Joe's Fence

This is a bit of the fence that Joe built. Joe died on Monday and I was at his funeral today. He put up a new garden fence for me after a storm (many years ago) took down the hopeless flimsy panel fence that was there when I moved in. It became a rather urgent job after the farmer's cattle made a bid for freedom from their field into my garden trampling over the remains of the panel fence, churning up all the lawn that was already soft with all the rain and away down the main road! What a mess! If it hadn't been for the need to secure the stock I don't think he would have entertained the idea of putting up a garden fence.

Joe was a big strong man who fenced huge areas of Argyll and beyond. He carried all his materials, for miles, out on to hills long before there was such things as quad bikes and the like. It was great listening to his stories and no matter what farm we mentioned visiting, through our work, Joe knew the land and had done some fencing work on many of them. He spent a lot of his time on his own out in the wilds fencing for miles and when he spoke of it he clearly loved it and had a great affinity for all that was around him.

He had a good life and lived to the age of 87. He was home till the last because of his wife and family. There are few couples in life that I have seen with such a closeness, she was literally his other half and I cannot find the words to express what she must be feeling now. That is the real sadness of today.

So today my blip has to be the section of fence where the cattle ploughed through and this is for Joe.