Sometimes summer home or property improvements end up being a far lager feat than you ever anticipated. This fence was just that – a huge feat! First, the drive way is more than 250 feet long and we wanted more than 220 feet of it fenced – both sides. That’s 44 post holes and more than 120 rails. The task of treating them all took about 8 hours, 4 hours twice. We treated the wood since we want it to retain it’s natural cedar colour, not grey or weather.
The next big part? Oh, clicking before we dig, of course. Guess what? The gas line runs down one side of the driveway while electricity runs down the other. Guess who gets to dig 44 post holes, 27 inches deep, I might add. Me – and Bryce, of course. The best part of building the fence was eating all those extra earned calories! Oh, and having pride in our property and the joy of getting the job done, and well at that!
Split Rail Fence
First – purchase you wood and treat it.
Second – you’ll want to lay out some rails where you want your fence to run, not because you’ll dig all the holes first, but rather so you can problem solve if there are any issues – and so you know where you’d like to start.
We measured between each post to ensure they were between 158 – 162 inches wide. No way did we want our driveway to feel enclosed, or have the fence look wonky.
We also got 14 yards of road crush delivered to even out some of the wear and tear, but also because we needed about 1 yard total for the bottom of the posts. You don’t set cedar posts into concrete – it’ll discolour the wood. Rather, you dig down 27 inches, add in 3 inches of road crush for drainage and then set your post and backfill. We used a spade shovel, a post hole digger and also a short handled tile shovel. The tile shovel was my best friend throughout this whole project.
Oh, and it should be noted that Bryce and I each had our own tools and we got so used to the way they worked when we accidentally picked up the other’s post hole digger we found it uncomfortable and wanted our own tool back – so funny!
One is done!
Third tip – you’ll leap frog each post hole since each post sits in the ground differently. Dig and then set the rails, then dig again.
We need to rake, too.
Some details.
All done! Just need to level out the rest of the road crush.
Looks pretty good, eh? Now, time for a gate.
Thanks so much for visiting and I’ll see you again soon.
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Paddleboarding on Christina Creek! This summer we spent a little over a week in Christina Lake with family – that’s where we were headed when we stopped at Margo’s Farm. The weather was hot and one way to cool off was to take the paddleboards for a spin on the creek. These photos are taken with my iPhone since I don’t have a waterproof bag for my camera, so don’t mind the picture quality. Here we go!
Paddleboarding
The place we stayed at backed up onto Christina Creek. This is the view from the shore. Pretty, eh? The water right out front is about 11 feet deep, quite the swimming hole, that’s for sure!
The tricky part about paddleboarding is getting up – you need to be moving when you get on that way you have some resistance. Let me tell you, it was very hard to get on these things off the shore of a creek! We for sure fell, yet the cool off was welcomed.
See the bridge? It had a huge keep off sign on it. Had it not, we might have jumped off it into the creek. Swimming cools you off and is good for the soul. So relaxing.
Crips, clear and clean water. Perfect to take a little dip.
The creek was quite low this year so we had to get out and walk the board here and there (another reason it wasn’t a good idea to bring my good camera). Paddleboarding can be quite a workout – keep you core tight and your back strong.
Look at those mountains! It’s so wonderful to see the beauty that is Canada. When I first think of paddleboarding I think of tropical climates – Hawaii or Florida. Not the mountains in Canada. I’ll admit, it was a blast and quite tranquil.
These are the two boards we used – bright and durable.
Overall, we had a blast paddleboarding each day – sometimes even twice a day. Flat out so much fun.
Thanks for visiting and I hope you have some adventure this summer, too. If you haven’t yet, there is still time. See you again soon – bye!
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On our recent trip to British Columbia this summer we stopped over in Fernie, BC. One of the main reasons is because we wanted to take advantage of some of the farmer’s markets along the way. Cranbrook and Creston both hold markets on Saturdays. So, we left on Friday, stayed in the Boler in Fernie and then took our time on the Saturday while making our way to Christina Lake in lower BC. Oddly, the markets were disappointing. You know what made my day, though? Margo’s Farm! This little adorable place is on the east side os Creston, right on Highway 3. Check it out!
Margo’s Farm
So, don’t be shy with your money. I spent just under 25$ and although it seemed like a lot (about a buck a peach) it’s worth it.
Just as we pulled in this tractor pulled in, too. Brining freshly picked peaches. Oh, so good.
Two types of cherries. For me, Bing all the way. Bing – I’m a cherry! That’s what I kept saying as I was eating all the cherries on our drive. Life is good.
As the sign says, don’t touch.
Perfectly plump peaches.
Completely crisp cherries.
Overall, these cherries and peaches make up for the disappointing farmer’s markets. If you’re in the area, check our Margo’s Farm – they give out samples!
Thanks for visiting and I’ll see you again this weekend.
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