Funny you mention the tarp situation—I once watched mine take flight like a giant blue sail right over the fence and into the street. That was a lesson in wind I won’t forget. Ended up switching to those heavy-duty canvas tarps and some old-fashioned rope knots, which have held up better than any clips I tried.
On the lighting front, I wired in a backup battery for our solar path lights after one too many outages left me stumbling around in the dark. Not fancy, but it’s saved my shins more than once. I do wonder, though—has anyone tried motion sensors on their fence line? I’ve been thinking about it since we get the occasional “shortcut” through our yard, but I’m not sure if it’d be more hassle than it’s worth. Curious what folks have found works best for keeping things secure without turning the place into Fort Knox...
“I once watched mine take flight like a giant blue sail right over the fence and into the street. That was a lesson in wind I won’t forget.”
Been there—my neighbor still teases me about my “runaway tarp” incident. You nailed it with the canvas and rope; nothing like a proper knot to keep things grounded. On the motion sensors, I’ve put a few along my back fence. They work, but you’ll get the odd squirrel triggering them at 2am. Not quite Fort Knox, but it does keep the “shortcutters” guessing. If you go for it, just be ready for the occasional wildlife light show...
“you’ll get the odd squirrel triggering them at 2am. Not quite Fort Knox, but it does keep the ‘shortcutters’ guessing.”
That’s the truth—my back alley’s practically a parade route for raccoons and the occasional possum. I tried those solar lights with motion sensors once, but after a week of midnight disco, I swapped them for a good old-fashioned latch and some thorny rosebushes. Not perfect, but folks think twice before hopping over when there’s a tangle of thorns waiting. Sometimes low-tech wins out, even if it means a few scratches now and then.
You’re not wrong about the parade—my last place had a fence that was basically a critter expressway. Tried the motion lights too, but all I got was a front row seat to every neighborhood cat’s nightlife. Ended up planting some holly bushes under the weak spots. Not exactly high security, but nobody likes getting poked in the shins. Sometimes it’s those old-school tricks that actually work, even if they’re not pretty.
Holly bushes are underrated for this kind of thing. Not the prettiest, but they get the job done—nature’s own barbed wire, basically. I’ve seen people try all sorts of fancy deterrents, but sometimes the low-tech route is just more reliable. Plus, you can always trim them up to look a bit tidier if you want. Honestly, a little discomfort goes a long way in keeping critters out.