Don’t Fence Me In

Terry has enjoyed getting her raised garden beds set up and things planted in the last few days. We both mentioned that she would have more success here than we did in Alabama because she won’t have the deer and rabbits eating everything before she can harvest them. Yes, we have deer and rabbits here, and even elk, but our backyard is surrounded by a six-foot-high solid metal fence to keep the worst of the critters out.

But we didn’t count on Alli being a problem. She’s discovered that the soft dirt in the raised beds is just perfect for burying bones. Okay, that was an issue we needed to correct. Fortunately, all it took was a little bit of work to solve the problem. The raised beds are on the south side of the house and are surrounded on three sides by the house, the fence, and the fence across the front. But there was nothing to stop Alli from getting into them when she was in the yard.

Fortunately, there was a black decorative fence around part of the greenhouse area that we didn’t need, because Alli can’t get into the greenhouse unless we have the door open. I suggested we take that fence down and put it over where the garden was to keep her out. The hardest part of the job was digging into the ground, which has so much rock in it, to get the fence anchors out of their first location and set them in the second. But with a pick, a shovel, along some grunting and cursing under our breath, we got it done, including a gate to make it easy for Terry to go in and out, but will keep Alli out when it’s closed. We’re not fence builders, and it’s not perfectly straight, but it will do the job.

It’s Thursday, so it’s time for a new Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an autographed copy of Simply Dead, the first book in Pat Arneson’s Maguire mystery series. Pat was profiled in a recent Author Spotlight. Therapist Abby Maguire is no stranger to violence. After years of counseling killers and victims, she needs a break. Her new job doing equine-assisted therapy should have been a stroll in the countryside. But the beauty that soothes and delights her soon proves to hide dangerous secrets. The aftereffects of Abby’s career take a continuing toll, and as she helps a new coworker navigate his own combat-related PTSD, the destruction that unfolds around them exacerbates both. Seeking healing and finding violence, she finds herself overwhelmed by an environment turned harsh and demanding. She doesn’t trust easily, but when the killer’s sights land upon Abby herself, she doesn’t know if she can trust anyone at all.

To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed. After 30 days, unclaimed prizes revert back to the drawing pool for a future contest.

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.

Thought For The Day – You’re not stuck. You’re just comfortable in the wrong place.