Thankful Thursday: HEAT

Today, I am thankful for HEAT. 

(but, honestly, I could do with a little more…typing is making my fingers cold)

It’s cold, real cold (for this time of year)…and windy here on the hill, so it seems a little odd to be thankful for heat. 

It was 18* when I looked at the thermometer first thing this morning.  With the wind whipping and howling around the corners of the house, which made the windchill something like 20 BELOW zero.  No heat outside, that’s for sure!

 

The flames dancing brightly in the woodstove were not only a comforting sight, the warmth felt real good when we got in from doing morning chores. It took a while to feel thawed enough to have breakfast and go about our day.

We find ourselves standing by the stove, absorbing as much warmth as possible before venturing elsewhere to do our work.  It’s invoice/email day and the office is not at all warm.  But, it beats being outside!  It’s just a short walk down the hall to again warm by the fire. I do love the heat of a woodstove.

But, the heat I am most grateful for today is the heat we have in the greenhouses. 

Nothing fancy…just cheap little milk-house heaters. (this is a low-budget operation all the way) But, this heat is essential. 

Lives depend upon it.

  

heat is essential in the starting greenhouse

Even though it is unseasonably cold (we should be at least 10 to 15 degrees above what we have today…and NO wind) I was pleased to feel a noticeable difference when I checked on the seedlings first thing.

The combination of layers of covers and the small heaters had the temperature in the forties!  

good news in the greenhouse

heaters under the tables provide warmth

plastic domes and another layer of plastic
maintain the warmth around the seedlings

Many crops wouldn’t appreciate these temperatures, but the broccoli/lettuce/cabbage/cauliflower/chard seedlings don’t mind.  The rate of growth will be slow, allowing for sturdy transplants later in the season.

thriving seedling

But, without any heat, the seedlings would have certainly frozen overnight.  And…without the seedlings, there would be no crop…without the crop…there would be no income…and without income…well, you get the picture.

Thank God for HEAT!