Fight to the Finish

 We wanted to build a short section of fence today from the house outward so that we could eventually put in a gate on the south side of the house.  This project fought us all the way.

The weather forecast for today called for brief showers in the morning that were supposed to clear by 9:30 a.m.  That was fine; we figured that we only needed between two to three hours for the job, so we still would be finished by around noon.

While we waited for the shower that woke us up to end, we spent the time assembling the ingredients for beef stew in the crock pot.  Dinner started cooking, so we ventured outside to set up the tables, cement mixer, posts, and other tools that we needed to build the fence.  

Then we watched the sky darken, and we heard the thunder start to roll in.  We were getting a little wet by the time we threw and secured tarps over our work stations.  The weather was the first element to fight us. It would pour, then clear, and just as the sun peeked out from behind a cloud, it would start to pour again.  The rain continued, on and off, until about 2:30 in the afternoon.

Once we got back outside, the first hole that Rick had dug a couple of days ago seemed not deep enough.  Yes, we had put stone in the bottom, but it still was not quite right.  Out came the post hole digger -- again-- as we struggled to pull up dirt and stones from the bottom. 

Once we had the first pole set in the first hole, we moved on to the second pole.  Due to elevation changes in the side yard, getting that post lined up with the first was not easy.  A sloping lawn and setting the posts in the holes was the second element that fought us.

The fence panels and upper rail fight us as the
work area in the side yard peeks out from behind it.

Before we could cement the second post into place, we had to put in the lower rail, add the upper rail, and build the slats between the two.  Assembling the actual fence panel was the third element that fought us.  Since we had to cut the upper and lower rails short, we had one end on each that no longer had latches to help it stay in place. One or the other kept pulling out, and fitting the panels in between took us two tries before we could get everything in place.  By this time, we were both tired and uncomfortable as the weather was turning hot and humid.  So once again, the weather continued to fight us.

Looking from the back yard, the fence panel
finally is complete. We left an area wide enough
for a riding lawn mower or other large items 
still can have access to the back yard.

We finally finished the project about 5:00 p.m.  By this time, we both were exhausted, so that state of being was the last element to fight us.  We had to force ourselves to clean up the worksite since more storms and heat are expected for tomorrow.  We knew that if we did not pick everything up today, we would face a soggy mess tomorrow.

View of the fence from the front yard.

Once we add the gate, we will have more
privacy in our back yard.

In the end, we have the fence on the south side of the house in place.  If it rains tomorrow and we feel like working, we always can back the truck out of the garage and build the gate for the south side in the shaded and dry garage.  If we do not feel like working, so be it.  Tomorrow is Sunday, and I am perfectly content to let that be a day of rest.