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

B.E.L. Post # 49

Today we woke up to the aftermath of some very heavy winds that moved through the area overnight. Along with a loss of power, the storm left behind a fair amount of damage. Many trees were down, and whole sections of junk pole fencing were knocked over. This will definitely set us back for a bit.

At basecamp, large portions of the junk pole fencing were blown down. Over at the Abbey, the damage was even more evident—fencing was either completely blown over or crushed by fallen trees.

After assessing the damage at the laboratory, we headed back to basecamp. The rest of the day was spent on chainsaw maintenance and beginning the process of getting the junk pole fencing back in order. It’s slow, necessary work, but a solid first step toward recovery after the storm.

Oh my, that really sucks.  If you have large enough stretches that have fallen, you might consider the wavy deer fence.  I believe Paul's a fan of it and this might be a chance to attempt it.  I'd be happy to consult for best results.

Another philosophical parallel method I just thought of would be something called a Short Junky.  In my area, deer don't jump two 4' high fences that are 4' apart.  My wavy deer fence is 5' high with a 5 foot spread.  The theory is that deer won't jump two fences due to the 3 dimensionality of it.  The inner fence can just be a wire or branch and the outer fence has to prevent them from walking/sneaking through.

So imagine an outer junkpole fence that's 5' high.  Pretty darn easy to make and much less likely to blow over.  Then 5' inside of it have another junk pole that's 5' off the ground.  Like a hitching post.  The solid outer one keeps the deer (and chickens) from walking through and the inner one scares them from jumping.

They could maybe even be braced to each other to negate the need for rock jacks...

B.E.L. Post # 50

Had a productive day out at the property today!  After our morning meeting, we headed to the laboratory to swap out the backup battery at the solar station. While we were out there, we took the opportunity to fill up containers with water for transport back to basecamp.

The afternoon was dedicated to fence repair work. We tackled the junkpole fencing that needed attention and managed to repair approximately 24 feet of it - good progress for the day.  Wrapped things up with some evening games to unwind after all the physical work.

Mike Haasl wrote:Oh my, that really sucks.  If you have large enough stretches that have fallen, you might consider the wavy deer fence.  I believe Paul's a fan of it and this might be a chance to attempt it.  I'd be happy to consult for best results.

Another philosophical parallel method I just thought of would be something called a Short Junky.  In my area, deer don't jump two 4' high fences that are 4' apart.  My wavy deer fence is 5' high with a 5 foot spread.  The theory is that deer won't jump two fences due to the 3 dimensionality of it.  The inner fence can just be a wire or branch and the outer fence has to prevent them from walking/sneaking through.

So imagine an outer junkpole fence that's 5' high.  Pretty darn easy to make and much less likely to blow over.  Then 5' inside of it have another junk pole that's 5' off the ground.  Like a hitching post.  The solid outer one keeps the deer (and chickens) from walking through and the inner one scares them from jumping.

They could maybe even be braced to each other to negate the need for rock jacks...

Hey Mike,

I wanted to follow up and thank you for bringing that up. I did mention what you shared during this morning’s meeting, and even though we ended up proceeding with the same style we had been using before, I really appreciated you taking the time to speak up and share your perspective.

It’s something that genuinely caught my interest, and it’s been sitting with me. I can absolutely see myself wanting to apply that approach one day at my family’s farm ( my father has approx 100 acres oversea's before he immigrated to the states) It’s always good to be exposed to different ways of doing things, and I’m grateful you put it on the table.

Thanks again for saying something — I appreciate it.

Yesterday Friday 12/19

After the morning meeting, we headed to the laboratory to fill up the water containers and recharge the emergency backup batteries. While there, we took more time to assess the damage to the junkpole fencing at the Abbey. The storm brought down a significant section — a total of 25 fencing panels were found down.

From there, we returned to basecamp and continued work on repairing the garden fencing. This involved delimbing and bucking the two trees that had fallen during the high winds, followed by replacing four fence posts along the road to restore the fence line.

By the end of the day, after a lot of steady effort, power was finally restored, bringing a welcome sense of relief and closure to a long day of recovery work.

B.E.L. Post # 51

After breakfast this morning, I got right into the day by completing a few BBs around basecamp. I did laundry by hand, cleaned four windows inside and out, and submitted the delimb four trees BB from earlier work.  Also was working on debarking a 5' log ...

Later on, I headed out to the laboratory area where I felled two dead-standing trees, continuing to improve safety and resource management on site.

I wrapped up the evening in a slower, more reflective way—spending time with my dog and walking up to Raspberry Rock. It was a peaceful way to end the day, taking a moment to reflect on life and appreciate the quiet after a full day of hands-on work.

hi Esteban,    you are a fantastic writer!....
delighted you and your precious pal/pup found your way up to wheaton labs and doing great learning and working all sorts of homesteading skills at your new home place...

thank you for all your writings and pics.....   you are v. inspirational and fun to read....   keep it up!  great work.  
Have a good winter solstice today!   and wonderful holidays and new yr.  we give you and the gang there much Light and  love from So Oregon coast, aranka and my darling b. collie rumi    

aranka fisher wrote:hi Esteban,    you are a fantastic writer!....
delighted you and your precious pal/pup found your way up to wheaton labs and doing great learning and working all sorts of homesteading skills at your new home place...

thank you for all your writings and pics.....   you are v. inspirational and fun to read....   keep it up!  great work.  
Have a good winter solstice today!   and wonderful holidays and new yr.  we give you and the gang there much Light and  love from So Oregon coast, aranka and my darling b. collie rumi    

Aww Aranka,

Thank you so much for your incredibly kind and uplifting words — they truly touched my heart. Reading your message felt like a warm hug on a winter day. I’m deeply grateful for your encouragement and for taking the time to share it with me.

And thank you as well for the two beautiful photos you sent — they absolutely made me smile. There’s something so grounding and joyful about seeing moments of beauty shared with such care. Please give your darling border collie Rumi a gentle pat from me and my pup 🐾

Wheaton Labs has been a special place of learning, growth, and connection, and it means a great deal to know that my words and photos resonate beyond these hills. Your light, love, and thoughtful energy traveled all the way here from the Oregon coast, and I felt every bit of it.

Wishing you a bright and meaningful Winter Solstice, and a holiday season filled with warmth, peace, and good moments with those you love. May the new year bring continued inspiration, health, and joy to you and Rumi.