Four step plan

Today I am working with Fred. He wants to put up a fence in the pastures for an onslaught of animals he wishes to add the farm. It might not come as a surprise, I am not all that excited about this decision, but as far as farms go its one that farmers often make. Animals need daily attention and this is added work at this point. Fred has a pretty good idea of how he is going to run these animals, and he tells me about it this morning as we look out upon the hillside. Fred wants to parcel up the land into six or eight paddocks, so that he can rotate the cow(s) and goats and pigs, of which currently he has the one, Ella. Of course there is Lucy but we are to forget her, with death looming.

Fred also tells me about how he plans to modify the barn to accommodate these new tenants. We speak of this for a long time, it is Fred's prerogative to talk. When we finally get to the fencing, it is hot and my brain and body are shutting down. I feel a step behind. Putting insulators for the wooden posts, a few small metal clamps, running the wire, which Fred does most all the pulling, it's not that difficult of a job. I use a square wrench to pick up the slack on the ratchet spools on the near end. Then the diesel delivery truck comes and Fred leaves me to set up some new spools before lunch. The tractors are hungry too.

I spend the evening planting lettuce in home field with Meg, Mary, and Michela.