Time flies, so they say

It's been a long time since I blogged. It seems to be that the longer you leave something, the harder it is to get back to it. I feel like I have to justify my absence and make an astounding comeback. Tough. I won't do either.

Today we are fencing. Well, Hamish is mostly doing everything and I am helping in small ways. We are creeping wee closer to the completion of a project that has engulfed Hamish for the past 2 - 3 years.. Going on more. His father owns a property just south of Tamworth, NSW and Hamish has taken it upon himself to revegetate and re-fence almost the entire 1000 acres. This involved a grant from the local Catchment Management Authority which covered most if the cost of the trees and the fencing materials. It did not, however, cover any of the time spent preparing the tree lines, spraying out the weeds and putting the fences up.

 It has become quite an art. First the corner posts must be put in and stays put against them to stop them lifting out of the ground. Then the barbed wire that runs along the fence is strung out so that it can be used to make a straight line for the rest of the fence to follow. Then the steel posts are banged into the ground along the barbed wire. Paced out evenly and using a pneumatic post driver to push them into the ground.

Next, 5 plain wires are run out at once which have been pre-threaded through plastic droppers (spacers). This seems simple, but if not done well it could end in the largest tangle of wire one could ever imagine. Finally, the wires are strained up to perfect tension and clipped onto the steel posts.

I am fascinated with the various knots that can be used to tie off the wire. The current favourite is:

It seems like a knot that would be used in silver wire to finish a delicate bracelet. In fact, when I get a chance I will try it!