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6/14/2012

The Electric Fence

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    I have a love/hate relationship with our electric fence.  Seems like sometimes it works well and other times it doesn't.  Usually when it falls into the doesn't category that's because I've let weeds grow too tall under it or I've leaned something up against it without thinking that's dampening the charge.
    I noticed Tuesday one lamb in particular was walking through it with ease.  You know, the grass is always greener on the other side theory.  She was using the fence as a guideline and not the law...Sharon's law.  When I put up the temporary fencing strands in the back yard yesterday morning I dug out Hon's handy dandy charge tester and saw that it was barely blinking at the 1000 volt mark.  Yeah, that explained the total disregard for fence laws around here.  The voltage running through the fence was a nuisance tickle on wool, if that.  
    This morning before Hon went to work he went out fence walking and found where the short in the wire was.  While he was doing that I was, uh, sleeping.  Yeah, that's it.  I have a good explanation though.  I was up real late working on my knitting project for class.  Besides, it was still only 7:15.  Anway, he flew into the bedroom like a whirlwind.  I vaguely heard something about the electric fence, a popping sound, and then something about plugging it in, as I was in a sleep induced haze.  Then he was off and running while I was fumbling around for where I stashed my senses the night before.
    I decided to go outside and fumble around with chores while waking up.  Deacaf coffee could wait.  I thought while clearing away the cobwebs in my mind Hon said something about plugging the fence in, so in my mind I though it needed to be plugged in still because he was rushing around like a chicken with his head cut off trying to get out the door for work.
    Quite frankly, since the fence had been carrying such a low voltage I had become a bit lax in stepping waaay over the temporary fence strands or pushing them down with the plastic whiffle ball bat to get over.  I left enough of a gap in one spot so the geese and turkeys can duck under and get to the pond so I'd go to that spot and low crawl under, too.  Well, I found out real easy this morning what Hon was saying about the electric fence.  He didn't tell me to plug it in.  He told me he plugged it back in after fixing the short.  Now you're wondering how I figured that out.  Well, you know in the movies where someone hits an electrified wire and they get thrown back the span of a football field and sparks fly out in all directions?  Yeah, I always laugh at that part, too.  Well, after I did my mind numbing spine tingling I think my body is still radiating voltage that can power up a small city crawl under the temporary electric fence strands it became clear to me what Hon had said.  I dizzily went to the garage to get Hon's current tester and see what it was registering now that it is clearly fixed...locked and loaded...a law, not a guideline.  It went from that paultry barely registering 1,000 volts to a bright and blinking 5,500.  
    So, to all friends and family that come to visit, the electric fence is in full working order now.  I highly suggest you walk around...use the pasture gate...simply don't touch it.  I should have taken a lesson from the kids and just pretended it had always been working just the way it should.  I didn't feel pictures were necessary for today's blog.  Now if you'll excuse me, I need to google the best way to get rid of the singed hair smell and how long it takes to grow eyebrows back.  Ju  Smiling & Waving, Sharon

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4 Comments
Kelly link
6/17/2012 03:21:35 am

Oh my I should not laugh...
We recently finished our pasture fencing and I cannot walk past the perimeter hot wire without wondering if it's really working. I see the box telling me it is, I hear the tick ticking of that box but I still wonder.....

After reading your story, I'm just gonna keep wondering....it's not worth it I think.....

Love your blog!

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Electric Gates link
8/21/2012 10:39:16 pm

Glad to read a story about the electric fence which you mentioned and its very good and interesting to read.

Thanks for sharing it with us.

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Sharon Steinhoff link
6/18/2012 12:37:44 pm

Hi Kelly. Trust the clicking sound and the flashing light that it's working. If you want to really check on it, use a fence tester. I remember the Kid testing it a time or two and after getting shocked wanting extra allowance for hazard pay. Oh, and electricity will travel through plants that are still green, too. If you are pulling them out by hand so they don't touch the strand, time your pull with the clicks. Yank on the off sound and you won't get zapped. Trust me, this I know.

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Electric gates link
8/29/2012 01:24:43 am

Wow...its a really very awsome site...the techniques yuo mentioned was very great...
thanks for such a wonderful information....

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The Silver Maple Farm is a small family farm in south central Ohio. We have a cutoff time of 10:00 p.m. on Sunday nights for ordering available baked goods and a pickup time on Thursdays of the same week between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m., unless other arrangements are made. If there is a change in the schedule due to holidays or events, we will post the changes here on our website, and also on the social media websites Facebook and Instagram. We’ll also post when we have vegetables, fruits, teas, and herbs for sale from our farm.

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