Their son Lucas pops in and out of the office carrying this or that cat as Mike and Cindy Syphax talk about their move to Russell County and MKS, their surveying business.

Byron Irvin, a local man who works with Mike, thrown ins local background comments and translates some of what is said out of surveyor-ese and into common English.

The family moved from the Cincinnati area in 2008, about Easter, and have now located their home and their office on Lakeway Drive right across from the fairgrounds.

The couple say they've had good luck with their relocation to this area and have made many new friends.

Cindy said they found this area through a friend's church in Somerset where they met some Russell County natives.

"Byron recognizes names on the deeds and descriptions and that is important," Mike said explaining that his cohort is more than just a helper.

The information from some of the old surveys compared to what he actually finds on the ground can vary wildly so having someone around who knows what the old surveyor could have been referring to can save hours of research, Mike explained.

He added that the computer systems he installed are allowing him to essentially map the county, one job at a time. That resource is speeding his work, but Syphax said he is surprised that such a resource is not already available.

That is one of the things that has lead him to consider filing for the position of County Surveyor.

His wife Cindy encouraged the move, pointing out that his mapping work is something that would fall under the auspices of that office, not a private surveyor.

"But it is pretty cool to be out there searching through the woods and looking at a line that was laid out over 100 years ago," Mike says in his defense.

He said that some times he has had to wander far beyond the property he's surveying to find such lines and they have occasionally lead to big changes in the lines he has to draw.

Cindy said she appreciates his diligence and dedication to the quality of his work, but it has a down side.

"I learned a long time ago there is no such thing as a romantic walk in the woods with Mike," she said laughing.

The two spend a good deal of time together now that she is working in the office, and the family as a whole spend a good bit of time at Russell Springs United Methodist Church, where they've made many of their friends locally.

Byron, who said he came to work at MKS after working with other surveyors in the area said he has been learning a lot from Syphax, especially the importance of of diligence when it comes to a report you are going to put your name on.