Info-Dump
Info-Dump Podcast
About Spencer
Who the hell is this guy? Great question- it depends on the day. Below I'll talk a bit about myself, and you'll get to peer into the mind of a guy with hyper-fixation issues and the attention span of a toddler.
My Story
I grew up in small town, bible belt Kansas with my two sisters. Whenever possible, we spent all of our free time outdoors; biking, climbing trees, catching critters, anything you can imagine. My sisters and I always had many overlapping interests, and that has carried over into our adulthood lives (which is great because now we actually have funds to explore those interests further).
A brief overview of my interests and experience
I decided college was not something I was interested in pursuing directly out of high school, and went right into the workforce instead. Much like with my hobbies, I just couldn't decide one dedicated path for myself. I satisfied my curiosities through other means instead. Over the years I've picked up a multitude of different hobbies, all of which fluctuate in and out of focus. Most I'll revisit at least occasionally, however for the ones I don't, I still apply the knowledge gained into my other interests.
Botany
My interest in plants started when I moved to Florida at 19. The beauty of south Florida's native (and invasive, admittedly) flora was captivating. I started out with some potted plants here and there, a few books, some light landscaping, and next thing I knew it I was deep into orchid cultivation, with at one point close to 200 orchids (and dedicated lighting and watering systems) in my bedroom alone. When I moved back to Kansas, my orchid collection was split up between friends and neighbors, and I moved on to the next adventure: landscaping and creating my own orchard. With just over 1/2 an acre of land and just under 2 years of living here, I've got close to 50 trees planted- flowering, fruiting, and Kansas-native. Over 500 flowers planted, dozens of shrubs, annual vegetable gardens, a pollinator garden, and a growing collection of potted Japanese Maples.
Herpetology (which means reptiles, not herpes)
As with Tyler's, my experience with reptiles started at an early age. We grew up with pet snakes, turtles, and lizards. At one point, we had an entire breeding colony of tens of thousands of roaches in our basement just to feed the herps (and sell off extra). Throughout adulthood, I tried my hand at a few different snake species, crested geckos, iguanas, bearded dragons, etc. For years, I bred Crested Geckos, with a narrowed focus on pinstripe and high-contrast harlequin morphs. Before my big move, my breeding collection was divided amongst other experienced, local breeders.
When I moved back to Kansas, I resumed possession of "my family's" Red Tail Boa and Jungle/Jaguar Carpet Python. I hope to one day expand with other large species snakes, and various frog species.
Gems and Minerals
I've been collecting gems and minerals for as long as I can remember. Every souvenir from a family vacation, pockets full of fossils from around the lake, gem and mineral expos, and even importing from mines overseas. I've now got a hefty (and continuously growing) collection, with no plans to stop any time soon. This has been my longest lasting and most devoted hobby.
Photography
Photography was something I became interested in during high school. I waited too long to choose my electives, and intro to photography was my only option left. I took it, and fell in love with it. I began with manual photography and hand-developing my film, then spent years playing around with my iPhone until I purchased my first DSLR. Nature photography has been my main focus- typically animals, and occasionally landscape. In 2024 I had the opportunity to visit Costa Rica for a month, and had an exceptional time walking through and photographing in the jungle, the beaches, and the mountains.
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I just recently decided to take the next step in my photography journey, purchased a telescope and deep-space imaging equipment, and have been dedicating my free time to learning the ins and outs of astrophotography. Between shipments arriving late, and many cold and cloudy nights, I haven't yet had the opportunity to attempt any imaging with it, however I couldn't be more excited to dive in and see what I'm able to accomplish.
Misc
Aside from hobbies, I have many other interests and topics that I like to dust off and explore in my free time. Nuclear energy, medicinal technology and advancements, diseases, natural disasters, various religions and beliefs, consciousness and near-death experiences, psychology, our universe and beyond, and much, much more.
