Spring fever and windmills

Category: gardening | Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 9:08 pm

Is Feb. 5, day is simple GORGEOUS despite the never-ending Wyoming winds, and snow..from last weeks storm..IS melting off slowly but surely. Moved boxes of freshly planted leaf lettuce seeds and spinach out into greehouse yesterday, NOW for them to just start GROWING as all they have is bottom heat for time being, and warmth from solar heat days. Expect first "shoots" to appear in near future, be "harvesting" the crop by mid-March.
In my yard is an ancient relic of an 8 foot decorative windmill that's broken down to point I have to keep the vanes jammed with pieces of wood so it WON'T work. A vane "snapped" it's weld 3 years ago, sadly discovered there was NO HOPE of mending it and, if left to rotate like a windmill should, you can hear the "clanking" a mile away! Poor bearings are also shot from years of abuse by our winds, would put a Screech Owl to shame when WD40 hasn't been applied on a regular basis. In short, this item I dearly LOVE is now facing replacement with a brand new one!
Was a cold nasty day in Dec., and..for some reason..decided to investigate windmills on the internet. Several sites down the line, lo and behold!, there was just what I was looking for AND shipping was FREE! A galvanized metal 8 footer to put together YOURSELF!, cost: $129. Ordered it in, arrived 2 weeks later, box has been sitting in garage ever since as I was almost AFRAID to open it, see what I may be facing!
Spring fever moved me to saying TODAY was THE Day!! Got box into sunroom; opened it; labeled everything as to what pieces go WHERE; was totally SURPRISED the vane..itself..was prefabbed and ready for installation on tower..WHEN done and in place!
Will move ALL pieces out into workshop tomorrow, start screwing away to "build" this windmill, marvel at MY "expertise" in putting something like this together! Of course, the MAJOR project will getting it from workshop to permanent home in yard AFTER removing old one from it's place of prominence, but I have a really SWEET brother-in-law to help with things like this.
I'm REALLY quite EXCITED about this venture: have hanging baskets of ivy geraniums (growing) I can just SEE adorning the mill to beautify it for summer! For some ODD reason, I just CAN'T PICTURE my yard without one, and the TIME surely has COME for a new windmill to see me thru next several years. AND it's taking the edge off the relentless "cabin fever" of this time of year! Worse comes to worse? I just may have a windmill for sale..AS IS!, shipping FREE!

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gardengater wrote on Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:25 pm:

Congratulations on your skill with windmills. It sounds so pretty. I can imagine the hanging baskets of flowers. Enjoy!

Sjoerd wrote on Fri Feb 06, 2009 8:03 am:

Well, weeds, I'm excited for you too. --A wind mill in Wyoming:what an idea. I have been to Wyoming and I recall the wind. It made me think of the polders here...just without the mountains. hahaha.

Well, you have given a pretty good description of the windmill and the task that awaits, but I would love to see some pics of stages and the final product.

While creeking have a definate 'romantic old west' quality, I can imagine that you's need earplugs if you lived under one.

Good luck --looking forward to some intewresting fotos.