Sometimes Wrong, Sometimes Right

When I built the greenhouse last year I was determined to overbuild it.  As the evidence indicates, I was wrong in my assumptions and execution of what I thought overbuilding was,  The center laminated arch just snapped this week under the weight of the snow, sleet and frozen rain.  A pretty substantial rebuild must occur before next winter, building bigger (and more) laminated arches.  In addition to replacing the destroyed center arch I will build two more inside the greenhouse and one in the outer workspace on the far end of the structure. I’ll make them each 1-1/2″ x 3″ rather than 1-1/4″ x 2″.  That calculates to a four-fold increased strength. I don’t know yet whether the plastic skin can be salvaged.  Part of me was pleased to see the laminations remained intact, just the weight and the wind literally snapped the center arch.

Also, if I was so inclined and equipped, I could absolutely ice skate down the driveway.  (I left my ice hockey days behind me many, many decades ago)

One thing I was very pleased about was the performance of my spiked-sole lumberjack boots.  They made traipsing around the icy landscape a breeze.  I was absolutely right to buy these a couple years ago.  I was only expecting to use them when harvesting firewood on sloped ground, but they sure did the trick here.

UPDATE

The plowing crew finally came at 10.15 last night to dig us out.  They brought three big machines.  The first was a V-wedge icebreaker to bust everything up, the second was an 8-foot plow blade, the third was a 6-foot blade to make everything purdy.  Was great to look out this morning and actually see the driveway, we can now get out after four days of being icebound.  Free at last, free at last!

Right around zero at dawn this morning.