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

BRK #391

Another trip with the little trailer that could. Today we hauled crates of our potato harvest to the pump houses for root-cellar-style storage. I'm grateful we have these eBikes around, especially since the Bad News Boy Buggie seems to be so finicky lately.



Then it was back to the excavator for some more welding work. Today, we opted to try using bars for securement instead of washers. Initial results seem promising. Tomorrow we plan to weld the opposite edges of the metal bars, and use an angle-grinder to trim-up the ugly edges.

Here are Liam and Dez with the gas welding equipment.



And the current state of our welding work, currently in-process.





To wrap up our day, Liam and I harvested more grassy chop-n-drop mulch in preparation for one of our first Half-Assed Holidays: Appleseed Day, in early November.

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

BRK #392

A Thursday with plenty of interesting tasks, and definitely some success.

Dez, Liam, and I first went up to the Lab to wrap-up our welding task on the excavator. It was difficult heating up the pin more than the plate, now that the plate was already affixed to the pin. But Liam did his best.



We then returned to Basecamp and while Liam did some maintenance over at the Love Shack's cob hat project, Dez and I doctored some of the connections at the newer exterior outlets. Again, it was a tough job trying to cram all the wires and wire caps into such a small space.





Finally: there was another sighting of the ever-elusive Rocky Mountain Hirsute Dipshit. This time, it was up in a tree. It looks as though it has shed it's characteristic bright-orange head crest. Perhaps it's the change of the seasons that's facilitated that. Anyhow, we hope he made it down from there in one piece.



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

BRK #393

It was a misty start to today. I hiked up the mountain at Basecamp on the lookout for dead-standing trees to cut as firewood.





Here are a couple more interesting sights from my hike.





The gardens are revealing more secrets. At Basecamp, here's either an albino pumpkin, or a very round squash.



And we actually grew some scarlet runner beans this year. We'll save these and plant them in the coming growing season.



Up at the Lab... The plant labeled as "eggplant" grew this. Definitely not an eggplant, I'd say.



Finally: we have plenty of corn to harvest yet, but I started it today. Here's our fullest ear of corn. It also happens to be the shortest one we harvested today.



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

BRK #394

A lovely day off in Missoula. I think I caught some sun on my face while biking around all day.

Autumn is obvious and all around.





Turn south on Orange from Broadway, and just over the Clark Fork River you'll see this skate park off to your right. Seems quite popular with all the kids. Later in the day, the old heads come out and hit the curves.



Finally: "Life, uh... Finds a way."



That's all for today. Thanks for reading, and make the most of your weekend.

BRK #395

Easing back into work on a Sunday. Seems like I took care of a lot of house laundry today, for whatever reason.

Paul was interviewed recently, and the interviewers requested a picture or two of hugel berms. Here are two photos I snapped for him of the hugels just outside the house. Kind of close to the end of the season, but hopefully the massive amount of greenery is communicated.





Here's an odd squash. Not sure if this is some cross-pollinated mutant, or simply a variety I've never seen before. The way I see it, either outcome is equally possible. I suspect when we received our pumpkin seeds earlier this year, they may have included a few other varieties of gourds in the mix.



This shy pumpkin might have another week or two to put on some orange. I'm afraid it might be frosted-out if it waits too long.



Here's Donkey. She's the cat who sneaks in to snuggle with me at night. I think she's roughly 80% hardcore. The remainder, I don't know, but maybe that's for the best.



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