Okay, I’ve been gathering stuff to start this big fence project here in Dallas. These huge urban areas baffle me with the spotty selection of businesses. There isn’t a hardware store within 5 miles of where I’m staying. It’s kind of weird.

What is even weirder is the abundance and diversity of wood fences here in Richardson. Once you start looking, they are everywhere in every shape and form. It is unbelievable. And they are in every state of disrepair. If I wanted to make a ton money, I’d just camp out down here and go door to door asking people if they wanted their fences fixed. Most are leaning at a few degrees, some much worse.

In Kansas we use wood posts with wood fences. Here metal posts are the norm. I’ve never seen it, but that is how they do it here. I have to remove, maybe 10 posts encased in concrete. I bought a Jackall at a farm supply store yesterday (Picutre below). Hopefully I’ll be able to just pull them out of the ground easily.

There is a training race at the Fair Grounds tonight. Tentatively I’m planning on doing that, but sometimes I get caught up in the work and can’t seem to pry myself away. Hopefully, I’ll get the posts out and and reset in concrete early, so I have time to ride/race my bike.

Here are some of the examples of the craziness of the fences here. Some must cost 10 of thousand of dollars.

A lot of the gates in the alley are on aluminum frames on rails. I have no idea who builds these.

This is a pretty nice custom fence.

Lot of streets are lined the whole way with wood fences.

This is the bracket that connects the wood to the poles. I've never seen these before, but they are everywhere here.

Kent Eriksen told me about these, the Jackall. He says he can lift a 10,000 lbs. machine with one. Should work to pull the post, concrete and all.

Last night I was walking Bromont over at a park here in Richardson around 10:30 at night. Bromont has this blinky light on his collar and I let him run around, off leash, chasing rabbits and such. This car pulled into the parking lot and it seemed a little odd since it is a dead end and they really wouldn’t be any reason to park there then.

This guy gets out of the car and goes into his truck and pulls out a metal detector. He has the whole setup with headphones and shoulder strap. The guy seemed sort of old, balding, gray hair on the edges. He seemed okay, so, I go over and ask him what he’s looking for.

He proceeds to tell me that he has two daughters that like to come over to the park and run around barefoot. And that when the riding mowers go over aluminum cans, they shred the cans like shrapnel and his children cut their feet up. So, he bought a metal detector that is made nearby in Garland, and when he has some “free dad time”, he comes over to the park and clears it of the metal.

I was totally blown away. I couldn’t believe that there was a person that had the time and energy to do something like that. It goes to show you what extent people will go to protect the children.

I have to give the guy an enormous amount of credit. He is doing everyone that wants to run around the park barefoot a service. It seems a little mind boggling considering he is just one guy in a huge park, but he is doing it anyway. It does to show you what individuals in society contribute to the well being of the society in whole. All these people, behind the scenes, doing little things that make it better for the rest of us. We could use way more people around like this guy doing their part to help.

The Jackall worked great. It was a little bit hard getting it at the right angle because I didn't have an extension for the tongue.

I only had to pull 5 posts. I reused 2 and put in 3 new ones.

Bromont showing off his form playing during a break.