Summertime and Sunshine

It’s official. It’s the Summer equinox, the longest day of the year.

And Summertime means sunshine.
And for solar powered gate operators, sunshine is a good thing.

Solar gate operators use sunlight to charge batteries inside the operator that power the motor to open and close the gate. To get the most out of a solar automated gate install follow these few simple tips:

First, make sure the solar panel in our area (Northern Hemisphere) is South facing.

Second, identify any possible obstructions in the path of direct sunlight to the panel. Trees, utility poles, and buildings may not seem like an issue at first. But as the sun moves from East to West, they may block sunlight or cast shadows that could interfere with the charging panel.

We love trees. However around the Tahoe area, trees can make solar powered anything a challenge.

Keeping a solar panel clean from dust, pollen, and bird waste is also important.

Third, keep the accessories tied to the gate to a minimum. The more bells and whistles added, means more power that may be drained from the operator batteries.

Then you’re back to opening your gate manually in the hot Summer sun!

Pictured: Tahoe Fence Solar Automated Ornamental Steel Cantilever Slide Gate in Reno (Washoe County.) And thanks to Awaxx Systems for the operator hardware, and Western Iron Works for the gate materials.

Father’s Day and Dad’s Chair

This weekend marks the 3rd Sunday of June, which of course is Father’s Day.

And we can’t think about Father’s Day without thinking about dad’s chair. Whether it was at home or at work, dad had that one spot that was his.

Nothing was written. Nothing was said that declared it. But no one else sat there. It was crystal clear that spot was identified solely for dad. Maybe it goes back to human development and our instincts. A simple habit of identifying one’s territory.

From all of us at Tahoe Fence, happy Father’s Day!
And although it doesn’t need to be said, stay out of dad’s chair.

Pictured: Tahoe Fence Yard Dog Wally Waiting for Dad in the Forklift Seat at Mound House (Lyon County.) 2025

Happy Memorial Day

A gentle breeze moves Old Glory like an ocean tide across the land.

Row upon row of waving flags gesture a welcome greeting from many dear departed friends.

Our promise to remember is without end.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend.

Pictured: Flags Waving in Fernley at Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery (Lyon County.)

Astounding Ash

45 years ago this weekend, Mount St. Helens erupted.

For 9 hours, ash was dispersed over an area nearly 22,000 square miles. While the damage from the eruption was devastating, including the loss of lives and properties, it produced about 540 million tons of ash.

The Romans used volcanic ash from eruptions they witnessed in the making of their concrete. Some of the seawalls the Roman Empire built from this method still exist.

The use of volcanic ash is being revisited by builders and engineers now in making lighter and more sustainable concrete. It’s even being considered as an efficient energy storage medium for renewable power in concentrated solar power systems.

Pictured: Solar Powered Wood Cantilever Slide Gate by Tahoe Fence with a Concrete Pad Mounted Operator in Tahoe City (Placer County.)

What Moms Like

Did you know that Mother’s Day is in a month named after a female deity?

Like several of our calendar months, May comes from the Roman era. It’s derived from the Roman goddess responsible for Spring growth and warmth, Maia.

Whether you wish your mom a Happy Mother’s Day, tell her that you love them, or treat them like a goddess, these are all things moms like.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Pictured: Tahoe Fence loves our moms every day, and this Mother’s Day with a card a fencer’s mom would love, which features a slatted wire heart, and mom spelled with gate hinge brackets, and pipe from post cutoffs (2025.)

Mother Nature Has Curves

Our world isn’t flat. We live and work in/and around the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Here Mother Nature has curves and angles.

While you can try and dress those angles with straight fence panels, there will be some gaps underneath that show too much. And/or don’t keep enough of what’s important in.

With certain styles of iron (steel), vinyl, wire, and wood fences though, Tahoe Fence is able to follow those contours without stepping your fence.

We can even create custom styles to meet your needs.

And similar to our chain link and wood fences, we are able to install a steel fence for you on either metal or wood posts. Tahoe Fence can attach your steel fence almost anywhere on Mother Nature’s solid surfaces.

Pictured: Tahoe Fence Ornamental Iron (Steel) Modern Style Panels on Wood Posts on Hillside at Lake Tahoe

Feeling Rejuvenated

With Easter this weekend, and Earth Day this next week, we’re feeling rejuvenated.

An increase in sunshine isn’t hurting our mood either.

We’ve taken that invigorating spirit and applied it to one of our own garden fences. These redwood pickets were removed from a jobsite decades ago. But they’re still solid and even have the original stain on them.

However, an occasional picket gets destroyed when the dog, so protective of the garden, goes after a blue jay or another nuisance too aggressively. If we’re fortunate enough, we can save the picket top.

They get new life as garden/Easter bunnies!

Pictured: Tahoe Fence Repurposed Redwood Pickets as Bunnies for Easter in Carson City (2025.)