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

BRK #562

Meandered around Missoula today, and spent a fair amount of the time running errands and then sitting in the shade.



Here's a field of dandelions hard at work, along the Milwaukee Path Trail.



Sat down for a spell with this little fellow. I was tempted to grab one of its leaves for a snack, but thought twice about it.



Plus, the waterways along the Milwaukee Path Trail are open! I suspect there are gates and locks that open and close them, though I don't know for sure. Maybe they wait until there's no danger of frost or freeze.



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

BRK #563

Sunday started out all right. I did see the Aurora Borealis for the first time in my life, this past Friday night. Woke up a handful of times last night to see it again - as the forecast was calling for a dazzling night show - but it turns out that the morning was just as lovely as the night light show could have been.



This is my current non-fiction book. Paul's lent it to me for a bit, and I appreciate what I've read so far. Focusing on developing a food system that relies less and less on annual crops is admirable, and for the most part it's possible. Once I earn stewardship of an acre up at the Lab, developing my gardening efforts in that direction is something that I see as a long-range, long-term aspiration.



Speaking of long-term aspirations: here's our current strain of Sepp Holzer Grain: a special ryegrass that we're attempting to breed selectively and tune to our local climate. It ought to look great by the time the summer events wrap up.



And now for a collection of photos of a few of our cats at Basecamp.

Here's Top G.



Here's Rose the Nose. She's currently in heat, but I hope she doesn't become pregnant.



Here's Razzberry.



Here's Carl, or Carla. I think she's currently pregnant.



My Number One, Donkey, has been missing for over three weeks. I think that we'll never see her again. I miss her, and will for a long time.

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

BRK #564

I woke up today dedicated to finishing the prep for our GAMCOD hugel berm. And it turns out that it's looking good. We'll be planting on it tomorrow. Here's Brian watering the berm in the spots where we added mulch.



We set up sprinklers at different locations inside the perimeter of Allerton Abbey so they would be irrigated while we worked elsewhere. This is informally the Tree Alley, and I want to see all these trees stay healthy and grow throughout the year.



Black Spark's kittens seem to be healthy. They're opening their eyes at this point. Maybe in another month she'll bring them outside. I think they are three weeks old at this point...?



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

I'm creating a post to ask for help repairing the ice maker. Any way you could post the make, model and a picture of the label? Possibly the cover of the owner's manual? Beau suggested we ask for assistance to get it up and running for the Summer Events.

BRK #565

All this time, I thought the reason why junk pole fences would fall down from time to time was because of wind, deer, the occasional scathing dirty look, etc. But today I found out the real cause: trees climbing in-between the slats and prying them apart...! GAH!





Speaking of witnessing surprises, I realized today that I hadn't gathered all the sunchokes (AKA jerusalem artichokes) I'd stored in the cold frame. Today I noticed well over a dozen sprouts right at the bottom edge of where the window frame had been resting, crowding all over one another in an effort to grow.



Ben, Brian, and I carefully lifted them out of the sand and transplanted them to the top peaks of several different hugel berms at Allerton Abbey.



It was also amusing to note that there were already more sunchoke sprouts growing at the peaks of several of the hugels. But, of course...! Ben remarked as we were transplanting, "Now that I know what to look for, I'm seeing them everywhere. You get to know a plant by its look."

The three of us also spent a fair amount of time building up the Dogstar Pen area. Ben and Brian felled and peeled a few more trees, while I dug out some post holes and test-fitted the vertical supports.





I'm looking forward to making a comfy spot for dogs to spend their time while their keepers are off doing summer event-ish or Boot-ish stuff elsewhere. There's a ways to go, and we have a plan to make it happen.

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