I did manage to get outside yesterday, but only after a hard negotiation with myself resulting in
1) NOT changing into gardening clothes but just wearing boots and regular going out winter jacket (NOT gardening winter jacket) over my indoor lounging outfit, and restricting myself to going out by the FRONT DOOR.
2) ONLY stated purpose for going outside were (A) to pick up and re-secure the 3 large clips that had been blown off during a windy storm some days ago. This overlaps side and front sidelight panels of the Sunflower Hoophouse and holds closed one corner against drafts — the interior VS. exterior temp differences had been minimal since they had come off. (B) Cover the open path side of the broccoli and cauliflower bed for additional protection.
I grabbed 3 smallish cover materials that might be usedul from the back door bag of gardening goodies and hoped for the best.
…As it turned out, one of those materials was a perfectly sized vented poly, so I used that for the brassicas. And there was a piece of heavy 6 mil greenhouse poly that wasn’t really good for anything, but I opted to drape it on some supports over the tall Aspabroc to hopefully help keep it a little bit warmer., and tied closed the front/path side of the lightweight cover. (I didn’t have ANY clips or ties that I normally would have had in my gardening jacket and work pants pockets). I left the extra-large/long insect mesh cover where it can stay dry inside the hoophouse. I may have use for it later (really good for wind break as well as for keeping more solid covers from flappy off).
… I couldn’t harvest the biggest head of broccoli I had planned to harvest “next time” … because I DIDN’T BRING ANY TOOLS.
Once I was outside of the Sunflower Hoophouse, I realized the topmost floating cover for the low tunnels must have flapped around as well, and clips were on the ground and one whole side had been blown aside. So I fixed that.
…And then I broke from the considering I had set myself and did a “quick look” around the back yard, planning to exit from the gate on the other side of the house.
AS IT TURNED OUT, the Patio Hoophouse front door flap was somehow UNZIPPED and blown open and stuck in that position, leaving it side open.
I have not memory of forgetting to zip it closed last time I was out, but that was the rainy day, so maybe I really did. I went in a looked around but didn’t immediately see anything missing or disturbed. I don’t have any plants in there now because the patio doesn’t get any direct sun this time of the year — the sun angle is way too low.
Once back inside, my DD1 jokingly speculated that it was the RACCOONS. They figured out how to operate the zipper….
I have no pictures because — of course — I didn’t take my phone outside with me. That was one of the conditions to limit my activity.
This morning, the outside garden low went down to 26°F, but it only went down to 29°F inside the Sunflower Hoophouse.
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BTW, my gardening clothes includes Carhart double front panel heavy duty dungarees with two thigh pockets on one side and one on the other with a tool loop, heavy duty pockets and REAL 5th pocket that I can put my whole hand in instead of the teeny decorative “coin” pocket that only holds chump change that you fish out with fingertips. The double front panel over the knees means the knees don’t stretch out and rip, and keeps my knees protected and dry-ish when kneeling.
Warm weather and winter gardening jackets are hiking jackets with multiple pockets, and winter jacket has a zip on vest so that whole thing can be used three ways (best, jacket, both). I need a new warm weather jacket that not only acts as a windbreaker but also is rainproof (this one used to be but whatever it had seems to have worn off and will just get completely soaked through.