Problem Solved

We have worked for the last two days to find a solution to our problem of how to put the fence next to the tree.  Neither of us really wanted to waste fencing to go out around the tree and to "box" it in, but there was no easy solution.  However, went two half-wits put their heads together, we actually came up with a solution using our one whole brain.

We got up early yesterday to start with the south side post.  Just as we were getting going, Rick got really crabby, so I quit working.  If he wants to be a jerk, he can work alone.  I came in and showered while he finished that panel himself.

After lunch, we talked about the fence near the tree.  Rick had some ideas about how we could bridge the gap, and I had an idea of how we could cap off the end.  We needed to get a post into the ground as close as we could to the tree without damaging any large roots.  We found the "sweet spot" a couple of feet from the tree, and then ran the rails straight through the post so that it was supported on both sides.  Actually assembling the whole thing was a bit of a struggle, but in the end everything worked out well. My idea of using gate components close to the tree helped support the boards with a neat appearance. We like that the top rail is still level and that the bottom rail was able tuck itself tidily behind the root.

The top rail balances through the post and ends near the tree.

As we were cleaning up, we worked together to pull a tarp loaded with soil to dump it in a low spot in the yard.  I was dragging my corner across the indentation in the yard where we took the old patio block out and did not realize that I was near the raised lip at the edge.  I caught my heel on the raised yard and because I was pulling backwards on the tarp, BOOM, down I went.  My head hit the ground so hard that it bounced (maybe it really IS full of fluff, like Winnie the Pooh's head!), and my left shoulder took the worst impact of the fall.  My doomsday husband immediately started to talk hospital and concussion, but I never saw stars or passed out, and I was able to get up off the ground and to walk straight.  My shoulder is still killing me today, but I have full mobility to it.  I think I just bruised or strained the muscle.  I don't know what I have against my muscles, but we do not seem to be getting along very well lately. Hopefully it will heal in the next few days.

Today we had planned on going to church to help with the holiday decorations, but my sore muscles put a stop to that.  Rick said that we would take the day off and take it easy.  Yeah, right.  This morning we went to the drugstore and the grocery store before going to the Farmer's Market downtown.  We talked to a man about a couple of Christmas presents he is making for us, and then we got an education on honey.

The local honey dealer told us that with each season, bees take in the nectar from different flowers.  The nectar, in turn, causes the bees to produce different flavors of honey.  The spring honey was very mild, the summer honey had a buttery aftertaste, the fall honey was a darker, heavier taste, and the winter honey was dark and maple-flavored.  We liked the summer the best, so we bought a small squeeze jar in the shape of a bear (like I remember from my childhood).  Then the honey vendor had us taste a cinnamon honey-- thick, rich, sweet, and spiced with cinnamon.  He said that his wife cuts up apples, put the slices in the microwave, and then drizzles the cinnamon honey on top.  The result: a "baked" apple sweetened to perfection.  Needless to say, we came home with a jar of cinnamon honey also.

After lunch, Rick just could not resist getting back into the fence. So much for our day off. The only good thing about working today was that we did not have to use any cement.  He came up with a slightly different plan for the south side of the tree.  We could not get as close as we did to the north side because of the root configuration, but in the end, the panel turned out all right.  That panel is a combination of rails and screws on the back side with a support board to the ground.  In both sections of fence, we can make further moderations as the tree grows.

The fence gets as close to the tree as the roots will allow.
We just cannot fight Mother Nature; she wins every time.
We'll plant bougainvillea or other shrubs to bridge the gap.

We are happy with the results even through I am not happy at all that we could not just take one day off, as planned.

Tonight we are going to the beach to watch the Dunedin Holiday Boat Parade.  I addition to a marching-through-the-streets parade, Dunedin also has a floating parade where boat owners compete for prizes as to who has the more grandly decorated and lighted boat.  We want to leave early this year so we will pack a picnic supper and set up our chairs on the seashore to get a good view.  Only in Florida...