We're off!

Yesterday and today will be spent in planting. Yesterday was considered a success. Why? Because nothing went as planned. I don't want to sound sarcastic but when things go smoothly without any hitches, it means that somewhere along the line things will go wrong. Better to have things go slowly the first time out so you can correct the problems, then to have a major glitch down the road.
First, the tilther we bought was too light for the soil we have at the moment. The little machine is not made to work over untilled or little tilled ground. It is made to incorporate into a ready made bed. Dad tried it out on some ground that had crusted over already and when it didn't work to his expectations, announced that the machine was "useless". That took me off my mindset that I had established for the day. To make a long story short, the machine will work under certain conditions and with the right handling. On the first day, Dad and I exhibited the wrong amount of patience, which was none. Over time, it will work out.
As I was saying, going into the game with a game plan and not executing it because of a glitch or an unforeseen circumstance that was not planned for can make for a very hectic experience. Whether it is a football game or a day on the farm, when you run up against something you did not plan and go away from what you wanted to do, it becomes stressful.
Dad and I were not on the same page when it came to planting the lettuce. To be quite fair when you are trying new techniques or products it can get like this. I wanted to work the soil so that it was more aerated and set about using the pitch fork. Dad wanted to run the rototiller through it again. I had to hold him off from doing that.
What did work right was the incorporation of the Bumper Crop and the laying of the mulch. Both were new experiences. Bumper Crop is expensive at $13.99 for two square feet. But I learned that I can work with it successfully up to 100 feet of one of the rows. The mulch took some handling because it was a bit windy but we got it down and moved on. It was so windy in fact that when we watered the mulch (as directed by instructions) that the water dried up within minutes. I feared for the safety of the plants under those conditions but we did the planting in the mid to late afternoon so they didn't sit out there all day.
Another project got under way. I started to build a mini-greenhouse for starting plants. I took some aluminum pipe that we use for irrigated and lined it up on both sides and tied them together with a couple of stakes. Then I closed the ends with cinder block. This is a method I learned from Grandpop. It is about three feet off the ground and facing South for maximum sunlight. It is also located on a rise to help heat it. Anyway I will close off any gaps with some kind of insulation (like straw) and cover the top with leftover plastic sheeting. The trays will sit inside two by two. Hopefully, this will create a condition for the successful starting of plants.