A Needed Break

With playoffs in progress for some leagues and ending for other leagues, this is clearly one of the busiest times of the year in the hockey world. The NHL Draft Lottery just saw Toronto claim the top pick, there was a new expansion team announced in the PWHL, there will be a new name and logo for the AHL team in Hamilton announced soon, and there are stories from around the globe that should be examined. I'm not doing any of that tonight, though, because my life has been busy enough with the installation of a new fence at HBIC HQ. Officially, the backyard has been upgraded.

The above fence in the picture is not mine, but this new fence replaced one that was built by someone who has zero carpentry or engineering skills whatsoever. Add in an unprotected electrical line that run along the length of the fence stringer on one side just for fun and I had myself a disaster waiting to happen. Needless to say, I needed the fence replaced with something that not only improved the curb appeal and aestehtics of the house and yard, but also was structurally sound for both me and my next-door neighbours.

I realize that I have limitations when it comes to my ability to construct a fence. I don't know all the ins and outs of putting up a good fence despite my research into fence post anchors, depths required for those anchors, and the advantages and disavantages of vertical boards versus horizontal boards. I am not a carpenter nor a fence specialist, so I went the professional route for this fence.

The end result is that the new fence is stunning, and the company I hired installed it in three days! Something that likely would have taken me all summer to replace is now fully ready for patio parties, barbecues, and quiet evenings around the firepit, so I'll be leaving the company I chose a very positive review. The work done by their employees is second-to-none in terms of craftsmanship!

That being said, I cast no fault on them for my new problem, but I cannot find a suitable lock for the sliding gate on the back of the fence that is accessible from both sides in order to access the lane. There are many locks out there that will work from one side, but not many that are accessible on both sides. Magnetic locks are already out due to the winter temperatures and requiring a constant power source, and I don't really want to have a numerical keypad on the gate when it comes to a keyless option. A padlock would be fine.

That's the new task when it comes to this new fence: find adequate locking mechanisms for both the swinging gate at the front and the sliding gate at the back. I'm open to recommendations if you've experienced this same problem when it comes to locking a sliding/rolling gate, but my quest for some sort of lock that looks good and functions better continues. I know that, at the end of the day, it's likely going to be some sort of 90-degree hasp lock that will require me to move the padlock depending on whether I'm inside or outside the gate, but we'll see how thing shake out here.

With construction coming to an end tonight, it's been a busy and occasionally noisy few days around HBIC HQ, but it looks so much better than how it did before. I'm going to sit outside this evening, unwind a little, and admire the skill and craftsmanship that was put into this new fence. I don't have a Fortress of Solitude like Superman, but I can find some peace in my upgraded backyard when needed.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!