Dear Curiosity Journal,
It was a fencing Friday on the farm, and Rufus and I worked on enclosing a 3-acre pasture for our growing sheep flock. Putting up the new roll of woven wire was the easy part. Then we got into the barbed wire, and you know how I feel about that. Dealing with those punishing snares brings on instant crankiness, and I had to diligently regulate my flaring emotions, reminding myself it was a beautiful day, the birds were singing, and I have so much to be thankful for. We came to the realization that we could either wrestle with the barbed wire to repair it, plus add a hot wire (to keep the sheep from rubbing up against it and shredding their new coats) or take all of the barbed wire out and purchase more woven wire. It’s that age-old decision dance between pushing your body and pulling out your wallet, depending on which is emptier. Miraculously, a third alternative arose when Rufus found two long stretches of buried woven wire way out in the weeds. We had to get the skid steer and chains and cut down a bunch of prickly ash to retrieve it, but it was a major score, almost equal to a full roll. Sometimes the land gives you resources you wouldn’t expect, as if Mother Nature knew you needed a mini miracle and sprouted the answer when you looked down at the ground.
~Joy