A Guy Named Chuck

Subtitle: The Traveling Flowers

Sometimes joy looks like a guy named Chuck.

This is Cherie's dad...and his doodle was featured on the first page of her joy journal. While she was visiting him in Southern California she shared the journal with him. And just a few days ago...the three of us had a Zoom call because he had something he wanted to share something with me. 

Chuck is a retired metal shop teacher...and he's spending his retirement years repurposing parts of refrigerators....water heaters...and other metal from the junkyard into flower sculptures. 

Yes...you read that right water heaters become flowers....most of them with precious hummingbirds. 

At the end of the zoom call I got a tour of his own backyard junkyard and his shop....it was so impressive. I took a few screenshots along the way.

This water heater was his latest find at the junkyard!

Apparently the skins of water heaters are very useful! Who knew?

Chuck knew!

If he didn't have the right tool or storage unit...he made it. 

This rotating tool holder was impressive giving him two sided storage for his tools! I thought it was brilliant!

I believe he also made this cutting tool he uses to hand cuts the flowers....and he gave a demonstration.  He made another tool to bend them into the shape he wanted and it has interchangeable parts for leaves. I was blown away! 

Here's another one of Chuck's creations:

But the best part of this story Chuck wanted me to have one of his sculptures. They are going to travel by car back to Pennsylvania with Cherie and her husband where she will mail them to me. They are taking the scenic route...so Cherie is going to help me track their progress. They left Chuck's cabin last night near the Sequoia National Forest and spent the night at a spa in Hot Springs CA. Cherie sent photos of the flowers getting a little fresh air at the spa.....and I laughed out loud. What a delightful way to start my day! I'm going to have fun with this. 

It's these kinds of connections and experiences that balance out a chaotic and mixed up world. And I'm going to savor it....and celebrate a guy named Chuck and his devoted and creative daughter!

I'm going to (loosely) track these traveling flowers...just because I can.