Memory Lane - We Get Out Much, Part 1 (June and July 1987)

June '87 was a fun month. Coming off a relaxing Memorial Day weekend at the family cottage, and nearing the end of Christy's first full year of school, we were ready to rumble. We started with a visit to a small petting zoo near my parents' home in Linwood. It's called Deer Acres.

Small is probably overstating things. Deer Acres had been a roadside attraction along US 23 just north of Bay City ever since I was a kid. In addition to petting-worthy animals, there were several exhibits and activity centers themed around fairy tales. In its heyday it was quite popular. But like many attractions along US highways, Deer Acres faced hard times with the advent of the interstate freeway system. In this case the villain was I-75.

The attraction was closed and re-opened several times over the years, as I witnessed from my regular trips up north. At last look, it appears to be open again. I wouldn't describe it as looking prosperous yet, at least from the road. But someone is giving it a go. Maybe we'll try it again sometime with my grandchildren.

In 1987, it was on the decline with only a few animals and exhibits remaining. I felt I should share this experience from my childhood with my own family while I could. So I did. They were...thrilled. At least a little. Here are a few pics.

In this first one Ted and Christine are posing in the castle turret that adorns the entrance to Deer Acres. Most kids raised in the tri-county area in the 50s and 60s (Bay, Saginaw, Midland) have a picture just like this in their family album.

Pretty mundane in this era of mega theme parks. But in 1987 it got the kids out of the house. And who can poopoo mingling with friendly animals. There were fluffy lambs.

Barn-climbing goats.

And of course, deer.

The adventure was a bit lowbrow, but a good introduction for the kids who were about to widen their entertainment groove significantly. Here we are taking a breather from all the excitement.

Shortly after our return home, we were introduced to a new element of our parenting lives - class trips. This one with Christine's first-grade class to the Detroit Zoo. Being a dutiful parent, and braver than I, Nancy agreed to help chaperone. 

We had taken the kids to the zoo earlier in the year. That trip was about seeing animals. Taking a gaggle of six-year-olds to the zoo is much more. Yes, there were animals. But mostly it's about keeping track of other people's kids while they learn to navigate a measure of freedom. Fun, but tricky. We have a few pics. This first is of the gaggle, a little amped, with our little darling in the middle. 

 

These next two shots are of the very cool ride the kids take deep into the park. Always a crowd pleaser.

And a shot of Christine enjoying the train ride with her buddy Sara S.

Here the two were caught visiting a couple of old family favorites.

In this final shot the chaperones are celebrating their newly-earned membership in the "class-trip survivors club". Good work, everybody.

A couple of weeks after Christine's school trip we went to Cranbrook to see some dinosaurs. This was six years before Jurassic Park, mind you, before velociraptor was a household word. So these life-like giants were awesome, and pretty spooky. At least spookier than Deer Acres and the zoo.

Here's a shot of the kids staring down a stegosaurus. "Nice pussycat."

And here I am protecting the kids from mayhem, a la Alan Grant (in Jurassic Park). 

After our June festival of animal life - tame, wild and extinct - we were ready for some down time. Actually, down on the beach time. So guess where we headed.

Yes, it was back to Avon Rae and Ipperwash Beach for the joint holiday week, Dominion Day for Canada (July 1st) and our Independence Day (July 4th). We were joined for a portion of that trip by some of our Canadian relatives, who were renting the cottage a couple doors down from Avon Rae.

The summer of 1987 began what I refer to as the glory days of our times at Avon Rae. For roughly the next ten years three generations of both the American and Canadian sides of the family would gather together for a week or two of joint summer vacation. This would occur during the months of July or August when the family elders (Rae, Marge, Uncle Ken and Aunt Evelyn) were living at the beach full time. 

In future posts, you will see how family bonds grew over the years through these cottage experiences, especially among the younger generation. But back to 1987. Here are a few pics.

What little recharging the kids needed they sought in the lake. Nothing like wading into the cool of Lake Huron to heighten one's senses. As usual Christine took the lead. Here she is deep in thought assessing the "duck" rating of the day. That is the number of times one has to duck under the water to get used to it, from 1 (warm as a bath) to 4 (too cold for a sane person to swim). I read her facial expression somewhere between 2 and 2.5.

Following her sister's lead, Cathy sloshed her way in without hesitation. Interested more in her form than the water temperature. A girl needs to know how to make an entrance.

Here's a shot of Ted applying his Little League pitching techniques to a game of lake football. 

Personally, I recharged by sitting quietly in the shade and powering down as many sensory functions as possible. I think of it as an advanced form of dawdling, requiring little more than a well-situated lawn chair as my "tune-out" space (see The Art of the Dawdle for a full explanation of this misunderstood fitness technique). A pair of shades to disguise your glassy-eyed stare into space can also be helpful.

The kids found their own tune-out spaces during the week when they felt the need. For Cathy it was communing with her favorite summer art medium. One must be "one" with the sand.

Christine preferred stretching out on a comfortable recliner, swaddled in a beach towel. 

Ted's choice for a little "me" time was atop the new staircase that had been built to accommodate the new seawall. 

Over time, this lofty perch became a favorite spot for me to sneak out for a second cup of morning coffee while enjoying the 180 degree view of the beach. The pic below provides a full view of this architectural beauty. Gathering at the foot of the stairs are the moms, Nancy in the chair and cousin Lynne, keeping an eye on her son Andrew as he explores his new surroundings. 

Here's a better shot of Andrew in his stylish sun hat, contemplating his next move.

And a pic of Christine and Andrew's big sister Heather enjoying the action from the lower decks of the new staircase. 

A major component of these joint family vacations was the late afternoon, multi-generational happy hour. In the beginning, the adults would mix up Manhattans and/or gin and tonics and send the kids off to entertain themselves. But once the kids realized that snacks were part of the tradition, they wanted a piece of the action. So the party was expanded to include a variety of non-alcoholic libations. The kids were happy with any beverage that had a cherry in it. Go figure.

Here are some happy hour pics from this early 1987 trip. First we have Uncle Ken, who along with Nancy's dad Rae were the formal hosts of these gatherings. 

Ken was a prince of a man, and the uncle everybody needs. Friendly, funny, discreet and a great bartender. I think I may have mentioned in an earlier post that it was he who gave me my nickname of Grosse Pointe Charles. I think of him fondly every time I sign off on a post. 

In this next pic are women of family happy hours past, present and future. From left to right Lynne, Nancy, Cathy, Aunt Evelyn and Nancy's mother Marge. On the far left you can just make out Rae fulfilling his co-host duties by delivering a fresh Manhattan to Lynne.

Next-generationers Christine and Heather were making the most of the snack component of the party. Heather looks a little concerned about the paparazzi (that would be me).

After the crowd cleared out, Cathy hung on a little longer working hard to get that cherry out of her Shirley Temple. 

This last picture from the visit is a family classic. It's an image etched in my memory. We have an enlargement hanging in our downstairs play room. 

I call it The Morning Ritual. If you look closely you can see Marge and Rae on the Avon Rae porch enjoying a favorite pastime - reading the daily paper and sharing items of interest with each other. As usual Marge is sitting in her wicker rocker, Rae in his upright wooden rocker. 

The wicker rocker has been a mainstay at Wiser Times since 2005 and has been celebrated in several previous posts. With the passing of Avon Rae out of the family last fall, Rae's rocker now resides here in my hobby lab. About 20 feet from my keyboard. It's a welcome addition. 

At the end of this visit to Avon Rae, we didn't return home directly. Instead, we "widened our groove" a little further. All the way to Toronto. And that's where'll I'll pick things up in my next post. 

Happy Memorial Day everyone. 

Grosse Pointe Charles