!!! In the quiet hours of the bootcamp grind, I found myself: Esteban's Bootcamp Experience

Nancy Reading wrote:Thanks for the update Estaban. I hope your eye is feeling better. Good that the electrics are back on - good lightlng makes (working) life so much easier!

Thanks, Nancy! My eye is feeling a bit better today, so fingers crossed it keeps heading in the right direction. And yes — having the electrics back on makes such a huge difference. Amazing how much smoother everything feels when you’re not working in half-shadows. Appreciate you checking in, and hope things on your end are bright and easy too.

B.E.L. Post # 43

Today was the boots’ “Christmas tree day,” and it honestly had a really nice rhythm to it. After the morning meeting we headed over to the shop. I got the rocket mass heater going while Stephen and Molly rounded up all the tools we’d need for taking down the Christmas tree.

Once we were set, we made our way to the Abbey and did our usual routine there. When that was wrapped up, it was finally Christmas tree harvesting time. Since I’ve been keeping myself on track with a BB a day, I picked out a tree that matched the requirements for a particular BB.

Dropped the tree, then we all got to work delimbing, bucking, and loading everything onto Roy. We kept the top four feet for the Christmas tree itself. Back at basecamp we finished splitting and stacking the rest of it.

After that, we set up the Christmas tree in its base and started decorating it. Felt good to bring a little holiday cheer into the place.

We ended the day by watching Bad Santa.

Yesterday 12/11, started off with our usual morning meeting, and as soon as we wrapped up, we headed straight for the shop. Stephen got to work lighting the fire, and while he tended to that, I took a little time to show Molly the basics of draw blading — how to work with the grain, how to feel the tool bite just right. She picked it up quick.

Once things were warming up, we made our way over to the Abbey for our usual round of cat feedings and perimeter checks. We also took the chance to harvest some sunchokes, which turned out to be a pretty good haul. After that it was back to the shop to wash, sort, and prep the sunchokes for a soup before lunchtime rolled around.

After lunch we headed back to the Abbey again — round two. This time Stephen and Molly were busy harvesting some new junk poles while I was felling a large dead standing tree nearby.

B.E.L. Post # 44

After the morning meeting, we headed to the shop and got a good fire going. While it warmed up, we processed a pile of cardboard, took down the canopy, and put the picnic table away for the season. Once that was wrapped up, we emptied ash buckets at both the house and the shop.

From there we made our way to the Abbey for the usual rounds — fed the cats, walked the perimeter, and added in some new junk pole fencing to tighten things up.

The big win of the day came next: we split and stacked the wood from the dead tree I felled yesterday for my BB. It felt good to see that tree fully processed and neatly stacked, turning a hazard into future heat.

B.E.L. Post # 45

Today started a little slower than usual — I slept in and didn’t wake up until about 8. After breakfast, I headed out to the lab with little Chapito tagging along.

We took our time hiking around and exploring — Ant Village, Cooper Cabin, and the usual familiar paths. We eventually sat at the ledge by Cooper Cabin, overlooking the flowing river. It was one of those quiet moments where time slows down… just sitting there, lost in thought. Remembering parts of the past, but also feeling grounded and hopeful while looking toward the future.

After that pause, it was back to work. I knocked out my junkpole BB, harvesting poles near the tipi site. Once that was wrapped up, I headed back to basecamp and completed my live tree felling with a bow saw BB as well.

By the time everything was finished, darkness had settled in. I made my way back to my living quarters at the solarium and ended the evening quietly with some reading.

B.E.L. Post # 46

After a solid cleaning blitz, little Chapito and I headed back out to the lab and took another long wander on the land. Lots of fresh air, slow steps, and noticing the quiet details along the way.

After the hike, we harvested a few more junk poles for the Abbey and then took down a dead standing tree near the tipi site using just a bow saw—another good bb earned through sweat and patience. Back at basecamp, we fell one more dead standing tree, keeping things simple and intentional.

We wrapped up the day in a much gentler way, settling in with some reading and writing holiday cards. A full day that balanced hard work, time on the land, and a little warmth for the heart at the end.

B.E.L. Post # 47

After the morning meeting, we headed to the shop and got right into it. While Molly was lighting up the rocket mass heater and Stephen was processing cardboard, I was splitting and stacking the logs from the dead standing trees I’d fallen earlier. As a team, we also made sure the shop area was clean, organized, and feeling good to work in.

Stephen then headed to the laboratory to check on the cats, walk the perimeter, harvest sunchokes, and add a few extra tweaks over at the sawmill site. Back at the shop, Molly and I teamed up on a small but mighty project — a door stopper for the Fisher Price bathroom door. You just never know when someone might come along and Hulk smash that door open 😆 better to prevent a hole in the drywall before it happens.

Once Stephen returned with the sunchokes, we washed, weighed, and prepped them for soup. To top it off, Stephen taught me how to make the polydough for tomorrow’s bowl soup dinner.

Post # 48

After the morning meeting, we headed to the laboratory where I felled a tree with a minimum 12" diameter. After delimbing, bucking, and transporting it to the sawmill site, we put one of the logs to good use as lumber.

Stephen did a great job re-notching the ramps, and everything went smoothly at the sawmill site. It was satisfying to see the whole process come together safely and efficiently.

Afterwards, we headed back to basecamp for some chainsaw maintenance, then wrapped up the day by planting sunchokes at the lemon tree site—ending the day with a little soil work and future harvests in mind.