Romeo and Juliet and Other Wonderful Sights

We will continue to pray for the family of Petty Officer Zane Stotesbury and remember him even as we return to the continuing adventures of Mother Goose and her husband in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Thank you for your kind and gracious comments — he was a good friend to my sons and a very fine young sailor.

“Every time I come back here it is with the feeling there is nothing anywhere better than this.”
–Frank Lloyd Wright

‘Twas the rolling hills and valleys, the broad sun-washed fields and clear rivers, the rocky outcroppings and the trees full of birdsongs belonging uniquely to southwest Wisconsin which inspired the creative mind of Frank Lloyd Wright. This prairie landscape was the place of his upbringing, the land of his family — they came to America from Wales and settled on this part of the earth because it reminded them of home.

The Gooses visited the area surrounding Spring Green last year at this time, and immensely enjoyed the tour of Mr. Wright’s home, Taliesin. Of course, tours are obligatory, and this year we opted for the Hillside Studio and Theater tour. It was beautiful beyond our wildest imaginings… and we do have wild imaginings, by the way. Here are a few pictures from outside the buildings — photos are not allowed inside the studio, school or theater. Mother Goose scribbled copious notes along the way describing the interior design and history.

The original Hillside School was owned and managed by Mr. Wright’s spinster aunts. They were delighted to give their beloved nephew his first independent architectural design project.

This cascading stairway up to the studio reminds Mother Goose of a waterfall.

In the distance, please tell me you see “Romeo and Juliet” the wondrous and miraculous windmill, Mr. Wright designed for the property. They said it’d never stand for 365 days — that was more than a hundred years ago…

The apprentice studio where even TODAY young (and old) architects learn and work the trade of the master. The saying over the interior entrance reads, “WHAT A MAN DOES THAT HE HAS” and ‘that’ is in red letters. A good inspirational thought whether you are hunched over your drafting board or a laptop.

Exterior shot of Husband Goose with Tour Guide Peggy and Mr. Wright’s jewel of a theater. Trust me — with natural air conditioning and perfect acoustics, it’s absolutely gorgeous inside…

Barn swallows love Frank Lloyd Wright too.

After our breathtaking tour, we rested and recovered and revived inside the clubhouse at The House on the Rock Resort. They have a charming golf course, well-manicured greens and delicious Bloody Marys. We wondered and pondered what we should do next…

Husband Goose pondering our next event…he’s such a character.

At this point, many people would choose to visit The House on the Rock. This is an iconic tourist destination — a cross between Elvis’ Graceland, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, The Great Wall of China, the Eiffel Tower and the Grand Canyon.

With divine wisdom bestowed upon us, we decided on a picnic on the shores of the Wisconsin River. It was a tasty combination of fresh Wisconsin cheese curds, smoked braunschweiger, crackers and white wine, accompanied by the soft and soothing sounds of the swallows overhead and the river before us.

A relaxing and happy time for the Gooses.

Meanwhile, Back in Spring Green

When we last heard from Mother Goose on vacation “up north” she was sleeping through Broadway-worthy production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Husband Goose carried her back to The Silver Star Inn, bed and breakfast, where they were residing for the weekend.

The unique Silver Star Inn and gardens

Our very private deck at The Silver Star. “What happens on the deck, stays on the deck…”

I can’t say enough about The Silver Star — it’s a lovely lodge in the middle of nowhere, decorated with thousands of photographic equipment, historical pieces and artwork. Proprietor Jean is the queen of breakfast food! And the hummingbirds buzz around your head whilst you consume vast quantities of coffee and French toast, peach sauce and sweet cheese cream on the front deck.

Our new friends, Jeff and Tracy, were persistent in their efforts to capture hummingbirds in their camera. It took 237 shots, but this one is PERFECT!

Only the friendliest people stay at The Silver Star so we were guaranteed to make great connections.

Husband Goose making a connection in Arena, Wisconsin. Yes, Arena.

The Gooses get very excited about bird watching. Besides the hummingbirds, we sighted a number of other birds, including a Scarlet Tanager. Perhaps you can spot the bright red bird in this photo…

Mother Goose nearly fell out of the car trying to capture this photo — obviously her first Scarlet Tanager…

You won’t want to miss the next chapter of our Spring Green story when we take yet another Frank Lloyd Wright tour…

Stay cool, drink lotsa water and be blessed today. Love, Mother Goose

The Gooses Enjoy a Picnic In The Cemetery

Mother Goose and Husband Goose have established a new tradition for celebrating their wedding anniversary! For the second year in a row, we’ve rested in the sweet country air near Spring Green, Wisconsin. The rolling hills and valleys remind us that we live on a lovely planet — not just in a suburban rectangle of lawn with a house on it.

We spend most of our days in Oak Park where the brilliant architect Frank Lloyd Wright began his long, incredible career as the founder of the Prairie School of Architecture. Everywhere we walk in our village we are reminded of his vision for organic architecture. Mother Goose is also intrigued by his scandalous personal life…

Arriving up north on Friday afternoon and needing to rest from our three-hour drive, we promptly set up a picnic in the cemetery of the Unity Chapel. Many of Mr. Wright’s Welsh ancestors are resting here as well. Mr. Wright himself was once buried here…

Resting in the shadow of the great architect.

Frank Lloyd Wright loved a woman named Mamah Borthwick Cheney. Oddly enough, she was the wife of one of his clients in Oak Park. She left her husband and two children to spend the rest of her days with Mr. Wright who, by the way, was also married and the father of six children in Oak Park.

Isn’t it strange how life goes? And trust me, Mother Goose knows all about these sorts of unfortunate circumstances…

So Mr. Wright built his dream home, Taliesin, on the eyebrow of a hill on the 600 acres of the family property. He brought Mamah to live with him there one hundred years ago. They had a love story that rocked the world in many ways, but life was good at Taliesin. It was a rich, creative time for his work. But tragedy fell hard in 1914, when a disgruntled employee set fire to Mr. Wright’s beloved home and murdered Mamah. Several other people, including her precious children, also perished in the blaze.

He personally laid her to rest in the family cemetery.

Mamah’s final resting place.

A majestic white pine tree grows near her now.

Mamah’s tree.

Please come back for the next story of Mother Goose where we doze off during the Twelfth Night.

Did anyone see where I set down my bottle of Santa Marguerita?