Zap

Spent the day yesterday running electric fence around the south pasture. I might have been procrastinating just the tiniest amount to date, but in my defense I really didn't think it was going to be that bad.  Silly me.  But then I've never encountered a hedge post before.  Next time I'll know better.

Walked the horses up early, then went back and packed up the fencing pliers, the insulators, nails and clips, hammer, some staples, etc. in a bucket, collected a few wire posts, and headed up the hill.  Got my first insulator screwed in to the big cropped off telephone pole that serves as a corner post and thought, "Huh, this isn't going to be so bad."  That's what I get for thinking.  Ten minutes and four bent over nails later I decided to do things the smart way and went back after the drill so I could pre-drill the nail holes.  I really miss cedar posts!

Long story short, it took three more trips back to the house to collect a) more bits because I broke the first two off in the first post, and b) the hammer drill because the regular one wasn't doing the job.  On the third bit and the second drill I figured it out:  back the bit out frequently.  Otherwise it would just get stuck and either break off  (bit #1) or lose grip enough that I couldn't back it out at all and then break off (drill #1, bit #2).

Stopped at 1:30 and walked back up to the house for a quick lunch and to retrieve the jab saw to trim baby trees out of  the way.

I drove back - had to bring the horses more water anyway.  Finally got everything hooked up and tested, got back to the house and it was 6 pm.  What?!  Already time to go get the critters, and here I was ready to sit down.  So back I went up the hill.  Definitely got my exercise yesterday.

The horses were semi-convinced the fencing bucket might have good eats at the bottom so they'd circle around my way every now and then to see what I was doing.  But it was really windy, and they'd munched their way down into one of the far corners by the time I finally had the wire run and the fencer on.  They came up as I was loading things into the truck and of course once they discovered the yellow line, somebody had to test it.  I didn't see whose nose stretched out, but I heard the snap! and four sets of feet thudding off in the other direction, lol!  Should keep them from leaning across the fence to nibble the CRP, which I caught them at yesterday morning.

Only three sides are up, but the side that's left borders the cow pasture so if they manage to get out in that direction they'll just be in with the cows.  I have to pick up more wire anyway, and that's the side that will be getting a walk-through gate (soon, no more trips down the road - hooray!).  Not exactly sure where I want the gate yet....

I'm not completely thrilled with where I have the fencer, and I need to tweak the gate height, but that shouldn't take too long.  Today I really need to spend some time out housework.  I think I might actually be looking forward to vacuuming and laundry.