Have Troll Will Travel

Nathan and Erin Beck and their family invited art troll Picasso along with them on their family trip to Yellowstone National Park and the Black Hills. Picasso was excited to not only see Yellowstone, but, since the family was traveling by car, he would get to look out the window the whole time. “Nature is a great inspiration for my art,” Picasso explained. Along the way there were stops at the Mitchell Corn Palace, Mt. Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Monument and traveling along the Needles Highway. While at Mt. Rushmore, Picasso was able to work on his photography skills by taking a picture of Erin, Nathan, and their dad in front of the monument. “Mrs. Beck showed me how to use the camera and helped me keep it steady so the photo turned out great!” Picasso exclaimed. When they reached Yellowstone there was even more to do with museums to visit, trails to hike and lots of camping to be done. Nathan and Erin even got the chance to go horseback riding, but Picasso sat that adventure out. “They just didn’t have any horses in my size.” Picasso says, but he had a nice time watching Erin and Nathan ride and doing a bit of painting. The park was beautiful and full of things that Picasso had never seen before, like buffalo, volcano geysers, mudpots, and hot springs. There was even snow in some places along their trip! Picasso tells us that he brought along his warmest artist coat and beret just in case, so he stayed warm and toasty in those cold spots. When asked if he would ever travel back to Yellowstone, Picasso commented that he would love to go out again, as long as it was with the Beck family again. “They made the trip so much fun!”

From August 3-16 Helga, ski-troll extraordinaire, was touring the state of Wisconsin with her good friends, the Bohringer family. There were many different stops on this particular trip, including Blackhawk Lake, Pepin, and the Wisconsin Dells. At Blackhawk Lake there was lots of fishing, camping, and, of course, s’more making to be done. “Many people don’t know this, but s’mores are a troll-ish invention we introduced to you human beings.” Helga says. With a little assistance from Joelle, Helga was able to demonstrate her special marshmallow roasting technique to the family. “My ski poles have lots of great uses!” After the camping trip was finished and everything packed away the family headed off to Milwaukee for the Wisconsin State Fair and Pepin, Wisconsin, home of the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum and cabin. Helga, who is a big fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder, was ecstatic. When asked what her favorite Laura books is Helga smiled and told us “The Long Winter of course!” “They had this really cool map in Pepin that showed all of the places that Laura lived and traveled too; it kind of looks like the maps at the library that show where all of us on the Troll Team have been this summer,” Helga tells us. Finally, the trip ended with at stop at Mt. Olympus in the Wisconsin Dells. “Those roller coasters were almost as big as the mountains I’m used to skiing on back home!” Helga exclaimed.

Our Olympic-class ski troll Helga had finally come back to the library from a month long trip to Europe with the Baumeister family. “It was so nice of them to ask me along!” Helga gushed, “They took me to four different countries, Finland, Sweden, Russia, and Estonia; it was so amazing!” When we asked what Helga’s favorite country on the tour was she said it was so hard to choose as each country had so many interesting things, but if she had to pick a number one it would have to be Finland. “Who wouldn’t love a country where they let you ride on the reindeer?” asked Helga. Getting around in Europe was an adventure all on its own. While in Europe, Helga and the Baumeisters took three trains, two rental cars, the metro (subway), the bus, had a second short flight from Helsinki to Rovaniemi in Finland, as well as walking A LOT. “I’m glad I brought a pair of tennis shoes along with my skis,” Helga confided to us.

Space Troll Astro was invited on a “working vacation” to Crescent Lake Bible Camp in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, by Kaye Woodke. “We did lots of dishes and cleaned the whole camp, but even that was fun and the campers really appreciated it a lot.” Astro said. It wasn’t all work though. As soon as the chores were finished there was a whole camp to explore. Astro was able to take part in a “bear hunt” (“No bears, but I took my stun blaster with us, just in case” Astro confided to us) as well as going tubing and waterskiing. Other activities included Ping Pong and playing pool, which Astro commented he liked better than swimming in the lake. ”My shiny suit attracts too many fish. I think they must believe I’m some kind of bug…” There was also a trip to the local Dairy Queen thanks to the camp’s food manager, Phil.

Picasso Monet and Artie the Artist (our most creative trolls) were invited by Shelby George and her Girl Scout Troop on a trip to Madison, Wisconsin, to see both the State Capitol building and the Madison Children’s Museum. “We love a good museum!” Artie exclaimed. “Yes, we have a lot of fine works hanging in them all over the world.” Picasso agreed as the two trolls jumped into the van to begin their trip. When the group got to Madison it was around lunchtime, so first on the agenda was lunch on the lawn of the Capitol followed by a tour of the building. “Such beautiful murals and the dome of the Capitol was stupendous to look at!” Picasso says fondly. Artie was impressed with the fact that it takes over 40,000 light bulbs to light up the Capitol at night. “What a light bill they must have.” Artie commented. After the tour was finished, both trolls were ready for some time at the museum, which included an art room where you could paint on the walls. “I offered to do a portrait of the Scouts, but they said there wasn’t time enough.” Artie tells us. Picasso was impressed by a huge hamster wheel that the Scouts found and (of course) ran in. “They were so fast I think any hamster would be put to shame.”

Our children’s librarian, Ms. Gina, invited our very own library pirate, Captain Jack, along on a church camping trip to Blackhawk Lake in Highland, Wisconsin. Was Jack excited? “Arrrr, you bet your boots!” exclaimed Jack. During their two days on the lake Jack was able to partake in both volleyball and boating as well as show off his skills as an expert fisher-troll. After a careful inspection of the tackle available in the tackle box, Jack chose his bait. “Worms be best for this type of fishing,” Jack confided to us. After a day out on the water the whole group sat down to a fish fry and camp fire which Jack really enjoyed, especially since there was singing around the fire. “I never knew that Ms. Gina had such a nice singing voice!” Jack said.