18 Holes! And I'm not talking about golf...

Have you ever been so tired that you felt like a wet paper bag? I sure got to that point while building this one! My new personal record for “most post holes dug by hand in one day” is 18! You might be wondering, "why the hell didn't you use an auger to dig all those holes!?" to which I reply, "good question...". Digging each hole at least 2 feet deep, that’s like burrowing down four stories! It felt like that time when you were a kid and tried to dig to China! and actually made it...

This was a fun project, though. I built about 180 feet of cedar picket fencing for a local school. The curiosity and comments from the kids really cracked me up throughout the job—starting with, “Hey Mister! What did you do to our fence!?!” as I ripped the old one out. Their dismay at destroying “their” fence eventually evolved into, “Wow, Mister! You’re a hard worker!” and “Hey Mister! You do good work!” The comments about the quality of my work really surprised me; it seemed like something only “grown-ups” would comment on.

It was a pretty tough job, as fences often are. While tearing out the old fence, it was like playing with a jack-in-the-box—only instead of a creepy clown popping out, it was a jungle full of trees and thorny bushes springing out like a terrifying pop-up book! One of the neighbors had a rather unkept yard and every time I took down a fence panel, the vegetation jumped out to attack me! However, I ultimately fought through and prevailed with my chainsaw, machete, hatchet, and 3-ft bow saw! You know, all those tools you always wanted to play with as a kid! The digging was especially tough due to roots in many of the 18 post holes. By the end of the day, I was rather spent—but victorious! and victory usually feels pretty good!

Driving away at the end of the project felt like some kind of hero’s exodus. The kids were on their lunch hour when I left. The teachers parted the sea of children for me as they waved and thanked me while I slowly pulled my truck out of the schoolyard. It was a good reminder that hard work doesn’t go unnoticed—you never know who’s watching or who you might be setting an example for. So dig deep, work hard, and lead from the front!