Jay Gourley, Froggy Builder

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I started working with wood at a very young age. My dad was a small-town carpenter, and I went to work with him whenever I could. My dad died of leukemia when I was in college, but still today, when I cut into a piece of pine, the smell brings back memories of him that flood my mind. My uncle worked with him; my brother also loves woodworking, as does my cousin, so I believe it is in the Gourley DNA. 

 

Upon graduation from college, I joined the Air Force. I loved being an Airman! It fit me like a glove — structure, organization, discipline, and pride in my uniform. I loved serving my country. I wasn’t able to do a lot of woodworking – a few little projects here and there, but all the moving made it difficult to have a real shop of any kind. I retired after 20 years and took a job as a civil servant working at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM. In my free time, I built myself a workshop in my two-car garage (my truck wouldn’t fit – really!), and I spent every weekend in that shop building. After about three years of dusting off my craft and learning new skills, Jules built me my first website, I started an LLC, and I began to build projects for dollar bills. People paid me to do what I loved doing – who knew? I later moved my shop to its own building on our property in Jemez Spings where we were part-timers. In May 2025, I retired from civil service and now live full-time in my dream home with my dream shop.