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Hi! My name is Robert Bussabarger. My wife's name is Shelley Ferer. We're life partners and co-owners of Millennia Wood in Olympia, Washington.

I've lived in the Pacific Northwest pretty much all of my life. I was born and grew up in the Willapa Harbor area, which, coincidentally, is one of the few places where ancient growth Western Red Cedar is still growing.

I've always loved the bountiful environment that we've been privileged to enjoy here in the Northwest. I enjoyed the rich harvests of our salt water environs as a commercial fisherman, operating a troller out of Westport in the 50s & 60s, while teaching in Grays Harbor. But as the salmon runs thinned out, and the demands of a teaching career increased, I concentrated on academics and teaching in Aberdeen.

I've always had a keen interest in Marine biology and environmental sciences, and did my Master's thesis on the sensitive environment of tidal pools at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. During this time, I taught biology, chemistry, marine biology and environmental science at the high school level. I loved providing a stimulating environment for my students and watching young, eager minds become aware of the world around them.

Shelley and I moved to Olympia and moved onto a piece of property, once owned by my maternal grandparents who had planted and run a blueberry farm there. After we built our house where the burned out foundation of my grandparents house was, I developed a fascination with Cedar.

I had recently built a split rail cedar fence from some old posts, and was amazed by a number of properties the old cedar had. At the same time, a friend of mine, Mike Maki, gave me a number of old cedar shake bolts. I started to work with these ancient pieces of wood, increasingly engrossed in the richness I found there. The surface of ancient cedar boards, as a canvas for art, enhanced that art beyond my explanation. I don't know whether I invented, or just re-discovered the techniques I used to fashion the hand split boxes.

The more I worked with this wood, the more it spoke to me. The rich and varied grains suggested so many different impressions and pictures to me. It didn't take long before I was making small additions to complete the pictures. And then I blended modern technology, in the form of laser etching, with this ancient wood, culminating in the Millennia Wood Hand Split boxes of today. I never tire of the endless vistas suggested by, and found in, this marvelous wood. Occasionally, I find a piece of wood that is so visually rich, I won't allow an image to be applied to it.

Shelley and I have been together for over 20 years. She, too, has lived in the Pacific Northwest all her life. In addition to the interest and love we have for this wonderful region, we share other common interests. Shelley has a degree in Environmental studies from the Evergreen College in Olympia. She's not been just a wife and companion, but a colleague and business partner.

Shelley runs the day-to-day business of Millennia Wood, and has represented our boxes, and other creations, for 15 years at the Olympia Farmer's Market. One of her favorite things, and mine, is to take the dog and go exploring the National Forests. She takes some really good pictures which often end up as images on our boxes.

I have to agree with her when she says "No cathedral can match the grandeur I have experienced in the ancient forest."

Our boxes are a way of sharing that, and the awesome legacy of living things that have existed much longer than recorded human history.

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