The Zoo & the Beasties

This past weekend, our family took a mini vacation to Milwaukee to visit my sister Susan and her fiance Chris. We arrived late Friday night and after we met up with my sister Anne and her family, we went to the Milwaukee County Zoo. The kids had a great time and despite being there on a Saturday in the middle of July, it wasn't too busy. We had a good picinic at the zoo, and later on we had a pizza party back at Susan's house.

Anne and Erik had to run back to Baraboo that night since Erick had to work on Sunday. So later that night, Susan, Chris and our family sat around a campfire and had smores. What memories that brings back.

On Sunday, we drove around town and visited some of the Beasties. I have no idea what a Beastie is, but the concept seems to be popular in larger cities lately. Essentially, there is a standard 'model' for a creature that is then decorated, and then at the end of summer auctioned off for some charity.

I've seen such things online with the oversized decorated guitars for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, all of the Herkies down at Iowa City around the University of Iowa, and numerous other cities that have information online.

I wonder why this is becoming so popular? Who wants to buy an oversized fiberglass art piece? What do you do with it? At least the proceedes go to charity!