My name is Mike Walker. When I was a young man I picked up woodworking and made gifts for family. I had small children at the time. One Christmas my young (3 or 4 years I would guess) daughter got me a toy Santa with wheels. When my wife, Georgia, asked her why she picked it out for Daddy, she said so he would have a new toy when he went to the basement to “play”.

Evidently my response to her whenever she asked what I was going to do when I headed downstairs was “play”.  It’s been over 40 years but I still remember that with a smile.

I was a locomotive engineer for C.P. Rail for 23 years. During some of that time my wife and I owned a couple of businesses. During those busy times I didn’t have time for my hobby so I sold my woodworking equipment.

Life went on and once our two kids were out and on their own we sold our house and business and bought a motor home. We traveled and lived in that for a little over five years.

When we came off the road I went back to work to get to age 66.  Retirement was when I set up a small woodworking shop and began “playing” again.