Hello from SE Iowa

Retired from the US Navy in 1995, went back to school and ultimately completed a Ph.D. (read - Piled higher and Deeper) in Biomechanics. I now teach at a small private college in SE Iowa.
Owner and operator of a custom wood engraving business. Business has been really slow - can't seem to get it off the ground, what with my day job and all.
I am a first-time strip-builder, working on my River Canoe with plans downloaded from Northwest Canoe. I was born and raised in Colorado but never did any canoeing until I got out of the mountains and down to the sea. Did a few day trips on the Shenandoah in Virginia in the early 1990's, then a long hiatus until a 5-day trip with my brother and nephew on the Missouri River Breaks in Montana in 2010.