The Fence Post

On a Whim and a Wish and a Chase

Scotland is magnificent, with lochs and mountains, Highland cattle, heather, castles, kilts, and bagpipes. I fell in love with the country in 2000 while Duncan and I traveled up the East Coast and down the West Coast on our three-week honeymoon. It was double love for me.

The Scottish people are delightful, and we were welcomed and urged to stay longer at all the bed and breakfast inns where we stayed. We often stayed in farm cottages with several children, and the children, too, took delight in our company. I didn’t always understand the Scots brogue, but Duncan seemed to always understand. I think it’s because he was an avid reader of George MacDonald, a Scottish writer from the 1800s.

Cullen was our next stop. It’s a quaint village on the North Sea coast. We spent a delightful night and breakfast at a small bed and breakfast there. Breakfast was in the conservatory overlooking the harbor. With that setting, we ate buttery scones and a quart of the most delicious homemade raspberry jam (I’m still ashamed of my way-too-big American appetite).

After breakfast, we ventured into the village to look at the shops and buy our picnic lunch, which always seemed to consist of bread, marvelous cheeses, and a bottle of wine. Then, we began our daily habit of exploring backroads. Duncan was never afraid to try a road, even if it meant traveling over cattle passes.

Now, Duncan was fond of Single-Malt whiskey, MacCallan being his favorite. We turned the corner of these picturesque roads with stone walls on one side and hillside on the other when Duncan spotted a small van with the Macallan Distillery marked on the side. Before I knew it, we were turned around and following the van. Surely, he said, it will lead us to the Macallan Estate! And lead us it did, right onto the estate. Once in the reception area, we learned they had finished their last tour of the day. Then, a couple from France walked in, and on a whim, they said, “Okay, let’s give you a tour!”

The tour fascinated all of us. The tour guide/Master drew wee drams of whiskey from oak barrels (these oak barrels once housed sherry) and then asked us to nose and identify as many aromas as possible. I remember naming six, which was a challenging feat. But the Master, if my memory serves me correctly, identified as over 60; no, I think I was over 90. We ended our tour with Duncan purchasing an extraordinary vintage bottle.

Afterward, we picked out a lovely spot under a large shade tree and had our picnic lunch. I still remember the double cream brie—it was heaven.

Don’t be afraid to chase your dreams, go out on a whim, and make a wish. Do you want to get those dogs you’ve always wanted? The horses? The donkeys? Fence in your backyard and create a haven for yourself and your family.

Take a look at your fencing options at Louis Page. We’re the experts and will deliver the goods!

Warm 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)

Large and interesting, just like America

After watching the movie A Room with a View recently, which is based on the novel by British E.M. Forster, a particular Forster quote after his first visit to America caught my attention:

"America is rather like life. You can usually find in it what you look for... It will probably be interesting, and it is sure to be large."

This quote reminded me of how true it is in both life and business. Whatever you focus on, you’ll find, especially when seeking quality and reliability. At Louis E. Page, we’ve built our business on helping people find exactly what they’re looking for—whether it’s a dependable solution for a large-scale project or a unique product for a custom need.

And speaking of unique, if you’re looking for something a little outside the ordinary, Terry, our fence expert, is your go-to person. She has an incredible knack for sourcing hard-to-find fencing products, and she loves the challenge of tracking down exactly what you need. Whether it’s a specialized material or a creative solution, Terry will find it!

So, whether you’re working on a large, standard project or something "interesting" and unique, we’ve got the fencing solutions you need—backed by the expertise and dedication of our team.

Looking forward to hearing how we can help you find what you’re looking for.

Wishing you a day full of joy,

Debbie Page

P.S. If there’s a unique product or custom solution you need, let Terry know—she’s always excited to search out the perfect fit for your project! Call her at 978-486-3116.

CEO, Louis E. Page Inc–Woman-owned business and Family-owned since 1893. (It adds up to over 131 years owned and run by our family. Think about it: Nobody stays around in business that long without really supporting customers so they want to come back!)

How the Southern girl stole the limelight in the North

When the kids and I moved from the South to New England, we settled in New Hampshire, in the quaint town of Exeter. What a gorgeous town, with old buildings, historic houses, and a bandstand in the middle of the downtown intersection. I was in heaven.

The town is perfect for walking—through the neighborhoods to the town center to browse the shops and restaurants. Our new old house was perfectly situated for walking. We could walk to the nearby forest, river, and hospital where I worked as a labor and delivery nurse. The boys would bike for miles; one summer day, they biked to Portsmouth, about 20 miles from our house! Daniel was ten and totally exhausted by the time they got home. They only did it once!

One day, we all went to the town forest to bike. David and Daniel were mountain bikers, but Lizzie and I decided to hike instead. When we returned home, we discovered all the windows we had left open were shut. “That’s odd,” I thought. We were all curious, and the children created many scenarios as to what had happened. One theory was that an earthquake had occurred and knocked all the windows shut.

We went to Mary Lou’s house next door to ask if she knew. Yes, she knew what had happened. A train carrying toxic chemicals had derailed a few blocks from the house. The Exeter police, not finding us home, had entered the house and shut the windows to keep out any toxic fumes. Mystery solved.

Curious, the kids and I headed out to find the train wreck. There was a buzz of activity around the wreck, and the kids and I made our way over the fence to get as close to it as we could. Yep, I’m a nurse and should have been thinking about the toxic fumes, but I could only think of adventure! We talked to several people to get a better grip on the story. One was a news reporter from Boston. Now, that was exciting. I was talking to a real live news reporter. In a couple of minutes, he asked if he could interview me. Wow! An interview!

“Sure,” I answered.

I remember I was wearing a gorgeous blue linen blouse that really stood out and I wondered if that had attracted him. Who knows?

During the interview, he asked how close we lived to the wreck and if I was at all concerned. My answer included my concern for my boys, who often biked here. After the short interview, he asked me to come down to the van to ask a couple of questions. We headed to the van, and I asked if it would be on TV.

“Yes,” he replied. “Tonight at 10.”

Woohoo! I’m going to be on television. The kids were ecstatic.

That night, we watched the interview. Within a minute or so, the phone rang. It was my friend Linda from Atlanta.

“I just saw you on the news,” she shouted.

I could not believe that my interview aired in Atlanta! Fame!

The next morning, as I walked into the labor and delivery unit, I was met with many smiles and a, “Oh, my gosh! We saw you on TV! And we just have one question for you: How did a Southern girl with her Southern accent become the representative of our New England town? Now everybody’s going to think we talk like you!”

Wasn’t that fun? You know, you never know what will happen when you climb over the fence!

But you don’t want predators like me climbing over your fence. Deer fencing is super at keeping predators out. It’s designed to keep the smaller guys out at the bottom while being tall enough to prevent the deer (or me) from jumping. You can check it out here: deer fencing.

Always feel free to call Terry @ 978-486-3116 (tap to call). She loves to talk to you guys!

Warm regards

Debbie Page

CEO, Louis E. Page Inc–Woman-owned business and Family-owned since 1893. (It adds up to over 131 years owned and run by our family. Think about it: Nobody stays around in business that long without really supporting customers so they want to come back!)

Up to the ledges and over

Yesterday we hiked to the knoll beside my farmer boy's mountaintop farm. Baby on papa's back and the six and three-year-old hiked alongside the other three adults. My roommate from nursing school was visiting from Charleston, South Carolina. It was a delightful walk.

The kids and I sang and looked for newts which were numerous. Acorns and oak leaves galore had come down in the hail storm the day before. We found a few ripe blackberries. Summer in New Hampshire is wonderful.

Daniel made sure to point out the stone walls going up the mountain. The interesting thing about this stone wall was the way it went to the granite ledges and then continued on top of the ledges. I’d never seen a stone wall do that. The stone walls marked the old property boundaries and are extensive throughout New England.

I thought the stone walls also fenced in the farm animals, but I was completely wrong about that!! Thanks to Daniel for setting me straight.

From time to time you'll pass old wire mesh fencing in the woods, sometimes some barbed wire on old cedar posts. If only the fences could talk! Imagine the stories of people and animals, houses and barns.

Thinking of putting in some fencing? Check out Louis Page. We’ve been delighting customers since 1893! We know fencing!

All my best regards,

Debbie Page

CEO, Louis E. Page Inc–Woman-owned business and Family-owned since 1893. (So 131 years ago our family ancestor Louis E. founded the company)

Dreamin' and scheming

Lions are majestic, they are the King of the jungle, they are regal, and they are magnificent. Duncan loved lions, and if you were to visit me, you would find numerous lions throughout the house: bronze, brass, resin, wood, and I’m not sure what other materials have been used to create them.

Sometimes, I play hide-and-seek with the children, hiding the lions in various places. We call our lions Aslan after Chronicles of Narnia. When Duncan and I met, he began bringing me to the New Hampshire lake house, and he would take the backroads through Allenstown, NH. A life-size cement lion stands in the front yard of an old farmhouse. It is the most marvelous cast lion I have seen. Standing high on its three-foot-high pedestal, it looks over the road and valley.

We longed to have that lion in our yard. Duncan said he would fly the flags of Scotland and the USA alongside it, and we knew exactly where we would put it. Duncan guessed the lion would weigh over a thousand pounds! We would laugh and dream and scheme how we could have that lion. Would the owners sell it? We never stopped to ask, but we did think about pulling up in the middle of the night and hauling the lion off. Of course, we would never do that, but it was a fun thing to think about, sort of Jason Statham style.

I recently learned about a Nebraskan sculptor, Fred Hoppe. He brings figures to life, including a magnificent lion now living in New Hampshire! And I saw it today. Check out his work. I’ve seen his female eagle, moose, horse, and others. They are so life-like it takes your breath away.

I love how creative people are. We all have the innate ability to create, though some take their talents to higher levels.

Think about your property. Dream and scheme to turn it into paradise. Perhaps complete with a bronze statue, a fence, and, of course, a fire pit!

Though Fred Hoppe has only cast one full-size lion to date, he still has the mold and could make more! I don’t think it’s currently in my budget, but I’m dreamin’ ‘n’ schemin’. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Call Terry; she’s our fabulous fence expert and always ready to help you! Tap to call

All my best regards,

Debbie Page

CEO, Louis E. Page Inc–Woman-owned business and Family-owned since 1893. (So 131 years ago our family ancestor Louis E. founded the company)