Wisconsin- Go BIG or Go Home!

Brian won’t make you rich, but he will make you fat, tan, and happy!

I wasn’t sure if many things could out do Africa but as it turns out the time of my life was hiding in the tiny town of Twin Lakes, Wisconsin. Peter and I arrived here on Friday, July 2nd to visit our friend Brian and stay with his family. The Walmsley family is an absolute riot. Peter has found a best friend in Brian’s 12 year old nephew Ben (one of the few people that can actually keep up with him) and I have found my favorite new vacation spot. A little on Brian’s family, family means everything to these people and I understand why. They love each other’s company and are stuck together like glue, his parent’s have no problem having their fridge raided by what seems like half of the town, and they actually published a picture of Ben in their annual family wall calendar, standing on top of their kitchen sink… completely naked. I love these people.

Brian’s Mother Jeanne has quite the green thumb. Her garden that surrounds their house is stunning. It looks like something out of Martha Stewart magazine. His Dad Woody is just an older version of Brian. Upon my arrival, he greeted me with an old fashion series of kisses up my arm (apparently he is itching for a daughter-in-law). I wonder if he knows Peter and I are married?

One of Woody’s philanthropic neighborhood duties, is animal trapping. He has taken it on himself to personally rid their neighborhood of chipmunks (because they get in his wife’s plants) and English sparrows (because they aren’t a native species and they chase off the song birds). He is worried that the chipmunks are finding their way back to the house so he purchased some paint to mark their tails before releasing them in a forest a couple miles away. I have been asked to lookout for the white tailed chipmunks. If one makes a comeback, I am supposed to alert Woody. Little does Woody know, I am an animal lover and will never tell. I will wash that poor critter’s tail and feed him some of the trail mix from the kitchen pantry. Jeanne has 7 birdfeeders on the beautiful deck that invite oriels, cardinals, and the cutest yellow finches, and Woody built a dock out of Popsicle sticks in the garage. Need I say more?

We spend most of our days here on the lake and man, the lake is wearing me out. I learned to waterski and slalom ski, and attempted barefoot skiing. We also played for about 2 hours on a giant inflatable floating trampoline with Brian’s niece and nephew where Peter and I laughed so hard we were both crying. I think I also must have wet my pants. Peter and Brian have taken to throwing the kids off the dock and didn’t disappoint with a full-scale s’more feast around a bon fire on the beach. We’ve tubed until our bodies ache and yesterday the kids came up with a new game, we put two tubes behind the boat, one adult and one kid on each tube, crank the speed up to 25 mph, and try to either slam or flip the opponents off the other tube. I am having so much fun and am laughing so hard all day. Great place and even better company.

I am now thinking a lake in Wisonsin with the Walmsley family is the place for me. I might just move in. I could set up a rescue shelter for all of Woody’s trapped chipmunks and maybe Jeanne would teach me how to garden.