Do you know the best thing about a new house?

 

That "new house smell"?  Yeah, that's good, but I'm going with the thought that there is no maintenance to be done for a long while.  Oh, sure, there are the "shake down" items in every new house that need to be addressed, but you think you won't have to deal with fixing up any new stuff.

Nice thought.

A couple weeks ago, Joan decided that the wood on the RV gate leading into our side of the yard was looking shabby.  "Shabby" may be a bit too harsh, but she could see that the stain we had done to the raw wood was already looking blotchy and streaked.  You are probably thinking: "Why would you have raw wood on a new build?"  I thought that, too, when the landscaper had the gate delivered.  I spoke with him about that - he said, "This is the way they all come."

"No, take a look at EVERY gate in this development - there is NO WOOD in the gates; it is all tech-wood."  By this point in the landscaping, I was just ready to be done with it, so I hired a couple guys to stain the wood.  I thought it might last a while.  I was wrong.

So, Joan ordered some tech-wood to replace the actual wood in that gate.  Of course, there was some rigamarole in getting the order completed, but the last two pieces of tech-wood finally arrived.  Today was our "day to do the gate."

Joan got out tools, I moved the umbrellas to provide shade and we went after it.  Like any "couple's project," there is some discussion about how to do it.  We pretty much compromised and went after it.  First thing to do was take down one of the wood slats and try a piece of the tech-wood in its place.  Then, set up a jig to get each of the tech-wood slats cut and one hole drilled for placement.  How it looked when we started...

 You can probable see what I mean by "blotchy and streaked."  Here's a close up of one piece of the old compared to the new...

You may be thinking "The reddish one is a brighter color."  Yes, it is... but, it doesn't match the wall or the house, or any other gate in our development - no point in arousing the HOA.  Here is the gate at the half way point...

We took a break at this point to have some breakfast and re-hydrate.  Coming back at it, we had our system down, and it went faster.  The last thing to do was the slat at the far end of each gate: of course it isn't the same size (by an inch or so), so Joan had to order a wider slat.  Each of them had to be cut for length, the two outside ones also needed to have an inch taken off the width for the entire length.  I did the cutting and drilling, Joan provided "guidance," and we worked together to get each slat in place - Joan on the outside putting in the bolts, me on the inside tightening down the nuts.  In the end, we got 'er done...

Everyone had the same number of fingers as when we started, and no blood was shed.  It looks good, matches better, and should require no maintenance.  I'm calling this a success.

We have to dispose of the old slats, there is a lot of sawdust (tech-dust?) to be cleaned up.

Right in the middle of this, FedEx delivered a bench and another tall chair for the patios... those will have to be assembled.  At another time.

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24 hours since I plugged the flat rear tire on the CTX, and it is holding the same air pressure.  Good sign.  I really don't want to have to replace the tire - it was new last summer in the Black Hills.

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Scooter content.

By mid-afternoon, it is up to 83º.  My belly was feeling empty, so when Joan came in from cleaning up the yard, I asked if she wanted me to go get some food somewhere.  We discussed the "regulars" and decided on Firehouse Subs.  While she ordered them on-line, I put on some long pants and headed out on the scooter.  People often say "how handy" scooters are for running errands... we have rarely used them that way; we ride them for the entertainment factor.  No reason this can't be both.

I enjoyed the "escape" of riding the scoot to pick up our food.  And to be practical (and I rarely am), the fuel burn read-out said I got 85 mpg in my outing.  Gas here is now up to $4.49 per gallon, up from $3.89 a couple weeks ago.  So, I may have saved a nickle... maybe a dime.  That is the "practical" I was talking about.  But, this short ride may be the highlight of my day.  And, the storage under the seat kept our sandwiches warm on the ride back.  Yeah, I'm going with that.  ;-)