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| Mark and Jenna on their wedding day. 5/12/18 dwm photo |
The big event in our 2018 was the wedding of son Mark to Jenna in May.
Over the course of four weeks from April to May, we were on the road for three of them to attend the various events related to the grand occasion.
First was a trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan so my wife could take part in the wedding shower. Like most men when it comes to these kind of things, I was mainly along for the ride and to drive.
During the women's party, Mark and I set out to capture three covered bridges within easy driving distance of the city and made it back to join them for lunch.
We had the next weekend off, then drove to Carmel, Indiana for the wedding on the Saturday of Mother's Day weekend with a return trip to Grand Rapids the following weekend for the reception. I'm glad to say the happy couple is still the happy couple plus a four legged creature called a Micro Golden Doodle named Griffin.
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| Statue of Mary Richards on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis. 2/28/18 (dwm) |
Because of the wedding we didn't travel much this year, so we enjoyed several journeys when we had the opportunity.
The ALDE Ignite Conference was in Minneapolis this past February. I was able to be there for the first time since taking my current job in Madison. There were several days of instruction which came in handy for my continuing education requirements and time for fun.
We explored Viking territory a bit with stops at frozen Minnehaha Falls; checking out the city's first skyscraper; and taking pictures of the statue on Nicollet Mall of Mary Tyler Moore's famous TV character, Mary Richards.
On the way home we found the only surviving historic covered bridge in Minnesota.
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| Grand Traverse lighthouse 5/20/18 (dwm) |
We drove straight north from Grand Rapids to Petoskey where we stayed the night, then drove south while stopping at several lighthouses that we skipped on our fall 2017 trip up Michigan's west coast.
The drive along Lake Michigan on the Lake's circle route follows the shoreline pretty close offering spectacular views.
We spent that night in Ludington before boarding the S.S. Badger car ferry the next morning for the trip across the lake. It was nearly 50 years since the last time I took this trip. The voyage filled in fragmented early childhood.
After landing in Manitowoc, we took in three more of Wisconsin's lighthouses on the trip home.
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| Me with the last Bucky on Parade - Crazylegs. 8/18/18 dwm photo |
My first trips were in May and continued through early July when I had visited all but one. Crazylegs Bucky wasn't put on display until August 17, so I rode down the next day to complete the ride.
Just when I thought I was finished; it turned out other folks wanted to take a virtual ride to see the statues which were the talk of the town through the summer.
I put together a PowerPoint presentation for residents on each Oakwood campus where they could see each and every statue. The opportunity to share my ride with them was excellent. The Bucky rides took on a life of their own in this blog (Check the top of the home page for Riding to Bucky), which will allow me and you (if you like) to see them again.
The statues were swept from the streets in September and many were auctioned for charity. A few are still on display in the community if you know where to look.
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| Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood at the Fiserve Forum. 10/28/18 Fiserve Forum Facebook photo |
When I heard that Fleetwood Mac was coming to Milwaukee as part of their tour, I called my friend Andy to see if he was interested in going to the show.
He was. The last time we had actually talked in person was at least 20 years prior, but there was no one better with whom I could share the experience (my wife wasn't real interested).
We had an awesome time and caught up a lot over the day together; now the goal is not wait 20 years before we get together again.
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| NCAA D-I Cross Country Championship 11/17/2018 (dwm) |
Another experience I circled on my calendar near the beginning of 2018 was the NCAA Cross Country Championship on the University of Wisconsin home cross country course just a few miles from our home.
My experience while we lived in Indianapolis as a volunteer on large athletic events whet my appetite to find a way to be part of it. An email to a UW administrator found its way to the person in charge of volunteers, and I was in!
I was one of a couple dozen course marshals assigned the task of keeping the crowds off the course and out of the way of the runners.
The day of the men and women's championship races wasn't bad for November in Wisconsin - a dusting of snow, sun, and temperatures in the 30s. It was exciting to see Olympic class athletes up close at top speed!
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| Bald Eagle roosting near Sauk Prairie, WI 1/6/2018 (dwm) |
The August trip to the Wisconsin State Fair is extending to a third generation now from when my parents started attending it annually back in 1961. It serves as a reunion of sorts where the food of choice is a close match between the cherished Cream Puffs and the Elephant Ear.
A newer tradition comes early in the year. When winter is extremely cold many of the lakes and waterways freeze. That forces raptors like the Bald Eagle to seek open water to eat. I love making the short trip to Sauk Prairie in search of these majestic birds, always hoping to get a couple nice photos.
It won't be long before it is time to go look for Eagles again and you can see some of the pictures right here.
Thankful for good health, for family, and a wonderful job in 2018; looking to see what 2019 has in store. Happy New Year!
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