Squadron of Biplane Spectators Volunteer Bio: Spirit_of_Fundy
We’re reviving an old and near-and-dear-to-our-hearts tradition of soliciting bios from TNMCorps volunteers who have reached significant editing milestones and earned either the Theodolite Assemblage or Squadron of Biplane Spectators recognition badges! TNMCorps wouldn’t be what it is without the hard work of our dedicated volunteers, so we hope you enjoy hearing from your fellow contributors!
Congratulations to TNMCorps volunteer Spirit_of_Fundy, who recently became one of the newest members of the Squadron of Biplane Spectators with over 6000 points submitted! Thanks for all your hard work and contributions to TNMCorps!
A photo from the 1960s says it all: a child in a walker, looking out through the screen door of an urban rowhouse into the wide world that awaits her, a world full of adventures, pitfalls, triumphs, and setbacks, all wrapped in a swirl of colors and flavors. The vintage snap is of none other than yours truly, TNMCorps volunteer Spirit_of_Fundy, who had not yet heard of the Bay of Fundy, of topographic maps, or of USGS, let alone the coming, futuristic world of computers, the internet, or satellite imagery.
The family joke -- though not a joke -- is that what the child really sought, gazing outward, was the patch of zinnias blooming near the front stoop. They were irresistible to her. She was known to “pick” them by the fistful. Hence, her parents’ vigilance when she was out in her stroller and found herself within an arm’s length of her dazzling subjects.
Subsequent interests, in childhood and adolescence, were rocks and fossils, archaeology, biography, nature, weather, astronomy, subways, pigeons, antique maps, philosophy, theology, the essays of Montaigne and Emerson, world cultures, and more. After high school and junior college, she tried to fit herself into the so-called pink-collar workforce.
As a female born in a certain era, she found that not all career avenues were fully open to her, but societal shifts were already under way. Her first office job was for an international architectural firm that had electric typewriters on the secretaries’ desks, and had a telex room, with a designated operator, for overseas communications. A DOS-based desktop computer soon replaced the typewriter she used. The workplace subject-matter was fascinating, the office was staffed with male and female architects, and in that egalitarian setting, she grew; but at the same time, neither that position, nor her next cubicle job, was expressive of her true self.
A career shift helped significantly. She transitioned into the world of words: book publishing (OCR scanning, format tagging, proofreading) and freelance writing / editing (magazine articles, book reviews, newsletters, blogs) – and enjoyed a smattering of travel when work and other circumstances allowed. While living in Missouri, she had the good fortune of meeting her current husband, someone who speaks the same “language.” His job relocation brought them to the East Coast of her childhood. What also proved beneficial was returning to school, as a non-traditional student in her 40s, not only to complete a bachelor’s degree, but also a master’s.
Spirit_of_Fundy has sought new territory in retirement: filling sketchbooks with self-taught artwork and calligraphy, and striving to learn, by trial and error, the fine art of charcoal grilling as well as low-and-slow barbequing. Searches on the internet for volunteering opportunities of a kindred nature brought the TNMCorps project to her awareness.
In retirement, Spirit_of_Fundy has found volunteering for TNMCorps to be the perfect fit, especially with her sometimes-unpredictable schedule due to family obligations. Irresistible are the proofreading, the factchecking, the architecture, the geography, and the Historical Topo. The fact that our collective efforts are helping USGS is the geeky cherry on top!
Biography is another perk: She enjoys reading the bios of other TNMCorps volunteers and USGS staff members, and is heartened to see other women profiled, though appreciates the talents of all those involved. Having encountered so many usernames while moving hither and thither in the TNMCorps database, since starting in December 2022, Spirit_of_Fundy feels acquainted with a number of the volunteers and staff, simply from rubbing virtual elbows.
But not virtual are the flowers – always the flowers -- or the country unfurled beyond. An abundance of zinnias fills the front garden of her suburban home, feet away from where this profile is being composed. That child, now grown, still gazes at the ever-changing scene stretching out before her, sometimes through the screen door, but more often through her computer screen, via a TNMCorps login. The adventure begins anew.