As my college years were ending in '75 the CIA and NSA were wanting me because of my 6 years of German study, and experiences with Russian, French and Swedish. I tuned them both down and applied my geology/geophysics degree to 6 years in oil and gas exploration in remote field locations in Texas, 2 years in Saudi Arabia, 2 winters on North Slope Alaska and then settling into office life in Denver for 5 years working subsurface mapping for drilling prospects in Alaska and offshore California. Oil went "south" real fast in '85 and '86, packed it in, and moved back to New Hampshire for 11 years in direct outside sales of refined oil products and chemicals throughout that state. In '97 the tide was right for job changes for me and the spouse and her transfer opportunity brought us back to her home state, and I was in full agreement. Acquaintance of 20+ years in the appraisal biz suggested I consider taking the needed classes and did so with exam passed in July '98. Took me 2 yrs. and 9 mos. to get hours and experience to attain C.R. license in spring of 2001. I referee men's lacrosse in springtime, and I call 'em like I see 'em. On occasion, I go out to the mountains to prime mineral hunting localities and seek the bounty of color and crystal form which takes one back many hundreds of millions of years. This earth tells so, so, so many stories. One need only stop every once in a while and "read". I have had a bountiful garden for past 22 seasons and patiently work my dirt and tend to the crops from Easter to Halloween, then it's 6 months of waiting it out till the dirt beckons me once again. I could swear it was Thomas Jefferson's voice I heard 22 years ago which said in a repeated whisper....."feed the people". My headstone would best sum me up in three simple words.....Patriot, Scientist, Farmer.
