And So It Begins

On Friday as I was just about ready to head out the door for work when
out on the street there arose such a clatter I sprang from my chair to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the shutters (which we don't have but bear with me.) and threw up the sash.  The sun through the clouds Pacific Northwest didn't make anything look quite its best.  When what to my wondering eyes came in view but big trucks from solid waste and a small city crew.

O.k. enough of that.   The delivery of this fifteen yard metal box (Thanks to Rob Bair, a stellar member of the great team at Tacoma's solid waste utility!) was the first step in making a long-time dream a reality.  My birthday gift this year and probably for the rest of my life is the transformation of our garage (shed really as it's had cars in it once in the seventeen years we've lived in our house) into a greenhouse.  Not a true greenhouse as only the roof and one wall will be covered with polycarbonate; the other three walls will remain solid.

Actually the first steps were taken in July when I began the herculean task of clearing the garage of 17 years of things being thrown in willy nilly.  but I digress. 

I didn't want to mention this too soon for fear that something would go wrong and it wouldn't happen but on Saturday, just as planned, David VanDer Weele and his crew where here bight and early to begin.  Managing a project like this is much like preparing and performing a large work of choral music with an instrumental ensemble.  Finding materials, enlisting players, rehearsing the choir; finally at performance when the baton drops and beautiful music begins, it seems a bit unreal.

Tools are unloaded, the first ladder goes up and they're off!

Here's a view of the garage from the neighbor's yard in July just after she allowed me to cut the Hedera helix (dreaded and destructive English Ivy) that had taken over the roof.  (It's 16 feet from peak to eave so that's a lot of ivy!)

Here it is after the tear down. 

Here's  my side.  There is a path between the plants and the garage though it doesn't look like it here.

My side after half of the roof was off. 

We worked at picking up all of the debris and hauling it to the box which wouldn't fit in the alley so had to be placed about 50 feet away. We had fun filling that dumpster!

 

That's the progress so far.  Next weekend the polycarbonate will go on, fans, shutters, and thermostat will be installed and it will be complete except for the wiring of the various elements which should happen on October 10.  I'll keep you posted!