23.11.2024 Crunchy.

 ~o~

  Saturday 23rd 30F/-1C [8.45] The sky looks clear but the sun hasn't risen yet. 2-3cm of snow lying. The forecast is mostly dry with some sunshine. 16 hours of rain rain tonight. Starting around 20.00.

 8.45 Up at 8am after sleeping through to 7am. Filled the fire bucket and went back to sleep. My back is aching. Nothing unusual and will respond to a walk.

 9.15. It has just taken me five minutes to open the recycling dustbins. Using a 60cm/2' long batten. Snow had melted and refrozen right around the lids. Making it impossible to lift them. I was afraid of breaking the plastic while using the makeshift lever. Fortunately they responded to careful leverage and whacking the ice locally.   

 9.30 62F/17C indoors. I have lit the stove. There is a mountain of washing up to do. Before I can eat and drink again. The sun has broken through the absent neighbour's hedges. Snow on the greenhouse makes it dark indoors.

 11.00 35F/1.7C Weak sunshine. The room has reached 65F/18C and feels warm. Returning from looping around the neighbours' drives. The snow was crisp and very noisy to walk on. Too stiff to brush away from the back door. Even using a yard broom. I used a snow shovel with little real gain. Tonight's promised rain will wash it all away. The road is now cleared of slush and dry enough not to cause tire spray.  

 12.40 37F/2.8C. Brighter sunshine. I'll have to wash up if I want any lunch. 😱 And did.

 17.30 36F/2C. Despite a mostly sunny day the greenhouse has dropped to 38F/3C. It is not well sealed. The Halls Silverline has an inherent design flaw. The glass retaining clips provide little linear resistance to the long glass roofing sheets sliding downwards. Which pushes the rounded plastic shoulders away from the frame. Causing massive air leakage. 

 Had I known this I would have applied clear, silicone adhesive to the roof glass and frame. To inhibit downward movement of the roof sheets. The clear plastic sheets forming the rounded shoulders are also prone to crazing over time. 

 I would never buy another greenhouse with plastic panels. They are highly prone to sweating inside compared to sheet glass. I replaced some glass panels with polycarbonate after storm breakage. These plastic panels always dew up while the glass can remain completely clear.

 Dinner was chicken, pasta and tinned tomatoes.

 

 ~o~