Esteban Ademovski

B.E.L. Post # 264

This morning started with the cleaning blitz, which was, as always, very delightful. 😂 After that, I headed over to the berm extender in front of the Red Cabin and gave it a good watering. I also got some chop-and-drop done and watered a few things by hand with the watering can.

In the afternoon, Sam and I headed over to the Abbey to harvest more junkpoles to keep filling in the fencing panels for tomorrow. I harvested 35 poles myself today, bringing my total to 100 junkpoles since Friday. It’s definitely been a productive few days of harvesting. 💪

After we wrapped things up, I spent the rest of the evening slowing things down a bit. I read, journaled, sketched, and just relaxed with Chapito.

With my one-year mark here at Wheaton Labs getting ever so closer, I've also found myself doing a little more reflecting lately. A lot has happened in this nearly year here, and it’s interesting to look back at where I started, what I’ve learned, and all the different projects and experiences that have become part of my journey here.

Tonight was a good evening to just sit with those thoughts and enjoy a little quiet time.

Mike Haasl wrote:How many junk pole fence sections have you built during your time at WL?

Honestly, I’d say I’m probably over 70 of the 9' sections  by now. I haven’t really been keeping track of an exact number, but thinking back on everything we’ve worked on, I’m pretty sure it’s at least 70+.

The windstorm gave us about 30 panels that were completely down and another 10 or so that were leaning. Then there were the 6–8 sections around the Abbey entrance that were originally metal animal fencing, plus all the sections we’ve been working through from the entrance toward the Cooper Cabin gate.

A bunch of those needed to be rebuilt because the posts were rotted out at ground level— specifically the ones that didn’t have gravel socks.

So yeah, 70+ is probably a pretty good ballpark ...

B.E.L. Post # 263

Today started off pretty simple. I filled up the turtle water tanks and then headed out to the Abbey with Dan.

Once we got there, I got back to harvesting junkpoles. I ended up getting 40 today, which brings my total to 65 harvested since Friday. I’m actually pretty happy with that number. When you’re out there working pole after pole, it doesn’t always feel like you’re accomplishing that much in the moment. Then you stop and look at the pile and realize, “Wow, I actually got a lot done.”

There’s something I enjoy about this kind of work. It’s physical, it keeps me moving, and there’s a pretty direct connection between the work I’m doing and the materials that will eventually be used for something around the Abbey. It feels good knowing that what I’m harvesting isn’t just sitting there—it’s going toward something.

Dan spent part of the day working on the solar for the Abbey, so we were both keeping busy with our own projects.

After we got back to Base Camp, I didn’t really feel like jumping into another big project. I just wanted to slow down for a bit. I spent the afternoon reading and hanging out with the fellow boots.

I think I’m starting to appreciate those moments more. Out here, there’s always something that could be worked on, something that needs fixing, or another task waiting around the corner. But sometimes it’s nice to just sit back, read a little, talk with the people around you, and let the day settle in.

It was a pretty simple day, but honestly, those are starting to be some of my favorite days here. A little work, a little progress, some time with good people, and some quiet time to myself. I’m good with that.

B.E.L. Post # 262

We started our morning at the Abbey, and it turned into one of those days where everyone was working on a different piece of the puzzle, but it all came together by the end of the day.

Sam was working on fixing the V's on some of the older versions of the fencing, while Dan was working on the solar panels. Jesse and I were working our way along the newer fence panels, slipping junkpoles into place and continuing to build them up.

Before we headed back to Base Camp, we tied down two 10' sections of animal fencing to the roof of the RAV4 and brought them back with us. It was one of those little logistical things that doesn't seem like much at the time, but having the materials where we needed them made the afternoon's work possible.

After lunch, I had Dan and Sam use those sections of animal fencing to shore up the house fencing. Those panels were built using an older version of the fencing design, and some V formations have been occurring in them. Covering those areas with the animal fencing should help protect things in the meantime, until we can eventually bring that section of fencing up to date with the newer design.

While they worked on that, I got some more tractor time in. I staged five tractor buckets worth of soil so Stephen could spread it along the newly formed road. I always enjoy getting more seat time on the tractor, and being able to use it to help move the project along makes the time on it even more worthwhile.

Once I finished up with the tractor, we all headed back to the Lab. We finished out the day with a junkpole harvesting blitz, getting a good supply cut and staged so Jesse will have plenty ready to work with during the next boot Week.

Looking back at the day, I really like how the work here tends to build on itself. We're not always finishing an entire project in one day, but we're constantly making progress, fixing what needs fixing, preparing materials for the next step, and setting things up so the next person can keep moving forward.

B.E.L. Post # 261

We started our morning over at the Abbey and continued working on the fencing, while Stephen was busy irrigating the berms and the baby trees.

After lunch, I went back to working on my little garden project. Today I added some yellow clover, sunflowers, and walking onions to my section of the bed. It’s slowly turning into a little community garden of its own, because Jesse decided to claim a section for herself and will be planting in it shortly. 😁

I also spent some time doing chop-and-drop, then started another little project within the project — laying out and building the foundation for a stone bird bath.

The garden bed is definitely starting to come together. What started as a bunch of rocks, logs, mulch, and woody bits is slowly becoming an actual growing space.

B.E.L. Post # 260

This morning we headed off to the Abbey, where Jesse, Dan, Sam, and I continued working on the fencing. Once we finished our sections, we closed off the remaining gaps with metal fencing that had been brought over from the pond. Thanks, Stephen! While we were working, Stephen also took care of the dehydrator back at Base Camp and irrigated the Abbey.

After lunch, I went back to my personal project—a little garden bed I've been building on a rocky ledge at the Lab.

I've been working on this project for about a week and a half now, slowly building it up and figuring out how I wanted everything to come together. The garden area is approximately 5 feet wide by 10 feet long, and when I started, it only had about 2 inches of soil.

I began by building a small berm along the outer edge. I layered mulch, logs, and soil, watering each layer before adding the next. I've now built it up through five layers.

The ground level inside the area was still about 6–8 inches below the path that comes from the Turtle Lot, runs alongside the horseradish berm, and continues toward the hydrant. So I repeated the same basic process to bring the garden bed up closer to the level of the path—mulch, woody bits, kitchen compost, and soil.

I also wanted to divide the bed into individual sections, so I headed over to the shop, cut some pieces of wood, and made dividers. I added supports on both ends to stabilize them and drilled holes through the supports so I can use small bamboo stakes to keep everything securely in place.

Then came another layer of pine cones followed by soil.

Including the baby berm, I now have seven sections in the garden bed. My idea is to eventually let each boot plant seeds in their own compartment. I think it'll be a fun little team-building project—everyone gets their own space to work with while still being part of the same garden. Go boot team 2026!!

In the center, I also made a square compartment. I put pine cones in the bottom, followed by about half a pail of compost and then soil. Around Johnny Appleseed Day in November, I'm planning to put a peach pit in there and see what happens. 🌱🍑

Along one side of the garden bed, I placed a 7-foot-6-inch-long log with an 8-inch diameter to serve as a border on one side. I bored four holes through it and drove 14-inch pieces of rebar through the log and into the rocky bed to stake it securely.

One thing I really like about using the wood dividers and the log as borders is that, eventually, they'll rot down and return their nutrients to the soil. So even the materials holding the garden together will eventually become part of the garden itself.

And I'm not building this project just for future boots. I'm also doing it as my own way of giving something back to Wheaton Labs. I've gotten a lot out of being here, and it's nice to leave something behind that future boots can enjoy, build on, and hopefully add their own ideas to.

Across from the garden bed, I'd eventually like to put in a little sitting bench. It'll give people a place to sit, look over the garden, and take in the beautiful scenery to the north.

To the right of the garden bed is another rocky section of the ledge, sitting roughly 10 feet above the new road Paul recently created with the excavator. I want to build up and reinforce that area, and eventually put in a stone birdbath there.

I'll be talking with Paul, Fred, or Stephen about the best way to chisel out a depression in the stone for the birdbath when I get to that stage.   I think that'll be another great little touch, and once everything comes together, it'll help tie the whole area together.

After working on my garden project, I did some chop-and-drop and some chainsaw maintenance before wrapping up the day.

B.E.L. Post # 259

We started our morning over at the Abbey and continued working on the fencing that leads toward the Cooper Cabin gate. Slowly but surely, that stretch of fence is starting to look like an actual fence instead of a collection of posts, junkpoles, and questionable life decisions. 😂

After lunch, I climbed back onto the tractor and spent some time staging soil material that Stephen will be using for the road. There’s something oddly satisfying about moving dirt around with a tractor—even when you know you're probably just going to move some of it again later. 😆

After that, I got some chop-and-drop done and spent some time irrigating the baby trees, making sure the little guys don't get forgotten out here.

I wrapped up the day by spending the last hour working on my personal project. It's been fun watching that little project slowly take shape, especially knowing it'll eventually be something future boots can enjoy too.

Not a bad way to spend another day at Wheaton Labs. A little fencing, a little tractor time, some trees, some dirt, and a personal project to finish things off. Pretty much exactly the kind of day I came here for. 🌲🚜

Yesterday 2026/09/14

We all started our morning by heading out to the Abbey to continue our fencing adventures. At this point, I think the fence is slowly becoming a member of the boot family. 😂

I was able to wrap up the portion I had been working on, while Jesse continued filling in her section and Dan and Sam worked on framing some of the other sections. It was nice seeing everyone steadily putting the pieces together and watching the fence slowly turn from a collection of sticks into something that actually resembles a fence.

After lunch, I hopped on the tractor and hauled 10 buckets of soil over to the new road Paul had cleared out with the excavator. I staged everything along the road so Stephen could continue filling and working it in the following day. Nothing quite like spending part of the afternoon moving dirt around one bucket at a time and pretending you're getting paid by the bucket. 😂🚜

After giving the tractor a rest, I got into some chop-and-drop, took care of a little chainsaw maintenance, and then spent some time working on my personal project. I'm still plugging away at that one, with the hope that it'll eventually be something future boots can enjoy and hopefully appreciate rather than wonder, “What the heck was this guy doing?” 😂

And somewhere in the middle of all that, I had the pleasure of meeting Fred again. It's always nice running into a familiar face around the Lab.

All in all, another good day at Wheaton—some fencing, some dirt moving, some chainsaw tinkering, a little personal-project time, and enough tractor seat time to keep me happy. Not a bad way to spend a day. 🌱🚜🪓

B.E.L. Post # 258

I started my morning feeling quite refreshed, which was a nice change of pace. I took a long walk around the lab and spent some time enjoying the scenery before getting the day properly started.

After that, I joined everyone else for the cleaning blitz, which was quite delightful as always. There’s something about getting a bunch of boots together, putting in some work, and seeing everything come together that makes even cleaning feel pretty enjoyable.

Once that was finished, I continued working on a personal project of mine. I’m keeping the details under wraps for now, but it’s something I’m putting together with future boots in mind. Hopefully, when the time comes, it’ll be something that makes their experience here just a little bit better. There’s a certain satisfaction in building something today that someone else will get to enjoy later.

I spent the remainder of the day simply enjoying the company of my fellow boots. We took a hike around the lab, enjoyed the scenery, talked, laughed, and generally made the most of a beautiful day here.

And, of course, I got to spend some quality time with my little Chapito, who seems to believe that wherever I go, he is legally required to come along. 😂

Today wasn’t necessarily about knocking out a huge list of accomplishments. It was more about enjoying the place, the people, the dog, and the opportunity to be here.

Sometimes those are the days you remember the most.

B.E.L. Post # 257

I started my morning by sleeping in a little bit. Apparently, Chapito decided I had gotten enough beauty sleep, because he eventually started smacking me in the head with his paw until I got the message. 😂 I guess when you have a dog, the alarm clock is optional—but the snooze button definitely isn’t.

After giving my little alarm clock his much-needed morning walk, I got started with some chainsaw maintenance and a little chop-and-drop. From there, I moved into some earthworks prep.

I brought out a few tractor buckets worth of soil to replenish a pile that I had used up for one of my own little side projects. It was a nice way to get some tractor time in while also putting the soil back to good use. One of these days I might actually stop finding excuses to get on that tractor... but today wasn't that day. 😂

For the rest of the day, I spent my time having fun with the other boots. There's something pretty great about being able to work hard, learn new things, joke around, and just enjoy the day with good people.

All in all, a pretty good day—and apparently Chapito agrees, since he got exactly what he wanted this morning. 😆

Another day in the books at Wheaton Labs. 🌱