Mending Fences

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of “mend fences” is: “to improve or repair a relationship that has been damaged by an argument or disagreement.” I have often used this phrase myself in the past over something or other, but never would I have thought, while living and working in New York City, that one day I would take the meaning quite literally. Fast forward to current day. Here we are at Carriage House Farms and one of the largest, constant, and most labor-intensive jobs that John and I have here is, and always will be, repairing actual fences damaged by the elements (or livestock).

This April, a microburst came through our area. This happens from time to time here in the Midwest, and it is not usually that concerning. Oftentimes, no one knows it happened until after the fact. A microburst is a downdraft of air within a thunderstorm. Most of the time they pass through without incident. Sometimes they will leave a sign of their presence with downed tree limbs or, in our case, twice over the last two years, downed fences. This means that we get a free boot camp workout which includes: digging (working the back, arms, shoulders, and legs), lifting (legs and abs), and post-hole digging (shoulders, arms, and obliques). Then, of course, there is the free spa mud bath treatment. It is inevitable that when on your knees, and sometimes your stomach, digging a broken fence post out of a big hole, you will absolutely get covered in dirt and mud. They say it is particularly good for the skin and hair though, so no complaints here!

The most challenging part about digging this particular fence post out of the ground was that it was a bigger post (6’x6’ instead of the usual 4’x4’ so that it can support the gate). Because of the gate, this post had to go in the exact same spot that we were taking it out of. We could not, in this case, move it over a bit to avoid the concrete anchor that this post was originally attached to. Long story short, we managed to dig down far enough to attach a chain to the exposed concrete, and our dear neighbor was able to easily lift the several hundred-pound block of concrete straight up and out of the hole with her farm tractor (that’s right, “Girl Power” 😉), saving us many additional hours of well, yes, blood, sweat, and possibly a tear or two!

Finally, it was just a matter of drilling holes for the gate hardware into the new post in our shop and affixing it into the ground with fast-drying concrete. After that, we moved on to the smaller fence post next to it that the microburst took out as well. A big job too, but easier than the first, thankfully.

Although every season has its trials, one of the biggest challenges we face with working outside this time of year is the weather. The second week in April looked beautiful. Spring was graciously knocking on the door to be let in, and the flowers and trees were starting to blossom. Then, eleven days later, we awoke to a Winter Wonderland. Winter had decided that it was not finished with us yet. Mother Nature is unpredictable that way, but I am always in awe of her.

Recently, we had another fence installed along a property line (pictured below). This time it is a metal fence that we had put up, which means it will require little to no maintenance going forward. At least that is the hope. Don’t get me wrong though, we are always up for a free boot camp workout and spa treatment here, and we would be very happy to include you in that workout if you ever find yourself down our way. We will feed you good, and we promise that you will get the best night’s sleep of your life.

Until next time . . .

K.