Percy's Playpen

Percy loves being outside. Up until last weekend whenever we had him outside he was on a leash. We've been working with him, training him to come when we call, and to stay close by - but we couldn't trust that he'd come back if he took off after a chipmunk or other animal. So we tried tying his leash to the deck, but he'd get all tangled. Last summer Craig tied the leash to a snow shovel, and Percy dragged it all over the yard. This summer Percy was tied to a five gallon bucket - but he'd still manage to drag it into the woods, and we'd have to go in and untangle him time and time again.
So Craig finally decided to put up a fence. We went to a garage sale a couple of weeks ago and picked up some 4 feet metal posts, and then we went to Menard's and got 4 foot high garden fencing. Craig made a wooden gate and put some posts in the ground for the gate. Last Sunday we put up the fence. Everything was going great until about 3 PM when the mosquitoes, deer flies and horse flies descended. I tried to hang in there, but they were biting me all over, and were driving me crazy. I made it until we got the fencing to the last post, and then Craig finished up while I escaped into the house.
Since then Percy has spent hours out in his "playpen" - the fenced in area. He loves laying out there just watching the world around him. It is nice for us too, because we don't have to worry about having him run away, and we don't have to get him untangled all the time.
Of course, when I went to take his picture he went and hid behind the bushes :)