I'm beat! LF offered to help me work on the fence today. I thought it would be easy, take down the cattle panels that were up, get the tractor, get one of the rolls of fence, and put it up. Sounds simple, right? Wrong!
First off, B4 we ever get started, RU comes over and tells me that I need to put up a brace for my post next to the gate.
So, I had to take one of my fence posts, and cut it at an angle, then put it up. The only saw I had was my chain saw. It's not pretty, but it's up.
We get the wires holding the fence together cut and off, and staple it to the first fence post. The plan was to just let it unroll off the spear, and move the tractor down. That didn't happen. Not only is there the center spear, but on either side, there's a smaller spear. And, the fence was hung up on them, so it wouldn't unwind.
I try putting the roll down, then picking it back up in the hopes that we can have it just on the center spear. But, in that position, it wouldn't stay on the spear
We stand the roll up and try to just pull it off that way. It was just too heavy for that to work, so we tip it back over, and just start to roll it. And, the fence does unroll. We're doing good-until we come to the corner. We need to go around the huge post. I get the tractor out, we unroll some more fencing, and pick up the roll w/the spear. We were hoping it would have enough slack to get it around the pole. Didn't work. So, I figure, maybe if we unroll it all the way, we can just pick up the fence over the post. That didn't work, either.
Right about then, I was stumped. I honestly couldn't figure out how we were going to go around the post w/out cutting the fence. Then, LW suggests that we use the spear to pick up the fence itself and see if we could get the fence to go over that way. Well, it took a few tries until I found the right spot. But, each time I tried, I was getting closer and closer until I found the right spot!
So, now the fence was around the post and we're ready to tighten the fence. I had bought something in TSC for this, but didn't have a clue how to use it. Neither did LF, and by this time, RU is no where around.
The instructions seem easy enough, remove 2 U-shaped pieces of metal, loosen up 4 other bolts, remove a metal piece, slide the fencing in, then put it all back together. First I tried doing it in the middle of the roll-right after the big post. But, I couldn't get it back together. So, I figure it can probably only be done at the end of the roll. So, I go to the end and try to get it one. It sure wasn't easy! I tried following the instructions, but couldn't get it back together. So, I did things just a bit different, and was able to get it almost how it should have been. But, it was enough to get it to work.
Now I needed a way to tie this contraption and the fence onto the tractor. The only thing I could find was a lead rope. It was somewhat messed up, but not completely, but it was all I had, so it was sacrificed. It wasn't quite long enough, so I did the best I could attaching it, then started up the tractor, and eased forward. It took a few hitches, but I finally got it where it needed to be, then I started to hammer. And hammer, and hammer. I was also putting up the things for the electric as I went.
I get down towards the corner post, and realize that the one post is really out of line. I had put this post in when the old fence was still up, and the line was really crooked. I thought I had gotten them in straight, but guess I didn't. So, I had to stop, pull that post out, then dig a new hole and put it back in. Then I got that done, as well as the corner.
Now I'm on the lane side! But, the fence is not upright. And try as I might, I couldn't get it upright w/it attached to the tractor. So, I had to unhook it. So I hammer, and hammer and hammer some more. I finally get tired of hammering. Its getting late. I can't get the last bit of fencing tight enough w/out having it attached. I'm hungry plus I'm getting cold. So, I tie that last little bit up, and run the electric that far. I go to attach it, and realize that the end of my ground wire is messed up, and I was just too beat to mess w/it.
I throw a bale of hay in for the horses. I put Misty and Stormy back in. I walk down to the other field, and get first Licky, then Honey and put then in the field. I had put on shorts earlier in the day cuz it was so warm. Now I change back into my jeans, put on my ski pants, vest, Carhartt jacket, gloves and helmet, start up my motorcycle and go home. By the time I got home, it was dark. I feed the animals and go in to see if my hubby made any dinner. He did, broccoli rabe, mushrooms and hot dogs.
I grab some leftover pork, sugar snap peas and an ear of corn instead.
That just makes it worse.
