fencing

I am obviously a hard woman to buy for. For my 30th, Wayne had me thrown out of an aeroplane. For my 40th, he sent me into a tank full of sharks. This Christmas, he got me a stripper. One way or the other, he wants me to have a heart attack!

The stripper came in very handy today though and performed in ways I would never have imagined were possible. In fact, I think you could say the whole experience has rekindled my interest in wiring repairs.

This thing made my heart skip a beat today

I have pathetically weak hands but this amazing tool allowed me to whip the insulation off in no time like a pro. The knurled portions grasp the insulation and wrench it straight off the copper wire. To make matters even better, Wayne paired the stripper with a ratcheted crimper, so getting a good connection was equally as easy for the feeble-fingered.

Before you begin to worry, by the way, I would never attempt to do the work of an electrician and risk electrocuting myself. All strictly fencing units and so forth (but now that I have the stripper, where do I sign up for an apprenticeship…?).

Fence repairs are clearly not my forte

The skills a dairy farmer – or family – needs are astounding when you start listing them:

vet nurse/paramedic
animal behaviouralist
nutritionist
mechanic
chemist
agronomist
biologist
environmentalist
fencer
machinery driver
plumber
electrical TA
project manager
accountant/book keeper
trainer
OHS officer
human resources manager

Understandably, nobody’s good at all of these roles and some of us describe ourselves as a “tractor man” or a “cow lady” or “pasture supremo” or whatever takes their fancy. But, unfortunately, we all have to have a go at all of them. One thing I am not is a “fencing fellow” as the pic at the start of the post demonstrates. Our neighbour Rob can tie immaculate reef knots..in barbed wire…but then he’s both a sailor and engineer!

Sometimes, doing a good job means bringing in specialist expertise and equipment, so I am not shy of engaging good contractors and consultants. Might seem expensive in the short term but there are good savings to be made with the right advice.

By the way, here’s a strange-looking “paddock Yeti” left behind by the flood.