Wild Rose Timber Framers
(Page 4 of 5)
April/May 2008
By David Cavagnaro
The Value of Balance
RELATED CONTENT
Can You Own the Land and Not the Trees? August/September 1999 Issue #175 - August/September 1999 Wh...
Here's an inside look at the way Mother's researchers maintain their tools, which could help you ge...
There's a new lumbering technique afoot that combines using and caring for the woods....
From Vermont high country, build a shed to last 200 years....
Using a timber-frame building method can be an easy and inexpensive way to construct a building. Ma...
The team’s evolution, now almost a decade and a half in the making, has had its share of ups and downs. “It’s been a long, slow grind,” Kittleson says, “but it’s easier to get over the rough spots if you are living your core values.” I have heard those values expressed and seen them in action repeatedly during the 20 years I have known these men and their families. They’re values honed by a Midwestern background and years of living close to nature: love of and respect for the natural world; time for and love of family; reverence for quality and craftsmanship; respect for hard work; respect for each other. And above all, balance and integrity.
“Life is more than work,” they have all said to me. Besides time with family, each has his own hobbies to balance work. All three love camping. In his spare time, Webber builds wooden boats. Kittleson, who was an avid kayaker before the kids arrived, still loves exploring the Mississippi River and other waterways with his family. I’ve long known Wasta to be a skillful fisherman and fly tier, but it wasn’t until I spotted an unlikely rack full of giant bamboo poles in the shop that I learned he is mastering the highly refined craft of making bamboo fly rods.
It is this consistency of core values guiding their lives, rather than making work choices that trump values, that impresses me so much about the livelihood they have created. As we sat amid the piles of wood shavings, smelling the sweet fragrance of oak and walnut, each in turn expressed the joy and satisfaction of knowing personally every piece of wood that goes into the making of the basic structure of a home, and knowing that those who live in that house will similarly come to know and appreciate each of those pieces.
Webber says their work is honest and depends on the inherent beauty of wood. Kittleson says “We’re not trying to make it look like something else; it’s as real as it gets.” They also speak of the long-term friendships they’ve made with their clients, who come to revere the wood as much as they do, and who respect and appreciate their craftsmanship.
I sense a quiet harmony as I watch Wasta, Kittleson and Webber quietly going about their daily tasks. This harmony stems from kindred spirits working together, from the wood itself and from life paths of integrity. And surely much of it must come from successfully integrating their work choices with their values.
Page:
<< Previous 1 |
2 |
3 | 4 |
5 |
Next >>
