Lisa took this self-portrait with Ralph, reflected in the mirror-like shine of the Silver Streak, at a Tin Can Tourist vintage trailer rally in Linden, near Bellingham.
handle. It was a long-awaited vacation for Lisa, but she noticed Ralph was a little antsy. “The end is not the thing for him,” Lisa said. “What he loves is the process, figuring it out. Once that’s done it’s not fun for him anymore. He’s ready to move on.” Ralph is a 1965 graduate of Wenatchee High School. He served as an Army medic during the Vietnam War. He holds mechanical engineering and indus-
trial arts education degrees from Washington State University. He is semi-retired but still enjoys carpentry and metalwork around Wenatchee. The name of his business, Future Past Co., reflects his ideal of building sturdy, practical items that will last well into the future while employing fine workmanship of the past. He and Lisa live in the home of his late parents, Dr. Russell and Shirley Congdon. Ralph
September 2013 | The Good Life
has spent the last seven years remodeling it (did we mention that Lisa is a very patient woman?). The home’s many unique features include a massive kitchen island with bar stools made of oak and repurposed iron, wrought iron railings, lamps made from screw jacks, and wall-to-wall oak bookcases. There’s even a large sprocket pattern from the old Pybus Foundry building in a guest
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bathroom. Visitors can’t help but be impressed. Yet Ralph scoffs at the idea that his work is extraordinary. “There are things that everybody does that you and I consider amazing,” he said. “I’m just blessed with the ability to do this.” Susan Palmer Gillin writes in Wenatchee, where she continues to be amazed by the talent and knowledge of those around her.