Good Fences Make Good Dogs

Charlie is intrigued by the new garden I put in. He loves to eat dirt, plus Pouncer digs there and that's a big attractant. But when the veggies ripen, the attraction will increase exponentially, because Charlie's an omnivore -- he loves veggies as much as I do!

So I'm erecting a low bamboo fence around the new garden. Tall enough to keep Charlie (who doesn't jump fences or push babygates) out, yet low enough for me to step over.

"Mmmmm... 2010 -- a good year for dirt."
I've been using a jerry-rigged setup of sawhorses and 2x4s, but it's always falling apart as Charlie pushes the boundaries a little. So it was time for something better looking and more stable.

"I could help, you know. I could keep the kitties out of there."
Having taken a class on bamboo fence-building, I decided on a rustic Japanese yotsume-gaki-style fence. Gabbie's mom grows bamboo & donated canes to the cause, and I bought posts at a local feed store.

"Awwwww... you never let me have any fun!"
For the last week, Charlie and I have been measuring and cutting and digging and leveling and nailing... There's plenty more do do (namely, the pickets and a gate), but we have the bones of a fence; one sufficient to keep Charlie out and the vegetables in.