Orbs 'r' Us

SOMETHING THAT PUZZLES ME?

I have always wondered why I can do the things that I do without having learned them from books or being taught. One of my puzzlement is being able the read and chart survey notes. Some of my past job experiences had me working as a drafts person for engineering companies that needed someone to be able to decipher this info and put onto maps and charts.

A peak into my family history might shed some light on this question.

During my stay with my brother last year I read a book written by my cousin on our Great, Great, Grandfather [my dad's side]. As much as I hate giving out personal info this is just too interesting not to share. I had tried at one time to research my family tree but got nowhere. It seems that an error was made on the spelling of my last name.

As it turns out I am related to Philip Turnor born on a farm [1751...I was born in 1951] in Laleham, Middlesex, England. At the age of 27 he was hired by Hudson Bay Company on April 30, 1778 to be their "First Chief Surveyor". He was known in Britain as a practical astronomer and compiler of the Nautical Almanac issued by the Royal Greenwich Observatory.

I was able to Google him and came up with many hits on the man. Here's the blurb from the Wikipedia...
"Turnor was hired on for 3 yrs as an inland surveyor with the HBC and landed at York Factory [Manitoba] on Aug. 24, 1778. After mapping York itself, he set out to map the route to Cumberland House [Sask] and the newly established post of Upper Hudson House. He is credited with exploring & mapping many of the settlements & their connecting rivers & lakes for the company in the late 18th century."

Other searches on Turnor [www.biographi.ca], tell of him being the teacher of other great surveyors: Peter Fidler and David Thompson. Thompson is known as "Alberta's Legendary Exploratory Surveyor". From what I have learned his roll as Thompson's teacher gave Thompson the necessary means to explore and map the untamed wilderness of Alberta & Sask. Being unable to haul surveying equipment in their canoes, it was necessary to learn to chart by using mercury levels and using the stars. In my mind, Philip Turnor, should have been credited with more than just being a "teacher"! Some of his notes and drawings [maps] help make the "Arrowsmith Map" [being used in schools today]. Sadly he was afflicted with horrible rheumatism and his days as a surveyor were numbered. He later returned to Rotherhithe, England where he taught navigation. He was given the watch he had used on his trips as well as 100 pounds by the London committee "in consideration of his services in having surveyed the Company's several settlements & explored several New Tracts & laid down the same in a large and accurate map".

So is mapping/surveying in my DNA?


During his mapping of Lake Athabasca he discovered a new species of willow growing on the sand dunes. This tree/shrub was later named in his honour "Turnor's Willow" [salix turnorii raup] which by the way only grows there and is now on the endangered list.

I love trees especially Weeping Willows...?

He also has a lake named after him "Turnor Lake".

Turnor was not married when he came over here and my other family ties are from the "Stony Cree" Indians. The HBC frowned on its employees fraternizing with the natives so this side of my history became the dark secret. Loneliness and not knowning the land made it impossible to do it alone. These guys had to consort with the natives and the indians liked it better if there were family ties...it made it safer for both sides. Plus who would teach them about the plants and animals living there.

I love to camp. Is this in my blood? I have a great sense of direction and never get lost?

So is this why I'm able to do some of those things...?