Never thought retirement would be like this

Tabitha said:
Nancy are you going to let the goats out unsupervised?
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No, Tabitha. Not until I get some kind of extra safe fence put up around the barn. Lately I've been letting them out in another small, but well fenced area, while I'm there. But that area doesn't enclose the barn or the water trough. I put buckets of water out for them in that one, but if it rains that won't work. Maybe it would be faster to build a second barn. Ha!

You can make a fence climb-proof, and dig-under proof, with electricity. Just have to do something special with the gates. Fencer said they make an electrified bungee cord type thing I might stretch over the tops of the gates when they're closed.
 

NancyNGA said:
.... Maybe it would be faster to build a second barn. Ha!
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Actually, the way things are going, another temporary barn might not be a bad idea. You can build one in a day with 3 cattle panels and a big tarp.

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But then you run into problems like this. As big as my goats are, it would come crashing down.

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Well, atleast you got some things done since the fence guy did not show up! Boy, I need to wash my little SUV! It is starting to look rough. Kinda bad when you go to Lowes and when you go back to your car there is a business card on your door that had a hand written note that they offer free car washes with their services! I have got to get my act together! I am great about laying in bed at night and making lists in my head of what I will do the next day but for some reason that list never gets done! And I hate that...I like to feel I have made some sort of accomplishment for the day, no matter how small it may seem. I have a box started for Goodwill donation but I need to get motivated and fill that sucker up and get it out of here!
 

maggiemae said:
... Kinda bad when you go to Lowes and when you go back to your car there is a business card on your door that had a hand written note that they offer free car washes with their services! ...
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:lol:

maggiemae said:
... I have got to get my act together! I am great about laying in bed at night and making lists in my head of what I will do the next day but for some reason that list never gets done! And I hate that...I like to feel I have made some sort of accomplishment for the day, no matter how small it may seem.! ...
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Don't worry too much. One day you will be ready and you will hit the ground running, and get more things done than you thought you could. I have confidence in you.

What sometimes works for me is to make my to-do list *very* short, maybe just one thing. If I make it too long, I'll dread getting started, and won't. After that one thing is done, make another list with just one thing, etc. (But I keep forgetting that rule. :playful:)

I'm a mess too. First the days spent worrying about Dixie, and now the fencer. You don't know what time he will (not) be there.

I need a day off just to settle down, then another one to catch up with things I've put off. The back yard in town needs mowed. It looks like a hayfield. Food lately has been frozen pizza, cookies, chicken salad sandwiches, and popcorn.

Today it looked like rain all day, but didn't. Finally made a quick ride around the perimeter fence to check. People are tired of hearing about voltage, so I'm not going to talk about it.
 
An uneventful day today, so I'll post some nonsense.

I'm going to get the hang of this video stuff, and will practice on readers here. Sorry about that.:playful:

I was sitting on the back porch last week and a very young 'possum walked right across the lawn, in broad daylight! If you sit quietly long enough out there, some wild animal seems to always pass through. He is just to the right of the small cedar tree, about in the middle, up and down. Wouldn't move so I had to walk toward him. [Need to learn how to zoom next?]

Turn settings up to HD (720p) in the gear box, if necessary. Screen is bigger on YouTube site.


This is a 1927 Sears ad for an opossum coat. Didn't know it was a popular fur. :p

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That's all folks! :hatlaugh:
 
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Nancy, you were right....I did get some things done today! Deep cleaned the two bathrooms upstairs (scrubbing down those pesky base boards that I tend to over look), even took the shop vac and vacummed the A/C returns that were full of dust. Also got out the step stool and cleaned off the ceiling fan blades. Felt good to get something productive done! I think I am on a roll now!

Yep, those possums can be sneaky. There was one in our back yard several years ago. It was late at night and I went in the back yard and saw this possum laying in the flower bed. I thought it was dead and when I got up close, it jumped up and ran off! Scared me!
 
Maggiemae, keep up the good work! Getting started is the hardest part, I think.
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maggiemae said:
... Yep, those possums can be sneaky. There was one in our back yard several years ago. It was late at night and I went in the back yard and saw this possum laying in the flower bed. I thought it was dead and when I got up close, it jumped up and ran off! Scared me!
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He was probably "playing 'possum"---pretending to be dead. :) Did you know they have 50 sharp teeth? But they are very timid.
 
They also "hiss" too. I was checking some plants out back at dusk and I heard this "hissing" sound outside the fence. I did not stick around.
 
maggiemae said:
They also "hiss" too. I was checking some plants out back at dusk and I heard this "hissing" sound outside the fence. I did not stick around.
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They aren't very smart either. We set a large no kill trap once for an animal, possibly a coyote, that was hanging around the barn. My mother saw it once. Every morning the same opossum would be caught in the trap. He would hiss at us when we turned him loose. After 3 times we gave up.

OTOH, since we turned him loose unharmed each time, maybe he was smarter than we thought. :confused: He got some sardines each time.
 
Nancy, I am still on "a roll", I actually hand washed my car today! I was sweating like a "hog" (do hogs sweat? always heard that term) but realized the vehicle was actually "white"! No more business cards offering free car washes with their services! Go me!
 
Tabitha said:
....Did the fencer show up?
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No Tabitha. I'm just going to assume he will never show up, and move on to Plan B.

maggiemae said:
Nancy, I am still on "a roll", I actually hand washed my car today! I was sweating like a "hog" (do hogs sweat? always heard that term) but realized the vehicle was actually "white"! No more business cards offering free car washes with their services! Go me!
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:yougogirl:

Maggiemae, that's great! It's getting hot isn't it? :p Spring is over I think. I got two things half done today. Does that count as one?

Decided to try to put the post hole digger on the tractor. It is really hard. Got all but one connection. Switched to cleaning out the barn, and got it half done. I'll finish both tomorrow hopefully, and see if I can dig some holes.

Thought of a better fence solution I might be able to do myself. It encloses the barn, the waterer, and the gate which opens into the secure area I've been putting the goats in lately. Maybe a smaller job like this the fencer would have done right away, but he assured me he had a whole crew and could do anything I wanted. That's what happens when you have to make a quick decision.

But that's all water under the bridge now.
 
A pretty good day today. I only fell down twice. No damage. :)

Got the post hole digger attached! Discovered the tractor has turn signal lights. :cool:

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My best and deepest hole! :) At least 3 feet. I'm so proud.:rolleyes:

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Problem is they don't go perfectly straight down, always have a bit of a slant. Don't know what I'm doing wrong. Dug 8 holes and 5 of them hit solid rock at 18 inches. {sigh} Will try again tomorrow, but not much hope.

Found this mallet my father made out of a chunk of dogwood tree. It came in handy today.

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Finally, anyone know what this is for? I found it in the garage. It goes between the arms of the hitch on the tractor I think. For pulling something? But why so many different holes? Don't even know a keyword to Google.

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Found a few left over wooden posts, 30 old T-posts, and a big roll of electric wire. May have to only buy some fence wire and fasteners/insulators.

No dogs barking for several days. This is probably all a waste of time. The dogs will probably never be back, but can't take a chance. I feel guilty about not being vigilant enough before.:(
　
 
Wow, you did a good job! I know the rock is a real problem in GA. I did do a Google for "old tractor hitch parts" and there are some good images there. Looks like a "hitch conversion part" (I am probably wrong). But the "cog" in the middle means it can be adjusted I think. Now that I look at your pic again, that is not an old tractor!

Don't feel guilty...how were you to know that the neighbor's dogs would attack your goats? Better safe than sorry!
 
maggiemae said:
... I did do a Google for "old tractor hitch parts" and there are some good images there. Looks like a "hitch conversion part" (I am probably wrong). But the "cog" in the middle means it can be adjusted I think.
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"Hitch conversion" did the trick, maggiemae. Thanks. It's part of a kit. Called a hitch drawbar/stabilizer. For attaching a trailer hitch. Still doesn't explain why 11 holes, but I'll not worry about that.

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maggiemae said:
Don't feel guilty...how were you to know that the neighbor's dogs would attack your goats? Better safe than sorry!
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But I knew dogs almost always attack goats that run from them. I worried about dogs getting in for years, then quit worrying so much. Boo.
 
Tabitha said:
Round of applause for you Nancy. ...well done!
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Thanks, but not so well done, I'm afraid, Tabitha. Now I'll have to confess a BIG mistake. About half way through, the hole digger came off the hitch on one side. Thought the hitch pin fell out. Pulled up the picture of the tractor above and zoomed in. I forgot to put the pin in!!! Good thing I had proof. I'd still be looking for that pin. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

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Meanderer said:
Can you use a plumb line?:confused:
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I think it might be that you are supposed to move the tractor just a tiny little bit as the hole digger gets deeper, but I'm not sure. I haven't seen it mentioned in how-to videos, but this is only the 3rd time I've used this thing, and only for a few holes, and it's like learning all over again each time.
 
Well, sitting here waiting on the rain. Seems like we live in a "Bermuda Triangle" where it rains all around but we seem to miss it! Same thing last summer! Nancy, did you get more accomplished today? It was very hot and humid!
 
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