The raspberry bushes that I planted a couple of years ago are finally big enough to need support to keep them from laying on the ground. Last year I bought t-posts and wire to do the job, but I put off doing the work, week after week, month after month.
I'd never built a fence or even put in a fence post before...I had never even watched anyone do it. That's probably why the procrastination...I just didn't know the proper way to do it. I could have asked someone or looked up the procedure online, but no, I had to re-invent the wheel.
My tools were a shovel, an axe (because I didn't have a sledge hammer), and a 30 lb. pry bar. The soil was way too hard and rocky for the shovel and the pry bar to work. So I hauled the hose over and filled up the small holes I had created with water. After a few minutes the water had softened the soil in the holes a little so I picked up the pry bar again. By applying pressure and twisting and turning the bar I was able to create a little round hole about four inches deep in the mud. I then lifted the pry bar as high as my arms could reach above my head and with all my energy drove it down into the hole. I was standing in the perfect position to then receive a mouthful of mud as well as mud in my eyes, hair, face, clothing and even down my neck. Taking a moment to recover from the shock and spit out some of the mud, I resumed my work and actually had some success. Believe it or not I put in SIX fence posts that way. I figured I was a muddy mess already so why not continue?
The next day I was telling my sister, Rosalin, about my fence post setting and she happened to mention a tool that Jack has called a "post driver." She suggested that I borrow it. I did, and was able to set the next six posts in about 20 minutes...no mud involved!
I'd never built a fence or even put in a fence post before...I had never even watched anyone do it. That's probably why the procrastination...I just didn't know the proper way to do it. I could have asked someone or looked up the procedure online, but no, I had to re-invent the wheel.
My tools were a shovel, an axe (because I didn't have a sledge hammer), and a 30 lb. pry bar. The soil was way too hard and rocky for the shovel and the pry bar to work. So I hauled the hose over and filled up the small holes I had created with water. After a few minutes the water had softened the soil in the holes a little so I picked up the pry bar again. By applying pressure and twisting and turning the bar I was able to create a little round hole about four inches deep in the mud. I then lifted the pry bar as high as my arms could reach above my head and with all my energy drove it down into the hole. I was standing in the perfect position to then receive a mouthful of mud as well as mud in my eyes, hair, face, clothing and even down my neck. Taking a moment to recover from the shock and spit out some of the mud, I resumed my work and actually had some success. Believe it or not I put in SIX fence posts that way. I figured I was a muddy mess already so why not continue?
The next day I was telling my sister, Rosalin, about my fence post setting and she happened to mention a tool that Jack has called a "post driver." She suggested that I borrow it. I did, and was able to set the next six posts in about 20 minutes...no mud involved!
2 comments:
Darn....no picture of you covered in mud! Thank goodness for the post driver. Asking for suggestions before a project might not be a bad idea ;) he he he ;)
Good grief you independent little farmer girl...ask for advice and help next time. Although if you had there wouldn't be an interesting and fun blog for you to write and me to read.
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