My Father-in-law, George, a locomotive wheel and axle machinist of 45 years, is often required to come up with creative solutions for problems in his shop. That creativity has made it's way into many other aspects of his life, and one day he came up with a few ideas for his first shovel bird.

Being handy with the welder, I decided to make a few of them myself. They turned out to be a big hit, and it seemed I couldn't make enough of them. Friends, family, neighbors and co-workers all  seemed to have a place they could put one. I began to make some refinements, and take creative license with my father-in-laws' concept.

I made several of these "shovel birds" and donated them for auction to benefit families that had a child in need of various surgeries. They were a big hit there too, generating several hundred dollars for direct relief. Many asked if I made and sold them. I hadn't really thought of selling them before, but admittedly, it seemed like a good idea.

So, I made a few more, this time large and small (and took more creative license), and brought them to a craft show to sell. Again, they were well received.

That's when I decided to put the website together so people could easily see what the ShovelBird was all about.

ShovelBirds at Craft Show