Sasquatch

My new friend/all-round handyman and gardener, calls himself Sasquatch. A. tall man, mid-thirties, he has an elephant tattooed on the back of his calf.  

After he planted all the plants Bonnie picked for my yard, I knew I had to capture him for all jobs in the future--but I had no idea what all I'd be getting.

He knows how to propagate plants, knows what to trim, what to leave alone. I asked him today how he learned to do electrical, building and landscaping, and he said he watches lots of videos. He doesn't like TV, only documentaries about animals and plants. 

He's also spent years in the military.  So far I haven't encountered anything he can't do. 

Sasquatch is quick witted and quick to make decisions that would take me forever.  He has definite opinions and loves the same color palette I do. 

Yesterday, we spent two hours in Home Depot--an exercise I never would have imagined would be a fun way to spend a Friday afternoon.  He insisted I ride in one of those carts for old people--knowing how much we had to do and that I'd never make it on my feet.  I thought okay, I'll try it.  He was right.

As a former motorcycle rider, I have to say it was pokey and not at all agile ride.  No wheelies, no quick turns, just up for forward, down for reverse.  

Luci caught on faster than I did, as she's accustomed to following my feet in the grocery stores and thrift shops.  She trotted beside me in my cart as if we did it all the time.  

Orlando first filled my basket with pavers and plants in the garden shop.  Then he got himself a cart and we filled  it with paint, electrical do-dads, a light fixture for the casita,  screens and whatnot.  

At one point, I said to him, "I'm so happy!" and he said, "Me too!"

He anticipated my path and moved anything blocking an aisle. He climbed a ladder to bring a fixture down to show me. 

Then he packed our purchases into my car, got Luci into her backseat bed, and drove home to unload. I drove  to a food truck in a beautiful little park near Sunset Ridge to get us a pizza while he got to work hanging plants and laying a square of pavers under the bird feeder to keep scattered seed out of the soil. 

Two quick slices of pizza, and he was out the door to finish  before dark. 

I love and adopt almost all of his ideas. He's as into all this as I am!  "The best part about doing these things is seeing what a difference a few simple changes can make," he says. 

He's made the yard sparkle with fairy lights and lined the front pathway with them. He's made the back porch of the casita inviting and cozy, with plants and bird cages hanging from the eaves.

You might say Sasquatch is the man of my decorating and landscaping  dreams!