New Old Fence

After moving our pivot sprinkler and planting the field to pasture, it was time to rebuild the north fence line. Of course you could just go buy new material and knock the job out. But where's the fun in that? With no livestock on either side of the fence, we took our time to rebuild it inexpensively and right.

The old fence was shot, to say the least.

So last summer we tore it out.

And hauled it off.

Then set new brace posts.

Here's where the fun begins. I've seen always seen this old highway right away wire, spooled up along the roadside. And, I've always wanted to rummage through it and make a new fence out of the good old wire. Well, my buddy Will down in Kaycee, hooked me up with two bundles to help make my dream come true. 

So we hauled in home and unrolled it. There was barb wire spooled up with it, which was a tangled up mess. But when it was said and done, the hog wire looked pretty good.

We had to make about three splices. I've hardly worked with woven wire, so I researched how to splice it. On each side of a vertical, cut the horizontals and spin them around each other. One spinning backwards and one spinning forwards. That way, as the pull, they tighten against each other. 

Then we wrapped it around a pipe and hooked it to Dad's truck to tighten up. 

It really stretched up nice. 

For the top strands of barbwire, we turned to Grandpa's old scrap wire pile. This is good wire, just needs a new home.

A good single strand splice follows the same logic, one forward, one backward. This way there is no kink to weaken the wire and break at a later date. 

Again, she tightened up real nice.

It's always a good idea to put the wire on the side of the post that is going to get the most pressure. As critters push against it, they are pushing against the post and not just the clips that hold the wire on. Here's our wire ration: 50" at the top and about 1.5" off the ground. The first barb wire sits right on top of the woven, to keep a cow from wanting to stick her head through. And the top two remove any funny ideas of trying to jump. 

Should work. 

Good fences do make good neighbors. They also allow for a little peace of mind, knowing that it would take extreme circumstances for a critter to breakout. I like building fence. And I'd rather do so with left over material that still has life. I think this wire and posts would rather be serving a purpose than rotting away in the dirt. Looks good to me. We'll see what the cows think. On to the next one. 

Holy Arguing

In debate, Jesus shows up.

           https://youtu.be/H6y2w5JLhJA         

Church Bells

The bell tower of the church has been one place I’ve wanted to explore. With a free hour and a trusty ladder, we ventured upwards to see what we could find. 

I love the sound of our church bells and would like to hear them of a regular basis. 

Construction began on the church in 1949, and it was built with local stone. 

Darin helped me access the trap door. 

There’s a cool first room below the bells themselves. 

The steeple is finely constructed out of lumber. 

The smallest bell out of the three is reported to be off an old train steam engine. 

These two 36”ers make all the noise you want. Not sure what they are made of, but all you have to do is tap your fingernails on them and they will sing. 

Fun stuff. I’d love to hear theses guys three times a day, everyday. We’ll see what we can do. In the meantime, it’s good to see what we have to work with. Ranch on. 

Mary

Be open to where God can be found.

           https://youtu.be/OkwBD3RuIwQ         

Fearful yet Overjoyed

The tension in the Christian life.

           https://youtu.be/3KN0ywBPL0o         

Risen Signs

Let the signs of God point you to Christ's resurrection. 

           https://youtu.be/vUwfdB8nPts         

Betrayed

Jesus shows how to handle betrayal.

           https://youtu.be/pu0eNP6H230         

Lawn Care

With Easter around the corner, we decided to give the church lawns a little cleaning up. They are in good shape. But coming out of winter, everything could us a manicure. 

Looks fine from a distance. But up close, the yard is matted and full of debris. 

So Darin fixed me up with this yellow stallion. 

Bring it. 

So fun to make such a difference with so little effort. 

Having this gone has to promote some new growth. 

We just dumped the tailings in the Paddy Wagon. 

Much better.

Then to the next yard behind the church. 

Same scenario. 

That works.

Then onto the house. 

This grass was thicker. I had to go over it twice, at different levels, to get the crew cut I was looking for. 

This mower is an animal. 

Done. 

Muy Bien. 

Good deal. I'm glad we got this dirty job out of the way. With some moisture coming in this week, these lawns should be perked up nicely in time for Easter. We'll find out. Ranch on. 

Betrayal

Let's stay close to the heart of Jesus.

           https://youtu.be/Cu-0Bpc_5w0         

Burning Ditches

Springtime in the Rockies usually involves a lot of work. Irrigation is a nonnegotiable in the Big Horn Basin. The canal system around the area, that gets water to ground that would otherwise be barren, is beautiful, but labor intensive. Before you can get water running in them, you have to make sure they are weed free and ready to flow. 

Burning is the best way to get rid of weeds, grass, and trash. Dad was scrambling because water is coming, so I jumped in and gave him a hand. 

Safety first. Good to have a fire truck on hand. Ranch truck is multipurpose. 

Tumbleweeds packed around a bridge is a common effect of the winter winds. 

Situations like this, we just pulled them away from the wood structure. 

And let 'er buck. 

Great conditions for burning. Dried out weeds, no wind, and green grass outlining the ditch. 

That'll work. 

Burning around headgates is also a good idea. Keeps them from getting plugged with trash and allows water to flow in freely. 

Dad takes no chances on fires getting out of control. His philosophy is, Where there's smoke there's fire. Douse it with water.

The crops are well on their way. The barley planted early germinated on its own. But it'll be looking for a drink soon. 

You think driving down your neighborhood alleys reveals some hidden gems? Try cruising the canal roads. There's some unseen treasures laying behind people's farms. 

It's also a good idea to burn the grasses that line the ditch banks. Anything hanging in the water is going to cause friction and hinder the flow. 

Best to burn it now. 

Giddy up. 

This dog should hunt. At least it has been for the past hundred years. The canals around the Basin are remarkable, but they don't operate themselves. Your best bet is to do as much preventative maintenance as you can. Because when a wreck happens, it is usually big. Best to avoid the near occasion of sin and be ready before the water ever hits the dirt. Let's farm.