Doc's Eyeball to the World

Doc's Eyeball to the World

Welcome to my web site! This web page is a work in progress with a general theme for travelers. The photo above was taken on the Serengeti during our February, 2005, trip to Tanzania. More photos and description of this trip can be seen on African Safari--Tanzania . Other photos of our trips can be seen on my International Travel Photo Page (see the link below). Our southern Africa trip occurred on February 7, 2007--Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa. We returned to Africa (Morocco) in January, 2010. I also had a chance to visit Lusaka, Zambia in March, 2011 with Fr. Leon Martin to stay at the Pallotine mission church in the capital. You can access my Africa web page at Southern Africa--On Safari .

Getting around on the Serengeti isn't all that easy. Using Range Rovers, the plane behind us, and some excellent guides, we were able to spend two fantastic weeks experiencing some of the world's most endangered animals. Thanks to World Wildlife Fund and Thomson Safaris, our trip was an experience of a lifetime. (March, 2005)

My January into February adventure into South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia was another great African adventure with Overseas Adventure Travel. The link to the Safari webpage is listed above and also at the bottom of this page. Here I am pictured in my tent at the Wilderness Tented Camp in the Okavango Delta of Botswana. (February, 2007)

Our house does look a little different in winter. I took this photo a few days after the late December snowstorm dumped another 7 inches in Hartland. December of 2007 was the second snowiest in the area according to weather snowfall records. (January, 2008)

My wife Kathy has become quite the gardener this summer creating the space you see pictured above. The amount of dirt Kathy is seen watering here is exceeded only by the amount of dirt that seems to cover Kathy each time she works in the garden.

My wife Kathy is pictured here in front of the Taj Mahal in India. See more photos of her India trip and information of the Taj Majal on my International Travel Page.

This jungle photo was taken between Rio Dulce and Livingston, Guatemala while I was traveling with an enthusiastic group of UW-Green Bay students. The students were in Guatemala for the summer studying Spanish in La Antigua. Second from the left is my amigo Ediberto who was the guide for this trip. (June, 2005)

My wife Kathy and I are all smiles in the Gulf of Mexico off Orange Beach, Alabama, this summer of 2005. Unfortunately, my Tanzania hat was living on borrowed time. The wind took it off my head while I was boating on Long Lake in Phillips, Wisconsin . Now I know that Tanzanian hats don't float. (August, 2005)

This praying mantis and I got acquainted during my trip to Ecuador in January and February of 2008. Here while at the Yachana Lodge on the Napo River in the Amazon basin of Ecuador, I met my friend. Our brief encounter lasted about 30 minutes before she left for better hunting grounds. My wife and I spent 15 days in the Amazon, the Galapagos Islands, and the high mountains in north central Ecuador while traveling with Overseas Adventure Travel. (Jan/Feb 2008)

Kathy and I are all smiles while standing on the equator in Ecuador. There is no chance placement of the equator anymore as GPS is used to spot the zero degree line of latitude. I also received a certificate for balancing an egg on the head of a nail which is made possible by a steady hand and the gravitational pulls at the equator. (January, 2008)
Up in the northwoods, Phillips, WI, July 24-31, 2010

Each year my wife Kathy and I spend a week up in Phillips, WI with our goddaughters Rachel and Emma, and their parents, Joe and Kathy, for a week of swimming, fishing, and shopping. We will be back in Phillips on July 28, 2012. (July, 2010)

One of our traditions in Phillips each year is the "Prentice Open" where my childhood friend Bucky (left) and I take on Joe and Kathy in a friendly battle of golf in Prentice, WI. We battled again in July 2011 with Kathy and Joe beating Bucky and me by 1 stroke in a playoff. (July, 2010)

What a way to spend Christmas! My wife Kathy and I, my two goddaughters Rachel and Emma, and their mother Kathy spent our Christmas break in the Caribbean on a week's cruise. Here we are all smiles on the island of St. Maarten (on the Dutch side) on Christmas day. It was the first cruise for the girls and also their first plane rides. (January, 2009)

My wife Kathy and I are pictured here in Santiago, Guatemala, with our three godsons Jaimito, Jose, and Tito, along with their mother Rosario (far right). Santiago is one of 12 small villages surrounding Lago Atitlan. Lago Atitlan was formed by a volcanic explosion tens of thousands of years ago leaving a 12 mile by 6 mile lake over 1,000 feet deep. We traveled with our Guatemalan family to several villages on the lake stopping in Santiago for lunch. My compadre Ediberto (not pictured) took this photo. (January 21, 2009)

Isn't it a great looking Micro Car? I finally bought a 2009 Smart Car. It is made by Mercedes and gets over 40 mpg. It is a thrill to drive. I first saw the Smart Car in Italy in 2003 and decided then that I would buy one if it ever came to the United States. It took me 18 months on the waiting list to get it, but it was worth the wait. (May 3, 2009)

Kathy and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary by renewing our marriage vows at the Schoenstatt Chapel on the Pallotine grounds behind the old Holy Cross Church in Milwaukee. Kathy and I were married at Holy Cross Church in August, 1984. Fr. Greg Serwa, who performed our marriage mass 25 years ago, also did the anniversary mass with assistance from Fr. Leon Martin. Our two goddaughters, Rachel and Emma (above), did the readings at our mass. (August 7, 2009)

Kathy and I arriving in Morocco for our two week odyssey that included 4 nights in tents in the Sahara Desert. I have a new found respect for the nomads of the Sahara, and of the people of Morocco in general. (January 12-January 27, 2010)

My new best friend on the Sahara Desert. During our two week stay in Morocco, 4 nights were spent in the Sahara. It was a great experience. The night sky never looked so impressive. (January 18, 2010)

Here is the first pic of our newest family member, Cedric, a Wheaten terrier. Our goddaughter Emma came with my wife Kathy and me to pick up Cedric. He's already met half the neighborhood and feels right at home in Hartland. (February, 27, 2010)

My two goddaughters, Emma and Rachel, performed in their dance recital today. They were awesome performers. The recital was the product of the entire year of dance classes every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. (June 20, 2010)

My most recent visit to Guatemala was my 18th in June 2010 for the first communion of Jose and Tito. I spent most of my time with my three Guatemalan godsons pictured above (Tito, Jaimito, and Jose). They have boundless energy and kept me on my toes during my visit, especially with my Spanish. (June 27, 2010)

Our house the day after the blizzard of February 1, 2011 which left about 15 to 18 inches of wind blown snow to deal with the next day. (February 2, 2011)

Cedric had no problem with the aftermath of the blizzard with his usual snow face. (February 2, 2011)

School children in the Matambe Basic School in Lusaka, Zambia stand as I talk to them during my March visit to their school. The school has grades 1-9 with 3,000 students attending in two shifts during the day. 60 teachers are employed at the school and teach classes with an average of 50 or more students. (March 15, 2011)

It was my 19th trip to Guatemala on June 2 - June 8. During my visit, I spent time with my 3 godsons, and my compadre Ediberto. Here I am pictured during one of my free moments in the Parque Central in La Antigua, Guatemala. The fountain behind me is a favorite of photo buffs. (June 7, 2011)