Fencing preparations

future fence posts (corners and gates and water crossings)

Well I spent part of yesterday and today getting railroad ties for the new fence.  I found a place in Hermiston that sells them in bundles of 20 for $8/each.  That is a great buy.  So I borrowed a trailer from a friend and went over and got the first load yesterday evening.  I unloaded it as soon as I got home so it wouldn't stay in the trailer overnight.  I didn't think to ask how much they weighed.  They were dramatically different, some of them seemed  light (manageable) and others were so heavy I could hardly get them out of the trailer.  I flipped one end off the trailer then stood them up on end and pushed them into a pile.  It made me sweat.  So I did it again today.  It was a lot harder today.  I cannot wait for the weather to get better so I can get back in shape.  While I was picking up the load today the guy told me that 20 ties weighed 2800 pounds or roughly 140#/each.  So I figure in reality they weigh between 100-200#.  I weigh in at a whopping 155#.  It was brutal today, no way I could have done another 20 without really paying the price.

future gates

I got the stuff to make my own gates, I picked up a 16 foot cow panel, I will cut it down to 12 feet and then sandwich 2x4 pressure treated boards all around the outside and then but in a diagonal cross brace.  I will bolt them all together and hang them with a single supporting cable attached around 10 feet out and to the railroad tie.  This will cost around $45 a gate.  Much cheaper than I could buy the gates.
 I did the childs chores and while inside the chicken coop allowed the sheep to get in our front yard.  Since the lead ewe remembered that she had broken the gate on the yard, she ran right for it again.  I had a heck of a time herding the sheep back in to the barn so I could lock them up for the night.
So like all good farmers I put a temporary (yes I do plan on fixing this) fix on the gate.