Born in Vancouver in 1952, Ralph Martin of Qualicum Beach started school in 1958 and kept going until 2008 when he decided he had all the fun he could get out of it. To support his college days he worked summers as a logger. He has also planted and harvested trees, worked as a cook, driven a delivery truck, been a teacher and tried farming on the side in Errington: milking a few cows, keeping pigs and chickens, and selling milk, meat, eggs, fruit and vegetables. He has since built, renovated and sold homes. A resolute DIY guy, he has built a campervan and rebuilt a 36-foot wooden boat. He also likes to fish, fix old cars and motorcycles, and write stories for kids and adults. He has self-published Cross Canada Adventures: Two Journeys A Lifetime Apart (Qualicum:  Blueskies Press, 2017).