(DF) UNFINISHED PROJECTS AND TOO BUSY STARTING NEW ONES TO FINISH

As always, there are plenty of projects needing done and not much time.  I have been, for some time now, working on a wide range of projects.  Projects that are started but seem never to get finished.  VERY DISCOURAGING!

The goat fence has been officially ongoing for a very long time, and it is not alone.  Though a couple of solar panels are now finished, they are not yet installed.  The greenhouse is not covered either, though all of the materials are ready.  Fruit and nut trees are still in pots, but not planted.  The list goes on and on.  You may have also noticed that I haven't written much lately.  Now, it is time to start thinking of planting some  early garden crops such as potatoes and onions.

There are several reasons for this lack of finished projects.  Money (and the getting of it) is one factor (lets face it, a job takes a lot of time).  Unexpected delays such as family illness, car trouble and such is another.  At the end of the day, with all excuses and other factors aside, one big reason is that I have a serious personal issue.  I have a terrible tendency to start more projects than there is time and energy to complete.  Then, I get bogged down, loose focus and take on more projects.

Money is a necessary evil in our society.  We have grown accustomed to such luxuries as driving cars, using electric lights and power tools, wearing good clothes, and the like, all of which cost money.  Unfortunately, making money takes time and energy (time and energy that could be spent finishing projects which might make more money in the long run).  My current corporate job is low pay and though my hours have been cut back drastically, an erratic schedule doesn't allow much daylight time to work on other projects.

Like the need for money, emergency situations such as family illness or auto repairs take time and resources.  Taking a family member to the hospital and subsequent Dr. visits and treatment takes time away from the farm and, sometimes, the corporate job as well (simply because family needs are one of my extremely high priorities).  Thankfully, recent vehicle repairs have been relatively minor, only serving as minor delays and major annoyance.

As for project overload and lack of focus, I have come to believe that the solution is more about setting priorities and goals than about available time and resources.  More about self discipline than about time vs abundance of projects.  Now if I can just put these concepts into play.  Yes, I am working on this but it is taking time to change a lifetime of bad habits.  Please don't misunderstand, there is slow but continual progress on a number of projects during any given week, and that progress actually gets those projects finished in due course of time.  Of course, there are also projects that never really get finished such as cutting hay in summer and firewood in winter (they get finished for the season but are back in full force for the next round).  These ongoing chores also take time away from more permanent accomplishments.

Those projects which, through persistence, get finished, serve to encourage.  Getting the garden tilled up early in the winter was just such an instance.  A few passes with the tiller at a setting, over a period of time and the project was finished.  The tilled soil was allowed to freeze and thaw and to take on the winter snow, making it much nicer to work with now for spring planting.

Friday, with some focus and hard work, a good section of fence row (a long term priority and over due project) was cleared and a big pile of firewood cut in the bargain.  In the afternoon, four rows of onion sets were planted and two more rows Saturday morning.  Yes, there is still some fence row left to be cleared and there are still more onion sets to plant, but noticeable progress was made. noticeable progress is always encouraging to me.  Now if I can just stay focused.  Wish me luck!

(DF) FENCE POSTS FROM THE POWER COMPANY

Recently, it came to my attention that the power company was selling the changed out power poles quite cheaply. With goat pasture in mind, and the price of corner posts being very high, I decided to check it out. As an added thought, there is the shop building I am hoping to build soon which will take several poles.

As it turns out, there was a catch. There is always a catch of some kind. The poles are cut into shorter lengths, to be used for posts only, so no shop poles here. There is also an agreement to sign stating that the poles will not be used inside buildings, that they won't be burned, that the person receiving them takes full responsibility, etc.

The price was VERY, VERY cheap, which was what I expected from the information I had received. What I did not expect from this company was for the attendant to load them for me with a fork lift. In no time at all, the trailer was loaded and I was driving away with a load of posts, for almost no cash outlay. As an added bonus, I immediately noticed that the ground wires had not been removed, leaving the potential for recovering much (if not all) of the price in scrap copper and aluminum.

Company policies vary as to price of used poles and some remove all the wire before letting the poles go, but all things considered, if you are needing posts the power company is worth checking into. As it turned out, I ended up with twenty five posts. Considering the need for at least twenty, and the local price of about $16 each for treated corner posts, the savings is over $300. Not bad wages for a couple of hours and a ten mile drive to the power company.

Yes, this is the same power company I was complaining about a while back. And yes, it is the same power company I am hoping to gradually eliminate from my life. However, the need for the goat pasture is more important than my personal distaste for the power company, and my tightwad tendencies lead me to take advantage of the opportunity.

(DF) SATURDAY AUCTION.....a tightwad's tale of bargains, breaking even and lousey weather reports

With spring approaching and time moving on, as it does, the new goat pasture fence is long past due. Problem is that fencing material is rather pricey. Being a confirmed tightwad, I will only pay full price if I absolutely have to, so I am always looking for a bargain. Anna and I have also been thinking of rabbits and she needs a goose to go with her gander. Add to these considerations the trailer I've been trying to sell for some time now with no results and the auction seemed the most reasonable answer.

The auction in question is located about fifty miles from my place and is held every first Saturday. They take consignments of poultry and other small animals, equipment and vehicles, and miscellaneous. Miscellaneous in this case means just about anything that can be hauled in and placed in rows in a twenty acre field. Keep in mind that prices at auctions are not always cheap, so be careful.

With a good weather forecast for the weekend, I took the trailer on Thursday and signed it in for sale and made plans to return for the auction on Saturday. Though we had heavy rain Friday night, the forecast for Saturday was warm and sunny with a light breeze. So far so good, right?

Saturday morning was warm (about fifty degrees), though still overcast. Running a little late and in a hurry, I made the first mistake of the day........... I set out wearing a light jacket, forgetting my heavy coat entirely. While still on the road, it began to rain lightly, but there was still hope that the lingering clouds would clear out soon.

Arriving at the auction, I immediately found that there were no geese, no rabbits of the type we had hoped to acquire and very little else in the way of poultry and small animals. Yes, that was disappointing. The next disappointment came when I found that a large pile of fence posts had already sold.

By this time, the temperature was cooling down and a cold, damp north wind had begun to blow. So much for a warm, sunny Saturday, but I was determined to make the best of it. The rest of the day was spent running back and forth between four auctioneers on all sides of the auction yard, in an attempt to avoid missing any good deals. Of course I did miss some good deals, but not all of them.

At the end of the day, I left the auction with fence posts and wire, enough cash from sale of the trailer to break even (had really hoped to make a profit), and a chill that had me shivering for hours, from the damp, cold wind (the temperature had already dropped to about forty degrees).

As you can see from the picture, the pile of fence material is not big enough to be impressive. However, it does represent a savings of over $200 compared to new price. All in all, not a bad day for a tightwad.

(DF) THE NEIGHBOR'S HORSES????

This morning, after spending a little much needed time with Anna, I was driving home. The morning was nice and the drive enjoyable. As I made my way down the dirt road, nearing home, I noticed a couple of horses grazing in my neighbor's yard. I didn't even know my neighbor had horses, much less let them graze in his yard. Suddenly I realized that my neighbor DOESN'T HAVE HORSES.

You probably already guessed who they belong to. Yes, they are mine, so I hurried home and in no time, was off walking down the road with a feed bucket and rope. Fortunately, no real harm was done and they were no trouble to bring home, but that leads to the question of where they got out.

Honestly, some of my fences aren't that great and the horses COULD have gotten out almost anywhere. Problem is, that after walking the fences, there was no sign of where they actually DID escape.

Time running short, (I was supposed to already be at a local mechanic shop, working for the day), I carried on with the day, hoping I would not return home this evening to find them out again. As luck would have it, they are still here tonight. Tomorrow will undoubtedly find me checking the fences more carefully, just to make sure.

This just serves as a reminder, (as if I needed one), of how quickly plans can change and the fact that I really must be thinking of, and saving for, a new fence.