The Great Door Adventure

After getting my truck back from the auto shop, I headed over to the used building supply store. It was 3:30 already so I didn't have a lot of time. If I didn't find a door by 5pm then I would have to buy a new one from Home Depot or Lowe's because they would be the only ones open on Sunday and Monday. I found the store (only having to turn around once) and wandered in to the outdoor maze of house parts.

There were many doors, all well marked and organized by size. Unfortunately, they only had one door that was cheap enough and the right size. It was $15 but had no door knob or hinges. I decided to go back to the Habistore and buy whatever I could find there.

I picked out a white door with door knob and hinges attached. It was a little bit smaller than I needed, only 26" wide instead of 27 1/2" and no price tag. I hauled it off to someone who worked there and he said it was $10 because it was hollow and that they would throw in the door knob for free. He took it to my truck and I paid my $10.

After that I stopped by the thrift store to see if they had any dog leashes or food bowls. I found one bowl but no leashes. I also found 4 shirts that were half off which made them $2 a piece. Hmmm, how did I end up in the clothes aisle if I was looking for pet things?

I headed home and wouldn't you know it, I was almost home when it started to pour down rain. I turned down my dirt road and saw the wash flowing like a mini river.

The palm fronds that were dumped upstream were now in the road and the gaping hole that shows up every year is now back. I stopped the truck, took some pictures, dragged the palms off the road, tested the road for stability, got back in my truck and plowed through. I got my door inside and wiped it off. I think the white paint protected it from the water.

I started working on installing the door right away. I found some scrap wood and nailed it to the door frame. Then I looked for something to rest the door on while I screwed in the hinges. My old broken DVD player was just the right height.

That still left a large gap on the other side of the door so I nailed another piece of scrap wood on the other side of the frame, 2 more pieces to hold the metal plate, and one more as a bumper for the door when it shuts. I know it doesn't look pretty but my mobile home is basically my club house, I can do whatever I want to it without worrying about resale value because the place is trashed anyway. But in my defense, at least I didn't use any duct tape!

The door opens and closes nicely and although there is a gap, it is not big enough for a puppy to fit through. $10 for a puppy barrier is a pretty good deal.

PS. I just saw a snake through my RV window. It went under my mobile home. Small head and tail so it must have been a gopher snake or a king snake. I would love it to be a king snake since he would keep rattle snakes away for me. Gopher snake would be good too. Eat those pack rats!