How not to put up a greenhouse

Do I see a look of disappointment on Sammy chicken's face at the fact that I've managed to get the front and back sills of the greenhouse on the wrong way? So when I came to fit the door there was no bottom runner to fit it into... it was on the back! Searched out the instructions to confirm my suspicions that it wasn't made clear and therefore not really my fault. Suppose the phrases 'front sill' and 'rear sill' might have been a clue!

Plan A was to swap them round by squeezing out the sills, but after trying to get the one out from the back, with all the glass and fixings in place, I moved swiflty on to plan B. This is now in place... I've fitted a section of metal carpet edging to act as the door runner. Works OK, although I might get a bit fed up after a while having to kick the door shut since it's a bit of a push. Maybe it'll run more freely over time, or a good dollop of my magic grease (which has solved all sorts of household problems over the last twenty years, whatever my wife says) might do the trick.

So I'm now on to fixing up the staging inside the greenhouse, & then finally putting up the guttering and water barrels. Then on to digging over the rest of the 'new' plot.

Barry was up earlier in the week tending to the vines, making ready for the second season... though we won't get any wine out of them until next year. Sammy pottered around, there's a photo of the playroom he made for the chickens at the foot of this posting.

Been very cold for almost a fortnight now, apparently the longest spell of freezing weather for ten years. The chickens have been having trouble with frozen water and been pretty thirsty when I've turned up. Peering through the gloom of this early morning it looks like we've got snow now, although not too thick.

Broke open the first bottle of apple wine made from the 2008 harvest, ably assisted by sister in law Trudy, who was staying (as well as daughter Sarah) for a few days after New Year with us. Very nice (the wine that is, though Trudy is OK as well)... sweet, smooth and strong. No chemicals used, just apples, raisins, sugar, water and yeast allied to careful cleanliness and patience.

Lost the 2008 squash competition to David, though I managed to take it to a play off. I've got great hopes for the 2009 competition. I seem to be over back problems since doing regular exercise to strengthen my back muscles, and I'm playing better than ever. But there'll be a delay in the start for this year... he's suffering from a torn muscle in his side.

2008 was a year of hope for me... after the big worries over the bladder tumour diagnosis in January the year ended with an all clear at my last checkup. Long may it continue!

And what about 2009? Of course I've given myself a resolution to always read instructions carefully... but I'm very positive about this year. Allotment-wise I'm much further ahead than I've ever been in preparation for the new season, the greenhouse should extend the growing season significantly, and once I've dug over the new plot I'll have no shortage of room. I reduced my working days to two in August, so I'm looking forward to lots of country walks with Linda in spring and summer. We're planning to go on holiday to Torquay, the first time back there for years. And of course my daughter Becky gets married to Barry in August... really looking forward to that.

More photos below, including the annual year on year progress comparison of my allotment. Just click to enlarge. John

	January 2006, before any work at all... yes, it really is as bad as it looks!
	January 2007, with shed number one still standing
	January 2008, with the new shed and chicken hut built, getting ready to build the chicken run, and have acquired the rear plot
	January 2009, even managing to grow things over winter!
	Sammy's playroom for the chickens
	Chickens glad for some water