M.I.A.

Greeting to anyone who stumbles upon this far desolate corner of the blogosphere and hello to you faithful friends who have remained to see if this sadly neglected blog would one day again spring to life. It has been far to long since I have brought any kind of update to this page and life has gone in many strange, new and exciting directions. When last I was here my wife and I had just been blessed with our first child who is now beginning to walk, talk and keep use busier than ever imagined. I was posting pictures of the pipes I had made and trying to progress the craft, not to perfection but to at least a point I would feel comfortable letting the pipes see the light of day. I was in limbo as life was transitioning from a good steady job of ten years to a new chapter of self employment and uncertainty along with a great deal of child rearing to which I was a complete novice. I was purchasing and trying new tobaccos with the zeal and fervor of new discovery. And we had recently pulled up our roots and moved leaving behind countless friends and family to chase new opportunities and establish a new home; a new home as a family, not just the husband and wife couple we had been the for the previous thirteen years. As I sit here writing this my wife just put our unbelievably awesome son James to bed. Having a child has changed life in ways I can not even begin to explain but is understood by all who have brought babies into their homes. It teaches one to love on a whole new level and your perspective on everything changes. I once scoffed at these notions, thinking it surely could not bring about such changes but today I humbly retract those arguments as I now live life each day for a little boy that has stolen our hearts. And the family continues to grow because we are expecting our second in early March! We have settled well into our new home in the country and love it. I would find it hard to move back to a city of any size now. Last week my wife and I had to travel to Dallas for a few days and after the horrendous Dallas traffic I was ever so excited to return to my small slice of paradise were the nearest traffic light is at least fifteen miles away. Paradise in every way but the weather, I am tired of the heat, but being a life long Texan I have learned to deal with it for the most part. Pipe making endeavors are going well, just can't seem to catch up; but I suppose that is a good thing. I have now shipped pipes to people over a great deal of the U.S. and to a handful of other countries, along with gaining my first retailer, Big Star Cigar. I now look back at the early ones I have posted on this page and cringe but I guess that goes with all things we try and create. It is the hopeful evolution of the craft. But still, I have far to go and with each one finished I learn something new. My style and taste have gradually changed as I try to find my own niche in the world of briar. As for the collecting of tobaccos, I always desire new things but have slowed down on purchases. I would say that this is to thin down the cellar to make room for blends to come, but that would only be half true for finances these days are pulled in many other directions leaving little room for stacking tins. So I try to be content with what I have a treasure each new acquisition. Along with that I have recently had a thing for dark matured Virginias so feel free to make recommendations to what fills that bill for you. With all of this, and so much more than time allows, I simply say that life has been good, be it busy, hectic, challenging and tiring, but overall good. My desire is to breathe life into this page again staring now and to reconnect with the wonderful friends I have found here. You all add so richly to this part of my life and quite frankly my wife grows tired of pipe talk. I will attach some pics of a few recent pipes for those who are curious. And with that, goodnight.