When you meet Tom DeCillis, the first thing you notice are his bright, twinkling eyes offering an insight into a highly intelligent and driven individual.

Throughout his globe-trotting career, he kept those bright eyes focused on his target – retirement! And, at the age of 55, Tom reached his goal and set about living a life he had foregone for decades.

Once he had transformed his magnificent Victorian home in the centre of Paducah, Kentucky into his own style, he looked for a new project, especially one where he could build stuff!

Hey presto, along comes “the property” as Tom calls it, a sixty-acre lot, 30 minutes from his home. This is where he and brother Jim spend most days working on projects to enhance the lot and fulfill their collective passion of building and fixing things.

I could have stayed at “the property” for ever! It was simply stunning. Acres and acres of woods surround a lake and it was so peaceful that you could hear worms wriggling in the earth!

They have planted herb and a fruit gardens, built retaining walls to prevent erosion, installed drive ways, fixed draining, rebuilt the deck surrounding the A-frame building, and on and on it goes. You name it, they have done it or will do soon!

What a joint! What talented, fun and interesting brothers and what a wonderful day Mike, Chris and I shared with them.

The herb garden and lake.

Top right, the A-frame home alongside which the boys have built an entertainment area with a sauna inside and hot-tub outside! Top left, stairs to a zip-line that you can take over the lake! Middle left, talented Tom DeCillis and bottom, all projects need the right tools (or toys)!