Friday, January 9, 2009

TGIF

Thank God, it's Friday!!! This has seemed like the longest week. Maybe because the weather has been icky. Today is the first day that we have seen any sunshine in forever. Anyway, Bruce is out on the fence errand right now. We checked out our options, weighed all the pros and cons, and finally decided on a real fence (as opposed to the invisible electric fence). We have found a pretty wrought iron fence and gate at Lowe's that should do the trick. After all, its a straight shot across the courtyard. Exactly 24 feet from one corner of the house to the other. Its not ideal, because the dogs will need us to let them in and out of the gate if they want to go out into the actual backyard. But then again, my blind dog sometimes gets lost out there and I have to go retrieve him. Not a problem most of the time, but last Tuesday....when it was raining like crazy at 6:30 am, and I had to go tracking him down to get him back inside while wearing a nightgown?? I was not happy. This way, I will never have to go outside of the little courtyard area to bring him back in. If the weather is bad, that is.

There was also a question of whether or not the invisible fence would actually contain the goats.
Or detain them. Or restrain them....or whatever you want to call it. Goats are apparently quite stubborn, and there were some reviews/reports of goats taking the quick electrical shock just to get to wherever they wanted to be. Some goat owners reported seeing the goats getting a good running start, to minimize the shock time, and then just barreling right over the fence line.
Well, yay. That would be just what I needed. All that time and money on an invisible fence and then look out the study door to see the goats back on the porch stoop muching away on our door.
I would have a fit. But hopefully this fence will do the trick. Its supposed to be easy to install. The posts are hollow with sharp points that you drive into the ground. Then the fence panels just slide into the hollow poles. We can't see it needing professional installation. So, guess what we will be doing tomorrow? I hope my goats have one last final good night on that back porch, because by tomorrow evening, their time to loiter and nibble on door frames will hopefully have come to an end.

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