Clearing The Fence

I'm covered in scratches, my muscles are so exhausted they're quivering, and I'll most likely break out in a poison ivy rash within the week, but I'm happy.

An eyesore in my yard is gone, and I feel like celebrating!  But before I get the party started, I should probably explain what the fuss is all about...

Once upon a time there was a barbed-wire fence.  This fence ran the western length of my yard between these large trees, alongside the swing set and parallel to my house. The fence was so broken-down, patched up, and overgrown with brush that for the past five years I've done my best to avoid looking at it.  I couldn't just get rid of it though, because it was somewhat of a necessary evil:  The fence marked a boundary, dividing our yard from the rental property next door. 

As much as I hated it, I needed it even more.

I do like my privacy.  And there was so much other work to be done to the property that improving this highly-neglected privacy fence was extremely low priority.

But priorities tend to shift, and this past fall I claimed that rental for myself and transformed it into a much-needed studio workshop.  Hence, the much-needed fence became much-less needed.

Yippee!!

With the recent onset of some unseasonably warm winter weather, and with the help of my pole saw, bolt cutters, and my husband's chainsaw, I ripped that ugly fence out all the way down to the far corner of the backyard.

It felt so good.

Here's the corner of the backyard before I started clearing...

Oh boy.  Ugly may not be a strong enough word.

Quick, scroll on down to this...

Okay, this is better.  Still needs a lot of work, but I have to wait until my husband gets off  work before I can clear anymore--he's better with the chainsaw than I am. 

And just to make myself feel better about showing you these awful photos, let me show you this...

This is the opposite side of the backyard, which a few years ago closely resembled the side I just showed you. 

I like this side better.

But once I finish the side I'm working on now, I may change my mind.  It really is amazing what a little elbow grease and a lot of hard work can do. 

I have to remind myself of that every now and then.  But let's get back to the western frontier...

Before I could even think about yanking out the fence, I had to find it.  And that meant clearing out the brush that hid it.  So, armed with my arsenal of take-no-prisoners tools, I headed into battle and within minutes had accumulated a brush pile of epic proportions.  It was massive, and unfortunately, it was also in my way. 

Every once in a while I wish I was good at thinking things through ahead of time.

The pile had to be moved.  Aye-yi-YI!  As if I needed anything else to do...

So here's what I did.  My obsessive-compulsive side flared up, and I decided if I had to move the pile, I might as well do it in an organized fashion. 

I huffed and I puffed, and I managed to move the pile, eventually stacking all the trees so they faced the same direction. 

Ahhh...who knew organizing a brush pile could feel so good?

Good thing I enjoy hard work, because the pile just kept on growing.

As I cleared all this brush, the fence finally became visible, although only slightly so due to the rampant honeysuckle, wild grape, and poison ivy vines that had entangled it.

I managed to cut away the vines, and with the help of my bolt cutters, eventually the fence, which I then rolled into a makeshift ball that we'll eventually roll on over to the recycling center.

Finally, I piled all the rotten boards that I uncovered into a heap of their own.  I'll salvage what I can and burn the rest whenever the wind decides to die down.

But for now, I'm basking in the freedom that freeing up space bestows on those who accomplish it.  And it's tasks like these that make me feel like I've accomplished something, whether it's clearing an overgrown fence or cleaning out a cluttered cabinet--of which I have plenty.  I'm just waiting for a rainy day to come along before I tackle them. 

Or so I keep saying.  But as long as the weather stays nice, I'd rather play outside.

And speaking of playing outside, that celebration I mention earlier comes to mind...and I'm thinking "bonfire". 

I certainly have more than enough fuel for one!