Childhood Influences

The other day, I was asked by a friend of mine if I could contribute something to The Benchmark or The TBM, which are both publications of the New Hampshire Land Surveyor’s Association. On the drive home from work, I muddled around in my head some different ideas and topics, but nothing really struck me. There are a lot of guys out there who write really great articles, involving important professional topics, or interesting surveying life experiences. What could I contribute?

I began to think about surveying in general, and what I love about it. A lot of what I do in the Surveying profession incorporates so much of what I have always loved to do. I spend a lot of time working and getting paid to play at my interests and hobbies. Then it dawned on me that most of what I do… what I really like about surveying, came from childhood experiences.

So first of all, there is being out in the forest. Most of the early childhood memories, that I have any clarity about, involve hiking out in the woods with my Dad. Maybe it's just because that is all I remember, or maybe it’s because of the big impact being outside had on my life.

And it wasn’t all hiking, but more like time spent outdoors. I can recall so many hikes and outdoor adventures with Dad and the family. A lot of the memories are winter-ish, where we had camp fires, hot dogs or venison, cocoa or coffee, and usually my brother and grandfather were involved. The smell of tobacco was delicious on the cold winter air. On many of the hikes we had interesting stories about the history of the places we visited.

Huntley Mountain, in Marlow, where my family settled in the 1700’s was a popular hike. There were old family residences, wood frame houses, long abandoned, that were in various states of decay. In a few spots, only cellar holes remained. We would hike to these places, explore the ruins and listen to the stories of who lived there. A few hikes were plant gathering missions to dig up heirlooms; lilacs, lilies, iris and rhododendrons to landscape our home with “Huntley” plants.

Other places that stick out in my memory are the channel up in Marlow, where a bridge had once stood, now long gone. The Old Airport, in west Keene, with a hanger and pieces of old planes still scattered in the winterberry and dogwoods at the edge of cornfield. You could always find treasures to bring home. The old Forestry where Dad played and made forts as a kid, and where he worked when he was older. The Forestry is now completely overgrown and “lost”. The cellar holes on Highland Hill, where we mined a few chimney bricks from the ruins to make a small brick walk at home.

When I was 10, we moved to Westmoreland, where we had endless woods, fields, marshes, ravines and swamps to explore, right from the back door. We were always outside. We explored countless places in the woods and checked out so many cellar holes and ruins, and wondered, who lived there and what happened to them.

It was about this time that I started reading two of the authors who ended up being a big influence in my life.

The first was Eric Sloane. Aunt Chike and Uncle Bill bought me a set of books by Eric Sloane one year for Christmas. He wrote wonderful historic narratives and filled the pages with fantastic pen and ink drawings of early American colonial life. I learned how the stone walls came to be, what farms may have looked like, and why cellar holes and roads were arranged the way they were around our rural town from these books.

I learned about all the of the tree species in our area, and what their wood was used for historically. The trinkets and treasures that we found in the old cellar holes and stone walls took on new meaning, as I understood their historical context and importance.

Gardening, farming, herbs, building and creating things out of wood, 1830’s life and places like Old Sturbridge Village became a passion, as did something else… drawing, especially with pen and ink. Drawing pictures and plans for farms and gardens in India ink. Ink that was permanent. Plans that I still have today, 30 years later.

 

 

The other author that I discovered was J.R.R. Tolkien. If you don’t know who HE is, well…Where have you been? He is of course the author of The Hobbit, The Lord of The Rings, The Silmarillion, among other books. He is, in my mind, the founding father of the fantasy novel. His novels are full of dragons, goblins, elves and men, great cities and faraway lands and all kinds of maps and descriptions of these places.

My brother & I spent hours upon hours, days on end, making paths and roads through the woods, with outposts and kingdoms. We built walls and forts. We figured out the boundaries of our lands, and the land of the neighboring kids, and had mock wars. Our arrows were apples from the old trees along the borders and our shields were 50 gallon trash can lids.

There were hot disputes over where the borders between our lands actually were, and we spent hours drawing maps in pen and ink, on paper browned with coffee to look like parchment, so it could be ancient, and thus have the weight of truth. We surveyed all our lands, and mapped all the roads, the forts, the wet areas, the gravel pits, the resource areas and danger spots. We hid treasures throughout our kingdoms, treasures which could only be found again with these maps. Our kingdoms were documented for posterity, and again… many of those maps still survive today. My kids like to pull them out of my foot locker and look at the “ancient documents” some of which are written in Runes or Elvish script and that need translating. A few of the treasures they mark are still there, waiting.

So here I am, 36 years later, a Land Surveyor and a Wetland Scientist. I get hired to do a survey, and start off on another adventure or quest. It’s rarely the same job twice and there is usually something new and interesting to find out or see. I travel to other towns and walk properties I’ve always wanted to explore. I go to the town halls and registries and spend hours pondering over historical documents and maps, trying to find written evidence about the location of lost boundary corners, old stone walls or trees long since rotted… the hidden treasure.

More can be discovered at historical societies, libraries and the State Archives. I get to visit all these places and dig into ancient tomes and browse antique maps, searching for clues to the location of the hidden treasures.

Some days I spend hours walking through forests and swamps, trying to find the treasure that the deeds and plans reference; that hidden stone post or iron marker buried beneath the forest duff marking an ancient property corner. The treasure could be a set of triple blazes on an old beech tree or a stone wall that once marked a border of a pasture and a mowing. Or perhaps a stake and stones on some barren cliff surrounded by hemlocks, inaccessible and maybe not seen in scores of years. It could be the bar way in a stone wall that some ancient deed refers to as the beginning point of the “new” division line. Any these might be the treasure that I seek, the treasure that will solve the mystery of where the property boundaries that I'm looking for lie.

Once I’ve found the evidence and markers, I buckle on my machete (sword), put on my surveying vest (armor) and gather my surveying tools and jump in my truck (valiant steed). I may spend days measuring (adventuring), noting all the evidence of human occupation; physical boundaries, lines called for and occupied, and the roads and travelled ways by which these places have access.

When I come back to the office, I draw maps and plans of all these places. My plans show where the walls lie, where wetlands are located, where houses are built. They delineate the roads and paths and tree lines and springs.

I print my maps on Mylar, with permanent ink, and record them at the County Registry of Deeds, so that someday, a hundred years from now, someone can look at my ancient documents and know what was on the ground and where the boundaries were at that time. I am happy to say that I discovered an occupation that involves most of the things I have always loved to do and includes many of my hobbies.

I've talked to a lot of guys that when asked how they got into the profession, tell you they went to surveying school, or got experience in the military or picked up a job with a surveyor when they were young. Me? I blame Tolkien, Eric Sloan and my Dad. Best job ever, thanks guys!

The Zen of Karaoke

Well, Folks, September is here and my fall quarterly meeting for the New Hampshire Lands Surveyors Association will soon be upon us. At each quarterly meeting, I have to give a report, as Director of Education, about the success or lack thereof of seminars we have put on, and to give some insight into upcoming seminars.

Some quarterlies are sparsely attended, 25-30 people, maybe. The Fall quarterly and the Annual  in December usually have over 100 members. Now if you follow me here, or on Facebook, you probably realize that giving reports, presentations and public speaking are one of my un-favorite things. I usually feel the specters of fear and anxiety start to hover over my bed in the early morning hours, weeks before the day I have to do my thing..

So I was thinking about the upcoming quarterly this morning, and what I would have to report on, as I slowly drove along Poocham Road, and it occurred to me… I don’t have a even a tad of fear or anxiety. I’m looking forward to the meeting, and I have stuff to say. What gives?

I have to chalk up it up a lot to experience I guess. I’ve been doing these presentations in front of the membership for over 4 years now, and I have even presented a few seminars myself. It gets easier every time. Still, even as late as last spring, I was tortured by the thought of having to stand up in front of people and talk. And really, it doesn’t just pertain to my professional association duties, but public speaking in general; I go to planning boards, zoning boards and school functions. Yet, today, I feel fine.

    I was mulling this over, and for some reason, karaoke popped into my head. So I have to tell you, recently I went to an event hosted by my wife’s Roller Derby Team, The Elm City Derby Damez…. A karaoke fundraiser. … And I got up and did a number!

Of course, I’m not that over the fear and anxiety of being in front of a crowd, but I have a lot of new friends lately who seemed adamant that I participate. Daisy heckled and manhandled me to give it a go; John decided we should do a duet, it was our duty as the Derby men; and Spark came up and sang with us. She knew neither John nor I were too thrilled to get up on stage, so she brought the courage. And really, what could be better than having a pretty, confident girl who likes to sing on stage with you to focus eyes away from the nerdy white guy. (That’d be me) So we did it, and I had fun.

So I was thinking about this and how Karaoke, before recently, would seem a fate worse than death; but I did it with only minor prompting (and maybe a couple glasses of bravery) The thought occurred to me that karaoke was both a strengthening experience and an insight to where I’m at in life.

If I could stand up in front of a 100+ crowd, mostly drunken strangers who had no reservations about heckling me, while attempting to sing a song whose lyrics I only half knew and make an ass of myself, then standing up in front of a small group of sober, polite, respectful fellow surveyors and delivering a small report on a topic that I have expertise in, is a walk in the park. The same holds true with planning board or client meetings.

Now, its not that I think it was all because of karaoke or that I’m going to seek out karaoke every weekend as a means to build character and find my true path… I’m just saying…

Another corner turned

Many months later, as he stood before the expectant faces of his esteemed colleagues, Russ Huntley remembered that distant afternoon when his friend Dave convinced him that being a presenter at the seminar would be nice.

Yes…a famous quote, borrowed and modified from one of my favorite authors. And maybe it should have remained firing squad, for leading up to the presentation, that’s how I felt….a condemned man standing before the firing squad.

It all started about six months ago. I am the Director of Education for the New Hampshire Land Surveyors Association, NHLSA, and one of my charges is to coordinate and set up educational seminars. We usually try to have them coincide with a quarterly meeting of the Association, so that the members can take advantage of a travel day and obtain both some continuing education credits and hopefully, learn something new.

I had an idea, a theme to build on, from the previous Spring seminar, and so I set about to pull together the players and then step away and let it happen. Wrong. I had contacted a couple of fantastic presenters and things seemed to be going on track until the details started to emerge. One of my presenters, a prominent local author, had a program that probably wouldn’t fit with the time of year we were presenting, due to cold weather and snow. I spoke to my friend Dave, the other presenter and a very well respected and prominent surveyor. He suggested a couple of other guys to ask and some ideas of how we could set up the program, with little cost to the Association, as well. In this conversation, he quietly slipped in “..and you could do an hour or two on wetlands.”  Sure, I blurted without thinking of what that meant.

The months pressed on, and pretty soon, it was two weeks before the presentation. As the team began to touch base and coordinate, I began to sweat. I love people, I really do, I like seeing people, watching people, getting to know people, just not necessarily talking, being the focus of attention… especially presenting to a group who are there for the express purpose of listening to me. I decided that it wasn’t a big deal, I present to groups all the time for my job, and I started to pull together something. I made an outline of what I wanted to talk about, and started on a PowerPoint presentation, as that seems to be the modus operandi of the presenters at our meetings. So far so good…or so I thought. Everyone else around me…those who know me anyway…could see the change in personality…the fear building inside me. While I was actually engaged in preparing the presentation, I was fine… even excited and enthusiastic about my topic. The rest of the time, I began to feel like a condemned man.

The worries and fears began to mount. Of course, I had selected the after lunch time slot…the power point kiss-of-death. The other presenters were talking about things related to boundary surveying, research and physical evidence, while I was talking about wetlands, something none of them are licensed to practice (unless they are also Wetland Scientists). I’m dead! What if I can’t talk…or what if, God forbid, all my work comes out in about a 20 minute talk and I’m left standing listening to crickets for the next 30-45 minutes. What if the computer doesn’t work and I’m left with paper in my hand and nothing to focus on except the crowd….the firing squad.

Of course I had the support and help of friends and family. My wife, Tracy, more than anyone, understood my suffering and tried to allay my fears and calm my nerves. A few friends at work, and scattered around the world offered encouraging words and support. I focused on their words and good vibes.

The day came…the presentation loomed. I sat through Brian’s presentation, then Dennis’s, then it was lunch. I wasn’t hungry, but I managed to stuff down a few pieces of chicken to stop the shakes and the rumbling in my stomach. I left the lunch early and went back to our room to set up. I plugged in my memory chip into Brian’s laptop, only to find that it had an older version of PowerPoint and wouldn’t play mine….aaaagh. My head started to dance and the heat seemed to rise to 110 deg in the room. I took a deep breath and went and grabbed my laptop, and after fumbling with the wires and software, got everything to work….whew!!!

Brian, Dave and Ed came up, and each offered their own words of encouragement. They sat scattered around the room. Deep Breath…I didn’t even hear Ed introduce me. I then welcomed everyone back and a few friends in the front row joked around with me…we laughed about the fact that it was after lunch and it didn’t matter if my presentation was interesting…they would be sleeping anyway.

Then, something happened. A couple things anyway. A gentleman in the audience, Randy O. asked me some questions and provided some comments. a few others began asking questions and I started answering. I knew my subject. I kept presenting and pushing onward, and I noticed people writing things down. Wow!…I said something that someone wants to remember?!?  There were a few nodders in the group (it was after a lunch of heavy carbs and cheese…I would have been dead), but even they woke occasionally to participate. All of a sudden, Brian was smiling at me and pointing to his watch…and I was on the last couple of slides. A half dozen questions answered later and I was done…with my talk running 10 minutes over and a group of interested people to boot.

I went up stairs for a drink of water and to sit down, let my adrenaline burn off. A number of people went by and told me they enjoyed the presentation, and a few approached me with more questions. I was shaking, a bit numb, and yet feeling a little euphoric at the same time. I called Tracy immediately to tell her I was done and alive.  The rest of the day…and in fact the rest of the weekend went by, so slow and tranquilly. I felt a huge weight lifted and yet something else too. I conquered another fear…  I did something new and exciting, something that I’ve always admired others for doing and being able to do… I was one of the presenters… a teacher… a somebody… I turned another corner.

Many days later, as he sat in his office, contemplating another blog, Russ Huntley remembered those blurry minutes after his wetlands presentation when he promised his friend Dave that giving another presentation would be nice.

Brian Burford, Dennis McKenney, Dave Mann, and Me…all smiles…all done!

Monadnock Waldorf Olympiad & NHLSA Surveyor in Court Conference ~ What a Weekend!!!

Friday - Monadnock Waldorf Olympics

This weekend was fantastic! I took Friday off to go watch Jeremiah participate in the Northeast Waldorf Schools Olympiad. The Kids at Monadnock Waldorf competed against Kids from New England and Quebec. I am very proud to say that Jeremiah won both the Javelin and the Discus in Form. He was 2nd for Discus in distance and 3rd in Javelin for distance. He also made it to the finals for the long jump and did really well in the 50 yard dash. I couldn't stop grinning.

It was so great to see him get called up to receive his laurel wreaths. He didn't win distance, so didn't expect anything...a complete shock to be singled out over 120 kids or so as the winner. He was one big happy boy....flying high on cloud nine (or maybe Olympus). The look on his face when they called his name....PRICELESS!!

 

Saturday - The Surveyor in Court Conference

The Surveyor in Court conference was a big success! We had 70 attendees, from all over New England, not just New Hampshire. Friday we had our two speakers, and although I wasn't there, I heard from attendees that it was very interesting and well worth the money and time lost at work. I was there for the mock trial on Saturday and MC'd the event. We had a few glitches in scheduling during the day and had to ad-lib a bit....& I had a bit more personal participation than I was expecting, but all in all it went great!! So many positive comments after it was done. 

I know I said it at the conference, but I want to thank again all the participants. Virtually everyone donated their time for free, and in an industry where labor rates for Licensed Surveyors and Attorneys runs between $100-$250 hour, that's a lot of money donated (or billable time lost) I can't thank them all enough.

I think a big thanks also goes out to the attendees. Sometimes a seminar is hit or miss. If the attendees are interested and feel the class is relevant, it can go well; if they are bored or just there for Continuing Education credits for license renewal...it can be a long day. The people that came were fantastic! Very interested, great questions, intelligent conversations....they made the day the success that it felt it was.

Of course one of the biggest thanks goes to Barbara, who REALLY did all the work getting this going and making sure it went well. I would have been at a complete loss without her.

Sunday

Gardening and relaxation...improving on my personal Eden.  aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!

& JT won Survivor!  ha ha :)

New Hampshire Land Surveyors Association - Surveyor in Court Conference, May 15 & 16

News from the Director -

On Friday and Saturday of this week is the NHLSA Surveyor in Court Conference that I have been working on. We had a meeting Friday and got our attorneys and surveyors together, the speakers are great, the court room is locked and the food is ordered. The economy being what it is, we were worried there would be low turnout but as of today, we have 65 sign-ups. That's pretty good. Not the 135 we had hoped for, but still. a highly respectable number.

This is the first Conference that I have had much to do with. I'm the Director of Education on the Board of Directors for NHLSA. For the most part, guys on my committee set up and organize seminars and conferences. I'm the committee chair for the education committee. This Seminar/Conference was started by Ritchie and Dave. To everyone's great sadness, Ritchie fell quite ill and passed recently. Some of the other board members and myself stepped in to help out, and in the process, I've learned how much work setting these things up is.  And honestly, I didn't even do much of the work....I'm more like a coordinator or facilitator or something.

In any case; I'm glad to say, it's all going forward and I'm looking forward to the conference. There is still time to sign up, but the days are short now.  Here is the conference info.

------------------------------------------

THE SURVEYOR IN COURT
Preparation, Depositions & Testimony
With a Mock Trial & Important Info for Today’s Surveyor

Led by Two Legal Experts in Surveying
Jerry Broadus, P.S., Esq., and
Scott LaPointe, J.D.

Cosponsored by
University of New Hampshire
Professional Development & Training
and the
New Hampshire Land Surveyor's Association

Approved by NH Joint Board of Licensure for 4.0 CEUs for Surveyors
Also Approved for Surveyor and Engineering Continuing Education by the New York State Board for Engineering and Land Surveying

Friday & Saturday, May 15-16, 2009
Hillsborough County Superior Court South
30 Spring Street
Nashua, New Hampshire

$350
(if registration is received by April 30;
$400 after April 30)

CRN 25754

You never know when you’ll be faced with a legal issue that will require you to respond to a deposition or provide critical legal testimony in a court of law. Whether it involves land or water boundaries, rights of way, etc., or a situation that calls into question your own professional practice, you must be ready and able to present yourself and your information in the most effective manner—with clarity and persuasiveness, and in a comprehensive but concise way.

What You’ll Gain
Jerry Broadus, P.S., Esq., and Scott LaPointe, J.D., two legal experts in surveying will give you valuable insight, practical tips, and key strategies for handling depositions, testifying in court, and presenting materials in legal matters.

Take Part in a Mock Trial where YOU are the Jury
On day two of the conference, the experts will lead a Mock Trial of a surveying case where you will be part of the jury. This will be a fun, but highly educational activity that will demonstrate the potential pitfalls you might face in court and how to handle even the most unexpected circumstances.

About the Experts

Jerry Broadus, PS, Esq., is a licensed surveyor in Washington and Idaho, with a practice since 1989, and an attorney licensed to practice in Washington and before the federal courts. His company, Geometrix Surveying, Inc., provides expert consulting for attorneys working on difficult boundary dispute and liability cases. Geometrix has prepared material for surveyor negligence cases across the country, provided surveys of forest, urban, waterfront, harbor, and airport boundaries in Washington, and has prepared unique materials including a report to Congress for the settlement of a Federal boundary dispute. He provides training on legal issues and pitfalls for surveying, land use, and design professionals throughout the country through Cadastral Consulting, LLC, based in Pennsylvania. He offers continuing legal education on surveying to attorneys, and has taught advanced surveying classes for the Federal Bureau of Land Management. He is author of several boundary law articles for the Washington State Bar Assn., the American Bar Assn., and other publications.

Scott LaPointe, J.D., is a practicing attorney in Epping, New Hampshire, under the firm name of Brown & LaPointe, P.A. He was admitted to practice law in New Hampshire in 1982 and has concentrated in the area of real property, title, and boundary issues. He has litigated boundary and title issues before the New Hampshire Superior Courts and the New Hampshire Supreme Court. He received an honorary membership from the NHLSA in 1996. He has presented seminars for the New Hampshire Land Surveyors Association, and has been an instructor of paralegal studies at New Hampshire Technical College in Stratham. He is a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association Real Property Section and is a title agent for First American Title Insurance Company.

General Information and
How to Register

Location
The conference will be held at the Hillsborough County Court House South, 30 Spring Street, in Nashua, NH. Lunch will be held in a Nashua restaurant.

4 Ways to Register
(refer to CRN 25754)
On the Web : Click here
By Phone: Call (603) 862-2015 or 1-(800) 313-5327 with credit card information.
By Mail or Fax: Click here to download a pdf of the registration form for mailing or
faxing to (603) 862-0655.

Cost and Refund Policy
Conference cost is $350 if registered by April 30 ($400 after April 30). Cost includes lunches, breaks, and materials. Refunds, less a $25 processing fee, will be given if written cancellation is received five business days prior to the conference.

For More Information
About the Conference: Call (603) 862-1739
About Registration: Call (603) 862-2015 or (800) 313-5327
About UNH Professional Development & Training Offerings:
Call (603) 862-4234 or visit www.learn.unh.edu/pcw

Being a Licensed Land Surveyor

Picking a vocation or career is a major step in life. You usually spend a major portion of your waking life devoted to work. For some, work is a means of making money, so that they can enjoy the other few hours of their life, for some it is merely a means of survival.

For a select few, work is not only their livelihood, but it encompasses all that they love and so becomes something bigger. It’s not just where you spend your time making your ducats, so that you can do something else…it is a place you would spend the fleeting moments of your brief time here on earth, even if the ducats came from someplace else.

I bumped into the career of surveying, by chance, in college…just a class I took as part of my geography major. After dubbing around for a few years at various survival-oriented jobs, I got a job surveying with a local company in Keene. That opened my eyes to a new world!

Land surveying encompasses so much of what I love! I enjoy history, historical research, mathematics, puzzles, treasure hunts, detective work, snowshoeing, hiking, forest biology, being outside, computers, working with hand tools, measuring and figuring out stuff, new technology, art and drawing, and having a respectable and respected position in the community. I enjoy helping people and solving problems. I get to do all of this as a surveyor.

What other job can you spend the day hiking around in the woods on snowshoes, searching for elusive treasures, like an iron pipe or stone in the middle of some 200 acre tract (in the middle of no-where); use an axe or machete and plumb-bob to set up a network or trail through the forest, employ the use of robots, lasers, prisms, satellites and powerful hand-held computers to measure and calculate the position of the things you find; and then bring all that data into a computer and try to resolve what you have accurately measured and located, to what has been documented through the last 200 years+ of local history. You employ mathematics and legal principals to determine the positions of property corners, location of improvements, elevations and contours and the existing conditions on a piece of land. Then you get to use the computer to draft a plan showing your work that accurately records the measurements you took in a format that is to scale and yet also reflects some artistic and aesthetically pleasing qualities. In the end, the plan might be recorded at the registry of deeds, so that 100 years from now, someone might use my work and remember what I have done. A mark on posterity and my own piece of immortality.

And when work is slow…you blog about it. Ha ha

NHLSA

Thursday & Friday are the annual meeting and trade show. I went yesterday. I've been feeling tense all week, and I figured out this morning, it was because I had to give a presentation to 200+ people and sit and eat with the same...most of whom I don't know.

Well...I didn't die. The day actually went great! Met and mingled with a bunch of great people and gave my report as the Director of Education. It tokk all of 2 minutes.



There was fantastic chocolate desert!

I had had enough, though, by dinner time. My stomach was upset, didn't have anone to sit with at diner (so, I'd have to mingle and meet yet again) and I was tired of sitting...just wanted to go home...so I bolted.

I had contemplated letting my term lapse or even resigning...sometimes I get stressed out by this stuff. But I enjoy the monthly executive commitee meetings, chatting and discussing common issues with other guys like myself, who are licensed, business owners or managers, who have the same life events etc. There are awards to strive for and personal/proffesional goals to work on. It gives a place to gain that little "atta boy" burst of of endorphins that you don't get when youre already at the top in tyour own sphere of work.

I wonder if NHLSA is what it's like to belong to a college fraternity, only of respectable adults. I look at all these good, important people doing cool stuff for the profession, for NH and survey law, for education, with scholarships and such...and this morning realize that to anyone else at the meetings looking at me...I'm one of those people. Kind of wierd.

Maybe I should strive to be more active in the association.



So I'm feeling pretty energized and relaxed at the same time today.