Clever Girl

My Sewing Loft is in the Dutch Barn. 

The dogs love to be with me when I sew.

I want to be able to let them come and go from the loft the way they do from the shop.  So today I finished the "run" between the big yard and the loft.  I was able to scam the gate from a pen I had somewhere else.  The post is secured to the Dutch barn with plumber's strapping and the gate is fixed to the post.  I had to drive a fence post into the ground so that I could latch the gate to something.  I found that hollow pipe back with the fence posts and just slipped it over the post.  Fortunately the ground was not frozen.  Then I just strapped some fencing between that post and the piece of chain link fencing  I had secured to the lilac bush. 

That done, I then had to figure out how to get them into the yard without disrupting the picket fence.
I removed two of the pickets, drove the nails out and re-attached them at the top with lag bolts.  This allows them to swing out to make the perfect sized opening for the dogs to ingress and egress through.

If I don't want them to go into the "run" I close the pickets.

Wrigley is nosey enough to push through those dangling pickets.  Steve came home and had some ideas as to how to secure them.  I told him that if he wanted to do that, fine, but as soon as I find the hooks and eyes, that's my plan.  The dogs learned very quickly how to jump the rail.  All that agility training paid off, I guess.

Of course, if we get three feet of snow, this "pass" will be closed.  Until then,  I have a little more freedom while I am sewing.  Perhaps I could get Steven to install a doggie door for me......  Maybe in the spring.