Road Trip!

 Note to Self:

Hey juvat! Since you're reading this, I'll just give a subtle reminder that today is your anniversary.  You'll be in College Station, take Mrs J somewhere nice for dinner. 

Just sayin'.

It's been a very educational week since we last spoke.  Early on in the week, I got to explore the entire perimeter of our property,  almost a mile. Yes, I met my steps goal for the day, prior to lunch I might add.

When we built the new house, we had three, inside, dogs. As mentioned in previous posts that has now grown  to 6 dogs, 4 of whom are large.  Upon the advice of several of Sarge's readers, our 2 Great Pyrenees (GPs to use Suz's acronym), now spend a great deal of time outside. Mostly at night.  Sleep is a wonderful thing.

However there is one downside to that.

This would be the view from our garage. The view includes three of my favorite things.  My Truck, My workshop and  my Barbecue Pit. Beans will no doubt coin a new verse to a Sound of Music song at this point.

Back on  target, juvat!

On Target, Aye, Sarge.

Most of our readers will note that the only way to enter the house is through that gate which opens into the yard. That gate opens and shuts many times per day.  I feed the horses, visit my workshop, go check the mail, go to HEB on and on.  

It wouldn't surprise me if it opened and shut a couple of hundred times a day, which hadn't been a problem since our first 3 dogs were inside dogs. As mentioned above, 2 of the new ones are outside dogs.

So, there I was, heading to my workshop.  Opened the garage door, hit the gate opener and the largest GP (Atticus) calmly walks out the gate. As he did so, he glanced over his shoulder, wagged his tail and barked an invitation to go for a walk. 

Which we did although the closest I got was maybe a hundred feet to him. Learned/relearned a lot along the way.  First, our property line fence is in generally good shape.  I do know where both Whitehead and Axis deer enter and leave our property however.  Useful info should I ever take up hunting.  I relearned a very important lesson, that Mesquite trees have thorns and that my Blood Thinner meds are very effective at helping me bleed.  Especially from the scalp.  I think I could be a shoe in for a role in a horror movie.

Anyhow, after Atticus lead me completely around the perimeter, he then walked up to the gate and patiently waited for me to rejoin with him and open it, so he could go drink some water.

The episode reminded me of a back burner plan I'd had to modify the fence and the gate.  I would fence in the two sides of the driveway and put gates on them.  The garage would open  to the driveway and no gate needed.  

So,  we looked for a fence builder online.  Got a quick answer and a visit.  Explained what I wanted. He did some quick figuring and said he could start the following week.  I asked the really pertinent question and coulda swore he said 3 to 4 hundred dollars.  I said let's do it. I also told him  of another project involving fencing.  I wanted a couple of thousand feet of fencing so the horses could graze and not be able to exit the property.  Told him this was a ways down the road but would like a ball park figure to start budgeting for.  He said ok.

Little while later, I get a ding on my phone.  It's him.  Quotes me a price of $3800.  I ask him to confirm that is for the future project.

Yep, Beans, you guessed it.  The quote was for my little 50' fence.  Suffice it to say, "Thanks, but No Thanks" were the next words out of my mouth.

So, I think pounding t-posts and manhandling cattle panels is in my near term future.

But our project du jour will require us to head to College Station for a few days.  MBD and The Rev have done quite a bit of excellent renovation work on their house and we're going to visit to see what we can do to help them finish.  MBD and Future Grandson are getting close to the big event.  Rightfully so, they'd like to avoid strenuous activities as much as possible.

 Part of my role is working on a live edge mantle for their fireplace.  Got all that I can do, without actually being there, done.  Got the template made for hanging it.  Just got to mount the brackets on  the wall and stain it to their wishes and it'll be done.

The blue line is "The Target"

So, as I said, been busy, ups and downs, successes and not quite successes, exploration and learning.  In short...SNAFU!

Peace our y'all.