Note: The image of me is a watercolor created by my son Luke Gifford and given to me in February of 2015. In real life I m not missing half a mustache.
I am a former sailor and currently work as a technical writer.
My hobbies include:

chess (and chess variants)
sketching
creating computer art*
wood carving (mostly figurines)
playing ukulele, dulcimer, mandolin & other instruments
writing books (have completed 4, working on number 5)**
building cigar box guitars and other instruments
writing songs (few and far apart these days)

*Creating art with Poser is my most recent hobby.
**Books I've written thus far are:
> The Bermuda Pie-Angle, Cartoons and Word Play> Winning with the Krazy Kat and Old Hippo (a chess book)> Makruk and Ouk Chatrang (Thailand and Cambodian Chess)> Planet of Female Humanoids (science fiction/fantasy)
A fifth book is in progress.