Sue Ann and corral fence

Today, Thursday, I got up way late as I was up way late last night (even for me). Sue Ann called late morning at a reasonable hour as she knows I am a late person. Our group's hike is canceled for Friday. With all the rain the higher elevations have been hit with snow. Glacier Park got 15 inches of snow and our hiking destination got at least several inches of snow. Guess we shouldn't have put the cross-country skis away.

Since no hike Friday, no potluck dinner. I didn't have to bake any pumpkin muffins.

Sue Ann's other news is that the place she is renting for years has been sold and the new owner said Sue Ann must move out by June 1. So I and other hiking group members will be helping her move once she finds a new place to rent.

By the time I finished talking with Sue Ann it started to rain. *argh!* First this rain wasn't suppose to happen, now it isn't leaving like it should. The rain is becoming a problem.

Why?

Friday morning I will be looking at cattle as Rich said he has 6 black steers and 6 black heifers in the 500-600 lb range. I may not have to go to Missoula to get cattle after all. The problem with the present rain is that my corral fence is a little over half done. No fence, how will I hold any cattle?

The good news is that it stopped raining late afternoon. I immediately went outside to work on the fence.

I strung 5 strands of barb wire. Even though I added chain link fence, I wanted the barb wire to further strengthen the fence. I know how heavy cattle can push their weight around. The 5th strand ran on top of the fence posts above the chain link fence. I know how some cattle can jump fences.

The roll of chain link did not cover the entire west fence. I found I had more odds & ends of short sections of chain link fence. I found two small sections that finished my fence exactly. These two pieces are 6 to 7 ft tall versus the 5 ft height of the rest of the fence. I'm not picky - so what if the height is different? The higher the better - I seriously doubt any cattle will jump the higher section of fence.

Before dark I added several of the old long posts to run along the top of the fence posts. It gives an added visual incentive to not try to jump the fence.

My west fence looks so different now. Before I had an old tattered snow fence and now I have a chain link fence. The snow fence partially blocked the view on the other side of the fence. Now I have to look again as from a distance I doesn't look like a fence is there. I'll get used to it. I had the same initial reaction when I rebuilt the south corral fence.

At least my outer corral fences are good and I can get cattle. I can do the finishing touches to the fence even after getting cattle.

I do want eventually to rebuild the interior corral fence that divides the corral north and south of the barn. My uncles and aunts are coming to visit in a little over two weeks. Hmmm... a project for them to do. I wouldn't want their vacation here to be all play and no work.

My one uncle is concerned I will have him go on long hikes. With the recent snow, maybe he should be more concerned about going on long cross-country ski trips.