Greenhouse is Up!

Huzzah! The greenhouse project is done. Greg needs to tie in the electrical and build me a potting bench, but we are done with all the hard work.

The seller says it takes 12 hours for three "DIY enthusiasts" to build this kit. The subtle disclaimer "enthusiast" should not be ignored. It's a massive 3D puzzle and if you don't follow the instructions precisely it will not fit together. You cannot fudge on the setup at all.

For two rickety, old people, it took us 25 hours spread over six days. It was simply too hot to be out there while the sun was overhead. Sadly, we had only one cloudy day, and that was on the last hour when we were tightening bolts.

Thank God, Greg's father gave him an erector set when he was a kid. That was practical experience for this type of work. Do they still sell erector sets?

Greg says he could've built a better one but it would cost three times what this one cost (for materials only). My neighbor down the road bought one ready made and it cost her $5000! That's way above my comfort range. 

I got a really good deal on this kit. I waited years for it to go down to $1000. Generally, they run $1500-2000.

The greenhouse is 9.5' x 14' on a deck that's 16' x 16'.

I'm pleased with it and I'm glad we still had the ability to do one last building project.

There are other projects ahead for the homestead, but luckily we can use machines for the heavy lifting.

This project was one of the most drawn out because it involved many different jobs to get it done.

I never anticipated a deck. I thought we could just anchor it into the earth with concrete pavers as the floor, but Greg insisted on the deck. He wanted something structurally secure to bolt down the greenhouse.

The deck is a nice addition though. I have room for chairs, and more plants!

In all, the whole project took eight weeks to complete.

We...

• Built a new compost bin...after clearing the area where it was to be sited.
  
  
• Moved the septic line 10 feet away from the new compost bin. (Ugh! More digging.)
  
  
• Took down the old compost bin.
  
  
• Dug up my asparagus crowns and irises.
  
  
• Leveled the dirt, weeding out every bit of quack grass we could find. Alas, we didn't get it all.
  
  
• Took out more trees that blocked the sun.
  
  
• Burned one of the biggest brush piles we've ever built.
  
  
• Did more leveling.
  
  
• Dug a 90 foot trench from an existing water line to create a new water line for the greenhouse.
  
  
• Put in plumbing.
  
  
• Ran an enormously thick gauge wire down the same trench as the plumbing. I hated that wiring. It was so thick it was hard to twist and move. You can imagine how hard it was to wire it into an electrical box with arthritic hands. Next to digging trenches, the wiring had to be the most labor intensive thing we did.
  
  
• Buried the trench.
  
  
• Built a base for the deck, re-leveling the dirt as we went along.
  
  
• Attached the 16 foot planks. This was another pain. In the past, we would've hand picked our own wood, but to save our backs, we ordered the wood and had it delivered. Naturally, the people who picked the wood didn't care what they loaded as long as it was the right order. Despite all our efforts to straighten out the warps, it's still wonky in places. There's only so much clamps will do. The wood will have its way.
  
  
• Built the greenhouse.

Not bad for two people on the shy side of 70.

As I'm writing this, it's raining! After months of dry weather, we finally got some good rain. It's the perfect excuse to rest our muscles for a few days.

I can get back to more regular blogging too. 

I've been away from most social media for the past two months so I might've missed some of your news. What have you been up to? Have you traveled or completed any projects of late?

I have a question that I hope someone can answer.

Did you read where the Washington Post has decided not to endorse a candidate? When I first read that I cheered.

I've always thought it was in very poor taste for any media entity to endorse anyone. They're supposed to report the news, not have an opinion.

Instead, people are losing their minds (and unsubscribing) because a newspaper isn't endorsing a candidate. Why would you even want that?

Why would anyone insist on an endorsement from any media source? Doesn't that smack the face of objective reporting?

To be fair, I expect endorsements from other conglomerates, such as unions, self interest groups, and annoyingly, even celebrities. But I draw the line at news agencies. Their integrity and critical observations need to stay beyond reproach. 

What am I missing here?

I'm glad to be back in the world, if only to rest my muscles. I start planting and repotting this week. That'll be a little more enjoyable than digging ditches and moving planks of wood.

If you happen to be shopping Amazon, start from this link. Thanks! I appreciate it.