Really, Really, Cloudy

It's been a big problem for us for several years now- one effect of the changing climate here has been a dramatic loss of sunshine in late winter and early spring.  Since the greenhouse runs entirely on solar heat - that has meant a cooler than designed growing environment- and slower than normal plant growth. 

How big a problem?  Big enough so that folks in Minnesota understand this wry joke immediately -

The "strange bright object: - is the sun; so rare as to be unrecognizable.  Paul Huttner is a nationally respected meterologist, with recognized expertise on the effects of climate change on weather.  And with a good sense of humor, too.

Humor is always useful when trying to deal with calamity.  The exremely slow growth in our greenhouse this year is very nearly exactly that.  Bear with us, please.