Friday, November 12, 2010

Dreams are becoming reality.

After you get over the fact that we still have green grass on November 11th - I hope you see how excited we are about having fence put up for the critters come next spring.

You may have to scroll back and forth between this post and the previous to get a feel of where everything is - but this entrance to the pastures. To the immediate left (outside the frame of the photo) is the small dollhouse and the barn. The right is the shop.


The fence is a 5-wire high-tinsel fence. We used fiberglass posts rather than the steel posts throughout. All of the corners were secured with the h-framed wood posts. There are 4 - 12 or 14 ft. (I think 12 ft., but don't quote me) gates so that we can get a pickup and trailer to each of the sections.


The wire is attached by clips (you can see it better in a couple of pictures down). This section of fence was all wooden so the kids took the old barb-wire and wood sections down. I believe there are 6 possible individual pastures that can be used at any given time in Phase #1. Ben has the plans for which stock goes where - so you'll have to ask him.

The photo below is the catch pen. It has a gate to go into every section, as well as access into the pastures directly behind the barn (or infront of the pole-barn, whichever you like). Along the right side, you can see that we need to put hog-panels/fence in to reinforce this area so they won't "blow-through" the wire.

Like I mentioned earlier, the wire is attached with clips, making in just as easy as an insulator to remove and replace. I can't remember for certain - but a couple of the strands will be electrified and the ground wire will be dug underneath with the charger left in the barn.


Our next project, along with Phase #2 is to run a water line back to the pole barn so that we have the option to lamb out there and put stationary water tanks in the back. Its obviously probably too late to this yet this fall - but that would save a lot of time.

As you can see, we're pretty excited ....we're one step closer to getting this funny farm going.

Look at the progress we've made....The Williams' funny farm may actually happen!

We started out with this drawing a few months back. Be gentle - I've never taken a drafting class but we did the best we could to give the Judging Club kids an idea of what we were looking for.

I should mention - we would not have been able to get this project off the ground without the help of the NDSU Judging Club kids who graciously accepted our offer of building our fence in return for a monetary donation to help their travel budget.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

We were able to complete Phase #1 this fall, and hopefully - next spring we will complete the second phase of the project! Pictures to come in the next post!

Monday, November 1, 2010

Beginning my Christmas List.

Hopefully my husband takes a look at this.....................(please send him hints). I tried really hard to be rational in my choices this year.....so I left the astro-start off.

There are also a couple of Crystal Young's prints that I would like to have for my office. (I'll email her so she knows which ones - when my husband calls to ask....hint hint, call to ask.)






More to come. It's only November mind you.