b"PAID ADVERTISEMENTNevada County's onlyNEVADA COUNTYS OWN SUPER SENIORSvolunteer, non-profitMichael Kimmes, 70A wood-repurposer service organization'sextraordinaire! He loves the beautiful possibilities commitment is to servein the woodgrains gleaned from doomed trees. Wood the in-home caregiverrelegated to firewood is reborn. A true artisan.O ne Source-Empowering Caregivers is the only non-profitichael Kimmes likes volunteer service organization whose entire commitmentM to say he was rescued is to in-home caregivers; those forgotten, invisiblefrom an orphanage and isolated, suffering from lack of self-care and ongoingand a life of near-slave compassion fatigue. labor. Now, he rescues trees Our missionis to ensure that in-home caregivers and theirdestined for firewood.loved ones have access toprograms and services available inThe native of Dublin, Nevada County. These include: in-home respite visits, peerIreland, was nearly four when support groups, self-care tools and resource referrals. Photo by Trina Kleist an American couple adopted Office: 524 Brunswick Road, Grass Valley' him and brought him to California. As a youth, he worked at a Phone: (530) 205-9514 sawmill in Oregon and fell in love with the smell of wood and the timbers exposed interior. Kimmes eventually found his way to a mentor, wood products manufacturer Earl Roberts of Yuba City, Calif., who taught him how to read the bark of a tree to CAREGIVERS divine what beauty lay deep inside.NEED TLC, TOO. In his South County home, Kimmes picks up a guitar, its body glowing with gold, amber and sienna curls and waves. Improve quality of life for Certain trees, in certain soils or conditions, produce these both caregivers and loved ones. structures that, when revealed by saw and sander, createFree Quality, Compassionate, stunning natural art coveted for custom guitar backs, high-In-home Respite Care end collectible gun stocks, jewelry boxes and turned bowlsHighly Trained, Non-medical Support by artisans around the world. Kimmes gleans his wood from old farm properties, aged orchards and lands being razed OUR SERVICES INCLUDE: for development, often getting leads from friends. He favorsAssessment/Evaluations walnut for its three-dimensional quality. California walnut,Identify/Address Needs Companionship Care Plans in particular, can produce a clear, bright, highly figured grain,Recommendations/Referrals BE A PART530 - 205-9514OF OURunlike the flat-brown and dark-toned varieties from other TEAM empoweringcaregivers.org parts of the world.In the late 17th century, Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari popularized such dramatic wood by using it for his violins, 24-Hour cellos and other instruments; people still use the term Emergency Service fiddleback to describe it, Kimmes said. The guitar in his 7 Days/Week hands was built by the late and renowned Lance McCollum, of PLUMBERS Colfax, using highly figured walnut Kimmes harvested, then sliced into chunks and sheets in his workshop down the hill. (Fender Guitars and Fodera also are customers.) He strums theSinksFaucetsDisposalsToiletsBathtubs instrument to reveal the woods acoustic properties: rich toneAll Sewer LinesTrenchless Sewer Line Replacement with a long, long sustain. Pipelines Replaced Without DiggingCopper Re-piping Thats the signature, not only of a hand-crafted instrument,Video InspectionElectronic Pipe Location but the quality of the wood itself, Kimmes says. His voicePreventive Maintenance Programs carries a hint of reverence.530-273-3714 & 530-885-1771The only one to call for plumbing, sewer anddrain cleaning See more treasures created with Kimmes woodmilled at California Walnut Designs, WoodNut.com2022-2023 Western Nevada County Edition SENIOR DIRECTORY 21"