Our property fence has been a work in progress for many years. When we brought Obi home last summer we knew wanted to finish the fence. Obi is an Anatolian Pyrenees; both breed (Anatolian Shepherds and Great Pyrenees) are bred as livestock dogs. The Pyrenees side is known for its roaming. Obi did great for several months staying on the property with us but as he got older, he started to roam and “mark” his territory. So for 5 days straight, beginning on a Sunday afternoon, we all worked together to finish the few spaces on the property that were not fenced. Adam would get home from work around 4 and we would all head out and work until around 8pm. In order to save money and time, we utilized buildings on the property to act as fencing and used materials we had lying around.

The first thing we had to accomplish in each area was clearing the land. We don’t have a tractor so Adam used a hedge trimmer and chain saw and Graham and Zeb (mostly Graham) used the machete we found on that deserted beach a few weeks ago. We started with the left side of the property pictured above. Adam found a video using T posts and clips instead of 4×4’s; lumber is very expensive right now and we have T posts around the property.

We then moved to the right side of the property which was covered in azaleas. Graham spent 2 hours one evening clearing that spot. Sadly, he and Adam are now covered in poison ivy. In both of these areas, we used a come-along to tighten the fence. There was also one more spot on the front gate we closed in and attached the come-along to our Subaru Outback! The side fence has some very old hog-wire fencing on it and surprisingly enough, it is pretty much intact.

The next area was the back side of the property. This is where Obi was getting out to roam the neighborhood. We used the shed and stable to attach the fence and that saved so much time and resources. We only had to buy two rolls of 50 foot wire, a new gate, a few accessories and two 4×4 for the entire project! We have had that chain link gate for many years.

The last area to fence was on the other side of the shed. Adam and Graham removed the very old and very heavy gate that has been attached to that post for at least 50 years. Sadly, we weren’t able to use it because it was so heavy (we will use it for something at some point, I am sure!). We ended up buying a new gate and both sides of the shed, we used hog panels we had purchased last year.

We arrived home from our time away Sunday evening. Adam was off Monday so we were able to catch up on projects after being gone for a few days. We were invited to a friends’ “bay bunk” on Tuesday so the kids and I were able to continue our time of quiet and reprieve from the weekend. We took a boat ride to a deserted shore and explored. We told the kids whoever found the most useful item would receive $2 (Zeb obviously won with his saw/machete). We spent a few hours exploring the shore and it was a time of peace and beauty. The kids had a blast and found so many useful things, including a raft they built! The water was calm and flat on the way but while we were at the shore, the wind picked up. The ride back was cold and a bit more rough! We came home exhausted but refreshed from time spent in nature with friends.

We don’t often leave the homestead: the last time we traveled as a family was in October 2018. Since then, we have added many animals and projects to the homestead, which makes it difficult to get away as a family. We visited my parents cabin in Warm Springs GA and my Aunt flew in from NJ. We only see her once or twice a year and we cherish our memories with her. My sister and her family also live in that area so we were able to spend the weekend with them. It was a lovely time of quiet, nature and lots of laughter.

Graham had the opportunity to camp overnight to try his hand at primitive camping. The boys were so excited to attempt to shoot their breakfast but the squirrels had different plans. It was a great learning experience for him and he is excited for another camp out in a few weeks!
Both boys had a play date at a friend’s house recently and they had so much fun in this idyllic setting!

The older 2 kids had the opportunity to take a free archeology class at the University of West Florida this past week. It was a fun learning experience.