Monday, November 15, 2010

The Great Greenhouse Grip of Gr

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Just can't find a way to complete that title. So like so many things, it remains unfinished, yet hopeful for the future.

Saturday, Michael had great fun at the paintball games. He came home unhurt but for a direct hit on a knuckle which remains awfully stiff, and remarkably devoid of paint on his camouflage outerwear. With 8 kills notched on his stock, he was sadly killed 9 times. Die Another Day, James Bond.

However, he did bring home some germs and we both have been dealing with headaches, eye aches, body aches and sore throats ever since.

While he was gone I managed to get the center purlin pipe up by myself. All the old bolts that came with the unit many years ago were cheap ones and had rusted in completely locked positions. Most of them had to be cut off.

We don't have a bolt cutter, or a vice to hold clamps while we hacksaw them off. So I borrowed a hand-held band saw from my dad and reluctantly and extremely c.a.r.e.f.u.l.l.y held the purlin pipe clamps with their rusted bolts up to the inverted band saw. I still am a little more wary around a saw blade than I was before I ran my fingers through a skill saw a couple of years ago. But all went well, and after several hours, I got all the bolts off.

The replacements were galvanized for long wear out of doors. I had purchased all our bolts when we dismantled the greenhouse originally. It's a good thing, because those alone were about 75 dollars. Ignore the sound of a body thudding backwards in a faint.

So picture me, balancing on a rickety step ladder on a rough field, trying to hold up 45 foot of pipe and fasten it over my head.

Pretty funny, eh?

The day was beautiful and I enjoyed getting this project even further along. It's been a long wait.

So after a Sunday of office cleaning, we came home and just crashed on the couch, hoping for a movie. I don't recommend the comic book action movie "Constantine". Hallmark seems to be running endless repeats of holiday movies. Why do so many holiday movies involve the death of mom and loss of a house? I am in serious need of chocolate after watching these things.

Today we are back at schoolwork and putting two more rows of purlins along the sides. I was going to buy treated 2x2s for this, but they were 3 dollars each. 2x4s were only 2 dollars. Don't tell me it costs 2 dollars to run a board through a saw blade. We'll have great places to hang tools inside the greenhouse with these.

Wish so much I had photos to share with you for future project ideas, but I'll try to document when it's all done. A dear blogging friend has sent me money towards fixing my camera. What a blessing. As soon as I've got a little more, I'm going to send it off and have my DSLR back and running again. WOOT!

Off to the purly greens...

~Faith

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12 comments:

  1. I won't be long for you now!!!!

    Linda
    http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

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  2. The mental image of you on the rickety step ladder reminded me of so many of our projects...gave me a laugh.

    I know how you feel about one project at a time. I have a long list of needed projects, but they all involve saving money up to buy materials....

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  3. I love the Hallmark Channel, especially around Christmas time. Nothing like never ending happy endings.

    Maybe this year they will show "The Greenhouse Miracle."

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  4. Nancy,

    I often have to catch myself and stop daydreaming. I end up imagining all the things I could do if money were no object. Fun, fun, FUN!

    But I think the fun of the challenge would be gone. Still..... I am very good at finding challenges wherever I am and whatever I am doing. Makes everything much more interesting.

    ~Faith

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  5. Chai,

    We tried another one. "One Magic Christmas."

    Wow. That should have been named "One Tragic Christmas!" Did you see it yet? LOL

    We came inside today after finishing the purlins in pouring rain, to dry off with cocoa and a Christmas movie.

    OK, the mom was depressed, the family was plumb broke, the dad went behind the mom's back to take out money from the bank. Dad gets shot and killed by a bank robber. Kids are kidnapped by the bank robber while mom is sobbing over dad's body. She runs out of gas chasing chasing bank robber with her children in the car, she runs after them on foot (my heart is breaking by now) then the bank robber crashes. The car goes off the bridge. The car hits water. The car sinks underneath icy river,

    Children dead.

    Mom numb sags onto tub in bathroom, alone that night.

    I can't take it. LOL

    ~Faith

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  6. Faith, Oh My Goodness - I will definitely make sure to miss that one. Are you sure you were watching the right channel?

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  7. I actually like the Hallmark Channel movies - it is the cathartic thing, but I have to agree "One Magic Christmas" is one I can't watch, just way too much pathos. I agree with Chai Chai - a "Greenhouse Miracle" (has to be for all three of us!) would be a great movie....

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  8. Wow thanks, we'll be sure not to rent that, it sounds awful!

    Christmas is not played( movies or music) until the day after Thanksgiving here. It gives us something to look forward to and it's not so long of a period that we get sick of it all.

    Praying you get your camera fixed or replaced, we miss all of your beautiful photos.

    The ladder story, I didn't want to picture, as I don't like ladders to begin with, it isn't heights that scare me, it's the unstable ladder.*wink*

    Take care and you are not the only one with unfinished projects. In fact I've told Mike no new projects until all the unfinished ones are done! LOL!
    Blessings,
    Kelle

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  9. Nancy,

    With the rainy weather, I tend to let the Hallmark channel play as I work in here, but I do wish they'd have a higher percentage of "fun" movies. I love stuff like "I'll Be Home For Christmas" with Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Cute fluffy movies like that. LOL

    I'll keep my eye out for the Greenhouse Miracle. I could use one of those. :o)

    ~Faith

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  10. Kelle,

    Usually we have the same rule around here. No Christmas ANYthing until the day after Thanksgiving. But I seem to be a little too worn out to stick to that rule this year.

    It's hard to hold back on projects sometimes. We can start so many, just with labor, but the finishing them usually requires funds that are not so readily available. So much to do!

    ~Faith

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  11. Faith I hope you guys don't get sick this close to the holidays. I can't wait to see pics of the greenhouse. do you plan on using it this winter? Do you have seeds started yet?

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I always enjoy hearing from others. If you become a regular commenter, I'll assume you are being friendly and pretty much comment regularly right back. :o) God bless and have a terrific day!