1. I grew up in Massachusetts. I first lived in South Boston’s Old Harbor Housing Project. It was a pretty nice place, as far as public housing goes. I could walk to school, parks, Carson Beach, and the homes of a host of relatives. Old Harbor was New England’s first public housing development with more than 1,000 families settled in three-story apartment buildings and two-story row houses. A few of the apartment buildings were outfitted with a fourth floor “penthouse” apartment that had access to a fenced-in play area on the roof. We had one of those. I recall playing there with my younger brother. We used to sweep and hot mop the four flights of stairs several times a week.
2. My mom’s family owned a cottage on Ellis Pond in Plymouth. The whole family went there every weekend each summer. Mom was the oldest of four, with a ten-year gap between her second and third sisters. I was the oldest of the first four grandkids. My youngest aunt was really like a big sister. She taught me how to swim, fish, row a boat, paddle a canoe, and explore nature. We spent hours every day in and on the water and through the woods. I in turn, passed down these lessons to my younger cousins and brother. Sometimes my Nana and I would stay in Plymouth for the week. I had chores to do every morning, but then was free for the rest of the day to explore on my own.
3. My parents eventually saved enough money to purchase a piece of land in Plymouth. My dad had brothers who were an electrician and a roofer. Dad contracted for the foundation, frame, and chimney, and with the help of family, pretty much did everything else. We helped by picking up, sweeping, raking, moving boards, and nailing down floors. I built a paper route with 30 customers when I was 11. The paper cost 90 cents each week and I kept a third. Most customers gave me a dollar which netted me about $12. It was a lot of money for an eleven year old in the seventies. Our house was about two miles from my grandparents' cottage and about four miles to the ocean. I could still get around on my own, but I spent much more time cycling than walking.
4. We played a lot of street and ice hockey. Plymouth didn’t have a rink, so we traveled about an hour to play. One parent would drive each week with six to eight kids and all of their gear piled into a van or station wagon. Games would run from 6:00 in the morning to early afternoon. We also played on the local cranberry bogs which were flooded for the winter. Bogs were great for skating because the water wasn’t very deep. If the ice wasn’t ready, the worst thing that would happen is getting wet to your knees. I continue to skate, and play with the Capital District Masters Hockey League.
5. In high school I participated in band, wrestling, and track. I played the clarinet and the baritone. I was also active in scouting and eventually earned the Eagle rank. Scouting provided opportunities to learn skills, practice leadership, and nurture my passion for the outdoors. I fondly remember hiking trips through the Presidential Range of the White Mountains and canoeing through the Maine wilderness. Our troop was known for elaborate meals prepared outdoors. We cooked as patrols, and roasted beef, pork, and turkeys in ovens made from foil and green boughs. We baked cakes and pies in a scotch box. I even roasted a chicken from the inside out in my backpack using rocks heated in a bed of coals.
6. I went to college on an Air Force ROTC scholarship. During the summers and breaks I framed houses. I graduated with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and in 1984 was assigned to Headquarters Space Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). I worked on a program designed to replace the missile warning function in the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. This was right after the release of the Cold War science fiction film "War Games." None of the leaders wanted anything like the movie’s WOPR, which nearly starts WWIII. They did, however, want the large screen displays. At the time, information was graphically presented on devices which looked like radar scopes. We spent a lot of time explaining that information technology would eventually get us there, and assembled a team of engineers, scientists, and graphic artists to refine messages, perfect algorithms, and develop designs for information display. While in the Air Force I worked as a systems engineer, flight test engineer, program manager, and professor. Opportunities to earn a master’s degree and Ph.D. kept me in for 20 years.
7. My wife Tracy and I met while attending the University at Albany. We liked upstate NY and decided to settle there after retiring from the Air Force. We purchased a fixer-upper on thirteen acres in Washington County. We worked on the house, planted a huge garden, built barns, and started a herd of Nubian dairy goats. We delivered kids, milked goats, and made cheese, soap, and ice cream. Our youngest son showed the goats in the Washington County Fair.
8. I learned how to ski at Willard Mountain when my youngest son, Joseph, was five. We took lessons for a few years and then explored other mountains in the area. After a great day on the slopes of Gore Mountain we noticed a poster for an instructor’s clinic. I didn’t think I would get hired, but couldn’t pass up the opportunity for free skiing. I’ve now been a Gore ski instructor for five years and my skiing has greatly improved. Joseph participated in the instructor-in-training program for the past three years, and will join the Gore team this season.
9. I’m a NYS licensed guide for whitewater rafting. My older sons took me rafting for Father’s Day about ten years ago. We had a blast, and went back every year. After several years, our guide suggested that I pick up the paddle myself. I learned how to read the river, maneuver the boat, and manage the crew. I was hooked. After completing a whitewater rescue safety course and updating my wilderness first aid certification, I passed the written exam and earned my license. I practiced working short trips on the Sacandaga River and now exclusively guide on the Hudson Gorge. We joined the Chatiemac Club which is located on a lake very close to Gore Mountain. It reminds me very much my grandparents’ cottage. When I’m not guiding, I dabble in fly fishing and chair the trail committee.
10. Scouting with my youngest son has also reconnected me with the outdoors. We’ve camped, hiked, and completed a 50-mile canoe trip. It rekindled a lifelong desire to hike the Appalachian Trail. A spring sabbatical this year provided an opportunity to complete the nearly 2,200 mile trek. I set out on March 10 with the goal of reaching Maine by the end of August. On March 17, we received a message from the Appalachian Trail Conservatory to suspend our thru hikes because of COVID-19. There was concern that the hikers could spread the virus to surrounding communities, and overwhelm their limited medical resources. My goal now is to complete the trail over time in sections. I’ve hiked most of Georgia, half of Connecticut, all of Massachusetts, and half of Vermont.
