I spent much of the day dismantling the old fence we’re replacing across the road. Or rather, the only thing I did so far with the fence was pull staples from the old cedar posts that have mostly rotted at ground level. But it was a start and something that needs to get done. The worst part of this job is that much of the fence is overgrown with multiflora rose.
Multiflora rose is a plant that was promoted in the 1930’s to be used on farms for erosion control and as a “living fence” to control livestock. It is also a favorite plant of birds and other wildlife; the only problem is the birds carry the seeds away and their droppings spread the plant to other places. It’s quite invasive.
The posts around the field are spaced every 15 feet and each post has 4 or 5 staples that need to be taken out before the old wire fence can be removed. But since the fenceline is so overgrown with the multiflora rose (which is actually beautiful with white blossoms in June), it’s not an easy task. Multiflora rose has thorns everywhere. I had to fight through the plant to get to each post. On some I rolled under the plant canopy and could reach the lower staples from below; but then I still had to reach through the plant vegetation to get the higher ones. It was kind of like the childhood game, “Operation” although instead of the red light and buzzer when you hit the edge your arm or body part that touched it is impaled by thorns. Gloves, a long-sleeved sweatshirt, and insulated jeans provide only some protection. My stocking cap was ripped off my head countless times and was then generally found dangling in the air on a multiflora rose branch. I decided it was better to lose my hat than my scalp as I ducked in and out of the brush and I was constantly putting my hat back on. It was sort of like the tear-away jerseys that became popular in the pro and college level football of the 70’s.
Easily one of top inventions of the human race is the fencing tool (formally known as a fencing pliers. Go in any agricultural area of the US and perhaps around the world and ask to see a fencing tool and they will all show you the same thing (except perhaps New Zealand, where they have lots of cool gadgets). A fencing tool is amazing. Imagine one tool that you can hold in one hand and use it for cutting wire, grasping or twisting wire to hold it together, and for pulling nails and fencing staples. It’ll grip in a way you can apply leverage to tighten a fence, you can use it as a hammer, and it even has a hook. They last forever and the makers are thoughtful enough that they generally come with red handles so you can’t easily lose them in the grass. The tool was invented by Hubert Wright in 1905 and I imagine some of the original ones are still in use.
Armed with the fencing tool, an old horse hoof trimming nippers, a screw-driver and a bucket to put the removed “U” shaped staples in I slowly moved down the fenceline. It was a hard fought battle but I emerged with only a small assortment of cuts on my hands and arms and a thorn that I found this evening imbedded in my thumb. In the first two hours I only made it about 100 feet of the 2000 foot long fence we’re constructing, but that was one of the worst sections and I made a little more progress after that and ended the day around 1/4 of the way around the field. Guess what I’m doing tomorrow?
The next project, once this is completed, will be to figure out how to get the old fencing wire separated from the multiflora rose that has trellised it’s way through it. It hopefully won’t include crawling under the plant on my hands and knees, but it might…
Don’t tell Lori, our personal trainer, this, but I think I ache more from this afternoon’s fence work than from the workout she gave us earlier in the day. But as Lori said at the end of the workout, “Find a little joy today!”
And it was a beautiful day with sunshine, just the right temperature, and it’s still too cool for the biting insects to come out. I was able to spend most of the day out of doors when I know many people don’t have that option. So, on this week threatening to be among the worst yet with the Covid19 virus, I hope you, too, can find some joy.
The fencing tool, multiflora rose, and a cedar post with a staple in the process of being removed. My gloves had no holes in them when I started the project.
