Sunday, April 25, 2010

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

It's been a busy weekend on the ranch. The Rancher and his brother have been fencing a new pasture and the Bag Lady has been trying to get her house in order, but has also spent a lot of time cooking for the fencing crew.

The weather has actually been almost perfect for fencing - not too cold and not too hot. And it still hasn't rained, which is desperately needed, but also allowed them to get quite a lot done on the fence line.

They laid out the fence posts in a line where they wanted to put the fence:

Then they strung a tight wire as a guide and pushed the posts in with the loader bucket. (Filling the bucket with dirt added a little weight to make it easier to push the posts.)



They will string three strands of wire on these posts and staple each wire to each post. That is usually the Bag Lady's job, but this time around she passed the hammer was happy to let her nephew take over. That's a lot of walking, and a lot of staple-pounding.

There is rain in the forecast for this week, and that may put a halt to the fencing for awhile, but the rain would be very welcome. There is grass seed spread on all that dirt in the pictures, and rain would certainly help.

13 comments:

solarity said...

I'm trying to get inspired to put up a fence for a dog-yard. (Stony goes out on a tie-out now, or he would chase deer into the next county.) I wish I had a loader bucket! Or even a nephew. I've got lots of downed cedar from the ice storm in January 2009, though, waiting for me to cut posts from it.

Mary Anne in Kentucky

Hilary said...

Getting a fence in place sure sounds like hard, tedious works all around. Thanks for sharing the process. I hope they get it done just before it pours.

the Bag Lady said...

Mary Anne in Kentucky - cedar would make womderful fence posts, wouldn't it? Don't you have a neighbour who is handy with a chainsaw? (I'd send my nephew down, but he seems to think he has to work at his day job....)

the Bag Lady said...

Hilary (we posted simultaneously) - fencing IS hard work, but the Rancher and his brother have built fence the REALLY hard way.... by pounding each post into the ground with a post maul, then carrying the roll of wire between them on a pole (rather than attaching it to a quad and driving along, letting it roll out), so they think this is easy!

Leah J. Utas said...

It's hard work, but it is satisfying to get it done. I hope you get the rain you need.

the Bag Lady said...

That's true, cousin - it will be worth it in the end!

Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

Hooray for the fence and the grass seed. Now c'mon RAIN!!

messymimi said...

Anyone who wants to think farm/ranch life is romantic needs to spend a couple of afternoons putting in fence line or getting the hay in.

I don't blame you for passing the hammer.

Here's hoping for just enough rain.

Gail said...

Green gold is precious. Let the rains begin, the fence will wait.

Dawn said...

Most interesting to see your pics. Hubby worked as a fencing contractor for awhile so I have some experience in staple whacking - also staple pulling, post hauling, fetching and carrying!

I used to go through a ton of band-aides!

the Bag Lady said...

kcinnova - couldn't have said it better myself! :)

messymimi - Ah yes, the romance of fencing and haying. *smirk* The sunburn, mosquito bites, sore thumbs, snagged clothes and bruises that are all part and parcel of fencing. Fun!

Gail - I am so hoping that the forecast is right - they say it will rain tomorrow!

Dawn - fencing is such fun, isn't it? If we were smart, we would buy stock in the Band-aid company! :)

Cheryl Kohan said...

You are a brave woman. So glad the nephew gave you a little break. That fence is lookin' good!

the Bag Lady said...

Thanks, Cheryl!