The Corral (2011) by Mary
There wasn't even a milk cow to tie them down. However, Todd, Nancy, & Erin could not all come to the city at the same time. It was too much to expect a stranger to move the animals back and forth from a nearby pasture to the barn twice a day as they had been doing. They needed a corral, or paddock, as Erin calls it, where the animals could spend the day and go back into the barn at night without a hassle. The posts and lumber were there waiting, but it all takes time and energy.
The biggest holdup was digging the holes for the big posts. Todd had worked so hard on a few and quit. It actually got the best of him. He found it difficult to dig in the dry ground, plus he always hit rocks. We were visiting one weekend, and realizing he couldn't get past the situation, Larry and I helped by standing on the end of the posthole digger as a neighbor had recently suggested. Sometimes, Todd even got off the tractor and added his weight. It must have looked rather silly with the tractor running and three of us on the digger; the guys even jumping up and down on the very end. It churned away, spitting dirt, rock, and smoke out of the holes, until they were finally all dug. We would be leaving in the morning with the good feeling that we had conquered the obstacle together and now they could finally move on. It was getting dark, Erin had done the chores, and we were so appreciative that Nancy had our evening meal ready for us.
Erin wanted to help with the paddock, so on the following weekend, the three of them went to work on it. Even then, carrying the heavy boards, measuring, sawing, and nailing, was quite a task. They had missed being with us at Christmas, but finally the corral was built, someone was recommended to do their chores, and our family was together at Easter.
Trading spaces: This spring, we switched houses for a long weekend. They needed to bring Allison home from college and attend a wedding here in the city. We needed to be at our special farm retreat by ourselves. A good plan.
It churned away, spitting dirt, rock, and smoke out of the holes, until they were finally all dug.
I never look at the corral without scenes from western movies coming to mind. Can't you just see two or three dudes, (one of them chewing on a blade of grass) and usually a cute girl, sitting on the fence while some macho man is in there breaking a horse? I love the corral!
