Our Gazebo'd Deck

It was an interesting day, but then we find all days to be interesting to a good extent. Our morning ravine walk was slightly different, our tight little group increased by one. Ten minutes into our hour hike there, behind us, was a young man who lives down the street and who obviously meant to accompany us. He's a nice young man, and we've known him for more than half his life, and he's now in his early 20s. He suffers from arrested development, but he does very well for himself.

Developmentally delayed, he will never 'catch up' to most young people his age, in physical agility, let alone mental proficiency, but he does pass muster. He understands things very well, is able to articulate plainly and with a very wide vocabulary. One has the impression that he mimics what he has heard, making what he says sound more reasonable than one might anticipate. But that's not entirely true, since he responds intelligently to verbal prods.

His physical awkwardness, his lack of co-ordination does make things dicey for him. He has had gainful employment in the past, while he was attending school. He was given clean-up jobs at places like Wendy's and McDonald's and he was hired to work at summer camps operated by the "Y" on a number of occasions. When he is employed he tends to boast about how much his work is appreciated, and more, about his remuneration.

What he can possibly anticipate as a normal working function is questionable. He does like being around people, and no longer attending school, and not gainfully employed, he's at loose ends. He hangs around neighbourhood children all significantly younger than himself, and that often presents as a problem. During our walk he ambled along with us, talking all the while, obviously appreciating the opportunity to be doing something with someone.

When he was younger he used sometimes to accompany us on our walks. He does tend to go off the rails on occasion, when he attempts to impress younger children, and they, somewhat more clever than he, and teasingly mischievous, enjoying the novelty of manipulating someone older than them, and relatively innocent of underhanded design, will dare him, or put him up to doing things he should not. Then when he's found out he becomes enraged and isn't beyond using his superior physical strength to strike out at them.

Much as we like to be helpful, it was a relief to finally bid him adieu. And turn our attention to other things. Me, to do some gardening, and my husband to complete his installation of the gazebo on our backyard deck. The gazebo will help immeasurably to cut back on the day-time heat when the sun shines heavily there, heating things up uncomfortably, even to the extent of making the deck floorboards too hot to walk upon barefoot. The installation of the gazebo will mean we can sit out in comfort, despite full sun.

In the gardens I was pleased to note that my favourite yellow rosebush has finally begun flowering; the colour is brilliant and fresh, adding flare to the overall colour in that particular flowerbed. I had acquired a flat of small bright yellow marigolds, and busied myself planting them here and there. And carefully picked baby red-leafed heuchera out of the cracks between the brick pavers on the patio where the parent-plant seeds fell, and they began growing, re-locating them to bare spots in the garden.

When I ventured into the backyard to continue working in the gardens there, I was astonished to discover that my husband had managed to secure the canopy over the gazebo without assistance. We're more than a little pleased with the results of his having thought up this idea. It's practical, attractive and will enable us to take greater pleasure sitting out in leisure hours on the deck.