Off The Farm

Idio, is his name, Italian I suppose. His daughter gave him my name when he needed a contractor to do some work in this house he bought after he sold his farm. He is a real 'hands on' kind of guy, willing to help us do our work or prepare surfaces to make our work easier. What a pleasant fellow he is, very laid back and easy going. Spending all your life on a farm with the land and animals could do that to a person. I was hoping his old yellow pick-up truck would be parked here as it has been since he moved here 7 years ago. Maybe he traded it in for that new one you see. His daughter lives on Sumas Prairie where she and her husband run a very successful electrical servicing business that mainly services the dairy farming community. We have worked for her many times over the years but the most memorable time was when we had the big earthquake a few years back. The boggy land on the prairie rolled and swayed for several minutes and the water in her fish tank almost spilt over the edge. I remember standing in her laundry room, looking out her window and watching the cedar hedge 'dance'. I never thought to run or protect myself. I was too busy being fascinated with feeling the whole earth move under my feet. Mmmm. I feel a song coming on.