Patch's new door

We made progress on the shelter dilemma over the last two days! I say we as if I did the work, I just made suggestions really, the building was done by Dale. I'm not really sure what my "idea" would have turned out like had I been the one measuring!

In any case, the problems with the shelter plague me on a very regular basis.

1. There isn't a light inside the shelter (no power currently running to the actual stucture).

2. There is no way to keep them inside (we had no gate).

3. It's not attached to the barn

4. Mud

The reality of the shelter is:

Concern: There isn't a light inside the shelter (no power currently running to the actual stucture).

Reality: The shelter is a 10X24 structure covered completely on three sides, the front has an opening/door (8ft) and two windows. It is probably only 50ft to 60ft from the barn, there is a light on the side of the barn facing the shelter.

Concern: There is no way to keep them inside (we had no gate). This being the case anyone who was utilizing the shelter would, at some point, wander down and stand behind the barn looking lovingly inside at whomever was in there. I can not tell you how much this bothered me.

Reality: Noone would treat the shelter as a stall unless the shelter was treated as a stall. Unless the shelter had an actual gate or door it could never really be someone's "room". I firmly believe it is just as important for them to have a safe spot that is theirs as it is for us.

Concern: It's not attached to the barn.
Reality: It's not but 50 some odd feet from the barn.

Concern: Mud
Reality: There is no mud in the shelter. There is mud leading up to the shelter from the barn. It is Washington!

I can only do something about the two first concerns and only the second one without much, if any, money because....I had pallets and an idea!

My original idea was a gate out of the pallets however the absence of hinges forced a change of course. What we have now is a three piece sliding rail fence. It works great and it's wood!

It's a little tricky to get open and shut however it allows me to close it during the day when they are all outside. I'm home so I don't need to worry about them collectively needing it in case of rain. Progress in treating the shelter like a stall ;-)

Patch seems to like it up there, the girls tend to pace and Tex doesn't care for it either. With it closed like everyone else's door at night time and not being open to everyone during the day I am hoping we can settle into final spots once and for all. Patch can have the shelter, he seemed content last night, no pacing about, the bedding was not shoved to the side as if he had walked a hundred circles at night testing the "tape". Perhaps a door makes the difference?

Of course he did get confused this morning when it was time to go outside. I did the bottom rail first, then the middle, and started on the top. Before I got the top one moved he noticed the bottom two were gone ducked his head, I said "really Patch" he lifts his head up and bonked himself right on the nose. If you're standing next to him when something "gets him" like that you can all but hear him say "Holy Cow did you see what that (insert object he is not supposed to be investigating) did to me??" It was pretty darn funny really.

Maybe he'll enjoy a little peace in his new room. His stall in the barn is the midle one, he is the smallest (physically speaking of course) guy here, and it's a bit smaller than the end stalls. Being in the middle means someone is making faces at him one one side or the other. Yes, they do make faces at eachother. Patch can be there happily munching dinner and Katie might notice him move; up comes her head, back go her ears, and if she thinks she can get away with it she'll act as if she will be forced to bite his nose off if he takes one step closer to his gate! Tex bugs him too. Patch seemingly lets it roll off his back however I think my blanketed buddy might just like the idea of eating dinner and retiring for the with some relative peace (and a door)!

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