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Welcome to my little ol' blog. I'll be upfront about it: I don't blog very often any more. If you found your way here because you read my book "Trailer Life," have a gander! But it's easier to keep up with me on Instagram or on my Facebook page. I have this long, drawn out theory on why I'm a terrible blogger, but that is a story for another day. Enjoy the ramblings of my life from the last 8 years or so.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Fence Project, day one

I woke up this morning and decided to build a fence. Really. So I drew up some plans on graph paper, measured and measured the area, and then measured and measured my car. I made a trip to the Home Depot in Ridgecrest and loaded up four 4x4x16 posts, had the guy there cut them into four foot lengths (to fit in my car... the whole fence project has to be able to fit in my car). Here are the posts in back of the drivers seat. I am using regular douglas fir because this is a temporary fence for just a couple of years, so I'm not worried about rotting.
Here are the posts set into the ground. This is our "yard" right now, and it's totally trashy and I'm tired of it. I am going to put those pipe somewhere else, and our Gator that has a perpetual flat tire and needs wiring work looks awful. I want mt little trailer yard to look nicer, but the main reason for the fence is to keep kids IN and the dog OUT. My container garden is in here, and I'm going to build a sandbox with sand that won't get my kids dirty. I may order some outdoor toys or a swing set, I'm not sure yet. I used a post hole digger to set the posts 16 inches into the dirt, with an inch of gravel in the bottom. One post is about an inch higher than all the rest, and my first row is much more crooked than my second row. I got better as I went along. I dry set the posts by filling in with the dirt and tamping it with a stick of rebar. That took forever, but those posts are solid! I set them about four feet apart (again, four feet fits in my car neatly...) and on both ends I'm going to build a gate. When I came home I looked at Ryan's stacks of wood and found more than enough 2x4x16 which I plan on using for the top rail and side rail. I am going to go to the hardware store up here and see if they have any pickets. My fence is going to be between three and four feet high when it's done.Altogether it is 63 linear feet of fence. It's not perfect, but it's going to serve it's purpose. I nearly lost Ed again today and I am DONE with him wandering. I cannot take it mentally. I seriously get really panicked feel like I'm going to pass out. It could've been the heat...
I am thinking that I will be able to kick the kids outside and clean the house! And they'll be contained! And safe! And I'll be able to see them and hear them...I am beginning to relax already. Tomorrow I get to use more power tools and I'm excited. I'd really like to use Ryan's welder and finish a project, but I'd like to live. Besides, it needs new wiring put in it, it weighs like 600 pounds, and I know very little about welding. But I think I have a great teacher in mind, and when our house is finished, he can teach me how to properly build a fence and weld it for our horse pens and pole barn.

4 comments:

  1. I am so impressed. What a pioneer woman you are. I don't think I would ever even attempt a project like that. I can't wait to see pictures of the final product.

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  2. I am very impressed. You are amazing, I wish I could just FINISH ONE of the millions of projects I have started. Good luck! And I want in on the welding lessons when the time comes.

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  3. You are my idle!!!!! I want to learn to weld to.

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  4. Wow Karrie! You rock! Your fence looks great, I am so impressed! I can't wait to see the final product!

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