I’m musing to myself today…
For two months now, I’ve been organizing my next ‘addition’ to the horse pastures. I’m going to divide the 5 acres with a row of trees (for shade) and then fence off the lower, flat portion so I could have a makeshift arena down there.
I’m very excited!
I had mowed this wide area in the big, 5 acre pasture so I could create a loose, “S” shaped fence as a switchback way to get down this hill with a horse – safely. At the bottom, in the flat area, I was going to put a round pen. (That is Dodger and Norma, checking out the newly mowed pasture.)
PREPARATION
The guys have come out to measure… the post hole digger person is coming on Friday… all is going smoothly…
except…
…except I have not received my last two paychecks (or my expenses check), yet, so I was not able to order any of the materials for them to start on Friday. Tomorrow. 1500ft of wood fencing material was needed – tomorrow – but I had no checks!
I went to the mailbox every day. I called the office. I cajoled. I asked strongly… all to no avail. My paychecks were clogged in the system somewhere..
But I had to order the materials today.
So today, I decided to pull out my credit card and head to the lumber store. Time had run out. I had to do it today so the guys could start on Friday.
Oh yeah, and the other thing I need to mention… the guys and I kept measuring it, thinking we had it right, and then looking at it the next day, only to realize it was wonky on one side or the other. Over and Over again. We kept messing up the corners. You see, my idea was to have a wavy, rounded “S” shaped, zig-zag fence so that I could walk down the steep slope (with a horse) by going cross-ways, back and forth like switchbacks. And this wavy aisle would be 12ft wide with trees all down the center. Soft and pretty, I hoped.
I want a loose, wavy, “S” shaped wood fence like this but longer… so I can walk down the steep hill with a horse.
WELL…
I was literally ON MY WAY to the lumber store after I had spent a good hour this morning (in the heat), re-measuring the string lines for the very last time…
OK, anyway, I was literally driving to the lumber yard with my credit card in hand (feeling guilty)- when I received the call.
It was from our property manager at the Grass Valley house. Our tenants are leaving. No notice. In fact, the tenants told me just last month that they ‘loved it’ there and wanted another year.
Sigh.
Well…. I sat in my truck and took a deep breath. Yes, I really wanted this fun area for myself and the horses. But, I feel really, really lucky that something kept me from purchasing a huge amount of lumber right now.
And so I was reminded today that sometimes things go wrong for the right reasons… and I need to thank all of the Horsegods for not letting me get to the lumber yard today.
(But I still want my wavy, “S” shaped fence… has anyone ever done that? Thoughts?)
This is too severe… I want the waves much more loose. I also want it to be a double fence so I can plant trees in the middle of the two fences. They’ve planted hedges here.
It actually sounds like you are swimming along pretty well. I, personally, do not believe in coincidences. Sometimes we don’t realize the larger picture of how/why things happen until YEARS later.
The other thing, with the “S” fence… Since you want the curves to be more open, I would use Google Earth to see if you can picture it from above (print and draw on the “map”). And then use barrels at every curve. This way, you can see better how the curves will fall. They probably won’t be all evenly wound; if the landscape is not perfect, then the curves shouldn’t be either. You’ll want the safest route, especially if you are walking with the horses. The barrels might help you get as close as you can, though.
Just my two cents. Blessings.