A Clean Latch

I pushed past the front door flap and headed down the street to stretch my legs before afternoon rolled away. Right along a neighbor's white picket fence, the small steel gate latch was sagging off its strike plate, clattering wildly with every breeze. Leaving hardware loose like that just wears out the hinges. I inspected the pivot pin and noticed a dry, coiled twig jammed right into the spring casing. I braced my paws against the iron bar, dug my claws in, and yanked the twig free. The latch dropped squarely into the notch with a loud, heavy click. Sturdy, aligned, and rattle-free.