Greenhouse progress

The foundation for the greenhouse is done and now the walls are beginning to be framed. Unfortunately, it won't get worked on for too many more days before we have to stop to change focus...no, not because of a baby but because the addition construction (so that Don's folks can move in) will begin next week!

Anyway, the foundation for the greenhouse was quite an undertaking. A trench about 2.5 feet down and 2.5 wide was dug in a square, along the 16x16' perimeter of the greenhouse. That's a lot of dirt to remove! We had a big pile of dirt in our yard that the kids nicknamed "Fort Sod", but that I quickly renamed "Fort Mud." Let's just say that I have had some very dirty kids over the last few weeks. Anyway, at the bottom of that big trench, another smaller trench was dug, this one another 9 inches down and about a foot wide. Concrete was to be poured into this smaller trench as the basis for the foundation, which would be below the frost line. Then, a cinder-block wall, 4 blocks tall, would be built on top of the concrete, placing it just inches above the soil line at the end of it all. Oh, and then a good majority of that dirt that had been removed would need to be put back, packed in on either side of the new block wall.

The cement truck brought quite a bit of excitement to Abby. I was a little surprised, as big machinery isn't exactly rare out here. But, then, that machinery isn't usually driving into our yard. She sat out on the porch and watched.Don, Caleb, and my dad did the cement work.The smaller trench was actually finished very quickly. They were all very worn out afterward, though, as the work was fast and furious.

After a few days of drying, the cement was ready for the block wall to be built on top. It took a couple days to finish the 160 blocks required, but my dad again helped with it.
The framing is now started and I'm starting to actually be able to visualize how wonderful that greenhouse will be for my garden next year.