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

BRK #503

It was chillier than anticipated this morning. Frost lingered until well after lunch, and the sun was barely out for more than 15 minutes at a time. Even then, it wasn't much.



This is my favourite "rocket contraption" at Wheaton Labs, and I've been using it all week. The rocket water heater is a fantastic design, elegant in its simplicity, and safe as hell. It will never explode (...unlike a conventional water heater could, for example).



Finally: the certificates issued here for our various events are some of the fanciest I've seen in my adult life.



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

BRK #504

A rainy day heralded the close of the Garden Master Course. These little green guys were popping out all over the hugel berms.



Installed a very temporary sand ramp to assist people in entering and exiting the Solarium. Replacing the rocks and making the entryway much more stable is on the priority list, definitely before the summer events occur.



"Fare thee well, bad potatoes. I barely knew thee." I added these to two separate locations on the hugel berms inside the Inner Paddock at Basecamp. We'll see if anything hangs on to be a volunteer... Else, they'll be worm food.



I was wary of our chances of success when Mike Haasl suggested we make pizza for Friday night's dinner - of course, using the rocket oven. It was my first time using the rocket oven without the assist of the summer heat. However, as soon as the first pizza came out (with a lovely crust and fantastic aroma), I remembered just how much fun and how satisfying it was to bake with it. Here's Mike, feeding the oven fire.



Kitty break: Black Spark channels her inner Mean Girl. Bonus: a clueless Batman AKA Puff also appears.



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

These little green guys were popping out all over the hugel berms.

 Trying to identify.  Possibly dead nettles?

BRK #505

Woke up at 4am today to drive the last guests from the Garden Master Course to the airport. And with that, we can stick a fork in it. It's done. Nothing left to do but clean up.

While driving to the airport, it was foggy and snowy. However, temperatures were right on the cusp of freezing. So although I have a view of a lovely wintry scene below, imagine that it was all melted off by 2pm that afternoon.



I also stopped by Allerton Abbey to feed the cats. Normally timid, by my standards, as soon as they knew I'd be feeding them they were all exceedingly courageous, even turning their backs on me. I must be losing my edge.



Did event laundry most of the day, and now all the sheets and pillowcases are cleaned and folded, the mound of linens in the laundry room now disappeared. I ate leftovers for dinner in the evening, and then put these spare cabbages to use (well, two of the three, anyway) as sauerkraut fermented cabbage*, with black pepper and oregano.

Before:



After:



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

*: Paul apparently hates sauerkraut, but he thinks my fermented cabbage is delicious...! Well, so do I.

Definitely Dead Nettles on the hugel berm. Its scientific name "Lamium purpureum". Another so-called "weed" that is a completely edible wildflower packed full of vitamin C, Iron & fibre. A great medicinal herb.

The seeds contain an oil which contains those precious antioxidants. It tastes great not bitter at all, its actually related to mint so you can eat it raw fresh from the ground put  it in salads, teas, wines, balms, whatever you fancy.

This plant has been used for centuries for its medicinal benefits it's anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal. It's traditionally used as a natural treatment for seasonal allergies the anti-allergy properties of purple dead nettle come from flavonoids. Flavonoids have the ability to reduce the release of histamine.

The leaves of the purple dead-nettle plant can also be placed on wounds or cuts to stop bleeding.

It's an incredible plant full of goodness, delicious, medicinal a true permie approved fun edible wildflower we can all enjoy and you've got them coming up all over the hugel.