Bob got his first dremel tool on Christmas day 1970, while he and Alma were living in an apartment in North East, Maryland.  This is Bob at his mother-in-law’s house; see the pure joy of receiving a woodworking tool!

After they built their own house in 1972, he started making “duck dust” in the unfinished basement.  Plaid flannel shirt: Check.  Insulated vest: Check.  Glasses: Check.  Dust: Check Check.

Even though it was a true “man cave”, the basement was damp, not well-lit, and after a few years the kids were using the majority of it as a rollerderby / bike track!

So, in the 1980’s Bob and Alma added “the shop” to the side of the house.  With a dust-ventilation system, large windows, and lots of space for tools, the inspiration flows.  Their dog Sidney, the latest in a series of Chesapeake Bay retrievers, lolls on the cool concrete in the shop in the summertime and has her own door in the corner beside the workbench.  Alma paints here, her custom acrylics in recycled medicine bottles with labels such as “teal wing” or “mallard head”.  The aloe plants like the light and in the evenings the small television keeps her entertained while painting (because you can’t make dust and paint at the same time!).

It’s still unfinished but a big upgrade from the basement.  The next photo is of Bob signing a decoy in the shop with Molasses (a previous Chesapeake Bay Retriever) behind his chair.  His daughter Katie took this photo with a 35mm camera in the late 80’s/early 90’s.