As surely as the daffodils rise each spring, men  emerge from winter hibernation to tackle outdoor projects. I enjoy watching both. It is a true delight to see so much get done.

My husband holds a formidable list this spring – an extension on his shed, trees to trim, tiling a wet ditch, installing a new furnace, remodeling a bathroom. All that in addition to putting in the garden. He’s lined up a host of contractors to do the heavy lifting – and climb the trees (thank goodness!). As a result, we have a steady stream of men arriving over the next weeks. Experts for each task.

Inevitably, even with experts, things don’t work exactly as planned every time. As the builders drilled post holes, they encountered an unexpected electrical conduit. I applaud the electrician who arrived to solve the problem. He got it done in spite of the drenching rain. My husband is an attentive supervisor, even holding an umbrella for the electrician when the rain was heaviest. He is sure the little details of each project are completed to his satisfaction.

My contribution to these projects is minimal. I take pictures for the record. I point the way to the bathroom. I assure them it doesn’t matter if they run over my flowers.  Mostly I gain vicarious pleasure from all this work getting done.

David and I fall into bed at the end of the day and laugh – Boy we sure got a lot done today!