Several years ago, Angus Stocking wrote the following:
We are working in hills above the Pacific Ocean, retracing GLO corners set more than a hundred years ago. A thick milky fog has rolled in, stopping work. A breeze picks up and I am told to take a triple up to the ridgeline control point that we are trying to shoot in. As I near the point I break through the fog and find myself alone in brilliant sunlight, overlooking miles of the dense, level fog… In the ten minutes or so that it takes to get the shot, the fog pours over the ridge around me and clears entirely, revealing the blue sparkling sea. It’s my job to be here in the place that has the best and clearest view, wherever I happen to be working. In that moment, land surveying becomes my life’s work.
We know the #1 reason why people go into surveying is to be outdoors. Getting paid to interact with nature is one of the biggest benefits of being a surveyor. Having lived in far northern California after I got out of the Army I could relate to the beauty of fog rolling over the coastal ranges, but Angus’ words lingered with me over the years and I now wonder if any of our readers would like to share similar memories or another interesting story about surveying.
Carl De Baca, in his last column, regaled us with a story about his early days as a surveyor. If you have a story you’d like to share, please consider sending a Word doc to my email address (above right). The specs are simple, 500-600 words and, if you have one, a pic. These stories are worth preserving. And who knows, maybe the younger surveyors will learn a thing or two.
Something else
I’d like to take a moment to thank not only our loyal, long-term subscribers, but also those who have recently renewed their subscriptions. As a surveyor myself, I understand the appeal—and perhaps even the expectation—of receiving one or more trade magazines free of charge.
However, as you’re likely aware, the landscape has changed. The number of advertisers willing to invest in print—particularly within the surveying industry—is smaller than ever. The advertisers you’ll find in this edition are part of a shrinking group that continues to support print publications. We would gladly offer the magazine for free if we could. But in today’s climate, the choice comes down to relying on “sponsored content” and printing on paper barely fit for purpose—or asking our dedicated readers to contribute a small amount toward production and mailing costs, both of which have risen significantly as “traditional”ad revenue has declined.
Many of you may recall publications such as P.O.B. or “Professional Surveyor”, the latter of which I led as Editor from 1995-2003 prior to departing to launch the magazine you hold today. These fine publications closed some years ago due to an inability to navigate the situation I describe—I say this knowing full well both would still exist today and perhaps even mail for no charge IF it were possible.
Please know that we didn’t take the decision to convert to a paid subscription model lightly—the added revenues will allow us to not only survive but thrive. Perhaps more importantly, promotion of the profession is central to our mission, and it’s where the majority of our online education, podcast and professional recruitment efforts are focused today.