I don't know who owns these but they are massive and cover a big area. I know they are gas heated with a central heating system
This is another large complex right across the street. I would imagine this extends our growing season due to our colder temperatures
Most of the greenhouses we have here are on level ground so a photo would not show you much except for the frontage. Now you can see how massive they are and how far back they go. There is a complex on each side of this road
A video is worth a thousand words . . .
Martha, we have lots of these up here. You wouldn't have to work outside anymore . . .
Yesterday I managed to go out for another ride. My gate is not as wide as I wanted it to be but I managed to squeeze my bike out and soon I was heading south and hit the highway. I went here and there, met a few people, talked to a mechanic, ordered some parts and fluid for Nu2Me, my R1200R Beemer and I ended up
meeting a friend, Benny whom I often meet for lunch on Saturdays. I parked my bike and went inside but soon other riders started arriving and he went outside to greet them . He came back inside with a puzzled look and he asked me a strange question
Benny: " Is it February 2014? "
Me: "No, it's February 2013 "
Benny: " No, I mean your decal should be February 2014 "
Me: " what do you mean ? "
We went outside and he pointed to the decal on my V-strom
Me (with a smirk): " See, it's February 2013 "
Benny: " Doesn't that mean February 3rd, 2013 ?
Oh Oh, now I see what he meant. Today was February 16th and my insurance had expired on February 3rd, but somehow I thought it expired sometime during March . . .
Now I'm in deep Doo Doo. Here I was miles from home with expired tags and with no insurance . . . I've been riding all day all over the countryside and now I was stranded with no wheels
Karen has recently been playing "guess the motorcycle" from posted photos. I don't have any neighbours called Ken but I do have this photo and I wonder if any of you know what this is from ?
I hope some of you managed to get a ride in too. We had record temperatures on Saturday. I think it went up to 12°c (54°F). I managed to see a few riders enjoying the day
Bummer your rego ran out. I take it you still rode the bike home. I would have.
ReplyDeleteSteve:
DeleteI am usually very careful about insurance expiry dates and somehow I thought it was during March (Not February). Just what I needed, more stress . . .
12ºc is actually respectable.
ReplyDeleteGlad you got out for a ride but forgetting your insurance kinda sucks.
My mind just cant comprehend that those greenhouses are all glass ... that must get blinding in the summer.
Brenda:
DeleteThere are still lots of family operations but I also notice many of them closing down. They must be getting the squeeze from these larger ones. Believe it or not, we have many of these large operations and they are springing up everywhere, and they cover acres of land
I hope you took your chances and rode the bike home Bob.
ReplyDeleteThose greenhouses are huge. I wouldn't think there would be that many all together like that, but wow.
Trobairitz:
DeleteIf you came up here you would see many of these large complexes. I didn't notice any down in your area, it may be because of our non-fertile soil so we needed a more controlled environment, plus we have a long rainy season. That's what I am thinking.
Less than a mile away there is another big complex the same as in the photos. I took a few photos but being on the same level you only get to see the windows and not the depth of the building so I went to the only vantage point I knew to capture a higher perspective
I too am guessing you rode the bike home. As to the mystery item, are you referring to the ohlins shock absorber?
ReplyDeleteDom:
DeleteYes, the mystery item . . . the Ohlins. I was wondering if anyone knew what it was attached to ?
WHOA! I wonder who owns those things. That's fantastic. Like an aircraft carrier of greenhouses! A whole city by itself! That's no Mom & Pop shop for sure!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bob!
Martha:
DeleteWe really have many complexes like that. I also notice the smaller ones not being very active anymore. Later in the year when they get active again I'll get some photos of the family run ones for you which are more crude. They grow vegetables on the land and use homemade greenhouses with wood frames and plastic walls, or should I say "ripped" plastic walls.
We also have large fields of blueberries and cranberries. I think we are the cranberry capital of the world and I never thought to snap a photo for you. Cranberries are harvested by "flooding" the fields so there is a dyke barrier around with lots of water nozzles for flooding.
I have no doubt that your area, just like the US PNW is a major grower of all things! Perfect weather.
DeleteDon't be pickin' on small greenhouses. I would not call them "crude", tho. Small businesses like that are simple and handmade most of the time and the product can be just as excellent, if not more so, as the industrial grown ones. Yes, the HUGE growers are truly killing off the independents- like so many other businesses experience. It's terrible. And while it's awesome to see that mammoth set-up, I'll take the personalized Mom&Pop shop any day- to shop or work. And they are worth the extra money.
Hey man, Wisconsin grows cranberries, too! We have some Ocean Spray producers here and actually, one is not too far north of me.
I just had the thought of a helicopter bringing over shade tarps in the summer and gently covering the structure as one would make a bed!
ReplyDeleteMartha:
DeleteThis are automatic greenhouses. I am sure they have their own misting systems, automatic heat control and automatic louvers/shutters. I only get to go there on the weekends so I don't see much activity.
I figured that. I'm not a bumpkin. I was just conjuring up a comical image. But again, thanks for the video and the photos. These huge greenhouses are fantastic structures to look at and a marvel with the technology.
DeleteMartha:
DeleteI am smiling as I read this, and I'm not a City Slicker either. I love the country, the forests, small towns and this is where we go when we go on Vacation. I knew someone who worked on their gas Boilers when they were under construction. Everything is so automated that they don't need many staff.
The first thing I thought of was that the Blanket would be too heavy and all the windows would shatter
I imagine you found all the little back roads to ride home on so as to avoid any "encounters" with the good folks that patrol our roads?
ReplyDeleteWith all those green houses on the lower mainland, why do we still just get our produce from California or Mexico, where does it go? Maybe it's really a secret testing facility...
Suzu:
Deletedriving without insurance is a $598. fine
http://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing/tickets/paying-disputing/chart-offenceswithfines
so obviously we can't do that & I'm not lucky
We have local farms but they are only active during the growing season. We also get our produce from CA or Mexico. I have no idea what is grown inside those greenhouses. We have many "Farmer's Markets" around town but if you look at all their empty boxes you will find that they are mostly from Calif, and not locally grown
I must apologize, did not mean to imply that you would take that chance. I would not either...it would be off to the nearest insurance office in someone else's vehicle before I got on my bike again.
DeleteSuzu:
Deletethat's why I was stressed. wondering how I was going to get home and get the insurance. but no sweat, I worked it out and everything is back to normal.
I see those greenhouses everytime I make my way to visit my relatives in Delta. Did Benny (RTE fame) take you to an insurance place? I think there are penalty points attached to the fine too aren't there? That happens easily enough, I actually had the sticker heart attack not long ago with the van. My hubby was going to renew and I thought he had, but he didn't and I thought he had put the sticker on and off I went to the grocery store. I noticed the expired sticker when I got home. Ugh
ReplyDeleteDar:
DeleteI remember once, a long time ago my insurance renewal came and I had the funds so naturally I renewed my insurance. I was "months" early so I didn't put the sticker on and forgot about it. Fast forward --> one day I looked at my plate and realized that the tags were expired. I had been driving for nearly a month with expired tags, even though I had the new stickers in the glove box. But failure to display valid insurance is an automatic $598. fine.
After Benny showed it to me, I was "stressed" . . .
Bob - you are not the first rider with a winter birthday who I've known to forget to replace the tags ... isn't your insurance year round, and don't they just renew automatically? Ours does ... as for the plate tags, now that you mentioned it, I'll have to replace mine this year as well - truck as well, but that means a "drive clean" test.
ReplyDeleteAnd holy Green houses - do they supply all flora to the rest of the nation (which is mostly under snow and wishing we had flora as we speak?)
Karen:
DeleteI don't have a winter birthday. Many things expire on birthdays like; drivers license, nexus, passports but not our insurance. And because it is Government mandated, monopolistic insurance and not private it is not a case of the insurance company renewing and then sending you the invoice to pay. It is our responsibility to arrange for insurance before it expires and then pay for it in advance, in full or arrange for a monthly payment plan.
Holy Cow, Batman . . . (I had to say that)
Our insurance and lic. system just seems more civilized way over here in the east ... insurance runs year round and they just renew unless you say don't, lic stickers due on the birthday - I guess they figure you won't forget your own birthday. Are you legal now?
DeleteKaren:
Deletewe do not have to buy a years worth of insurance here. We can choose terms of 3 months minimum up to 12 months so you never know when your policy is going to expire, but not necessarily on your birthday.
Unfortunately I am legal, It's been a long time since I reached the age of Majority.
autorenewal won't work here as I only renewed 'till July. Then I will insure my R1200R for the Summer perhaps until October, then I will insure my Vstrom for the Winter and the "R" will only have storage insurance.
Okay Bob - Those TTX Ohlins shocks have been put on everything I can find from the VStrom DL650 to the KLR 650 to the R1200 GSA to the odd scoot... I give up, I'm calling in the experts. The chase is fun.
ReplyDeleteKaren:
DeleteKen may know but I can post another photo which would be a dead giveaway. That is the shock for the rear wheel
I did call in an expert for consultation - Ducati panigale S or R? If this is correct, I'll be even more impressed with the expert's knowledge than I already am...if that's possible.
DeleteKaren:
DeleteYou have an impressive consultant
Bob, unless I missed that you mentioned it, do you know if there are separate zones inside these cities under glass? I have to imagine that there are.
ReplyDeleteJust an idea......one of the kids I graduated with in high school used to paint the new color and lettering on. He never went to jail as far as I knew though he very well could be there now :)
Coop:
Deleteour license plate colours haven't really changed since 1979
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_of_British_Columbia
but every year we are issued new decals which are a different colour
I am positive that those greenhouses are sectioned, with each zone separately computer controlled. I'll try to find out more info the next time I go down there.
Very cool greenhouse photos. Thanks for posting them...
ReplyDeleteIf you took your bike on a few dirt roads, the mud splattering could temporarily have masked certain areas of the bike (and plates)...
Richard:
DeleteI'm afraid mud and dirt won't work if you have a problem or you are stopped. The first thing they do is check your license status on the police computer . . .
this is not the only area with these large greenhouses. There must be money in it but I don't know what is growing inside
Oops on the insurance. Glad that you have it figured out. I love the greenhouses. Any hyrdoponic ones around?
ReplyDeleteLori:
DeleteYep, you're right about the OOPs . All is good now. I have new tags and the bike is ready for its next ride
I'm not sure about the hydroponics. I'm not a gardener but I'll keep my eyes open for you