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

BEL #655

It was a "last days of summer" kind of vibe in Missoula today. Lots of floats on the river, lots of sunbathers, lots of bicycles and walkers.



Now that the summer events are over, today was my first legit day off since before July. Actually had time to write a letter to an old friend in Baltimore today. Did a lot more bicycling through town today as well. I stumbled across some vintage tractor equipment for sale. I think this one's a soil sifter of some kind. It looks to me like the plow blade digs into the earth, then the soil is sent along the beat-up conveyor belt beneath the driver's seat...?



This one looks much more like a row-maker/furrow-maker for field grains. Either that, or a medieval torturing device.



Finally: the town is still recovering from its bout with intense windstorms. The deposit spot for downed tree limbs and "excess" wood from felled trees is over by the Fairgrounds. Yards still have debris and browning, leafy branches that have yet to be collected by public works.



I had a very good feeling about Missoula today. I still feel somewhat like an outsider, while at the same time comfortable about calling western Montana my home.

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

BEL #656

The schedule around here seems less hectic, at least on the weekends. Chris and I turned to Nest Labor Projects, and today I decided to start work on some wood-burned signs. Being that we're shutting down the outdoor Shower Shack for the season soon, I started a "Closed" sign for it. The finished project will be laminated with raw linseed oil to protect it from the elements, allowing it to last just a little bit longer.

I grabbed a few scrap pieces of paneling, each about a foot in length. Using this "shinto" rasp, I worked the sharp corners into smoother, rounded ones.



I retrieved the wood-burning tools from the Shop, and it must have been during the summer events that the tip of the soldering tool was switched out and while I found the previous tip I'd used for sign-making, for some reason it wasn't screwing tightly and securely into the bit-holder any longer. After some more consideration, I settled for a different bit that seemed to fit snugly into the bit-holder.



After finding a working tool, I roughed-out the design on the wood with pencil and a straight edge. This would be my guide, and helped me stay on task, avoiding "scope creep" but also maintaining a level of quality beyond the typical "thin line" style of lettering I've seen on various projects made by others.



After various starts and stops -including an interlude for dinner and another to watch Star Wars: Rogue One in Paul Theater - I finished this first draft. I'm still not satisfied with what I've started, but I can always come back to this for some fill-in work and final touches, and maybe some better lettering before I coat it with oil.



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

I believe that first piece of equipment is a potato digger/sorter.  I'm not sure if the field is worked over to get the spuds on the surface or if that scoops below the tubers.  But the spuds jangle their way up the conveyor to remove much of the dirt.

BEL #657

The week begins, and enthusiasm is high. Chris and I started our day over at the Lab. We're spending plenty of our allotted time caring for the trees over there, as they're a major priority in terms of growies. One of the areas we started this year is an area we call the Willow Grove. It's a "Willow Candy Drop-off Spot" we started at the Lab, and was started with six cuttings of willow and cottonwood. Three for certain - and possibly a fourth - are alive and well. This little willow is showing off some lighter-green-coloured new growth, possibly all from this past weekend.



Back at Basecamp, beyond tree care and irrigation we're transitioning gradually to harvest tasks. We started collecting Sepp Holzer Grain (a hardy variety of rye) along the road berms today. Plenty more to collect. Prior to his departure, I hope to show Chris how we thresh and winnow the grain: with pillow cases and box fans, respectively.



Here's one of the last bastions of convenient pollinator treats. I think these are called Bachelor Buttons, though they look a bit different from the first group I'd seen earlier this year.



Finally: I was surprised to find that some of our bush beans took, and besides that they took off right at the top of one of the hugels.



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

BEL #658

Happy Taco Tuesday to you...!!!

The dog days of summer bring with them some lovely clouds.





Speaking of looking up, the sunchokes over at the Boots' GAMCOD hugel berm are flowering...! Things are looking healthy over there.



Just below them, another potato plant has flowers blooming on it.



Chris and I brought in the rhubarb we started in the rocket-boosted dehydrator last week. I think we left them in there far longer than necessary. But at least we know they're thoroughly dried.



Sealed securely in a jar, and ready for breakfast!



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