The New Fence

 The New Fence

My house is surrounded by hedges on three sides.  Since the association would not allow me to have the hedges I wanted (ficus),  I had to go with something called Viburnum.  It’s just as nice as ficus but doesn’t kill the water systems. It also doesn’t grow as think or as low to the ground which is what I wanted in the first place.

My back yard faces other homes back yards and I rather have my privacy, plus I couldn’t afford the $40,000 for the only type of fence that the home owners association would allow. Someone remind me if I ever move never ever to get into a house that has a home owner association in it.  For the few good things they provide are not worth the headache and condo commando mentality the rest of it causes.

Anyway, It took six years for the viburnum hedge to grow in thick. The only problem is it didn’t stay very short to the ground there are holes and large pockets that the dogs just run through,  but I can’t fit through to follow (note to self – start a diet soon!). 

Buckeye never runs away – always comes back after removing the squirrels from his yard (Mr. Protector).

So I come up with the brilliant idea of what about one of those critter fences. The little green ones that are more of a mesh, that blend in with the hedges so they are undetectable yet would keep my dogs from running full speed through the hedge to chase the squirrels and bunnies. Not to mention they are much more affordable (not cheap but affordable).

 

It takes me three days, with lots of help to meticulously install the 3 foot mesh through the entire hedges and yard.  The mesh is pulled very tight and adhered with zip ties to stakes in the ground and set back into the hedges so they are practically invisible.  I am hot, sweaty, my back is killing me and I’m totally exhausted.  But I am proud of the accomplishment and know this will stop the neighbors from complaining about the dogs running through to the other side (although I am sure they will find something else to complain about).

So, now comes the big test. I let Buckeye out. He spots the invasive squirrel and runs after it. The squirrel, apparently watching me the entire weekend install the fence,  knows about it, so he goes up and scrambles over the hedge. Buck who also had been watching me all weekend obviously didn’t make the connection and ran head first, full force into the fence.  The poor dog bounced off the fence and rolled backwards.  I would have felt really bad because he let out a yelp and actually was about to laugh when he shook his head (I guess to shake himself back some composure). He then took three steps backwards and ran as fast as he could towards the hedges again – I winced thinking oh no he is going to get hurt trying to bulldoze the fence (which never budged) and then he sprang into the air like a deer and sailed through the hedges about six inches over where the three foot fence ended.

 

I was both impressed and really ticked off that all my work didn’t stop him.

On a side note I think he was just trying to show me that he was once again smarter than I am, because he only went over the new fence that one time and now respects it as a boundary and doesn’t cross it.

Now he just runs around to the front of the house, where there isn’t a fence and gave the neighbors something new to complain about……….I am trying to save for the association specific gates to enclose the front of the house.