Our Wedding Photo (11-9-99)

David & Tia Rich (2000)

David Rich is the hands-on owner of Copper-By-Design. A talented designer/fabricator of custom copper sheet-metal rain management products for clients across the Nation through:
http://copper-by-design.com

For local clients he is still a residential rain-gutter replacement contractor for the Portland, Oregon Metro area specializes in low-maintenance gutters with a 15 year no-clog warranty through:
http://dmr-gutters.com

Tia worked with him full time for a couple years, but now only assist him at times. She has built up a thriving business as a Reiki Healer/Tantrica, and David assist her at times. She just got her degree this last Summer (2005) in Hypnotherapy. She is working to build a clientele in hypno-birthing/Doula and other therapies through her other business web site http://inner-serenity.org . She is working towards her Midwifery degree as well.

Selfportrait 2006

Her birth name is Tina Ellis, or as she is affectionately known as:  Lady Tia.  Tia was born Aries/Taurus on the cusp in Santa Clara California on 4-20-66.  She was raised as an only child, but she has several older siblings on her Father's side.  Tia was raised in Vista, California.

She was raised in a much more open minded home, where she was able to explore any avenue of education and spirituality she chose.  She was introduced to the Pagan beliefs by the Mother of a close friend.  This felt right to her, but she continues to leave her options open and enjoys the study different theologies.  Tia had studied many a faith, but has been drawn more towards a classic Celtic Spirituality, which centers around an Earth based respect of our great Mother Gaia, which predates Adam and Eve.

She has been a sensitive as long as she can remember; seeing and communicating with spirits. She is a Reiki Healer/Tantrica. She got her degree in Hypnotherapy (05). She is working to build a clientele in hypno-birthing/Doula and other therapies through her other business web site:

http://inner-serenity.org

She is working towards her Midwifery degree as well.

Early in Tia's first marriage she followed her Parents up here to Corvallis Oregon in early 1989, where she lived until December of 1998.  She had landed a position at the Children's Farm Home working with trouble young men for 5 years, and later decided to get her degree as an RN before we met, following in the foot steps of her Mother. She worked professionally as a Nurse for a few years, and decided to set that aside to work with me for a few years before starting her own business to follow her passions.

David & Tia both had always loved the concept of finding one's Soulmate, but did not hold out much hope that they would be fortunate to have and find that special someone.  On 10-1-98 Tia, contacted David via the Internet, from his sarcastic ad placed on a dating web site called: match.com, where they had both decided to take advantage of a 7-day free trial period.  They had a story book romance.  They are here to report to you that dreams can come true.  They truly believe that they have found our Soulmates in each other.  They said their vows and exchanged gold rings just 2 weeks after that first e-mail.  Here are a few inspiring words written by Lady Tia  in November of 98, about Soulmates, and our joyous rediscovery of each other.  They find that they have a great deal in common and qualities they respect in each other.  They find each other to be very intelligent, wise, smart, fun, and funny.  It may not be a completely smooth road, but their life is a joyful bliss to finally have a best friend and partner to share their life with in this wonderfully healthy relationship.  She inspires him to learn to live life and love, and do what he always hoped to do with his life.  We can only hope you are at least half as happy and fulfilled.

They have acquired several domain names for web site content, that they add to occasionally:

dmr-gutters.com
copper-by-design.com
inner-serenity.org
mind-temple.com

Running our own businesses is a lot like riding a wild horse, without being able to get off and take a rest.  We not only have to hang on as best we can, but keep on pushing forward.  There's no going back to punching a time clock for us.  It often requires long days, but we love having the control of what kind of high quality standards are used.

David worked as an employee for a general contractor that has long since been out of business.  He got his feet wet performing nearly all aspects of construction and compiled his stock of tools and machinery.  He hated working under their set of low standards and how they would deceive their clients.

David spent a year or so as a handy man, or a "jack of all trades", but the CCB highly encourage contractors to specialize; in order to improve the quality of their work and be able to bid more efficiently. This increases the likelihood of a small business surviving the ails of under bidding, or over bidding and not making sales.  He decided to specialize in sheet metal rain-gutter fabrication, and has striven to become one of the finest gutter installers in the country. This work specializing in sheet metal work gradually evolved into the custom copper work he does for clients all across the country and more.

• DMR Gutters & Copper-By-Design is held in the highest regard by those who know of my work.  I have also been told that I have the most comprehensive web site for rain management in the world.  My suppliers report that I am the only local contractors who consistently buys the better materials.

• I made demands on my suppliers to sell better supplies for my clients than they had  in stock.

• My suppliers have referred me out to do some of the finest or most complex custom sheet metal work, like on the Canyon Rd. Street of Dreams project, working on the largest house that year.

• I have maintained work standards that are above building code, and well above that which is standard.

• I have been known to be quite rigid with regard to our high standards, or I will refuse work.

• I have had the honor of being received as a finalist for the Better Business Bureau's Business Integrity Award for the year 1997 and also for 1998, and have this lovely glass trophy to show for it (shown below).

• I am very fortunate to have been able to maintain a living while adhering to these high business ethics.  If I am unable to keep these high standards of ethics, then it will be time to find a different profession.

.

 (predates Nazi or even Christian cross symbolism,
and has been used to represent Firefighting as well)
.

.

Here is my first tattoo - Celtic Cross design (11/04)
The wings represent: The 4 Elements
Large ring: Sun
Small ring: Moon
Center: 5th Element-Spirit

And here is David's tribal chest tattoo before the red drop shadow was added (1/07)

.

.

.

These 12" wide drums were painted by a friend named John Rigby
Ph# 503 544 1865

.

.

Here is this Celtic cross symbol even more elaborately painted on
the head of my large 26" wide bodhrain drum

.

We may not be able to change the world, but as an absolute rule; we must do no less than what we would hope to get from others, regardless of what we do in fact receive!  Without these ethics, we have no right to even hope to receive any better from others, let alone expect it. If we do not want to live in a world of deceit and corruption, we need to make sure we are not adding to that muck!

You can read some more thoughts on our personal philosophies on our philosophy web pages.

David had maintained a silly fan Web Site about an old PC computer game called for several years.  It is a computer game from Microsoft, which he played as a stress reliever (or generator). The Web Site is a bit wacky and irreverent, but if you have a sense of humor, you should have a lot of fun! There are a lot of inside jokes that may be missed if you don't know the game.  It had been very popular.

If you like Sci-Fi/ Fantasy Art, you can also check out our Art Collection Page. Have fun!