Tuesday, June 23, 2015

that's one done

There has been a lot of rain lately.
Big rain.
Deluge-type rain.

In between, there have been projects;
many with the assistance of my new helper.
For example, last week we moved a section of fenceline.

You can see where the original fenceline ran behind the barn:


I had the barn built in that spot last Spring,
planning to move the fence back toward the stone wall
in early Autumn.
But many other tasks came first,
and then my helper lost interest in working.

And then Winter came.



And it stayed a while.



And what you may not be able to see
is that even the packed-down snow 
is deep enough to "shorten" the fence significantly.


By February, that six-foot perimeter fence
only came up to my chest.
I could reach over the fence without raising my arm.
If my goats had wanted to get over that fence,
they could have done it.
Easily.
I thanked them every day for not doing so.

Dara:
Well, of course we would never go over the fence!
We are all Very Good Goats!


Violet:
I am shocked that you could even think
we would go over the fence!
No matter how easy it might be!


Campion:
Certainly we would NEVER...wait a minute...
HOW short did you say that fence is?

Hahaha! Just kidding!

~~~

So last week, my new helper and I spent several hours,
on two consecutive days, moving that fence.
Finally!

It adds just a tiny area to the paddocks -
maybe a thousand square feet or so -
so it was a lot of work for a little difference.

Was it worthwhile?


Well, yes.


Yes, it was.


If only for the pleasure of watching Tsuga
lead her little girls into fresh browse
before any of the other goats could have a crack at it.
That's a first!

Fern making a careful selection.


Tansy tackling a kid-sized portion of white pine.


And Mama Tsuga, happily destroying the bittersweet.
Bless you, Tsuga!
~~~

So, how are your projects coming along?
Does your list ever get any shorter?
~~~~~