boot bench rest area, my little personal project. I sowed some ground cover, including yellow clover, and walking onions, then added mulch from the chop-and-drop and irrigated the little garden area.

I also spent some time building trails before briefly joining Leo's team to help with bucking, splitting, and stacking firewood.

B.E.L. Post # 278

I started out the morning doing some chop and drop near the bermshed. I used the mulch to cover the area where the wing wall meets the bermshed roof.

Afterwards, I assisted Dan for a little while with sifting through the ash, removing the charcoal pieces and making sure any foreign debris was removed. The ash will be mixed with red crushed pepper, and the bucket will be given to Jesse, who is working on the trails, to help keep the cats from doing any funny business.

Next, I did some chainsaw maintenance on chainsaw #606 before hopping on the tractor. I hauled six bucket loads of material up to the area near the Love Shack.

After that, I switched tasks and irrigated my little garden bed. It's nice seeing the walking onions I planted from seed starting to sprout!

I wrapped up the first half of my day with a good lunch. After lunch, I continued training Stevie on the tractor. After an hour of observing, coaching and spotting her grab bucket loads of material and haul them up to the Love Shack's east berm, I switched tasks again.

I brought about 50 pieces of split firewood into the classroom to stock up .. from the stack that Leo and the rest of the crew had split the wood yesterday, and it came from a dead-standing tree.

Then Jesse, Dan, and I headed over to the lab. Dan continued working on putting up curtains for the battery box, while Jesse irrigated the trees at the Cooper Cabin site. Meanwhile, I tidied up the Abbey entrance, hauling the kindling that was lying around into the Abbey and moving the remainder to the back of Roy to be dispersed elsewhere.

I continued tidying up the front entrance of the Abbey, and I've still got a little more to do before the Sepper's arrival.

Another productive day at Wheaton Labs!

B.E.L. Post # 279

Started my morning with a long walk in the beautiful, delightful weather. It's hard to complain about starting the day that way!

Sometime after, Jesse and I headed over to Cooper Cabin to irrigate the two baby trees there. Once we finished up, we made our way to the Abbey and did some cleanup around the entrance, picking up leftover woody bits and tidying things up and left two trickle jugs there as well.

After we arrived back at Base Camp, I grabbed the little black garden wagon, which was loaded with bark left over from the wood processing Leo's team had been working on a few days earlier. I hauled it up to the bermshed and spread the bark out on top of the wing wall by the classroom.

After that, I spent some time reading and enjoying the company of my fellow boots. Sometimes it's nice to slow down a bit, enjoy the beautiful weather, and appreciate the people you get to share this experience with.

B.E.L. Post # 280

I slept in a bit this morning, but still managed to get my long walk in with my doggo before the cleaning blitz. The cleaning blitz went by pretty quickly, and afterwards I got to work on a few things.

I did some chainsaw maintenance, then processed some woody bits and filled up a wooden crate for the Fisher Price House RMH.

After that, I started working on a hand hoe that was in the Repair Cafe. The old handle needed replacing, so I secured the head in the vise, cut off the wooden handle, and used the tip of the pliers on my multitool to tap out the remaining piece stuck inside the head. I'll work on making and fitting the new handle tomorrow.

The rest of the day was pretty laid-back. I did some reading and writing and took it easy for a change.

Nothing too exciting, just another day of getting a few things done while enjoying life here at Wheaton Labs. 😁