Here it is the first full day of spring 2010 and what am I doing, writing a blog and updating the North Star Farms Web site.

Yesterday was the first day since Dec. 8, 2009 that I've been able to work on the passive solar greenhouse. At that time we got snow and bitter cold and everything just got buried. A couple of weeks ago I removed the snow around the greenhose so I could at least work around the construction site. It was a bit muddy yesterday, but was tolerable.

Today is going to be a beautiful day on the 49th. Little sun, full sun and a temperature that will be approaching 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Great conditions for putting the greenhouse together.

A number of people have asked why it isn't up yet and I've already given one reason: We had a long, harsh winter. The second reason is it is hard to find labor. It's hard to do it alone, but I'm working on it. 

The good news is from here on out, everything is going to move rapidly. Before that first snowstorm hit, I identified all the parts and where they go in the grand scheme of things and yesterday was a good example. I got more done in one afternoon than I did in three days last fall.

By the end of today (Sunday) I should have the rafters put together and secured. Then next weekend we will mount the north wall to support the wall of water. The following week, the ends will be placed and in three weeks, we should be able to fill the water bladders and put the plastic over the top. 

That means in less than a month, the greenhouse will be operational. The only caveat to that is we will need several people to help us pull the covers over the top because that sheet of plastic film is huge and Farm Tek recommends eight people do it. That is one thing I'm not even going to attempt to do myself.

But today I'm going to work at a leisurly, methodical pace and get things done. I'll tune into my favorite radio statio, CHAB in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and enjoy the first full day of spring.