Yeah, that gravel base is huge (my uncle taught me the same thing). I've seen too many posts rot out when they're locked in concrete.

It's crazy how much rides on that one moment.

Yeah, tell that to my wallet. An eighth inch gap might as well be a canyon when the repair bill shows up. Just my luck finding the one spot that costs a fortune.

My old rooster, Hank, was a master of the jailbreak. He figured out the weak spot was the gate latch, not the fence. He'd peck at the metal hook until it bounced up just enough to swing open. I had to replace it with a carabiner clip, the kind you use on a backpack. He stood there and glared at it for a solid week after that.

Oh man, that's a solid tip. I started using a cheap laser level for the same reason, just to shoot a line. Saves so much time over the old string and guess method.