Cloudy, windy, 50
The fence project is coming right along. The above is a "before" picture. Posts are now sprouting up in a neat line along the edges of our pasture, giving definition and a surprising sense of security. Karen and I both remarked how just walking around out in our "back four" last night felt different now that the posts were up. It felt good and promising.
I have to say, even though this fence is not at all cheap, I am so glad we hired this out. First of all, the guys we hired are doing an excellent job. They have been working without breaks in a wicked cold wind for the last two days. And they know what they are doing. This fence will be tight and strong, the kind that will let us sleep soundly at night.
Second, it would have easily taken us a month or more to accomplish all this work. And it would not have come out looking half as nice, I'm sure. Plus, there's the physical wear and tear on us old girls that is not as easily rubbed out and forgotten a day or two later. So even if it costs me a month's wages, it's a month that I am mostly spending doing other productive things and not tearing out my hair. Or my rotater cuff.
As it is, I am dog tired tonight. Yesterday was spent doing chores, and go-fering. I noticed an ad on Craigslist as I drank my morning coffee for a one ton bulk feed bin, just what we need here. For perspective, this is a small grain bin, a hard to find size. So I emailed right away and they said I was the first one, and that they would take callers in order. So after cleaning the barn, I drove down to Janesville and picked up a BUNCH of fence posts. The truck and trailer's tires were looking a little flat and I rode pretty low all the way home, but I made it. As soon as I unloaded all that stuff, I headed for the town where the grain bin waited, about 65 miles away. We loaded it up on the trailer, and I towed that baby home. Karen and I unloaded it from the trailer. I laid it on our side hill next to the barn, so I can get inside it and hit it with a wire brush and get to a little hole in the bottom. That reminds me, I need to pick up some JB Weld. That stuff works.
Today I did chores first thing again and met with the fencing guys to discuss layout, etc. Then I jumped back in the truck and went back to town for the rest of the 6" x 9' posts, another roll of fence wire, and some moer 4x4x10 brace posts. Unloaded all that and then Karen had lunch waiting for all of us, including the fencing guys. They are nice guys, we like them.
After lunch I grabbed my chainsaw and headed out to the pasture to cut up the three trees that the guys had to bring down. I was joined by our neighbor Larry with his chainsaw, and our new farm helper Jason. The three of us slashed and cut and hauled wood for a couple of hours. Jason and I made a huge brush pile in the middle of the pasture which I will burn when the conditions are right. I was even able to cut some nice pretty little log rounds for my dad to turn into wooden bowls on his lathe. That man lives to turn wood!
We still have a few tree-lengths to buck up out there, and at least one more tree has to come down. I stacked the logs into a makeshift pile waiting to be split some day. Karen and Jason spent a little more time in her perennial garden digging out pathways.
After putting truck, trailer, and tools away and heading to the barn for evening chores, I began to realize how tired I was. Long day, but lots sure did get done.
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