The Master's Touch

This is the 3rd or 4th time Don Walstrum has helped me since I moved into my own house a few months ago; he was recommended to me by my realtor when I asked her for some names of carpenters, plumbers, etc. Don is very good at what he does, he is professional at the same time as being easy-going and with a good sense of humor, and he's concerned that the work is done just how one wants it, and he is very honest. Here's how it went on 6/12/2009: Don arrived with his trailer of equipment, and, as usual, checked with me a few times as to just how I wanted the raised bed to be, making sure that I was happy with it. The box was set into place, and a weed barrier stapled inside, to keep my ferocious grass from growing up into the vegetable garden (something I hadn't thought of). Don and his nephew got the truck with the garden soil, and as they were backing it up to the garden box, one of the tires got punctured by rolling over what looked like plastic edging in the lawn but was in fact metal. Luckily the truck was still driveable, the dirt was dumped, and we all pitched in to shovel it into the raised bed's box. Don drove the truck back, and I said to tell the folks at the All Seasons Nursery that I'd pay for the tire. Don explained to them what happened, and they were very grateful for his honesty. I paid for the tire on Friday, and planted my garden. Today I got a call from Don asking what the tire cost and insisting on paying for it, as it was his nephew who was driving when it rolled over the metal edging. I really appreciate his honesty and willingness to pay for the accident; I think it is quite amazing for him to insist it is his responsibility to pay even after I'd made it clear I would pay it: I insist it's ultimately my responsibility, while Don insists it's his! So we worked it out that I pay for the tire and Don would help me do a couple of small home repair jobs I can't do for myself, and we'd call it even. All this negotiated, by the way, with openness and respect . I also want to note Don's willingness to do things, other than only carpentry, because it has been very helpful and thoughtful. Two examples: I mentioned in passing that I'd need to get some wood supports for the pole beans I wanted to plant. Don went ahead and cut me some poles from the leftover scraps of wood. And there was a half-barrel that the previous owner had used for a planter--the soil was waterlogged from the recent rainstorms, and I was unable to budge it to drain out the water. I asked Don's nephew if he could help me tip it to dump out the water; instead Don and his nephew easily turned it over, discovered the problem (the soil was in a drainless top plastic liner, the whole rest of the barrel was filled with fetid water - yuck! - and before I knew it, Don had drilled drain holes in the barrel, and lined the bottom of it with an extra piece of the weed barrier cloth.