A hall-of-fame trap shooter, a busy senior softball league and two friends who collect bobbleheads are featured in this episode.
You’ll meet a collection of people who share their Wisconsin lives including a Lodi man named Fritz Thistle. Thistle took up trap shooting in his late 40s and quickly grew into a prize-winning shooter. But when he suffered a brain hemorrhage at a competition, Thistle had to learn to shoot all over again. He now shares his passion for shooting with a new generation.
You’ll also meet Menomonee Falls resident Mary Beth Volmer, who leads a group of female volunteers in the restoration and preservation of historic maritime structures, including a lighthouse on Plum and Pilot Islands off of the Door County Peninsula. With the motto that, “Each woman should leave with dirt under their fingernails and a learning experience in their soul,” Volmer helped found the group, “Women in Preservation”. See the ruins of the first lighthouse in Death’s Door built in the late 1840s. Take a walk through Plum Island’s Life-Saving Station with a bird’s-eye view of Death’s Door. Hear what life and work was like for Coast Guard members and their families on the island.
Next, Phil Sklar and Brad Novak share their story of a quest to bring the world-largest collection of bobbleheads to Wisconsin and to make Milwaukee the bobblehead capitol of the world. They talk about the history of bobblesheads, show off a few unique ones in their collection, explain why bobbleheads make good business cards and tell how January 7th became National Bobblehead Day.
Then you’ll meet Charlotte Fung Miller. Fung Miller grew up in California, where she studied traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy, art forms that focus on the natural world. After moving to Wisconsin, she used her Chinese techniques to paint the Midwestern landscape. Meet Charlotte’s children who are artists themselves.
Finally, retiree Bob Ruhland and a group of his friends take you out to the ballpark. Ruhland still has a love for playing ball – not just watching it from the stands – so he decided to start a league just for senior citizens. Now the Greater Madison Senior Softball League is a draw for hundreds of players who are age 55+.
