How It Begins....

After a series of posts on plants and some specific gardening techniques, I like to do some free writes on things that relate indirectly to gardening and just being outdoors exploring.  Sometimes I'll share things that I find interesting, work projects, travel information, or just some personal experiences from my past that have lead me to where I am today. So today is one of those days where I break away from my gardening journal and write about something different. 

This pic is an example of how cold the Lakeshore can get in Wisconsin



I grew up in a LARGE Catholic family.  Monty Python had it right when they sang the tune, "Every sperm is sacred".Today my family numbers in the thousands as nephews and nieces are born everyday. Okay I exaggerate on that last part, but our family has doubled in size.....so much for going green and helping out this world:)  Every year I return home to visit, I meet 2 new family members.  And to think that those two above, my parents, began all of it.  Well I'd rather not.....:)

At the cabin in Minnesota

 I was very lucky to be raised in the incredibly beautiful city of Two Rivers that has about 13,000 people living in it. Growing up in our large family on a single parent income wasn't terrible, but it did mean that my parents had to budget their money.  Instead of the trips kids today take to Disneyland or Europe, our family purchased a Starcraft camper and visited the State Parks of Wisconsin.  Exotic places would include a week at a Minnesota cabin near Leech Lake(yes there is a reason why that lake has that name).  The memories we all have from these family experiences are wonderful.  At the time, we all wanted to kill each other, but today there is nothing better or funnier than reminiscing about the past.  For example, there was nothing like the time when we had a random snow storm in October and hid in the forest using snowballs to attack one another. Or afterwards, nearly freezing to death, Mom making a nice bowl of chile and hot cocoa. Or the time Mom was super sick and opened the camper door with a skunk crawling out from underneath her. The faces on everyone around the campfire were priceless.  I could go on and on about the importance of spending time with your kids in a setting like this. Even if you don't have kids, this is still a wonderful time spent with a loved one or by yourself to reflect.  The simple truth is that you don't have to go far to find peace of mind.

Our tradition is going to Point Beach State Park in winter for family pics and having a hot bowl of Mom's awesome chile. If we don't do it in winter, we then plan it when we are all together. This is the nuclear family without all the spouses.  It has more than doubled in size today.

When kids are introduced to the natural elements at an early age, it stays with them for life.  Traditions begin and it's a time to escape with family and friends.  Leave technology behind and just enjoy one another's presence.  Of course you also discover their pet peeves:)

The family today.  A couple members aren't present.  Get togethers become more difficult and quite the production.

I'm not sure what baby my sister is holding....but it's one of the "thousands" born everyday:)

My niece on a nature hike during fall at Point Beach State Park

The brothers

Today my nephews and nieces go hunting, camping, boating, and love to be outdoors. Wisconsin is one of the most beautiful places in the States, and because it's so lovely, Illinois people, mostly from uptight Chicago, flee their own state:) It could also be our cheese:) 

In my earlier days at college, I used to take foreigners on canoe trips or around the state and show them around our awesome state park system.  I remember torturing the Japanese exchange students on a 25 mile bike trail.  They had a great time and couldn't believe how big and spread out everything was!

When sweater vests were in....although I don't think this one ever was:) A packrat later chewed through it. I would still wear it today if I could just so I could hear my students complain.

The simple fact is that things don't have to cost a lot of money to be enjoyed together.  We learned that lesson early on in life and had a blast playing cops and robbers in the woods.  Or watching bears, from a distance, eat out of dumpsters.  Or accidentally walk up on one and freak out! If you haven't done so already in your area,  check out your state or national parks and create some beautiful memories that will last for years to come.

High Cliff State Park

Looking out to Leech Lake, Minnesota

Forgetting Oneself

 Looking for sand crabs in Santa Cruz, CA

I think the aborigines of Australia have it right. In life, we are constantly redefining who we are.  We are not the same people we were a year ago or 5 years ago. The aborigines believe that when you change something like a profession or the things you like to do that it's time for you to change your name, but only when you're ready to do so.  If you were a musician before and you decide to become a hunter today; you would then choose to pick a name around the word "hunter". It is then celebrated by the tribe and considered a type of birthday or a day of renewal in your life....born again into someone new.

On Mt. Tam, across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisico



Climbing the Rincon Mountains with my dear friends

In my twenties, I lived an adventurous life of uncertainty and excitement.  I did so many things that it felt like I lived 10 lifetimes in 12 years. At the time, I specifically loved teaching Spanish. However, I always dabbled in nature and enjoyed climbing, hiking, and anything else I could do outdoors on my off time. 

Working at Point Beach State Park  in Two Rivers
Helping tourists and busting underage drinkers, watching deer walk around the booth while having my morning coffee in the stand ......perfection.

I'm not sure if anyone feels this way about their current jobs, but I have been going through a change of my own this past year.  I used to love teaching a lot, but it's just becoming something that I do.  I switch it up, change projects around, research the latest info for the Spanish classroom, but it's not that exciting/challenging for me anymore. People ask me why I don't go into administration and at that point, I want to laugh.  For them, it's about money and leaving the classroom. I work with Spanish only in the education system because I enjoy both the kids and Spanish. Everything else is rather terrible. The kids have a blast and we laugh a lot, but there's something else inside of me that is telling me to do something new. I have a student teacher who is great and full of energy and I see a lot of myself in her when I first started out.  It's always great to watch these "kids" become young teachers. Adding another adult in the classroom allows me to help that student to teacher ratio a bit which keeps getting larger every year.  I always ask them why they want to be teachers and why specifically Spanish?  Before I take them on, I need to know that they are passionate about the language and that they are interested in helping others learn the language. Anyone who says that it seems to be the right thing to do or it just seems like I should settle down are denied:)  In any case, my job is fine, but I am looking to add another dimension to my work. I think we all get to a point in our jobs when we start questioning, "What more is there?"  I'm at that point now.  Gardening and writing this blog have shown me that I am capable of more, but I don't know what the next step is and I think with a bit more time, the answer will present itself.

A summer spent camping at the beautiful state parks of Wisconsin. Parfrey's Glen, WI

I've become so afraid of change that I don't take those risks like I used to.  And to be honest, a risk at our older ages is much more scary than the ones we make when we are younger.  You build a lot of things by staying in one spot....friends, saving, retirement, home, your own doctors, etc.  But you also can lose that edge....I've been trying to reconnect back to my crazy twenties and be more spontaneous, but it's not easy.  I would love to work outdoors for a living. The part I don't miss about my twenties is the partying, drinking, or the weird dates I went on.  For those of you dating now, I apologize, but there are a lot of whack jobs out there.  Have fun, but be careful and always meet at a cáfe first (or somewhere public). My single friends in their forties and fifties are really questioning being in a relationship again after the peace and quiet of single life. But alas, dating can be fun and they have some great stories to tell on lunch breaks:) 



Wildflowers outside of Yuma, AZ. I don't know why I was dressed so formal or where I was going, but I do remember an amazing display of wildflowers that year:) In the last pic, we were somewhere outside of LA.  It was close to Mt. Strawberry..



So the question before me now is where do I go from here?  Is this what we may call a midlife crisis?  I'm not sure it's a crisis just a new direction of interest and focus.  All I know is that I am so happy to be doing the things that I used to do and it feels good.

In the next several blogs, we're going to travel to several different areas around Texas and talk about more prep work on the Spring projects.  I don't blog all day long, but I do write everyday setting up different posts.  I am working on a report from Biosphere.  We were at the site today and I did my investigation and reporting.....but I forgot my memory card for the camera!!!!!  Thank goodness they sold disposable cameras or I would have been really upset.  Note to self, buy more spare memory cards:)  We'll see how the pics turn out.  I hope you find it interesting.  It was a beautiful day outside.  Until next time, happy gardening! 

Excited for Fall???

My favorite out of the bunch...some pics just happen...and this one turned out awesome. That's why you should always carry your camera with you wherever you go:)

Okay okay...this may be too soon, but September is just around the corner and I thought I'd jump start the feelings and emotions that happen to me and others when fall comes. I took these pics with 3 different cameras in Wisconsin last year.  My family loves my pictures but doesn't give me enough time to sit and ponder angles etc...nor do the nephews and nieces so I go out on my own. 

While it doesn't get this crazy colorful in Tucson, the plants seem to be happier here with the hot nasty summer gone and begin to flourish and become a healthier color again up until mid-December.  In my humble opinion, speaking of fall, the best places here in the desert to see leaves change would be in the northern part of the state around Flagstaff and Sedona areas, the White Mountains, or here on our very own Mt. Lemmon.

My niece at Point Beach

Ahhh Wisconsin...Mishicot! Nephew and nieces

But I'm sticking to Wisconsin for the moment.....best time to see colors change in my home state are in October....and around mid October.  However, if you are heading north, closer to the upper pennisula and in the Porcupine mountains, you'll want to go earlier as it will get cooler there faster.  Enjoy!!

We have a front today in Arizona and the temps are amazingly cool so I am taking advantage of them to clean up the property after the microburst several days ago.  Happy gardening folks....September is just around the corner:)

Point Beach

Sedum up close

I love how trees in my hometown connect!!

Hostas in their decline before winter

Timeless

I grew up in Two Rivers, WI around a lot of forest, gardening, and the beach. As a child I never truly understood the gem that is located about 4.5 miles away. This state park is named Point Beach.  It's a stretch of forest along Lake Michigan that goes on forever and it's absolutely beautiful. 

I have spent so much time camping there as a child, teenager, and adult....even working in the station at one point of my life. This place has a  timeless quality.  We used to camp there during the summer, have pictures taken in the snow, celebrate Halloween with my nephew and nieces. ...and the list goes on and on about how important this state park is to my family.

Every year that passes, a person dies or is born....a city changes...home ownership changes...what once was is never again....and coming home to that every year has an affect on me.  I feel older and out of place. I actually sometimes feel like a foreigner visiting.  The memories are all still there but not all the people are the same.  Change is slow to my hometown but it happens. People that were children are now parents...etc etc....the natural life cycle.

So many times I find myself drawn to Point Beach because time has stopped here.  I know the woods and the trails and it feels good.  Nothing has changed here...I don't feel old or young....I just feel happy to walk amongst the trees and ferns. It's a safe bubble where I feel protected and happy.  Old memories surface of the snowball fights in October, discovering secret bridges, finding magical ponds, or walking upon a bunch of deer quietly eating in the grassy prairie areas.

Throughout the park, you will find benchmarks of things people did from the past as well as from today. There are names on benches of people who have passed but I remember them clearly as if it were from yesterday. They were important people who made a difference in our park and in our lives here locally.

The old lodge by the beach had an ancient woman who died many years ago educating the public about the wildlife and the beach ecosystem.  Winnie was an old craggy woman with a passion to educate.  I spent a lot of time with her growing up being careful not to get in her way too often.  I had been working at the ranger station later on in life only to discover that she had passed away.  She is still remembered today from a cabin she donated to her second home away from home. No one today comes close to what Winnie did.

There are little things like this all over the park that remember people from the old and new days.  People who left a small footprint behind making a difference for people like us.  As I get older, I discover how sacred this forest is and how each forest has its' own feel and is different from the other.  Camping in different locations has helped me see how unique and special each place is.  I am so fortunate to have grown up in such a  pristine place.  If you ever swing by Two Rivers, make sure you visit Point Beach State Park.  Make sure you have reservations as the park is usually full.  If you are staying in town, it's a great bike ride down Port Sandy Bay Road.  There's a trail that will take you straight into the park and it's a nice workout.  Cheers!