Return to the 'Burg

Last weekend I returned to my alma mater, Gettysburg College for the first time since I graduated in the spring of 2004.

Gettysburg is a small, isolated Pennsylvania town best known as the site of the most pivotal battle of the Civil War. It also is the site of a small liberal arts college and where I spent four of the most formative years of my life. I loved my time at Gettysburg and had such an amazing experience as part of the Environmental Studies (ES) program at the college. So when Gettysburg asked me to come back and speak to current ES students about my career as a GIS professional and my experience in the 'real world,' I couldn't say no. It was quite something walking around campus again. The sights, sounds and smells brought back so many memories. I couldn't quite decide if it made me feel young again or just old, haha.

Pennsylvania Hall served as a hospital during the Civil War and is said to be haunted by a ghost who stands at the ready upon the cupola on top of the building. Read about it here.

Two of the oldest buildings on campus - Penn Hall (L) and Glatfelter Hall (R)

The new fitness center, built after I graduated (sad face)

The Science Center, where I spent 99.9% of my academic life at Gettysburg

My totally awesome academic adviser, Dr. John "Doc" Commito. Can you believe there was still a picture of me up on the bulletin board outside the Environmental Studies department? It's been there for seven years!!

Of course, I also had to take time to visit the historic and sprawling battlefields again. Gettysburg is really an interesting place to visit. Did you know that today marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War? The gravity of the events that occurred there almost 150 years ago hits you the minute you enter the township. Over 50,000 people died in three days at Gettysburg. That is really unbelievable. The college itself sits on a portion of the battlefield and its oldest building, Pennsylvania Hall, served as a hospital during the war. During my four years at Gettysburg I ran every mile of the battlefields, often alone, often at dawn or dusk. I tell you, there is nothing quiet like that experience. It's an eerie and awesome thing.

If you get the chance, visit Gettysburg. I can promise you that you will not be disappointed. I cannot however promise you that you will not see a ghost.

Saying Goodbye

Last week I had to say goodbye to my wedding dress. I always knew I wanted to resell my dress so that she could make another bride as happy as she made me, but it was bittersweet boxing her up and sending it off. When I bought the dress, she had already been worn in two weddings. Sharing her with another bride means that this will be her fourth trip down the aisle. That's pretty impressive. I'm not sure exactly what her first wedding was like, but the second owner of this dress had a very formal Texan wedding. I of course, worn her in our more casual farm wedding and bride number 4 is planning a small beach wedding in Florida. I think it's so cool that the dress has such a diverse history and has put a smile on so many faces. I sure will miss it, but I couldn't be happier to pass her on.

Here's an excerpt from an email that I received from the new owner upon seeing the dress for the first time:

Hi Cary,

I received your gorgeous dress today- and it fits amazingly! I almost had an emotional moment because when i tried on the dress, it looked like it was handmade for me and my body. It's moments like these I believe in a higher power. The shape, details, and sweetheart neckline of the dress are all very flattering. I'm so thrilled to have the opportunity to wear such a remarkable dress. The dress is beyond beautiful and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Yippie! It was definitely meant to be. I can't wait to see a picture of her in the dress on her wedding day. And for any of you brides looking to buy or sell a used dress, check out these two sites: Once Wed and PreOwnedWeddingDresses.

Happy Birthday, James!

Today is James' 28th birthday. That means he's caught up to me, if only for a month. I thought I'd celebrate James' birthday blog by sharing with you some photos of his home away from home. By that I mean his workshop. If you're ever looking for James on a week night or weekend, there's a good chance he's tinkering away on something in the shop.

Happy Birthday, love. Now come home please. =)

A Day at the Beach

This week I was lucky enough to travel to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the Coastal GeoTools Conference. I was there to lead a workshop and present some work I've been doing for Connecticut's shellfish commissions.

Something wrong with this picture? I think it might be all the middle aged white males in dress shirts...where all the ladies at?!

I'd never been to Myrtle Beach before so it was fun to explore a new place and the weather was beautiful, especially because it was snowing in CT this week. The conference hotel was located right on the beach and I had a great view of the water from my room. The sunrises were probably my most favorite part of the week, though Alligator Adventure wasn't far behind. The conference itself wasn't too bad either. =)

Crazy Dog, Green Life

Lately, Summit has been lobbying to change our blog name. Let me explain. First, about a week and a half ago, our family suffered through three horrible days of the stomach flu. James was puking, I was puking, and yes, even Summit was puking. It was really awesome. Turns out Summit was puking because she had been sneaking into the ash bucket that we keep near the wood stove during the day when we were at work and eating ashes. Seriously. I have no idea why she thought that would be a good idea, but apparently, ash tastes good to our dog. It also wrecks havoc on stomachs and digestive systems. Needless to say, the bucket is no longer in our house.

that's a guilty face if I've ever seen one...

Fast forward to this morning. James comes out of the bathroom after his shower and asks me if I have been confiscating all of the bars of soap he's been opening this week. Three in all. Gone within a week. Of course, I said no. At the exact moment, it dawns on us and we lock eyes on Summit. Turns out she's been sneaking into our bathtub during the day to eat bars of soap! Seriously. I wish I was joking but no, this is just our dog. Now I know what you're thinking, she's just got to be hungry, right? But no. In fact, she probably eats better than we do with her organic all-natural delivered-to-our-door dog food. If anything, she's packed on the pudge this winter. I think that's the real problem, this is her way of telling us she's ready for spring and tired of being cooped up in the house. She may be crazy, but she's right...we're all looking forward to the warm days ahead of us and big projects right around the corner! Get ready, it's just about house-building time!!

On the Move

Signs of spring are finally showing up here in Connecticut. The temperatures are milder, the days are growing longer, our daffodils are peeking up out of the hard soil. Everything seems to be on the move these days, waking from a long winter slumber.

Every spring here in the northeast, during the first night of soaking rain and warming temperatures, amphibians, including salamanders and wood frogs, migrate from their wintering sites in the uplands to vernal pools to breed and lay their eggs. There's even a name for it - Big Night.

This week we enjoyed a warm rain that not only washed away most of the leftover piles of dirty brown snow, but also spurred spotted salamanders into action. Here are a few of the pictures and a video clip I capture that night. And now that you know, keep your own eyes peeled for wildlife in the road the next time it rains this spring!

Handmade by Eva

A few months ago, a fun and creative activity made waves on Facebook. It was sort of a pay-it-forward DIY challenge. The premise went something like this: some crafty-minded (or not) friend posted a message to their status page saying, "I promise to send something handmade to the first five people who leave a comment here. They must in turn, post this and send something they make to the first five people who comment on their status." The rule of thumb is that whatever you send must be handmade by you and sent to the five friends within the year. Those five friends each get something special made by you and in turn had to post the message on their Facebook and make five goodies for whoever comments on their post. And so on. I'm no fan of chain mail, but this idea is cool, right?

Well, it turns out my running buddy, Eva, who commented on MY post (meaning according to the rules, I have to make HER something) actually decided to turn around and send ME something. What a surprise! Check out the awesomeness she knitted me - two head and neck gaiters. Perfect timing too because we had a few coooold days this week. Thanks, Eva! I love them, now I have to come up with something equally amazing to send back to you!

PS - currently only four friends have commented on my FB status...if you want to participate in this fun challenge, hurry and become the fifth! Find me here.