Dez's Bootcamp Experience (BRK)

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:Hi Dez. The part in the middle, with the small stones, looks to me like there could be loose pebbles which slip and slide. I can be wrong, maybe it only looks like that on the photo.

Inge, thank you for your comment.. you’re probably right.. and you bring up a very valid point.. the smooth river rocks tend to be very slippery compared to the sharp edged ones in wet conditions.. one possibly great thing about the design of the middle section is that those pebbles could be removed and/or replaced as needed/preferred.. its kind of a “transformer” of ramp styles.. I appreciate your engineering mind! =D

Dez Choi wrote:

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:Hi Dez. The part in the middle, with the small stones, looks to me like there could be loose pebbles which slip and slide. I can be wrong, maybe it only looks like that on the photo.

Inge, thank you for your comment.. you’re probably right.. and you bring up a very valid point.. the smooth river rocks tend to be very slippery compared to the sharp edged ones in wet conditions.. one possibly great thing about the design of the middle section is that those pebbles could be removed and/or replaced as needed/preferred.. its kind of a “transformer” of ramp styles.. I appreciate your engineering mind! =D

So, I had a chance to seek Paul's perspective on this.. he informs me that winter often brings a layer of ice onto the ground for months at a time.. I am new to this climate, so I will assume that layer of ice will cover all the bumps and render any kind of slope (jagged or smooth) a hazard.. I will most likely go with the 1-step design as the finished product.. unless someone else has a great idea that keeps the ice off all year round.. thanks again~! =D

POST 33 (DAY 39, Friday, 2020.09.18)
[Evening Entry] ..OMG its Friday~!

THE WORK: AM--wofati greenhouse--I got to work on timber-framing again.. after a solid week since my first attempt at some horizontal cross braces and one angled brace, I hoped another day would come for a second attempt.. who knew it would come so quickly?.. When I heard I was working on cross braces, I felt giddy.. probably more than last time.. because THE MATH-GEEKINESS, i guess.. I did one horizontal cross brace by myself, guided Lara with brace number two, and split the third brace's installation between us, as we both worked independently and while helping each other.. I couldn't tell if it was boring or fun for her, but every time I asked, she said she was excited about it.. she like the chiseling part.. Clayton taught me a technique with the hatchet that made the chiseling portion so much more fun.. the fun just seems to continue when working with timberwood framing~.. for me at least.. we ended the AM shift as Lara penciled the two "receiving-rectangles" to be chiseled out for the brace's ends..
    PM: After the third horizontal brace was in (nice and tight by the way~).. Josiah announces we'll be doing angle-braces, and my heart lit up again.. this is my kind of jam I guess.. the part I like is developing the technique and refining it, and then refining it some more, to make the most efficient and accurate and consistent process possible.. a system to follow.. I did this with origami, when I was developing my "origami-gift-menu", many years back--since then, I can, by memory shape a gift out of paper within 5 minutes or less.. pretty soon, my time and technique for timber framing cross-braces can go on my menu.. What an opportunity it is for me to be here to have access to support and resources.. I hope to give this place my best--that's my YOLO philosophy (apparently there's another version of "you only live once", but this is the only one I resonate with)..

it's late.. enjoy the pics~!

I have been very busy the last few weeks and have not been able to keep up with the kickstarter project progress as it has been happening. I've just been back through some of the updates looking for a discussion of how the thermal wells were sunk into the ground. This is of particular interest to me as I would be interested in trying the 'oldtime farmers trick' of putting in a thermal well and then setting a water tank on top of it, to keep the water in the tank from freezing in the winter. Could you please point me to the narrative of how the six thermal wells were sunk for this project?  Thanks!

POST 34 (DAY 40, Saturday, 2020.09.19)
[Evening Entry]

Saturday.. ahhhh Saturday.. This morning I woke up at 5am.. My mind wanted to sleep more, but my body was up.. it had to go use the bathroom.. one of the luxuries of City Life that I used to have was walking 10-20 feet to a room-temperature private bathroom.. a bathroom that came at the cost of about $800/month.. probably worth it right?.. here, at 5am it's practically a private bathroom.. I just get to walk a few more feet, after getting fully dressed.. but this is not a problem.. I think I'd prefer to play this game than the $800/month game.. of course the private bathroom came with a private room also, but--again--I made the choice to make this my game.. the key is perspective.. I often ask myself "what did people do back in the day, before all these luxuries came around?" "How did they LIVE like that??" OR "How DID they live like that?".. the solution-seeker in me tells me it's a simple paradigm shift--get up before my BM wakes me up.. easy, simple, solved.. it's only a "cost" if i see it that way.. I choose to see it as a game.. so have fun~! =D

THE WORK: Chopped some wood in a forest near my plot with Josiah.. he showed me how to fell a tree and prepare it become firewood for the winter.. so much fun.. it started to rain.. apparently my jacket is not rain proof.. at one point I didn't know if I was sweating profusely or getting damp from the precipitation.. it kind of felt like a personal sauna.. and then I remembered how I want to help build Josiah's future sauna on his plot.. so much fun, this game is~! that one activity alone has kept me in a good mood all day.. (even as I write this entry)..

For dinner, I ate a half portion and saved the other half for tomorrow.. another way to mitigate urgency in the mornings is to simply eat a smaller dinner, you see.. it seems to work for me at least.. =D

it's late.. enjoy the pics~!

POST 35 (DAY 41, Sunday, 2020.09.20)
[Evening Entry]

"With the haze of the smoke in the air, it feels like I'm living in twilight..", anonymous..
Today was a clear skies kind of day..
I awoke at 5 am, as is the usual these days.. I think due to all the exercise I've been getting, plus the sprints uphill to FPH..
So, to explain.. at least once per day, I walk up a hill that leads to the FPH.. its not long.. it takes about 1-2 minutes to leisurely walk up, and about 10 seconds to sprint up.. most days, I sprint up at least once for three reasons: 1) Assess my heart's status/conditioning, 2) Exercise my heart and body, 3) Go up the hill faster to get it over with.)

Back to this morning--started my chores right after a leisurely breakfast.. slightly foggy on the way up to WL with Doug (the truck) loaded for firewood harvest--my solo mission for the day.. found a dead standing tree next to the one Josiah and I worked on yesterday, to mark and cut.. working solo out in the woods just feeds my soul--there's something about it..

After unloading, it was a walk-around and eat food and do nothing much kind of day~! As I type, I am waiting for the ginger beer solution to cool down so the yeast can be added, then bottled for 3 days.. so, on Wednesday, I will add hops and fresh tart-apple juice to allow for 3-4 more days of fermentation.. This is my first batch ever, so, finger's crossed~!

enjoy the pics~! =D

POST 36 (DAY 42, Monday, 2020.09.21)
[Evening Entry]

THE WORK: AM--ANGLE BRACE DAY!!.. So so so exciting!.. Over the weekend, I hand-picked a log to cut the length that I need (72"), just so that Monday's angle brace installation would go extra smoothly.. and smooth it actually was.. for me, the excitement lies in the hand-carving process--a somewhat magical actualization of a mere idea..The idea, of course, being a picture in my mind of how the angle brace will most efficiently be cut and fit.. alas, the installation portion was put on pause until tomorrow's shift..
    PM--today's afternoon shift was dedicated to learning how to sharpen a chainsaw (also very, very exciting~!).. It feels like such a necessary skill to have when working with any kind of roundwood.. I'm so grateful to be here yet again.. where can I go to learn these kinds of skills with the kind of people who are so wonderful to work with?.. I don't know, but this place comes really, really-really close.. just sayin'~..

Some random pics from today.. (sometimes the pictures match my stories/topics of the day, other times, they are purely relevant by being taken on site of WL..) enjoy~!