The Milwaukee Zoo

My nieces Chachee and Princess Morgana

Today's post is about family and the Milwaukee Zoo.  While this was quite the disaster in terms of planning for our 20 plus member family, we did learn several things.  In the immediate family, we are 8....Mom, Dad, 4 boys, 2 girls.  Each of us has a partner and 4 of the 6 siblings have lots of children which number in the thousands!  LOL!  I can't keep up with all the names.  Everytime I go home to visit, I meet new kids for the first time. On my next visit in December, I'll be seeing 2 new additions.  Christmas certainly has become a packed family affair at my parent's house.  In total, there are 10 nephews and nieces.  This family trip to Milwaukee was quite the workout.  We learned that in large families, like ours, a plan must be in place.  For example, it would have been helpful to break up into 3 teams.  It was interesting to watch everyone interact with each other.  I'm kind of a nomad and don't like to be stuck in big groups.  Actually my Mom is the same way.  So we stole my two nieces and did our own thing:)

While the girls had their makeup put on, I went around and snapped shots of the various things at the zoo.  Bring food if you want to cut down on the expenses.  Coolers are important and we stored them in the car for lunchtime.  It was quite the sandwich production.  There are picnic areas for you to use.

Also bring money.  There seemed to be lots of extra costs here and there.  The water show that you'll see below, the food stands, the dinosaur show, the painting artists, and the train ride are all examples of the little extras that pop up over the day. I didn't take a lot of shots on animals.  Why not?  They're caged and there's no sport in snapping a pic of something trapped.  I understand the importance of zoos, but there are times that they can also make me sad.  Nasty people eating bags of salty gross popcorn while tapping on glass or screaming at caged animals is not my idea of fun.  Now watching my family interact with all of this excitement was another story:)  There was a lot of irritation that day on everyone's part, but this family outing did succeed in modifying future Rohrer plans down the road.  As a family grows so do the ways a group functions:)

I did have fun and it's a great way to spend the day with the family and friends.  For more information, click here on the Milwaukee Zoo More tomorrow friends....

                                      

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