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

BRK #530

Happy Taco Tuesday to you...!!!

It was like opening a Wonka Bar, and I was Charlie.



Before lunch, Wheaton Labs became the lucky new site for 6 apple trees, 4 berry bushes (two blueberry, two red raspberry), and 2 (new) grape vines. We'll see how they do this season - and for the next several years, hopefully.



Found another section of junk pole fence up at Allerton Abbey that could use some TLC. I'll tackle it next week, likely with additional Boots in tow, along with my healed finger.



Finally: I fed the four-day-old with the bottle successfully today. These two are cute, and chatty.



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

BRK #531

Today was the day I think the Spring took a turn for the "here to stay" side of things. I took snapshots of a few flowers today. Here's a daffodil in the back paddock at Basecamp.



This mullein at the Pond over on the Lab is doing its job, sending down deep roots to break up the compacted soil and dredge nutrients to the surface, so that less-swarthy plants can have a go at them. The tree stumps, I've noticed, are excellent hangouts for squirrels and especially chipmunks.



Here's one of the willows over by the Willow Bank.



Speaking of Willow Bank, I emptied the first two cans of Willow Candy over there today.



Over at the Lab, I worked on the dirt road that encircles Allerton Abbey. There's a gully forming in the middle of it, and I decided to remedy that with some basic earthworks leveling and easing. Here's what things looked like at the start of the day.



Before my mid-morning break, here's what I'd done so far. My goal was to create a gutter of sorts off to one side, then slope the road gently towards it, filling in the intrusive gully at the center as I did so.



I came back in the afternoon and chipped away at this some more, including two sweeping sections that encourage water to flow towards the new gutter. I'd like to stop here, then see how the water behaves with what I've done so far. I'll come back and fine-tune the system as I see where water collects.



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

BRK #532

This is the first-ever snake I've seen here at Wheaton Labs. Pity that Goat took it for a snack.



I can neither confirm nor deny that the wrist rocket pictured here was used today to launch seed bombs, Joseph Lofthouse-style across both Basecamp and the Lab...



Paul relented, and I somehow persuaded him to grant me two sweet potato slips to plant in the Truly Passive Greenhouse. The space was neglected essentially all of last year, and it was pretty rough in there. I hope to make it ship-shape, and have a decent crop of sweet potatoes to show for it.



Finally: after discussing the drainage ditch I added to Allerton Abbey with Paul, he suggested I have a look at the video he and his crew did back in 2020 to discuss the design and layout of everything inside the Abbey fence. Turns out my drainage ditch doesn't follow the original water flow design. But then again, there are a couple other things that don't match up with this design anymore, either.



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

Stephen B. Thomas wrote:...

Paul relented, and I somehow persuaded him to grant me two sweet potato slips to plant in the Truly Passive Greenhouse. The space was neglected essentially all of last year, and it was pretty rough in there. I hope to make it ship-shape, and have a decent crop of sweet potatoes to show for it.


...

You have my support here! Truly Passive Greenhouse is a greenhouse, isn't it? So 'greens' need to grow there

BRK #533

The sweet potatoes are now planted in the raised bed inside the Truly Passive Greenhouse. We'll be visiting there every day - at the very least, to feed the cats - so I'll be able to keep an eye on these as they grow.



Speaking of potatoes, I cut some seed potatoes today to cure. They'll be going into the ground Monday, along with some radish and kale.



Also up at the Lab, I harvested some of our stinging nettles, and Paul cooked them into his eggs today. That vibrant green is a welcome sight this time of year.



Finally: you see a lot more before foliage covers most of the ground. These bones are here to slowly feed their nutrients into the soil for the trees, but they're usually hidden by grasses and leaves.



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