Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

Fence Post
Originally uploaded by JordanaA.

Last weekend, we started building our fence.

At our current house, we have a fully fenced in yard, which has been wonderful with our children and dog. The Purple House came with a mostly knocked over and broken chainlink fence on two sides. It wasn't salvageable.

Although, I could probably keep the children from wandering away without a fence, the dog is not so bright. I don't want to have to walk him every time he wants to go out, so we need a fence.

The only kind of fence we could afford to pay someone else to build was chainlink, so we're building it ourselves. (Don't you love my use of the word "we" as if I had a larger part in the fence building than holding the posts and helping get them level?)

After calling around to Lowes, Home Depot and an actual lumber yard, Home Depot's prices were the best. During the phone call, they said they could deliver on Saturday if we made our order by 2 o'clock on Friday, but when I went to the store, they said it would be Tuesday before they brought the wood. I protested and sitting there holding a baby and with 3 other children swarming around me, they must have felt pity for my pathetic state, because they promised to squeeze us in.

We paid someone to dig the post holes, so we were able to start setting the posts in right away. It takes a long time to get them in and leveled though. We've managed about 4 every 1.5 hours. We have one post left on the back of the property and 24 on the side yard.

Then, of course, we'll also have to put a fence across the yard to close it all in. At this rate, maybe we'll have a fully fenced backyard by the end of summer.

Plant Nursery

DSCF4234
Originally uploaded by JordanaA.

When we got a contract on our house, I insisted that we include a line saying that I got to divide perennials and bulbs. That's all well and good and I've been dividing my heart out. Unfortunately, there aren't any nice flower beds at the Purple House to put the plants in. So, I've taken over a few spots, including this crummy bed by the back patio, as plant nurseries to keep my babies alive until I have time to dig them proper homes.

I really want to take cuttings from the two climbing roses I planted last year, but I don't know where to put them so they can climb to their hearts' contents while I figure out permanent locations for them. Any suggestions?

About That Tree

As I mentioned below, we had to take down a very large, very rotten tree. It wasn't a particularly nice tree -- just a hackberry, but it was huge. We got the best price on taking it down from a guy known to some as "Crazy Billy."

Crazy Billy might not be what you'd call an educated man and looking at him just might make you think of Deliverance, but he knows trees and he knows how to cut them down safely.

So Crazy Billy and his guys were roping up and cutting the large limbs off the giant hackberry when one of our neighbors to be came running up, demanding they stop immediately and come down. Apparently the neighbor started demanding their license and taking photos of their trucks to document what was going on and when words were exchanged, they went inside and complained to our carpenters about the incident.

Then the neighbors called Justin, saying that it was a "historic" tree and would irreparably change the skyline. They wanted to know who diagnosed that the tree was rotten and noted that "the tree guys didn't seem very educated."

We hate to make enemies with neighbors we haven't even met yet. The other three neighbors we've met have all been extremely nice and neighborly. At least this couple doesn't live right next door. Of course, since they aren't even right next door, one wonders even more at their extreme concern over our tree.

We took pictures of the rot just in case we ever hear any more about it. But I'd rather have angry neighbors than a rotten tree in a yard I hope to let my kids run around.