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

BRK #534

What a bittersweet day I've had today. First day on a town bicycle ride in months (which is absolutely spectacular), though beset with personal setbacks and weird news from back east about relatives and friends. So it goes.

Meanwhile, I thoroughly enjoyed stretching my legs and cycling round Missoula today. I meandered past the Missoula Fairgrounds and caught sight of this mural for the first time. The combination of elements strikes me as a bit odd, but I'm from out of town. Overall, it's nice. I'm curious to see how things look when the Western Montana Fair is in full swing. Maybe I'll catch it this year?



For those who don't know, a "Ghost Bike" is a monument for a bicyclist who was struck and killed by a motor vehicle. I stopped at a small garden where one of these was posted at a nearby street sign post. I remember seeing many more of these in Baltimore back in the day.



Finally: also found the local park monument for Jeannette Rankin: the first congresswoman of the United States. Also, from Missoula. Her birthday is 11th June.



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

BRK #535

Most of the day was a pleasant, very Spring-like day. Dappled clouds left here-and-there shadows on the mountainside. Thicker clouds began moving in during the late afternoon.



Maybe these are lupins? They're the loveliest flowers on the hugel berms just outside the Library.



It's always satisfying to see new buds on the apple branches.



Here's a closeup of a rhubarb's new growth.



For someone, it was Moving Day into this three-log bench.



Finally: Black Spark has been following me around all day. Maybe she'll be having her kittens soon, and needs someone to watch over them.



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

Stephen B. Thomas wrote:[b]

Maybe these are lupins? They're the loveliest flowers on the hugel berms just outside the Library.



...

Hi Stephen.
Those are Bluebells.

BRK #536

Planting ...It begins!!!



Okay, so trees and shrubs have already gone in last week. But this week, we planted conventional vegetables in some of the hugel berms. Kale, potato, and radish were put in the ground today. Lots of easy stuff, really. Here's to a fantastic harvest...!

Since this past Friday or so, the days have warmed up considerably, and clouds stay away until sometime late in the afternoon. It's a great time to be outside.



New Boot Trace and I rode ebikes up to Allerton Abbey today for our afternoon planting. He and I added radishes to the "back" hugels today.



Every couple years, it seems like the paths on the hugel berms need to be touched-up. Here's a path I carved out at the foot of one of the berms at Basecamp.



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

BRK #537

Happy Taco Tuesday to you...!

Trace and I checked-up and tuned-up the ebikes today, including adding some sturdier hardware to the connection of the bike cart. Everything is looking good now, including the batteries.



Unfortunately, I upended an ant hill over at the Lab today. It was in one of the hugel berms and I didn't notice it until ants were crawling all over my forearms.



Still, I managed to plant two patches of carrots. The seeds are too small for my patience and I refuse to plant them individually in a line. this is the best I can do.





Speaking of lines, fortunately cabbage seeds are easier to manage, primarily due to the fact they need a lot more room. Also, Trace and I are departing from the typical horizontal rows of vegetables and going vertical or with diagonals along the plane of the hugel berm. With this orientation, we'll be able to gauge the effectiveness of different locations and moisture levels with how well the plants are growing.



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