Middle Day........

A couple of days ago I was out in the evening taking photos.  It was actually too much dusk as most all of the close shots of things were blurry having not enough light for a good picture.  The sun was going down and still shooting light out to a few things.  The view of the silver maple was more orange than I had ever seen before and the shot did take.

It is a blurry image when enlarged but it does show the Stella trying to get out a few more blooms. The spots of color are very few out in the garden now.

The layers of the three different trees did create a great color composition. The red tree needs to be cut down as it leans way over from being planted to a larger tree.  I don't do it because of the colors like these right now.  I will just have give in and take it down. Maybe it would sprout out small parts so I could keep it more like a bush.

My muscles are so sore today as I was on my knees to put this together.  I finally figured out the design that I wanted for the new gate.  I actually designed it as I did the work.  I had to space the boards a little farther apart than I would have liked but it had to be stretched into a 53 inch space and it would not work to add another board to it.  The adding of a board meant there would not be any spaces at all.  I didn't have the extra board anyway so it was a "build with what you have" project. I might get narrow boards to place in the spaces but I will live with it for a while.

It was like working with cooked noodles as this kind of board is treated for weather and is roughly cut because it is a fence board. The boards really didn't have a perfect edge to even up to get perfect gaps.  I did end up with it exactly 53 inches wide by measuring tape both at the top of the gate and at the bottom of the gate.

The cross piece, the brace, was made from the two leftover pieces of the horizontal boards.  It was a challenge connecting and cutting the angles. I was pleased that it turned out as good as it did.  I know that it will be lighter weight than the old gate and probably won't sag anymore.

I really like the older door but the newer one will work great. I was trying to see if I could salvage wood from the old gate and I think everything is partially rotted somewhere.  I may tear it apart first before I burn it. I had an interesting experience trying to figure out the latch.  I could not a first figure it out and then I realize a third piece was still attached to the old gate.  I also broke my battery to the drill while working so I had to dig out my old electric drill.  It worked well and was much stronger as a drill.

I do have to paint it blue and I still have plenty of paint from the other two gates to do the job.  It will need to stop raining.  From the enlarged view of the photo I see that I still need to scrape and paint the end of the 110 year old kitchen.  I may get that job squeezed in on my to do list before snow. If not, we will see to it in the spring.

Next year I will probably have to rebuild the roof of this thing.  You can use recycled wood but if it isn't weatherized wood it won't last 10 years outside in Iowa weather.

I am home again today and will be busy at something.  I am not going to plan but just let things happen.  The birds are calling inside to be fed and I have stuff that I have placed in the dining room. my temporary storage spot, that need to be taken to the basement.  I will keep things simple.  We are looking at two semi wet days this week.

Thanks for checking in on my blogpost today.