No plan survives contact with the enemy.
In this case, those sections of the fence are, at least the 18 feet we just took down, handmade on the hardware offered for the ‘bought’ sections. We may have some ‘bought’ sections on the west side, but the north is a monster. One section was 10 feet long, the other 8. The posts are rotten. They scabbed a plank over the actual fastenings. Etc. Etc. Etc, to quote Mr. Brynner, in his most aggrieved tones.
We got the back 18′ down, but I had to go after tarp. Tarp does come in a 12×20 so I split it to get 2 20’s. Now it’s trying to rain and the wind is coming with it. Jane is out there with a level and gravel, trying to fix a spot that’s been an Issue since we bought the house. I have tried to move a quarter ton of gravel off the old broken slab ‘Rick’ swears his guys will take a jackhammer to, to give free swing to our gate. But I have shoveled. I have trekked to Lowe’s and back. I have shoved and dragged these sections. Jane has done all that and more.
We are not defeated, but I think tonight is a pizza night. My shoulders are protesting the shoveling. There’s nothing to bring home to you what a pain it is to add another decade like shoveling basalt gravel. I have just taken 2 Advil, and I can’t leave Jane sitting out there in the rain trying to finish that stonework without doing something useless to help. Did I mention a sapling had grown outside the fence? Jane also took that out.
We are going to be sore tomorrow, and we have another 18′ of fence plus wings to take out. Monday—there’s the final 30 feet.
Every single person who could help us is out of town. So here we are. The fence guys are starting Tuesday. Until then…we just nibble away at the job and swear a lot.
We got the tarp up. Fastened with mini-bungees, chained plastic ties. Wind. Rain. Sheesh. But…part 1 is down and a difficult bit of wall, about 4′ feet of it, is leveled and ready for concrete behind it. We are going to be s-o-r-e. And tonight it’s pizza. Definitely pizza. The discard bits of fence—we dragged inside the perimeter and we’re going to try to con the guys on Tuesday to haul them out and fling them on the curb for anybody who can use them. The fence may be 20 years old, but it’s been painted, and the wood is basically sound: it’s the posts that have rotted. My notion of cutting a 12×20 in half amid the 12 to produce two 6×20’s is, despite the desperation of the decision, going to be fine. At least the Lowe’s tarp has heavy=duty grommets frequently along every edge.
Well done to survive this. Those big sections are HEAVY. (And it’s always the posts that rot out. Even cedar rots. Definitely a Pizza night.
Too bad I don’t live closer to you (Rhode Island), I would send some guys to help out. Enjoy the pizza.
Amen, and pass the A-1 sauce! It’s almost a shame the Wavy Navy is so far-flung; CJ and Jane could easily have a minor horde on tap for many of these projects (although the pizza quantities would likely run into double digits) 😀
Thanks all!
Wish we were nearby — husband is a wiz at all sorts of stuff. Some single malt sounds called for as well. Good luck with the rest of it all.
Try swearing at it in t’ca matrix speech! Or try in colloquial hani. That should do it!
The yard guys were early. They arrived yesterday evening in a whirlwind of activity. I now have a yard again instead of a Triffid sanctuary waiting for Audrey’s arrival.
My cats and I looked it over Sat. afternoon. The twosome still smell like grass and pollen. Heheh. (Achoo, from me.) They were most impressed.
I envy you the new upcoming fence, but not the heavy lifting. — I’m afraid I’d tend toward “colorful language” at that. 🙂
There will be a flurry of activity here, punctuated evolution, you might say. But there will be still more to do past the budgeted allotment of funds. Sigh. Still, I’ll be a lot happier when I get more done in this batch.
Toes crossed that the rest of the removal will proceed smoothly and will not lead to too many bruises and bad words. I’m looking forward to a few photos from Jane; perhaps the will be help in the form of house elves?
We are finally able to do a little yard work without feeling like we are braving the elements. Sadly, our biggest white goldfish (Moby) seems to have disappeared. We couldn’t find her yesterday. On the other hand ‘fish flop’ (mating season) has started and she may be hiding from her suiters!
@Jo-Ann…We could have formed an RI brigade….or perhaps N.E.?
Today is for baking bread, studio cleaning, and blowing the leaves out of the plants beds….again! This is one of the drawbacks to living in the woods.
But with what looks to be a good half-inch between boards a couple minutes to saw through the 2×4’s every 3-4′ would render it into bite-sized pieces, no? No got saw? Cheap.
Oh, we got saw—but we’re also hoping to keep them intact enough to tempt some passer-by to truck them off. Otherwise it will cost us for hauling.
It’s not actually a half inch on all: they’ve kind of weathered, and light-scatter from light coming through them makes it look wider than it is. There are many where you can’t get anything thicker than a twist-tie through them, and then others where, indeed, it’s much wider.