Awhile back in the break room, I mentioned a project from four years earlier and lamented that I could find no photos of that frame. One of the men said he had some photos at home and promised to go through them that night. The next morning when I walked into the break room I was greeted by six large photo albums stacked on the table. The man who brought them in was pouring a cup of coffee but noticed my surprise and said “I had forgotton about the photos of that frame until I started the car this morning so I ran back in and, not having the time to sort through the albums, brought them all along.”

I sat down and started paging through the albums. What I was viewing was a detailed pictorial history of each and every timber frame-from layout to erection-on which this man had worked. Though I had seen him with a camera now and then, I had not suspected the full depth of his passion for his craft.

I remember wondering how many people so love what they do for a living that they’d keep such a record of their efforts. Few, precious few! TZ