About Us

Merlin DeShaw was born and raised in Eastern Montana. The oldest of nine children, Merlin grew up hunting Montana Agates along the shores of the Yellowstone River. When he was ten years old his grandfather taught him how to cut cabochons, and a life long passion was born. 

Jewelers from all over the world discovered his cabochons at the Tucson Gem Shows for 30 years. There is an exhibit in our museum, of some of the work people have created with Merlin’s stones. He also developed a line of beautiful Montana Agate and sterling silver jewelry. Merlin has a gift for finding the beauty in each stone he cuts. He is known for the high-quality polish he gets on stones and for his amazing matched pairs.

Barbara Woodbury grew up in Illinois, but found her true home in 1981, when she moved to Montana with her 5 year old son. Barbara has worked at many jobs in her journey through life. She studied geology at Flathead Valley Community College in the early 80’s, and her lifelong love of rocks and dirt was born. In 2014, Barbara started questioning what she was doing with her time left on Earth. At the time she was working for the County. She sucked at being a bureaucrat, and she knew she had to leave. In 2016, she retired early from the County and opened the Windy Way Rock Shop. Barbara started studying about the Himalayan singing bowls after meeting Suren Shrestha, founder of Atma Buti School of Sound and Vibrational Healing, in 2018. She opened Spirit House in October 2021, sharing the peace and healing vibrations of the bowls with as many people as possible. 

Sarah Taylor grew up in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.  In 1997, she met a handsome guy from Montana (Barbara’s son)who had moved to New Hampshire. They fell in love, and started to build a life together in New Hampshire. She became the mom of three beautiful children.(Some of the best grankids in the world!) A licensed cosmetologist, Sarah has studied essential oils, Reiki, and the healing power of crystals on her own path of healing and spiritual practice. In 2017, the Taylor family moved to Montana, hoping to find a more peaceful way of life.

Samantha (Sam): “Roughly 9 years ago, with little to no knowledge of Montana, I moved to this breathtaking treasure state on a whim. Within the first month of living here, some of the locals were kind enough to teach me the ways of rock hounding and I was immediately hooked. The love of collecting agates and petrified wood from the Yellowstone River slowly began to consume all my free time. From that point on, both my collection and knowledge have continued to expand rapidly. My newfound interest led me to the doors of the Windy Way Rock Shop where not only my love of rocks and fossils was swiftly intensified, but my overall quality of life was forever enhanced. The owners, Barbara and her husband Merlin, have undoubtedly presented me the opportunity of a lifetime by allowing me to work beside them. Their willingness to teach their endless knowledge of everything from rocks and lapidary to vibrational healing, love, and overall acceptance, has been beyond transforming and inspiring. I wholeheartedly believe every rock and crystal contains their own vibrational energy and power that have a way of helping attract what is best for you. For me personally, this magnificent state of Montana, the Windy Way Rock Shop, and most importantly, Barbara and Merlin, are consistently my reassurance of just how powerful they truly can be.”