Born in 1947, I was one of the early "Baby Boomers", raised in a home governed by rigid teachings of a fundamentalist Protestant church. For the most part, my school years were a miserable experience and my life at home barely tolerable. I was only fifteen when I left home to work with Indian migrant workers in the apple orchards of north central Washington State. The decade that followed was a period of rebellion and hard lessons. Since then much of my adult life has found me active in church and in service to others.
Most of my working career was related to machinery, beginning at age 16 in a service station north of Seattle. The last 27 years spent working as a Stationary Engineer in Spokane, Washington, and then in Portland, Oregon. I returned to the Spokane area to retire and continued my lifetime passion for motorcycles. A great many enjoyable miles were spent touring throughout the west. During this time I began to recall the many experiences I've had with Native Americans. Realizing this was a part of my life that my children and grandchildren didn't know, I began making a few notes, and the eventual result was the publication of Summer with the Indians. Several years later a second book followed, offering my motorcycle experience in Road Riders Survival Guide.
As a Christian committed to service, I have served as an Elder, a Lay Minister, and had three years on a Missions Board assisting the needs of Missionaries serving in Haiti. I was actively involved with Set Free Ministries in Bandon, Oregon and Spokane County, Washington. I was involved with Celebrate Recovery in Vallejo, California and served eight years on the staff of Celebrate Recovery in Oldtown, Idaho. I was involved establishing the first ever Celebrate Recovery program on the Kalispel Indian Reservation in north Idaho.
My travels across America, my many experiences, and my heart for others led to the publication of a third book Lessons and Leftovers. Drawing from a lifetime of lessons, I worked to assemble a collection of experiences and observations with a Bible-based theme that is intended to challenge and encourage the reader to a more personal application of their faith.