Our Fixer Upper-Fence Project Continued

If you have followed the recent saga of the Steiner house  "Sequel to Demo Day at Our Fixer Upper fence project, you know that we replaced just the front section and gate of our dilapidated privacy fence that surrounds the back courtyard of our home in the forest.  We had a lot of fun as a family with the original Demo Day, and the subsequent installation.  Our original plan was to wait and complete the rest of the fence a little at a time, as we could afford it.  Well, thanks to Uncle Sam and our unexpected income tax refund, we decided to go ahead and finish this project before the rest of the fence totally collapsed.  So, without further ado, let me show you what the Steiner family has been up to this past weekend:

 It started on Thursday afternoon, when the Lowes' delivery truck brought our remaining 13 sections of fence and deposited them in our yard!  When the delivery man called to tell us he was on his way, and that he was driving a semi-tractor trailer, and he asked if our road was a through street or a dead end, I had to stop and think. We are the first house on the road, and then there isn't another house on this particular road for about 2 miles, after traveling through a very winding, narrow, dirt, tree-lined forest road, which then ends up on what is known as a "key" into the lake...there are other homes there at the lake point, but no, there is no place to turn around such a big truck.  So he said he would figure it out...and a while later I could hear him coming down the road...backwards all the way to our house from the highway, which is about a third of a mile.  He had to be a pretty good driver to do that...

 Then, when I saw his truck, I understood why he brought such a big truck! Duh!!! He needed a forklift to get our fence panels off the truck and into our yard...I was afraid we were going to have to help him carry them from the truck...shows you how much I know about this...

So here they are, including one extra lattice piece to add to the Secret Garden area...(later)

So, here is the fence that needed to be removed and replaced...many slats were falling off, and those that remained were so thin, cracking and fragile, barely hanging on...some have been damaged by wandering bears who tried their best to get inside the courtyard to check out the bird feeders or just to look around...that's why we HAVE this fence in the first place...to give us a little buffer zone in the back yard  that is relatively "bear-free".

Also, all of these vines...wisteria, confederate jasmine, and honeysuckle, beautiful as the flowers may be, were getting extremely overgrown and especially intertwined and embedded in the fence slats, causing the slats to break.

Yes...VERY overgrown...

This is our back entrance to our house and courtyard...with the Secret Garden to the right under the huge magnolia tree.  Again...time, weather, and critters have pretty well worn this old fence out...

Not a very inviting or attractive entrance for our back yard neighbors...

 To begin our demolition of this part of the fence, we had to decide what to do with all the vines...

 So, our son Scott got the electric hedge trimmers and went to work...

Yes...he really went to work...bye bye vines...but they will grow back.  We didn't pull them up from the roots...(except in a few places where they were growing into the fence and we had no other choice)

And then the fence sections could come down.  We left up the inside lattice sections for now to hold the remaining vines up, but they will have to come down eventually because they are all quite fragile and falling apart as well.

This is the view of the Memorial Garden area without the privacy fence behind it. I kind of like it, but I still prefer the privacy and shade that the fence provides in that area. And I don't want the bears to come in there...just the one on the tree.... Ha Ha

More of the demolition of the old fence...only the lattice remaining holding up the vines for now

And here's the Secret Garden, without the benefit of the privacy fence behind it....not too secret anymore...and much too sunny for the ferns under the tree.  I fear they would all die without the fence to shade them from the hot southern exposure.

So now begins the replacing of the old with the new. Our wonderful two sons worked VERY hard two days in a row to complete this job.  We are SO thankful for them.

And we stay out of the way when one of them is holding a hatchet....

Hubby had the right idea...

Just so you know, I was helping them quite a bit. So was hubby. But we all had to take breaks now and then...

 Look at that mound of discarded vines!  Boo hoo...but they will grow back...

 Aren't these guys great?

 Finally calling it quits for the night.  Most of the work is done, except for the clean up of all the old fence and the vine/debris.  But that's for another day...

We still have a little work to do to finish the back entrance.  I want to put a sign above the gate...something to welcome our neighbors.  Trying to decide what to say.  Our son the sign maker will create something special.

This lamp post has never worked since we've been here. It's supposed to be electric, but we can't find any light switch that goes to it, and we've never been able to get it to light up.  So hubby suggested we put one of those little solar lights in it...and what do you know?  We have light!!  Now, why didn't I think of that???

So that is all for tonight!  Y'all come!  We'll leave a light on for you!!

On a further note...speaking of back yard neighbors...one of our very sweet neighbors brought over a delicious dessert for us this evening. We were totally surprised!  And it was VERY GOOD:

 She said I could share the recipe with you...also...she added some raspberries with the blueberries, making it extra delicious!  She brought it ready to put in the oven so we could enjoy it  hot after supper with some ice cream!!

That's exactly what we did...a great treat after all the hard work of the last couple of days...not to mention all the other normal activities of the weekend...church here at our house this morning, Palm Sunday...including communion...a beautiful time with the Lord today...seeing some answers to prayer in our little church family...so much to praise God for!

Now I am really ready to say good night!....Oh wait, if you are on my facebook, you may have already seen this, but I have to show you what we created for the Secret Garden today...(yes, in between putting up fences, etc.)

Now, before you say, "What's THAT?"...let me tell you....

 This lovely 1970's gold glass base was a lamp...which I found in the shed here when we moved to this house 5 years ago.  The electrical part no longer worked due to critters chewing through the cord, etc., and besides, who has lamps like this in their homes anymore? No offense if you do...so I've been trying to think about what to do with it for some time...and decided it would make a lovely bird bath for the Secret Garden...

So after painting all of the metal parts with a copper colored rustoleum, and reconfiguring the lamp base with a little plant stand to hold it, adding a terra cotta planter base and another turquoise flower pot for color...it became the latest addition to the Secret Garden.  I hope the birds will decide they love it!  If not, it can always be reconverted back to a lamp...

Pardon my clothes...I'm wearing my work shirt with paint on it...but that's from another story for another day...Good Night!!!