The Fence Post

🌍 Dreamin’ and Schemin’: Turning Your Property into Paradise

Lions are majestic. They are the King of the jungle—regal, magnificent, and impossible to ignore. Duncan loved lions, and if you were to visit me, you’d find them scattered throughout our home: bronze, brass, resin, wood, and who knows what other materials. Each one is a treasure, a piece of art that sparks joy and conversation.

The Lion That Stole Our Hearts

Sometimes, I play hide-and-seek with the children, tucking our lions—whom we affectionately call Aslan, after The Chronicles of Narnia—into nooks and crannies around the house. But the lion that truly captured our imaginations stands in Allenstown, New Hampshire. A life-size cement lion, perched on a three-foot pedestal, overlooks the road and valley from the front yard of an old farmhouse. It’s the most marvelous cast lion I’ve ever seen.

Duncan and I would dream about that lion. We imagined it in our own yard, with the flags of Scotland and the USA flying beside it. Duncan guessed it would weigh over a thousand pounds! We’d laugh and scheme about how to make it ours. Would the owners sell it? We never stopped to ask, but we did joke about pulling up in the middle of the night and hauling it away—Jason Statham style, of course. (Don’t worry, we’d never actually do that… but it was fun to imagine!)

Art That Takes Your Breath Away

Recently, I discovered the work of Fred Hoppe, a Nebraskan sculptor who brings figures to life. His creations include a magnificent lion now living in New Hampshire—and I saw it today. His female eagle, moose, horse, and other pieces are so lifelike, they take your breath away. It’s incredible how creative people can be. We all have the innate ability to create, though some take their talents to extraordinary levels.

Dream Big for Your Property

Think about your own property. Dream and scheme to turn it into your paradise. Maybe it’s a bronze statue, a custom fence, or a cozy fire pit. Fred Hoppe has only cast one full-size lion so far, but he still has the mold and could make more! It might not be in my budget right now, but where there’s a will, there’s a way.

And if you’re dreaming of a fence, call Terry. She’s our fabulous fence expert and always ready to help you bring your vision to life!

 When the Fire Trucks Came Up the Hill: A Lesson in Backyard Fires and Southern Charm

I heard the trucks coming up the hill…

Shortly after we moved from Georgia to our new home in Exeter, New Hampshire, my 16-year-old son asked me if he could burn the brush he had cut down. “Sure, honey, that’s fine,” I answered. And didn’t give it another thought, until…

The Chicken Incident

I was babysitting for Gavin, the three-year-old neighbor, and we were busy weeding the front flower garden. It was getting close to dinner time, so we went inside to put the chicken in the oven. Market Basket had a special on chicken legs, and I had bought a ten-pound bag. As I cut open the bag, the stench escaped. Oh, my gosh!! The smell was awful. Ten pounds of spoiled chicken!

What do you do with ten pounds of rotten chicken? Oh, I’ll toss the whole thing on the fire. We walked out the back door to the roaring fire and threw the chicken on top. Then, back out to the front yard to dig in the dirt.

The Sirens and the Fire Chief

It was a hot, sweaty kind of day. Barefoot and dirty, we continued to weed. Then we heard sirens, and Gavin became hysterical! He was terrified of sirens. I assured him that they weren’t coming here, and then they stopped, so he calmed down. Then I heard the powerful engines and knew they were coming up the hill. I ran into the house, caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and saw my dirty, sweaty face. Out the back door and onto the deck, I spotted a bucket full of water. I picked it up and yelled to David, “Throw this on the fire! The fire trucks are coming!”

I ran back into the house with a crying Gavin on my hip. And I waited. Before long, the fireman appeared at the door and asked if I knew I had a fire in my backyard. “Yes,” I replied.

“Who started the fire?” he asked.
“My son,” I answered.
“How old is he?”
“16.”
“The fire chief wants to talk to you.”

Let me set the scene a bit more. I was barefoot, sweaty, with dirt on my face and hands, and a screaming three-year-old on my hip! Oh, and the neighbor had removed the stairs to the front porch as he was building new stairs! My license tag was still a Georgia plate. We must have looked and sounded like hillbillies to these New England guys!

The fire chief asked if I knew having a fire without a permit in Exeter was illegal. “No,” I answered. He then proceeded to state the various requirements for having a backyard fire. Here’s the best part of all.

“Ma’am,” he continued. “You can burn brush, or you can cook food outside, but you can’t burn brush and cook on the same fire.”

Oh my gosh! He actually thought I was cooking those chicken legs on a brush fire! How I wish that I had a bucket full of barbecue sauce and a mop and could have said, “Here! Take this mop and go slosh those chicken legs with this here barbecue sauce!” It was all I could do to keep from dying laughing! Those Southern hillbillies!

Later that evening, David informed me that the bucket of water he threw on the fire had a frog in it. Did the fire chief think I was cooking frog legs as well??

A Postscript and a Product We Love

All of this took place before I met Duncan. I met him two years later, and he loved this story! If he were cooking chicken on a brush fire, he would have put down a piece of hardware cloth to cook it on!

Hardware cloth is such a helpful product. It’s available in galvanized after, vinyl-coated, and stainless steel. Check out our hardware cloth!



My warmest regards,
Debbie Page
CEO, Louis E. Page Inc–Woman-owned business and Family-owned since 1893. (True! That’s 131 years owned and run by our family).
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Graduated Defense System: How Elite Wildlife Facilities Control Exactly Which Creatures Come and Go

While March might still have my yard buried under a foot of snow, those chipmunks aren’t waiting for an engraved invitation to start their spring shenanigans. They’re already popping out of stone walls, looking sleepy-eyed but determined—much like me before my morning coffee.
And poor Phoebe! My little black poodle’s got a serious case of March Madness that has nothing to do with basketball brackets. She’s going wild chasing those little rodents, but thankfully not quick enough to catch one. Nature’s perfect balance in action.

The Secret? Graduated Deer Fencing
Speaking of balance… that’s exactly what our graduated deer fencing provides. Those clever openings at the bottom? They’re strategically sized to keep certain critters out while letting the smaller ones pass through. It’s like having a bouncer who knows exactly who belongs on which side of the velvet rope.

From Backyards to Zoos: A Proven Principle
This graduated design isn’t just smart for backyard or orchard wildlife management. Our clients at major zoos and wildlife preserves use this same principle to create safe, natural environments. The mesh allows for proper ecosystem function while maintaining appropriate boundaries.
And let’s be honest—when you’re containing everything from curious meerkats to determined primates, you can’t afford second-rate materials. That’s why our wire mesh systems are engineered to withstand both time and tenacious animals.

Battle-Tested Solutions for Any Need
Whether you’re managing a solar farm that needs protection from larger wildlife or designing a zoo enclosure that keeps the right creatures in (and the wrong ones out), we’ve got solutions battle-tested across decades of field use.

Ready to Find Your Perfect Fit?
Don’t just take my word for it—call Terry, our fence expert, at 978-486-3116. She can walk you through the specific mesh sizes and configurations that will solve your exact situation.
Or, hop over to louispage.com where you can browse our full selection of wire mesh and plastic netting solutions.

🔮 REVEALED: The Ancient "Boundary Method" That Protects What Matters Most When Everything Around You Is Falling Apart

Ever notice how some boundaries can’t be seen but are STILL working overtime to protect what matters?

That hit me square between the eyes yesterday...

A text message lit up my phone—a desperate plea from my young family up the road. Everyone but Dad was flattened with the flu—pregnant Mom, two young kids, and the baby—and they needed reinforcements.

"Any chance you could make chicken soup for us?"

Well, of course! As luck would have it, I had a whole chicken and every ingredient needed for a healing pot of goodness.

But here’s where it gets interesting...

Invisible Fences in Action 🛡️

Instead of just dropping off ingredients, I assembled everything in the Instant Pot insert, covered it with the plastic lid, and delivered it to their house. All I had to do once there was drop it in their Instant Pot and hit start.

Smart move, right?

But as I sat in their living room (keeping a respectful distance), something struck me:

We were operating with invisible fences.

Mom was adamant about keeping me safe—creating clear boundaries so I wouldn’t catch whatever had knocked them flat.
✔ No physical contact.
✔ Careful distance maintained.
✔ Windows cracked for ventilation.

These invisible barriers worked perfectly—protection without prison walls.

The Art of the Perfect Boundary 🎨

It reminded me exactly of what we do at Louis E. Page...

For over 130 years, we’ve been helping folks create the perfect boundaries—some visible, some practically invisible—all designed to protect what matters without ruining the view.

Whether it’s:
🔹 Keeping animals safely contained at the zoo 🦁
🔹 Securing solar farms from unwanted visitors ☀️
🔹 Making sure highway projects stay safe for workers and drivers alike 🛣️

We’ve mastered the art of the perfect boundary.

Protection You Barely Notice (Until You Need It) 🚧

Sometimes the best protection is the kind you barely notice—until you need it.

Got a project that needs the right fencing solution?

Skip the trial and error!

Call Terry, our fence expert, at 978-486-3116. She’ll help you find exactly what you need without the headache.

“The Soup Deliverer”,
Debbie Page

P.S. Check out louispage.com to see our full range of wire mesh and plastic netting solutions. Whatever you’re trying to protect, we’ve got you covered—visibly or invisibly!