Swift Progress

Phil has spent the last several days pounding stakes in the ground for the greenhouse. He started with the hardest side, the cut in side (what was "uphill"). Driving steel rods four feet into the ground, when not even an inch is topsoil and, therefore, easy: he felt grateful to get four posts driven in a day. Swinging an eight pound hammer around and overhead again and again, connecting with the 3" diameter post driver: it was tough.

But yesterday he finished the nineteen posts on the uphill side, and we strung the line for the downhill side. I'm amazed by how precise it all needs to be: the posts have to be not only line up perfectly along a string, but they need to be driven to a precise depth, with the drilled hole facing exactly to the center. I am glad Phil is an engineer: I shudder to think what "greenhouse by English major" would look like.

Phil hammered in the first four posts. He said that the first couple of feet were, indeed, easier, and to only have to work hard for a foot or two, rather than four feet, made the task much easier. When Steve came today, he and Phil finished that line (minus the 19th post, which was formerly in place, but has since succumbed to water runoff and erosion. Phil plans to place that one in a concrete tube to keep it steady). And then they began to build!

The size of the first arch took our breath away. It was like our own Chartres cathedral: soaring, beautiful. As the boys went outside, each came to me and commented. "Mom, have you seen!" (Isaiah) "That REALLY BIG!" (Joe) Yes, yes!

The next four arches went up quickly, and then Steve, taller than Phil by some inches, attached the ridgepole for stability, and then one of the side connectors, too.

The view from directly across the driveway shows the slope of the land: the greenhouse pad is a steep three or four food drop from the driveway.

I think the thrill of rapid construction sustained the men, since they kept putting up pieces until all the eighteen were in place before coming in for lunch.

Afterwards, Phil began to tie the structure together with crossbeams, working until it was absolutely too light to see. Projects are fun when there is noticeable achievement.

It is our 11th Anniversary today, and this was a fabulous gift.

Nature, too, offered celebration with flowers, both few (Blue Bachelor's Buttons)

and many (strawflower, which never look as good in photos as they do in person).