Greenhouse

Youssef and I spent a good portion of the morning getting my two wheel drive dodge pickup out of the muddy hillside.  Initially I tried to start the tractor.  It was reluctant, so I plugged in the block heater to prevent a completely cold start.  I met Youssef down the hill with some boards I planned to shove under the tire of the car.  After spinning the truck slowly around in circles, I got more wood from the greenhouse previously used to add some space between the grow bed and the water tank.  I got back in the car and really thought that I was making progress.  I had almost reached the spot where the grass turned into mud.  The truck wouldn't climb those last couple feet.

I went back to grab the tractor.  It now started easily.  I pulled as close as I could to the grass/mud transition and ran a tow strap from the tractor bucket to the frame of the Dodge.  I climbed back into the tractor's seat while Youssef manned the truck.  Backing up, the tractor's wheels started spinning.  I couldn't back straight up.  Instead I backed up on the hill's contour line while lifting up on the tractor bucket and in turn the front end of the Dodge.  Several sessions of moving back and forth on contour and the truck drove free, and after taking off the tow strap both vehicles could move freely.

Youssef and I then went to a local pizza joint for 5.75 pizza and salad lunch special on the way to pick up more feed for the chickens.  It will be most liberating when I no longer have to pay for livestock feed because it will all be produced on the farm.  And I can get a silo.

By the end of the day, the greenhouse is almost ready for planting for spring starts.  The aguaponics system is cycling smoothly.  I added several splashes of ammonia that will start the bacteria growth.  But best of all is everything is clean.