Strong Fences Make Nosy Neighbors

I'm digging in the dirt
Stay with me I need support
I'm digging in the dirt
To find the places I got hurt
To open up the places I got hurt
- Peter Gabriel "Digging in the Dirt"
This was the song that was rolling through my head as I worked at replacing the fence in front of my house today. Considering I was listening to my Ipod, it was interesting that I would pick a song that does not appear on any of my playlists to obsess on.
I was digging in the dirt, that much was true. We had a half dozen fence posts that had become snack food for termites some time ago, and today was the that I ran out of excuses and other things to do. I was replacing the part of the fence that we had assumed would be sturdy for some time. That time has come today.
I went out around one, after lunch. I came back in at six forty-five. I made frequent stops for iced tea and Gatorade. I also kept checking on our dog, who was amazed to see the street from our front window without the interference of a series of redwood slats. I confess that sight was compelling for me as well, but I kept returning to the dirt. Six holes in my yard that eventually got filled up with fence posts and concrete. Six holes I made. As I worked, a number of our neighbors passed by, wanting to know what I was doing. This was significant to me since I sometimes go for weeks without speaking to any of our neighbors. This is not because I'm anti-social - it has more to do with the nature of urban living. We are in our car headed somewhere when we see on another most of the time. I always smile and wave, we just don't stop and chat.
I worked for a long time in the hot sun, in between explaining myself and the job I was doing. I'm very sore now. I took two Advil in anticipation of the storm that will be in my joints tomorrow morning. That's when the carpentry begins. "If I had a hammer..."