“Jim Class” is a feature that airs within The HomeFix Show. Writen by original charter show listener Jim Forrer from Caldwell Idaho, Jim shares his observations, life experiances, and lessons learned in life. Joe Prin reads these at various times in most of the HomeFix Shows. Here is the original written text.
The need to contain the romping of a brand new puppy, prompted the phone call. The lady said,”he’s all over the place, I need a kennel or something”. “He’s too fast and I can’t catch him”.
Since this lady seemed at her wit’s end, I told her that I had a portable kennel that she could use temporarily. I made an appointment with her for the next day. When I arrived at her home, she met me out front and told me that she and her husband had talked it over and decided on a perimeter fence. They wanted just the back yard to be enclosed. I measured the proposed layout, figured the amount and handed her the bid. Without hesitation, she approved the bid. I assembled the portable kennel, placed it near the back door and then started boring the post holes for the fence.
South Nampa has some awfully difficult hardpan and an occasional lava shelf. Well, I found the lava. I was able to complete all but 7 of the post holes. I went about setting posts, but for those seven. The following day I brought a Jack-hammer to finish punching through that stinking lava. The first and second holes proceeded without incident, but the third one brought the lady of the house out in a panic. She came running at full throttle from the back door, yelling at the top of her voice. “Stop, stop, you’re knocking all the cherries off my tree”. I looked over and sure enough, I had just about denuded that cherry tree. That little tree was dancing like doing the shimmy in a side show. Well, from fence installer to fruit picker was I. “I’m a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess”. [R.G.]
The lady of the house had picked some of the cherries the previous day, so it wasn’t as bad as I first thought. The cherries were dead ripe and we both were laughing as we gathered up all the scattered fruit. With all the damage already done, I continued on with the Jack-hammering.
I finished the fence in a couple more days to their satisfaction, received payment and gathered my stuff, but you know, I never did see that brand new puppy.