I grew up in Iowa, where my childhood was shaped by the outdoors. As a young boy, I spent nearly every waking moment outside racing the sun to make it home in time for supper, only to dash back out until the streetlights came on. That early connection to nature has stayed with me, guiding me through many of the choices I made throughout my life.

  Over the years I've held a variety of jobs, not all were what I dreamed of doing, but each was what I needed to do at the time. Now, in retirement, I finally have the freedom to pursue the things that truly bring me joy.  One of those joys is working with my hands and my mind in harmony, creating something from raw materials and imagination. Building clocks is a perfect example. I seek out wood species that are striking in their imperfections, each piece telling its own story. I frame the wood in a circle of steel, a contrast that highlights and elevates its natural beauty.

The process that feels both meditative and meaningful, a reflection of the life I lived and the values I hold close.  Each clock I build becomes more than a measure of time-it’s a reminder of where I’ve come from, and of the beauty found in the imperfect.