R. Dennis Baird grew up as a military brat. He lived in Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Germany, Washington DC, Ohio, Utah, Washington state, and Oregon. As a youngster in Europe nothing delighted him more than crawling around the ruins of castles on the Rhine River or exploring Roman ruins in Germany, Italy, or Spain. This love of ancient societies gave rise to his love of language and culture. He has studied Spanish, German, and Russian as well as English literature. He has enjoyed time in Mayan ruins in Yucatan, and has studied ancient civilizations and the lessons they have taught us. He spent many years as a Boy Scout and working with Scouts as a leader. He has many fond memories of canoe trips, campouts, horse treks, hikes, and telling stories around campfires. He met his wife Dani in college, and they are the parents of six children and twenty-seven grandchildren. They make their home in Oregon.