The Fence Post

 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!

🚨 ALERT: Steel Prices Skyrocketing—20% and Climbing! 📈

It’s Debbie from Louis E. Page, and I’ve got some spicy news about our industry that you need to know about.

Those tariffs on Chinese steel (where our materials come from) aren’t just political noise—they’re creating a pricing nightmare. One of our vendors hit us with a price increase last week... and then ANOTHER ONE today. We’re seeing jumps of 20% and still climbing.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been in this business long enough to know when something unprecedented is happening. We’re not just seeing one round of increases—we’re seeing multiple hikes back-to-back, sometimes from the same vendor within days.

We’re experiencing this rollercoaster firsthand here at Louis E. Page, and I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t sound the alarm.

The Brutal Truth About Steel Prices 💥

Here’s the hard reality: Vendors are hitting us with consecutive price hikes. What was shocking last week is already outdated as new increases arrive on our desk today. This isn’t just a one-time adjustment—it’s a rapidly evolving situation with no clear ceiling in sight.

We’re watching our pricing structure change in real-time, and it’s creating significant challenges for all types of projects across the board.

Your Quote Expires in Just 3 Days! ⏳

Look, I’m not here to panic you. But I am here to give you the unvarnished truth.

If you’ve got projects in the pipeline that need our wire mesh or plastic netting, you’re facing a pricing situation that’s changing by the week—sometimes by the day. What we quoted last month is obsolete. What we quoted last WEEK might already be obsolete.

And here’s the kicker: Our vendors are now only guaranteeing their prices for THREE DAYS. That means any quote we give you today has a 72-hour expiration date attached to it.

Act Now Before Prices Climb Higher! 📞

Terry, our fence expert, can help you navigate this volatile situation. Give her a call at 978-486-3116. She can give you today’s pricing and help you understand how to make decisions with this very narrow window.

Peering through the narrow window…

Debbie Page

P.S. Don’t let rising steel prices derail your project! Call Terry at 978-486-3116 TODAY to lock in your quote before it expires!