A Porch of My Own

A Porch of My Own

Friday, February 26, 2016

The Last Unfinished Business


The fence guys finished up today. They replaced the garden fence that was falling down and added a gate at the road to the side of the property that had no access except through the longhorns' pen.


I've been disappointed in contractors not showing up when they said they would but I've not been disappointed in any of them once they made it out here, and the fence guys were no exception. They have all done what I asked and usually more and they have all treated me with kindness.

I asked the fence guys to add two electric hot wires to the fence and to add some chicken wire along the bottom to keep the rabbits out. These aren't things they usually do. They're normally working on big ranch jobs with lots of fencing and they do cedar clearing. They never gave an indication this was beneath them but really, it kind of was. It wasn't quite as bad as asking the plumber to load the
dishwasher but it was close!

I spent a little bit of time working with them today helping add the chicken wire. It was something I could do and I didn't want them to run out of time. We finished that and they added the hot wires. They didn't like the corner pieces I had bought; they felt they weren't sturdy enough. They said they'll probably come back by and bring something better.


I've got a lot of work to do in the garden. It's a mess from neglect and just after Winter. But the peach and plum trees are starting to bud out and the old peach tree has tons of flowers just showing some color!

I've got some painting to do on the fence, on the welded posts that make up the framework. I told the guys I had more free time than they did and I'd paint them. It lets them finish today and move on to another job next week. And really, I'm ready for everyone to be gone and just get back to what constitutes normal for me now.


The garden gate has a place to hang a sign. I have one I may move there, a cut iron one a friend had made when I retired. I'm indecided yet; I also like it where it is!

I've spent the last year and a bit more trying to get all the things done that Rick wanted to do and couldn't. This fence work was the last thing. I feel like I can move slower now, the urgency to get these things done before something happens to me has passed.


I still have things to do, just like everyone else. I need to paint the original cabin bathroom, get the garden in shape, cut some little cedars and some firewood, dig prickly pear, finish with the load of granite gravel I have, paint a bench, finish my defenses against skunks trying to move under the bunkhouse, etc. And down the road I'll have to find someone to haul off the cut cedar. But the list of goals for our place has been completed.


With all my heart I wish Rick and I could have accomplished these things together and that he could see how they turned out. It's as if all the years of hard work paid off and the icing on the cake was added. But we have to play the hand we're dealt. And I've tried to play this bad hand as best as I can. It's not in me to fold, as it wouldn't be in Rickie if he was trying to finish my business.

I hope it honors him, as that has been my unfinished business.