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

Definitely within the general asset system, FYI not sure if it's still there or needed, but I did leave a glass replacement stove cooktop in Dogstar under the bed when I was staying there.

BEL #617

Week Two of the PTJ. The temperature finally reached 100 degrees F today... Sitting in the shade still feels like 15 degrees cooler.

Also: Happy International Talk Like the Swedish Chef Day...!
(full disclosure: this is something we made up just last night to spring on the PTJ guests, and it totally worked!)

The nettle cat house frame is complete. I assume the mycelium blocks are still percolating, though I'm certain they'll be applied soon now that the frame is all done.



My schedule (and the fact I didn't want to wear my vest - the thing that holds my digital camera - in today's warm weather) only permitted me to catch photos in the afternoon, and at Basecamp. However, while there, I had a look at Mike Haasl's pole jig, which he'd set up next to the patio for the Patio Pavilion Project. So that's what those extra-long logs outside the Library were used to make...



Here's a closeup of some of the lovely joints that will hold the Pavilion together.



And somebody call my buddy Mario. We found his hammer.



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

BEL #618

Happy Taco Tuesday to you...!

I had a chance to visit the Humus Well Project Site today. The scale of the project is impressively large.



Eliot had an opportunity to demonstrate his nifty log-lifting attachment for the tractor today.



Samantha and Cedar had arrived today as well, and in the afternoon Samantha was demonstrating how to use some of her recently-acquired tools for quickly and efficiently cleaning and then carding wool.



Once cleaned and straightened, wool was wrapped and then bundled like this:



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

BEL #619

Walking down from the tent early this morning, I had a chance to see the Patio Pavilion Project in a rare quiet moment. Plenty of impressive engineering feats happening there these past several days.



Here's an old-skool drill press (or auger press...?) Mike Haasl and his team have been using for the numerous examples of roundwood joinery in that project.



Surprise, James...! I caught you prepping for another welding task.



As part of our heat protocol (any time temperatures reach 95 degrees F or higher), we make slushies for everyone at Basecamp. Katt and the rest of the kitchen staff decided to make frozen berry puree this time around. I dare say it was... berry nice.



Meanwhile, a speckled black-and-white fly decided to perch on my hand for a bit in the afternoon sun. It was one of those types that has a proboscis and sucks the salt off your skin.



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

BEL #620

This bee insisted on joining me for breakfast today.



Today was the first time I'd ever driven Judy (our red hauler truck) solo to drive a load in the dump trailer. Today's cargo was gravel, which was needed for the Root Cellar project and a couple others.



I dropped off the trailer at the foot of the mountain leading to the Lab, then picked it up again with the tractor to take it the rest of the way to its destination. Today was definitely the first trip up the mountain with a loaded trailer: low gear all the way, and nearly-full throttle the entire time. Easily 5 tons of gravel in there.



Meanwhile: there are three baby robins in the nest inside the Berm Shed. It looks like at least one of them is hungry all the time.



Tonight was also Game Night. Matt Goto and I played a round of this gorgeous and surprisingly brain-burner of a card game designed by an acquaintance of mine: Arboretum. Lots of fun, and I suspect it would be even more interesting with more players.



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