Tonight I write with sore hands. It really does feel good to work, so please don't think I'm complaining...I'm not. (In my mind, at least, there is a difference between complaining and making a statement of discomfort or pain.)
This morning I walked down the driveway to put a letter in the mailbox. My brain started ticking along...
I put the letter in the box and strode back up the drive way, my skirt blowing in the breeze and my spurs clanking like normal. I went straight to the barn and counted the new fence posts leaned up at the back. Eight.
Next I walked the fence bordering the drive. The south side (heifer patch) needed work much worse than the north side which actually looks pretty good. I counted the rotten posts that REALLY needed replacing. Six.
I pop back into the house and tell Savannah that I'm going to work on the fences today. Since she was real groggy having literally jumped out of bed out of sleep at 7:00 (Granddaddy turned the TV on and woke her up), she didn't feel like helping. I told her if I needed any help I'd come get her.
I changed my clothes; you can do fence work in blowy skirts, but jeans really are more practical. They don't get hung in the fence near as easy and they protect your legs better. Fence building requires contact with barbed wire :)
Next I loaded six fence posts into the truck, along with the 'come-along'. When I started I was going to move the truck along the outside of the fence...I very soon decided it would be more practical to have it inside--with me!
There were several old posts that I replanted in the ground. Ones that really could have stood to be replaced, but were solid enough to work. I replaced the really rotten ones. Initially I was going to tighten the fence as I went along, but I decided very soon to do all the post-hole digging and pole placement first. Then I came back and tightened the wire. Someplace in here was lunch, coffee, and dishes.
I did get sunburned from my elbows to the top of my gloves, as well as where my shirt was unbottoned (I can't work with my shirt buttoned all the way up!) I was totally unaware of the fact until I was done (almost 5:00). I scratched my left arm at one point. It didn't really hurt, but I looked at it and I had blood all-over my arm. I just let it be. No use wiping more grime into it than necessary. Early on, while packing sand around a post, I whacked my left index finger with the shovel--OOOh did that hurt! I have a purple knuckle :) My wrists started to hurt after a while; particularly the right one. I guess it is still getting used to being used since I broke it.
At one point Savannah came out (before she headed off to get water and go by our place), and she was going to hammer for a bit...not that I let up...but she had on a skirt that would have snagged bad and she wanted to go and be back in time to make supper. Got to feed Granddaddy on time! (Ahem...not to mention me ;} )
The bottom wire was broke at one place and so I had to patch it. That took longer than it should have. I did get it done finally and it held. Sooo, I guess I did alright.
I worked hard today and I enjoyed it. I really would much rather work outside than inside most of the time. I guess I'll have to work on that some, won't I?
There is much more fence that needs fixin'...but I'll have to get more posts.
This morning I walked down the driveway to put a letter in the mailbox. My brain started ticking along...
I put the letter in the box and strode back up the drive way, my skirt blowing in the breeze and my spurs clanking like normal. I went straight to the barn and counted the new fence posts leaned up at the back. Eight.
Next I walked the fence bordering the drive. The south side (heifer patch) needed work much worse than the north side which actually looks pretty good. I counted the rotten posts that REALLY needed replacing. Six.
I pop back into the house and tell Savannah that I'm going to work on the fences today. Since she was real groggy having literally jumped out of bed out of sleep at 7:00 (Granddaddy turned the TV on and woke her up), she didn't feel like helping. I told her if I needed any help I'd come get her.
I changed my clothes; you can do fence work in blowy skirts, but jeans really are more practical. They don't get hung in the fence near as easy and they protect your legs better. Fence building requires contact with barbed wire :)
Next I loaded six fence posts into the truck, along with the 'come-along'. When I started I was going to move the truck along the outside of the fence...I very soon decided it would be more practical to have it inside--with me!
There were several old posts that I replanted in the ground. Ones that really could have stood to be replaced, but were solid enough to work. I replaced the really rotten ones. Initially I was going to tighten the fence as I went along, but I decided very soon to do all the post-hole digging and pole placement first. Then I came back and tightened the wire. Someplace in here was lunch, coffee, and dishes.
I did get sunburned from my elbows to the top of my gloves, as well as where my shirt was unbottoned (I can't work with my shirt buttoned all the way up!) I was totally unaware of the fact until I was done (almost 5:00). I scratched my left arm at one point. It didn't really hurt, but I looked at it and I had blood all-over my arm. I just let it be. No use wiping more grime into it than necessary. Early on, while packing sand around a post, I whacked my left index finger with the shovel--OOOh did that hurt! I have a purple knuckle :) My wrists started to hurt after a while; particularly the right one. I guess it is still getting used to being used since I broke it.
At one point Savannah came out (before she headed off to get water and go by our place), and she was going to hammer for a bit...not that I let up...but she had on a skirt that would have snagged bad and she wanted to go and be back in time to make supper. Got to feed Granddaddy on time! (Ahem...not to mention me ;} )
The bottom wire was broke at one place and so I had to patch it. That took longer than it should have. I did get it done finally and it held. Sooo, I guess I did alright.
I worked hard today and I enjoyed it. I really would much rather work outside than inside most of the time. I guess I'll have to work on that some, won't I?
There is much more fence that needs fixin'...but I'll have to get more posts.
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