Upon his retirement, he and his wife made it a point to spend as much time in the great outdoors as possible, especially in their kayaks where they can enjoy time on the water with their two dogs, both Golden Retrievers. However, there was no place for these water-loving dogs to sit when they were on the kayak with their owner, so being someone who likes to work with wood and with his hands, he built them each their own little seat in his kayak so that he could enjoy time on the water with both dogs.