come along on the journey...............
Getting Dirty with Glenn!
About Glenn
“Getting Dirty isn’t about the mess — it’s about the meaning.”
Life’s Messy — So I Decided to Get Dirty
I launched this website after my wife of 34 years, Cheryl, passed away in 2023 following a two-year battle with stage four cancer. We were lifelong outdoor explorers — biking, kayaking, gardening, and occasionally trying to outsmart Wisconsin mosquitoes. After Cheryl's passing, it was reinforced that being outside was the best medicine for both my mental and physical health… and it didn’t even require a co-pay.
Then, just when I thought I’d gotten all the “life is short” reminders a guy could handle, I survived a Widow Maker heart attack in October of 2025 — thanks to the quick-thinking EMTs and the incredible staff at Aurora Grafton Hospital. That experience will make you appreciate every sunrise, every hug, and every breeze off Lake Michigan a little differently.
A Life Designed for Living
After losing my sister at 56, Cheryl and I made a choice: we weren’t going to wait for “someday.” We built our lives around the things that mattered most — each other, family, and plenty of time to get outside. Whether we were working in a client’s garden or exploring a new trail, we always found peace (and often a bit of dirt) in the journey.
Now, after facing my own mortality, I’m doubling down on that philosophy — to Get Dirty in every sense. To live fully, love deeply, and savor every muddy, beautiful, unpredictable moment life throws my way.
Join the Journey
So grab your boots, your bike, or your sense of humor and come along for the ride. There’ll be laughter, a little mud, and a whole lot of heart — because north of the Cheddar Curtain, motion really is lotion for the body and soul.
Profile: Glenn Rieker
Who am I and what drives me on a daily basis?
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
I’ve lived my life by one simple acronym: CANI — Constant and Never-Ending Improvement. Whether in business, relationships, or just figuring out how to keep my kayak upright on a windy lake, I’ve always believed that growth is the secret sauce to a good life (preferably poured over some cheese curds).
One of the first lessons my mentor shared with me was this: there’s only one reason to be in business — to deliver the best product and service possible, and do it humbly. After 34 years in business and marriage — I’ve learned that the CANI philosophy doesn’t just belong in the office. It belongs at home, in the garden, on the bike trail, and pretty much anywhere life gets a little messy.
A Life Spent Outside (and Happily So)
I’ve been an outdoor enthusiast since my Boy Scout and YMCA summer camp days. Spending a week at Phantom Lake YMCA Camp, Camp Augustana on Lake Geneva and a canoe base camp near Land O' Lakes. From golfing with my parents at age ten to skiing at Majestic Hills, Cascade, Devils Head and Rib Mountain, to mowing half the neighborhood just so I could afford better gear for exploring the woods — I’ve always believed the outdoors makes everything better.
To this day, I still love the smell of freshly turned soil, the creativity of designing unique gardens, the hum of tires on a quiet trail, and the peace that comes with gliding a kayak across calm water. The outdoors has always been my sanctuary — and now, it’s my stage for storytelling and healing.
Changing, Adapting, and Flying Higher
When my wife, Cheryl, passed away in 2023, everything changed. But change, I’ve learned, can open new doors — if you’re willing to step through them (or, in my case, even fly over them). I’ve blended decades of experience in landscape design, project management, photography, and technology with a new perspective from the sky — as an FAA-Certified Drone Pilot. It’s a whole new way to share and celebrate the beauty of the outdoors.
What a Ride
I’ve signed my emails with the same quote for over twenty years, but after the last few years, it hits differently — and more truthfully than ever:
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body,
but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke,
thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming,
‘Wow! What a Ride!’”
And that’s really what Getting Dirty with Glenn is all about — living fully, laughing often, and embracing every messy, meaningful, muddy moment this life throws my way.
A Few Final Thoughts
Tom Brady was picked 199th in the draft
So as you wander through my site, remember this: lead with love, kindness,
Because life’s better when you’re in motion — and motion, as I like to say, is lotion for the body and the soul.