Just right

Well, it’s all very exciting. Mr Fixit is back! And looking for jobs to keep him busy until he starts building his new house.

Ten years ago, after Mike died, I decided to do something he would never countenance: I had some of the trees at the back of the property taken down so I could have enough sunshine to be able to put up a clothesline.

Of course, once this was done and there was actually some sunshine reaching the back of the house, I realised how nice it would be to have somewhere to sit outside with a cup of coffee in the morning without having to go down to the garden, which faces the road. No cups of coffee in my dressing gown there.

Before I brought Mike back to the island in 2008 there were a couple of jobs that needed to be done. He’d had femur replacement surgery and got around in a wheelchair or a walker. It would have been almost impossible for him to climb the three steps to the door, so we got someone in to replace the steps with some level decking. Just a narrow strip – certainly not enough for a table and chairs.

So, I got someone else in to build a small deck – just enough for a table and a couple of chairs. Which is how I ended up with this.

Fine for that table and chairs. Still fine when I added an umbrella. Then I decided it would be nice to have some plants on the deck – a rhododendron, a butterfly bush,  a ceanothus and some bulbs in large pots.

The plants were indeed a lovely addition, but now the deck was very crowded when the table and umbrella were added to the mix. Which is when I found myself wondering why the hell I hadn’t just the original deck built to the length of the “walking platform” for Mike? Oh, well, no money to do so now.

Then Cec (Mr Fixit) came calling, wondering if there were any little jobs that needed doing. Why, yes, I said, now that you come to mention it – the deck.

God love the man. He came this week (just when winter finally decided it was past time to fuck off and deck weather began).

On day one he laid (dug) the groundwork. On day two he came back with a pressure washer and finished the job.

Et voila! The newly improved deck. It may not look like a huge increase, but trust me, it’s all I needed. It’s just right.

The summer room is officially opened. (Stella is already trying to claim my chair.)