Gate Repair and Clicker

I made a set of gates when I moved here eleven years ago. I made them from wood because that is what I was used to and felt comfortable with. They have served me well, keeping the roaming cattle out of my property.

One of them was smashed once by a friend who had come to drop off some pastries she had made. I wasn't home and I gather when she was reversing out of the driveway one of the gates had swung into her path and got crunched. She was back to repair it the following day.

On another occasion, my ex drove through the gates in a golf cart. I know what you're thinking. Yes, it was deliberate and made a mess of the gates. But I was there the following day to repair them.

They are made of pochote, a beautiful tropical wood that is easy to work and has the reputation of being insect-resistant. But after ten years of service, some of the members were beginning to rot. When I came home the other night one style was missing as was the chain that held the gates closed.

So I had to implement, at minimum, a temporary solution. After all, the cows might come at any time. So I dragged my hundred-foot extension cord out to the gate and, with Missy bouncing all around my feet and running away at the sound of the drill, I stiched a short length of pochote to the top rail, drilled a hole in it and tied a rope loop through it. The loop drops over the style (which is not missing) of the companion gate. Voila....temporary repair affected in short order. I was able to take advantage of a lull in the rain that has been more or less continuous for three days. I was told this morning that we have received more than ten inches!

On my to-do list is an instruction to replace the gates. I had identified the deterioration months ago and pondered what the replacement should be, i.e. metal gates, swinging or rolling, wooden, etc. I can fabricate wooden gates myself but metal gates will need a manufacturer and installer.

I started training Missy today. The training program I am following prescribes the use of a "clicker" to provide a "bridge" between a behaviour and a reward. Makes good sense to me and the demonstration video is impressive. So I think, "Where in the name of God can I get a clicker in the rainforest?" Perhaps a toystore would have such an item, even incorporated into something I could dismantle. But there are no toy stores handy. Then I realized that the lighters I have for the grill and the gas range click. And I had a spare. Dismantling time. I burned off all the butane in the spare which was considerably smaller than the current and went to work.

A few minutes later, I had a clicker! It is not as loud as I wish it were, but it definitely clicks and, I believe, does the desired bridging. I went to the local convenience store and procured some el cheapo hot dogs. Missy loves them and I believed they would serve as a worthy reward. I had one training session with Missy. She will now sit on command and she's only eight weeks old but very smart. The training system is awesome and gets quick results. This is going to be fun.